Button Guys of The New York Mafia. Jan 21st, 2020. Arsenault described mob activity at the port today similar to the problems that prompted the formation of the commission: theft of cargo and containers, extortion of port workers and importationand sale of drugs. John LaMela was a DeCavalcante Family soldier active in liquor bootlegging, narcotics, and garbage rackets. Thats it.. Andrew Ford: @AndrewFordNews; 732-643-4281; aford3@gannettnj.com. From city to city and state to state, Button Guys of The New York Mafia breaks down the history of organized crime in America. In fact, the shows remarkable success could be attributed in part to it not being in the realm of The Godfather and the five families. During Guarino's time as an informant, fellow mobster Joseph Masella was gunned down on the orders of Vincent Palermo. The downfall of the DeCavalcante family was precipitated in 1998, when an associate named Ralph Guarino became an FBI informant, in an effort to avoid a long prison sentence in connection with taking part with two others in a heist of $1.6 million from the World Trade Center. Gregory "Georgie" Rago (born 1959) is a New Jersey mobster and "soldier" in the DeCavalcante crime family. The Mafia once infiltrated New Jerseys political system and some elements of law enforcement, according to Lee Seglem, executive director of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation, a 51-year-old arm of state government dedicated to rooting out organized crime and corruption. If youre a real honest guy, you wind up [a] hunchback with headaches., A feeling that he had not received his due respect may have added to DeCavalcantes dislike for the nicknames Sam the Plumber (he owned a heating and plumbing company) and the Claw (he made sure to collect every usurious penny in loan sharking). DeCavalcante will soon be moving to Los Santos Either in October 2012 or Sometime in 2013. Luigi Oliveri, 41, of Elizabeth, was charged with the possession of contraband cigarettes. Unlike New York's infamous Five Families, the Chicago mob consists of only one family, often referred to as the "Outfit.". Brooklyn-born Frank (Big Frankie) Cocchiaro was one of the most active racketeers in the DeCavalcante Family - and one of its most notorious. A lock ( Kevin R. Wexler and Andrew Ford, Asbury Park Press, "organized crime spotlight" report issued by the state. When boss Giovanni John the Eagle Riggi wanted to curry favour with newly-minted Gambino boss John Gotti, he offered to do a hit. The people in New Jersey who are really worth admiring are people such as the actual family that gave us the actor who summoned their example of hard, honest work as he so brilliantly played the fictional gangster Tony Soprano. More than 30 members and associates of the family were arrested. The high turnover of mafia leadership that gave rise to the DeCavalcante family in the 1960s played a key part in its precipitous decline four decades later. Its illicit activities include bookmaking, cement and construction violations, bootlegging, corruption, drug trafficking, extortion, fencing, fraud, hijacking, illegal gambling, loan-sharking, money laundering, murder, pier thefts, pornography, prostitution, racketeering, and waste management violations. DeCavalcante Crime Family Bosses Timeline (1920-Present) - YouTube Mafia Simone Rizzo "Sam" DeCavalcante (1912-1997), known as "Sam the Plumber", was a member of the New Jersey Mafia. John Capozzi, 34, of Union, New Jersey; Mario Galli, 23, of Toms River, New Jersey; and Nicholas Degidio, 37, of Union, New Jersey, were also charged with cocaine distribution. Underboss Frank Majuri was recorded telling Simone DeCavalcante that he shouldnt run around because Catena and Gambino dont. Majuri meant Gerardo Catena of the Genovese family and Carlo Gambino of the family of that name. Although a highly secretive Family even among Cosa Nostra itself, in the early 1960s, the FBI was able to install a hidden bug or listening device in Sam DeCavalcantes plumbing contracting office. Delmore kept running the organization until he became ill in the early 1960s. After Riggi's conviction for racketeering, he appointed John D'Amato as acting boss of the family in 1990. For the next several years, every single word spoken by Sam and his Mafia associates was recorded for posterity by the agents. The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. There are also significant fines in Gallis near future.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'aboutthemafia_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_3',198,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aboutthemafia_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Many agencies were involved in this case including the FBIs Organized Crime Task Force, the Ocean County Prosecutors, Senior Counsel V. Grady OMalley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit in Newark. When mob aficionados think of underworld machinations in the Big Apple, the Five Families have a place of pride. Complaint 20122015 "Horse" mentioned by Charles Stango in December 2012 wiretaps. Sep 16, 2020 - Explore AmericanMafiaHistory.com's board "DeCavalcante Crime Family", followed by 512 people on Pinterest. Under his guidance, the DeCavalcante