Mafia Commission Trial

Last updated

United States v. Salerno
USDCSDNY.svg
Court United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Full case nameUnited States v. Anthony Salerno, et al
DecidedNovember 19, 1986;37 years ago (1986-11-19) (verdict)
January 13, 1987;37 years ago (1987-01-13) (sentencing)
VerdictGuilty as to 8 defendants (see text)
Court membership
Judge sitting Richard Owen

The Mafia Commission Trial (in full, United States v. Anthony Salerno, et al) [1] was a criminal trial before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in New York City, United States, that lasted from February 25, 1985, until November 19, 1986. Using evidence obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 11 organized crime figures, including the heads of New York City's "Five Families", were indicted by United States Attorney Rudolph Giuliani under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) on charges including extortion, labor racketeering, and murder. Eight of them were convicted under RICO, and most were sentenced to 100 years in prison on January 13, 1987, the maximum possible sentence under that law.

Contents

The case struck a blow against "The Commission", a ruling committee consisting of the New York Five Families bosses that meet to resolve disputes or discuss criminal activities. Time called the trial the "Case of Cases" and possibly "the most significant assault on the infrastructure of organized crime since the high command of the Chicago Mafia was swept away in 1943", and quoted Giuliani's stated intention: "Our approach ... is to wipe out the five families." [2]

Background

In 1983, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recorded several wire tapped conversations of Ralph Scopo extorting money from contractors. [3] Scopo was the president of the Cement and Concrete Workers District Council of the Laborers' International Union of North America from 1977 to April 1985. [3] During this time, Scopo used his position to extort money from cement contractors in New York in return for large construction contracts and labor peace. Contracts between $2 million and $15 million were reserved for a club of contractors called the "Concrete Club", which were selected by The Commission. [4] In return, the contractors gave a two-percent kickback of the contract value to The Commission. [4] [5]

Gennaro Langella supervised various labor rackets for the Colombo crime family, including their stake in the Concrete Club, and exerted control over various labor unions, including Cement and Concrete Workers District Council, Local 6A. [6] Anthony Salerno also had hidden controlling interests in S & A Concrete Co. and Transit-Mix Concrete Corp. [7]

In the early 1980s, Anthony Corallo unwittingly provided the government with evidence that would all but end his career. Over the years, Corallo and Salvatore Avellino established a stranglehold on the waste hauling business on Long Island. To gather evidence against Avellino, members of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) used undercover informant Robert Kubecka, the owner of a Suffolk County, New York, garbage hauling business. Since the 1970s, Kubecka had refused to participate with the mob control of the waste hauling business and had suffered extensive harassment as a result. In 1982, Kubecka agreed to wear a surveillance device during meetings with the mobsters. Although Kubecka was unable to get close to Avellino himself, the information Kubecka gathered eventually persuaded a judge to allow a wire tap on Avellino's home phone in Nissequogue, New York. The home phone tap was also disappointing to the agents; however, it did reveal that Avellino was driving Corallo around all day in Avellino's car. [8]

In 1983, members of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) installed an electronic surveillance device inside the dashboard on Avellino's Jaguar while he and his wife were at a dinner dance. Agents then listened to many conversations between Corallo, Avellino, and other mobsters as they drove around the city. [9] From these recorded conversations, OCTF learned the Commission's internal structure, history, and relations with other crime families. These conversations were shared with federal prosecutors and provided them with invaluable evidence against Corallo and other family bosses in the Mafia Commission Trial. [8] [10]

Trial

Defendants

Paul Castellano Castellanomug.jpg
Paul Castellano
Anthony Salerno Anthony Salerno.jpg
Anthony Salerno
Anthony Corallo Anthony.corallo.jpg
Anthony Corallo
Gennaro Langella Gennaro Langella.jpg
Gennaro Langella

The indictments and arrests on February 25, 1985, included nine defendants: [11]

as well as their subordinates,

Added shortly after: [12]

Developments

On February 25, 1985, nine New York Mafia leaders were indicted for narcotics trafficking, loansharking, gambling, labor racketeering and extortion against construction companies. [11] On July 1, 1985, the original nine men, with the addition of two more New York Mafia leaders, pleaded not guilty to a second set of racketeering charges as part of the trial. Prosecutors aimed to strike at all the crime families at once using their involvement in the Commission. [12] On December 2, 1985, Dellacroce died of cancer. [14] Castellano was later murdered on December 16, 1985. [15]

