An Italy-US takedown of mafia family members is heralded a success. Sixteen individuals believed to be leaders and associates of the Gambino crime family have been apprehended in Italy and the United States.
The charges brought against them encompass racketeering, extortion, witness retaliation, conspiracy, and fraud. In the New York area, ten suspects were taken into custody, while six were apprehended by Italian authorities in Palermo, Sicily. One suspect remains at large, according to the US Department of Justice.
The US-based individuals were scheduled to appear in a New York court on Wednesday. Prosecutors detailed a disturbing pattern of intimidation and violent assaults aimed at embezzling funds and defrauding unions and employee benefit plans in the indictment.
The syndicate specifically targeted demolition companies and the carting industry, also known as waste management or rubbish collection. The indictment outlines how the group employed threats and demanded protection payments from businessmen, evading union regulations, and manipulating bids for lucrative demolition contracts.
In addition to the aforementioned charges, the defendants also face accusations of threatening witnesses, money laundering, and firearms offenses. Prosecutors said they had uncovered evidence of American mafiosi getting ‘training’ from their Sicilian “cousins” in using a softer, less violent approach, which includes demanding smaller amounts from extortion victims so they are less likely to turn to the State for help.
Gambino Family members targetted
Notable among those arrested were Joseph “Joe Brooklyn” Lanni, a leader or “captain” in the Gambino family, alleged Gambino soldier Angelo “Fifi” Gradilone, and Francesco Vicari, also known as “Uncle Ciccio,” an alleged Sicilian mafia associate and Gambino affiliate.
The Gambino family is one of the five major New York-area mafia syndicates collectively referred to as La Cosa Nostra. Previously led by John Gotti and later Frank Cali, the family has been the focus of recent investigations and law enforcement operations in both the United States and Italy.
The defendants now face the prospect of maximum sentences ranging from 20 to 180 years in prison.