Family added dozens of made men to their ranks, and, Unfortunately for Sam the Plumber, his rise to power coincided with another development: more aggressive and sophisticated law enforcement efforts to take down organized crime. The FBI is confident this is a severe blow to the La Cosa Nostra family. He was a knockaround Jersey guy rising to power in the fictional DiMeo family, founded by Ercole DiMeo, who had been sent to prison just like Simone DeCavalcante. Heeney and Pali were recorded on various occasions between Aug. 29, 2012, and March 14, 2013, providing undercover officers with quantities of cocaine in exchange for cash and counterfeit goods. Name it. Oliveri, Luigi Complaint. Like Sam the Plumber, Riggi also had strong connections to the Five Families in New York as well; he had a particularly close relationship with John Gotti, boss of the Gambino Family. Unfortunately for Sam the Plumber, his rise to power coincided with another development: more aggressive and sophisticated law enforcement efforts to take down organized crime. The DeCavalcante crime family has been said to be the real-life inspiration for characters in "The Sopranos." Pictured are cast members of the hit TV drama from HBO. Nearly 1 pound of drugs and a loaded 9mm FEG Model PGK-9HP gun with 12 rounds were seized during the raids in September, said U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito. However, in many cases DeCavalcante crime family activities were even more colorful than the fiction they later inspired. [72][73] The family was the subject of the CNBC program Mob Money, which aired on June 23, 2010,[74] and The Real Sopranos TV documentary directed by Thomas Viner for the UK production company Class Films.[75]. But that was far from the end of the DeCavalcante Crime Family. He plead guilty to operating a gambling racket turning over $20 million a year. Madonna, who was the Lucchese family acting boss, and DiNapoli were indicted in 2010 for racketeering, leading an organized New Jersey-based crime ring and other crimes by a state grand jury as . Have a question about Government Services? Article content. He was recorded telling Majuri of going with fellow mobster Gaetano Corky Vastola to visit someone who had failed to come in for a chat when summoned. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. But there is a sixth family just across the Hudson River who are equally greedy and bloodthirsty. One noteworthy Sopranos moment was the 1992 murder of acting bossJohn Johnny Boy DAmato who was suspected of homosexual activity (a mob no-no). Charles and Anthony Stango also allegedly planned to operate a high-end escort service targeting white collar businessmen and professionals in the Toms River area. had a home in the Jersey Shore's Long Branch. [16] Other top members, like Anthony Rotondo and Anthony Capo, also agreed to become government witnesses. Sam was recorded talking about The Commission, his efforts as a Commission rep to help quell the Banana War and the Gallo-Profaci conflicts, casino operations in Vegas, and other very sensitive underworld secrets. The North Jersey mob traces its origins to the 1900s, but it wasnt recognized by The Commission (organized crimes governing body) as its own entity until the reign of Simone Sam the Plumber DeCavalcate, which began in 1964. [13] Riggi continued to run the family from his jail cell, but he appointed Giacomo "Jake" Amari as his new acting boss. I had a terrible dream about a bunch of cops! he exclaimed, adding that the secretary had featured in it. Previous Thread: Next Thread : Print Thread: Page 1 of 3: 1: 2: 3: Decavalcante Crime Family questions #985271 01/24/20 04:53 PM 01/24/20 04:53 PM: Joined: Jun 2016 . He was an in-law by marriage to Nicholas Delmore, the former head of the New Jersey, crime family whose nephew was Simone DeCavalcante, also a New Jersey mob family leader whose daughter he married. When the transcripts were unsealed in court, it became apparent that the affair with secretary was just one of many liaisons. Riggi was promoted to the position of official boss, and he reaped the enormous benefits of large labor and construction racketeering,[10] loansharking, illegal gambling, and extortion activities. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. He declared that This Thing of Ours and Our Friends were the same, whether it be among the five families of New York or his family in New Jersey. FAX: 609-989-2275. The bug also recorded the then-52-year-old DeCavalcante being robustly intimate with the secretary. His mother, Santa, worked as a high school cafeteria chef. The DeCavalcante family isnt the powerhouse it once was, and some in law enforcement argue the organizations criminal tool box hasnt kept pace with Asian, Russian, and African mobsters. At the height of his power, DeCavalcantes crime family was reported to oversee illicit activities worth over $20 million a year. He is said by law enforcement to remain a boss who may outlast them all in the five families for the same reason that helped make The Sopranos such a hit. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. He doubled the number of made men within his family during the 60s. SNP treasurer Colin Beattie has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.. Police Scotland revealed this morning that . Badami's underboss Filippo Amari began to run the illegal operations. [15] Guarino spent ten years undercover working for the FBI. Stango pleaded guilty to using the telephone with the intent to commit murder and was sentenced in 2017 to 10 years in prison in connection to the planned killing. After DeCavalcante left prison in the mid-1970s, he appointed Giovanni "John the Eagle" Riggi as acting boss of the family while he stayed semi-retired in Florida. If you dont mind, Id rather not talk about it, she said. He died of a heart attack in 1997 at age 84. The family controls much of the construction in New York City, as well. He appointed Gaetano Vastola to oversee the family while he was behind bars, but Vastola was subsequently arrested shortly afterwards as well. Today Newark FBI arrested 10 members of the DeCavalcante organized crime family, disrupting one of the most notorious crime families, FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel said. DeCavalcante Mafia family mobsters hit with drug charges Mafia author shares dark stories behind Garden State Gangland: The Rise of the Mob in New Jersey New Jersey Mafia capo gets 10 years for plans to whack rival DeCavalcante family capo admits planning mob rival's murder Two Decavalcante family mobsters admit distributing cocaine Gallo was a strong ally and friend of Vincent Palermo's, and told him about Majuri's plans. The longtime New Jersey mob godfather took over officially as boss in the early 1980's controlling the family for decades. Francisco Frank Guarraci hailed from Simone DeCavalcantes ancestral hometown of Ribera. All was seemingly settled until Amari became ill and died slowly of stomach cancer in 1997. It is part of the nationwide criminal network known as the American Mafia. Great acting.. His other advantage over the more high-profile families in New York was that law enforcement in New Jersey is more fragmented and less zealous. The DeCavalcante crime family, also known as the North Jersey Mafia, is an Italian-American Mafia organized crime family that operates mainly in northern New Jersey, particularly in Elizabeth, Newark, West New York, and various other North Jersey cities and the surrounding areas in North Jersey. Unions, construction, bootlegging, waste management, porn, gambling, prostitution, drugs, and much, much more. The attorney who represented Stango in thecase declined to comment. NEWARK, N.J. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit today ruled that a former U.S. Army major and his wife, convicted for having endangered the welfare of CAMDEN, N.J. A Pennsylvania man today admitted robbing two banks in Camden County. The scene where the FBI breaks into Tonys basement to plant a bug was so realistic that an agent who happened to encounter two of the shows head writers at The Buffalo Club in Santa Monica asked where they got their information. Sam DeCavalcante was the boss of the DeCavalcante Family who became notorious for undercover FBI recordings at his plumbing office. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Stango, now 75, ultimately opted for death, according to the document. Guarraci allegedly rose to acting boss as he continued to work as a foreman with a laborers union. He was born in 1913 and was involved in illegal gambling, murder, and racketeering for most of his life. And that will continue as long as there are ships that are coming in from all over the world and the people here who know what the ships are bringing in.. Robert Occhipinti was a member of the DeCavalcante Family who ran into trouble when the infamous "Sam the Plumber" tapes were revealed. His father, James, Sr., received a Purple Heart during World War II and worked as a mason and then as a high-school custodian. It is part of the nationwide criminal network known as the American Mafia. Between June 6, 2013, and Nov. 6, 2013, Oliveri bought multiple cases of untaxed cigarettes from undercover law enforcement officers. ]. However, the familys declining fortunes coincided with the debit of the, Sam the Plumber DeCavalcante - New Jersey Godfather - American Mafia History, Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo - De Facto Boss of the Chicago Outfit, Giacomo Black Jack Tocco - Last of the Old School Detroit Partnership, Joseph Iacobacci - "Joe Loose" of the Cleveland Mob, John "Sonny" Franzese - A Colombo Family Legend. We encountered an issue signing you up. He died in 1964, and his nephew Simone DeCavalcante was installed as new boss of the officially recognized "DeCavalcante crime family" of North Jersey. Respect the Don and All Family Members. DeCavalcante had hoped that he himself might get the honor and make his a sixth family. The capoplannedto paytwo motorcycle gang members $25,000 each to kill the Elizabeth man, but the hit never came. Virgil Alessi was a very active DeCavalcante mobster who started his mob career as a phone-man for Jiggs Forlano. FAX: 856-968-4917 Now in the year 2012 DeCavalcante are a strong Organized Loyal Mafia Family With over 7 Bases and 4 wars won. Organized crime still plagues Port Newark. The Commission remains committed to working with all its law enforcement partners to eliminate organized crime in and around the port district, Walter Arsenault, Executive Director of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, said. OMalley said he didnt think the killing had the markings of a sanctioned mob hit. An Amico Nostro is an Amico Nostro.. He appointed Gaetano Vastola to oversee. There were several bosses in North Jersey during the Prohibition era controlling transportation of alcohol and whiskey into New York City, and there were two Mafia families based in New Jersey: the Newark family headed by Gaspare D'Amico, and the Elizabeth family headed by Stefano Badami. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Stango's case stands among the latest federal prosecutions of New Jersey Mafia figures, showing that despite the rise of other gangs, the old mob is still active in the Garden State. [23][24][25] Luigi Oliveri was charged with the possession of contraband cigarettes. He was then summoned to a sit-down where he agreed to withdraw. Which directive G.M. He estimated up to 300 associates are active in the state, down from 800 at their peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Riggi also had the family maintain their old traditions, which Sam DeCavalcante saw as unnecessary. After acting boss Amari's death, Riggi organized a three-man ruling panel in 1998 to run the day-to-day business of the crime family,[14] consisting of Girolamo Palermo, Vincent Palermo (no relation), and Charles Majuri,[15] with Stefano Vitabile as the reputed consigliere and adviser to the three. The In fact, many of the characters and incidents within Sopranos are reported to have been inspired by DeCavalcante exploits. Vastolas successor, John DAmato, was reputed to be more loyal to the Gambinos than his own New Jersey associates. He retired to a high-rise condo in Florida when he was released and largely stayed out of Mafia business, although the FBI believed that he was still advising the family into the early 1990s. Charlie "The Hat" Stango ran New Jersey's DeCavalcante crime family until he was busted by FBI agent Rocco and sent to prison for a decade. Facebook Dressed in cargo shorts and a T-shirt and. [30], Longtime member Charles "Big Ears" Majuri is the current boss of the family. U.S. Attorney Fishman credited the members of the FBIs Organized Crime Task Force under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel in Newark; the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, under the direction of Executive Director Walter Arsenault; the Bayonne Police Department, under the direction of Chief Drew Niekrasz; and the N.J. State Commission of Investigation, under the direction of Chairman Joseph F. Scancarella, with the investigation leading to todays charges. Mob Fireside Chat BGs Official YouTube Channel, The DeCavalcante Crime Family of New Jersey, Nicolas (Nicky Dell) Delmore An Early DeCavalcante Family Boss, Simone Rizzo DeCavalcante The Count Of New Jersey, John (John the Eagle) Riggi DeCalvacante Family Acting Boss, Francesco (Big Frank) Majuri The Underboss, Joseph (Joe Buff) La Selva Nutmeg Mafioso, Antonio (Tony the Fox) Caruso The Hidden Fox, Carmelo (Melio) Cocchiaro DeCavalcante Family Soldier, Frank (Big Frankie) Cocchiaro DeCavalcante Caporegime, Rudolph (Rudy) Farone This Tootsie Dont Roll, Pietro (Pete) Galletta This Zip Liked To Sleep, Umberto (Vadoo) Gallo The Longshore Loaner, Joseph Guerriero Pippy of Connecticut, Joe Lolordo Machine-Gun Killer and DeCavalcante Capo, Joseph (The Old Man) Miranda The Mob Turtle. He might not have been the most sophisticated mafioso to ever walk the streets of Brooklyn, but Rudy Farone was certainly one of Cosa Nostras most dedicated. Read the room, Get the latest from Brad Hunter straight to your inbox. Nicknamed Sam the Plumber because of the plumbing supply store he operated as a business front, DeCavalcante was an ambitious Mafioso who managed to organize New Jerseys rackets like never before, and make them profitable. He was convicted on a variety of extortion and labor charges in 1992, and sentenced to twelve years in prison. All five of the New York City crime families, plus the New Jersey DeCavalcantes and the Philadelphia mob have people placed in the port, according to Walter Arsenault, executive director of the. The Panel infuriated longtime captain Charles Majuri, who had been a hardworking member of the family since his teens and felt that he was wronged when he was not selected as the only acting boss. The alleged MS-13 "regional director for the East Coast" had a home in the Jersey Shore's Long Branch. [15] To gain complete control of the DeCavalcante family, Majuri decided that he should murder Vincent Palermo, leaving himself in charge of the family. It was around the mid-1980s that Riggi fell increasingly under the influence of Gambino crime family boss John Gotti.[12]. One snitch quoted the doomed hitman just before he was whacked:Im sorry, I hope everybody doesnt blame me. They did. Whatever the truth of his lineage, DeCavalcante did have a certain courtly touch when he settled disputes or helped a younger mafioso through a rough patch in his marriage. 1. The FBI surveilled DeCavalcante and several of his associates, built an effective case against him, and in 1969 he was convicted on a variety of racketeering charges.