According to Colombo hitman and FBI informant Gregory Scarpa, Persico and Gambino boss John Gotti backed a plan to kill the lead prosecutor, and future New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani in late 1986, but it was rejected by the rest of the Commission. [16]

In the early 1980s, the Bonanno family were kicked off the Commission due to the Donnie Brasco infiltration, and although Rastelli was one of the men initially indicted, this removal from the Commission actually allowed Rastelli to be removed from the Commission Trial as he was later indicted on separate labor racketeering charges. Having previously lost their seat on the Commission, the Bonannos suffered less exposure than the other families in this case. [17] [18]

When the lawyers for the accused mafiosi reviewed the evidence, they realized their clients' chances at trial were slim. However, when they sounded out possible plea bargain terms, Giuliani demanded that the defendants plead guilty to the stiffest charges in the indictment, which carried sentences that would have all but assured they would die in prison. [19] The seven defense lawyers, as well as Persico's legal adviser (Persico was acting as his own lawyer) then decided to admit that the Mafia and the Commission existed, but argue that membership in the Mafia or being a boss were not in and of themselves evidence of criminal activity. The mafiosi initially balked, believing that it would amount to a violation of the code of omertà. However, the lawyers impressed upon their clients that they could not credibly deny the existence of the Mafia in the face of their own recorded references to it. Ultimately, the mafiosi agreed to this strategy as long as they did not have to personally admit the Mafia existed. [20]

Hence, during his opening statement, Santoro's lawyer, Samuel Dawson, told the jury that there was no question that "the Mafia exists and has members," but asked, "Can you accept that just because a person is a member of the Mafia that doesn't mean he committed the crimes charged in this case?" It was the first admission in open court that the Mafia existed. [21] [22]

Verdicts

After six days of deliberations, the jury convicted eight defendants of racketeering on November 19, 1986, [5] with the exception of Indelicato who was convicted of murder (of Carmine Galante), [13] and were sentenced by judge Richard Owen on January 13, 1987, as follows: [23] [24]

DefendantPositionPenaltyStatusDate of death
Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno Boss, Genovese family 100 years' imprisonment and fined $240,000DeceasedJuly 27, 1992, MCFP Springfield [25]
Antonio "Tony Ducks" Corallo Boss, Lucchese family 100 years' imprisonment and fined $240,000DeceasedAugust 23, 2000, MCFP Springfield [26]
Salvatore "Tom Mix" Santoro Underboss, Lucchese family100 years' imprisonment and fined $250,000DeceasedJanuary 2000, in federal custody
Christopher "Christie Tick" Furnari Consigliere, Lucchese family100 years' imprisonment and fined $240,000Deceased; had been released on September 19, 2014May 28, 2018 [27]
Carmine "Junior" Persico Boss, Colombo family 100 years' imprisonment and fined $240,000DeceasedMarch 7, 2019, Duke University Medical Center [28]
Gennaro "Gerry Lang" Langella Acting boss/underboss, Colombo family100 years' imprisonment and fined $240,000DeceasedDecember 15, 2013, MCFP Springfield [29]
Ralph "Ralphie" Scopo Soldier, Colombo family100 years' imprisonment and fined $240,000DeceasedMarch 9, 1993, in federal custody [30]
Anthony "Bruno" Indelicato Capo, Bonanno family 40 years' imprisonment and fined $50,000Released in 1998 [31] N/A

Salerno had initially been billed as the boss of the Genovese family. However, shortly after the trial, Salerno's longtime right-hand man, Vincent "The Fish" Cafaro, turned informant, told the FBI that Salerno had been a front for the real boss, Vincent "The Chin" Gigante. Cafaro also revealed that the Genovese family had been keeping up this ruse since 1969. [32] [33] However, according to New York Times organized crime reporter Selwyn Raab, this would not have jeopardized Salerno's conviction at the Commission Trial or his 100-year sentence. In his book, Five Families, Raab noted that Salerno had been tried and convicted for specific criminal acts, not for being the Genovese boss. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Massino</span> American mobster (1940–2023)

Joseph Charles Massino was an American mobster. He was a member of the Mafia and boss of the Bonanno crime family from 1991 until 2004, when he became the first boss of one of the Five Families in New York City to turn state's evidence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvatore Vitale</span> American former underboss

Salvatore "Good Looking Sal" Vitale is an American former underboss of the Bonanno crime family before he became a government informant. After his arrest in 2003, Vitale agreed to cooperate with the government and testify against his brother-in-law, boss Joseph Massino, and in July 2004, Massino was convicted in a RICO case. Vitale had admitted to 11 murders, however, in October 2010, was sentenced to time served due to his cooperation, and entered the witness protection program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carmine Persico</span> American mob boss (1933–2019)

Carmine John Persico Jr., also known as "Junior", "The Snake" and "Immortal", was an American mobster and the longtime boss of the Colombo crime family in New York City from 1973 until his death in 2019. He had been serving 32 years in federal prison from 1987 until his death on March 7, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Five Families</span> Five major New York City organized crime families of the Italian American Mafia

The Five Families refer to five Italian American Mafia crime families that operate in New York City. In 1931, the five families were organized by Salvatore Maranzano following his victory in the Castellammarese War.

The Colombo crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City within the criminal organization known as the American Mafia. It was during Lucky Luciano's organization of the American Mafia after the Castellammarese War, following the assassinations of "Joe the Boss" Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano, that the gang run by Joseph Profaci became recognized as the Profaci crime family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Corallo</span> American mobster

Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo was an American mobster and boss of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. Corallo exercised tremendous control over trucking and construction unions in New York.

Ralph "Little Ralphie" Scopo Sr. was a New York mobster with the Colombo crime family who became a powerful labor racketeer. He was the father of Colombo mobsters Joseph Scopo and Ralph Scopo Jr., and the grandfather of Joseph Scopo Jr. and Ralph Scopo III.

The Commission is the governing body of the American Mafia, formed in 1931 by Charles "Lucky" Luciano following the Castellammarese War. The Commission replaced the title of capo di tutti i capi, held by Salvatore Maranzano before his murder, with a ruling committee that consists of the bosses of the Five Families of New York City, as well as the bosses of the Chicago Outfit and, at various times, the leaders of smaller families, such as Buffalo, Philadelphia, Detroit, and others. The purpose of the Commission was to oversee all Mafia activities in the United States and serve to mediate conflicts among families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gennaro Langella</span> American mobster

Gennaro Adriano Langella, also known as "Gerry Lang", was an American mobster in the Colombo crime family of New York City, and eventually became underboss and acting boss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvatore Avellino</span> American mobster

Salvatore Avellino Jr., also known as Sally, is an American mobster and former caporegime in the Lucchese crime family who was involved in labor racketeering in the garbage and waste management industry on Long Island, New York. Avellino also served as right-hand man and chauffeur to boss Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo.

Vincent Cafaro was an Italian-American mobster who was a soldier in the Genovese crime family under the tutelage of acting boss Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno, until becoming a government confidential informant and cooperating witness in 1986.

Victor J. Orena, also known as "Little Vic", is a New York City mobster who became the acting boss of the Colombo crime family. A challenge by Orena to boss Carmine Persico triggered one of the bloodiest Mafia wars of the late 20th century, and the last major mob war in New York City to date.

The Lucchese crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia. Members refer to the organization as the Lucchese borgata; borgata is Mafia slang for criminal gang, which itself was derived from a Sicilian word meaning close-knit community. The members of other crime families sometimes refer to Lucchese family members as "Lukes".

Alphonse T. Persico, known as Little Allie Boy or just Allie Boy, was the acting boss of the Colombo crime family between 1996 and 2019, and son of crime boss Carmine Persico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Salerno</span> American mobster (1911–1992)

Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno was an American mobster who served as underboss and front boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City from 1981 until his conviction in 1986.

The Bonanno crime family is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City as part of the criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia.

References

  1. Raab, p. 273
  2. Stengel, Richard. Stengel, Richard (June 24, 2001). "The Passionate Prosecutor". Time. Archived from the original on December 4, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2006.Time online, posted June 24, 2001.
  3. 1 2 "COLOMBO JURY HEARS TAPE OF '83 CONVERSATION ABOUT PAYMENTS". The New York Times . December 21, 1985. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  4. 1 2 director, from the New York State Organized Crime Task Force ; Ronald Goldstock (1990). Corruption and racketeering in the New York City construction industry : final report to Governor Mario M. Cuomo. New York: New York University Press. p. 79. ISBN   0-8147-3034-5. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2020.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 Lubasch, Arnold H (November 20, 1986). "U.S. Jury Convicts Eight as Members of Mob Commission". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  6. "United States v. Local 6A, Cement & Concrete Workers, 663 F. Supp. 192 (S.D.N.Y. 1986)". Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  7. Lubasch, Anrold H. (March 22, 1986). "Reputed Mob Leader Among 15 Indicted on Racketeering Counts". New York Times. Archived from the original on January 5, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  8. 1 2 Raab, Selwyn (2005). Five families : the rise, decline, and resurgence of America's most powerful Mafia empires (1st ed.). New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN   0-312-30094-8. avellino.
  9. "TWO ON MOB TRIAL TAPE SAY TO KILL DRUG SELLERS". The New York Times . September 23, 1986. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  10. Feuer, Alan (September 1, 2000). "Anthony Corallo, Mob Boss, Dies in Federal Prison at 87". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 16, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  11. 1 2 Lubasch, Arnold H. (February 27, 1985). "U.s. Indictment Says 9 Governed New York Mafia". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  12. 1 2 "11 Plead Not Guilty to Ruling Organized Crime in New York". The New York Times. July 2, 1985. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  13. 1 2 "JUDGE SENTENCES 8 MAFIA LEADERS TO PRISON TERMS". nyimes.com. January 14, 1987. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  14. Blumenthal, Ralph (December 4, 1985). "ANIELLO DELLACROCE DIES AGE 71; REPUTED CRIME-GROUP FIGURE". New York Times. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  15. "FBI fears murder of Castellano may ignite war for mob control". The Day. (New London, Connecticut). Associated Press. December 17, 1985. p. A1. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  16. Sullivan, John (October 25, 2007). "Crime Bosses Considered Hit on Giuliani". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
  17. DeStefano, Anthony M. (2008). King of the godfathers (Trade paperback ed. (updated). ed.). New York: Citadel Press/Kensington Publishing. p. 15. ISBN   978-0-8065-2874-8. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  18. "Fact file: Who is Joe Pistone – a.k.a. Donnie Brasco?". globalnews.ca. September 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  19. Raab, p. 291.
  20. Raab, pp. 291-292.
  21. Raab, p. 292
  22. Margot Hornblower (September 19, 1986). "Mafia 'Commission' Trial Begins in New York". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  23. Lubasch, Arnold H. (January 14, 1987). "Judge Sentences 8 Mafia Leaders to Prison Terms". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  24. Federal Government's Use of Trusteeships Under the RICO Statute. Vol. 4. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 1989. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  25. Dao, James (July 29, 1992). "Anthony (Fat Tony) Salerno, 80, A Top Crime Boss, Dies in Prison". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
  26. Feuer, Alan (September 1, 2000). "Anthony Corallo, Mob Boss, Dies in Federal Prison at 87". New York Times. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved December 4, 2011.
  27. "Christopher Furnari". Staten Island Advance. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  28. "Legendary New York Mob Boss Carmine Persico, Head of Colombo Family, Dead at Age 85". nbcnewyork.com. March 7, 2019. Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  29. "Gennaro Langella Obituary - Staten Island, New York". March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  30. "Man Tied to Crime Family Is Shot to Death in Queens" Archived 2017-11-08 at the Wayback Machine By GEORGE JAMES New York Times October 22, 1993
  31. "Mob Soldier Faces a Return To Jail for Parole Violations". The New York Times . July 18, 2001. Archived from the original on November 2, 2009.
  32. Raab, pp. 556-557.
  33. "MAJOR MAFIA LEADER TURNS INFORMER, SECRETLY RECORDING MEETINGS OF MOB" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine By ARNOLD H. LUBASCH New York Times March 21, 1987
  34. Raab, p. 309-310

Further reading