And under his lead, the DeCavalcante spread money around to local politicians and often presented a veneer of legitimacy Riggi helped develop little league baseball fields and supported many charitable causes even as the family was committing serious crimes, extortion, and fraud across the state. 1. Hearing Impaired: 856-968-4983 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. Jan 21st, 2020. 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. We got more DeCav's coming too. He gained much respect because he held a place on the infamous Commission, a governing body for the American Mafia which included the Five Families of New York, the Chicago, LA and Florida. You know, honesty and honorability, those things., Majuri replied, Yeah. Giacomo Jake Amari became the acting boss and thumbed his nose at the five families by recruiting new members in New York and operating a social club in Little Italy. He died of a heart attack in 1997 at age 84. Stango, Charles et al. During prohibition and afterwards, several New Jersey families controlled their own city-wide networks, and crews associated with the Five Families in New York staked out a claim on rackets in Jersey as well. charged along with Stango were accused of discussing at a bar in Toms River in 2015 their plan for a prostitution business. The DeCavalcante family is known as the inspiration for the acclaimed HBO series " The Sopranos ." An investigation into Vella and another family associate culminated in the execution of a. Name it. NEWARK, N.J. - Ten members and associates of the DeCavalcante organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra were arrested today and charged with various plots to commit murder, distribute drugs and run a prostitution business, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Charles Stango was also charged along with his son, Anthony Stango, 33 of Brick, New Jersey, with conspiring with members of his New Jersey-based crew to distribute cocaine and run a prostitution business. 1991) was an American mobster and the longtime official underboss of the DeCavalcante crime family. The Sopranos are fictional, the DeCavalcante crime family is not. [16] Palermo realized they would likely spend the rest of their lives behind bars and decided to cooperate with the FBI in exchange for a lenient sentence. 2. He would quickly utilize his position and popularity to help expand the influence and geographic reach of this borgata. But according to the Daily Beast, the dumbfella hitman stole license plates belonging to the wife of a fellow gangster. This caused a massive power vacuum within the family, with high-ranking members pushing to become the next boss of the DeCavalcante crime family. Newark, NJ 07102, Newark:973-645-2700 He plead guilty to operating a gambling racket turning over $20 million a year. Sam DeCavalcante was the boss of the DeCavalcante Family who became notorious for undercover FBI recordings at his plumbing office. Two of the restaurants waitresses, young women in their late teens, began to cry, the indictment says. The DiMeo family had then been taken over by Jackie Aprile, who dies of cancer just like Jake Amari. Previously, the familys factions in Newark and Elizabeth littered the Meadowlands with corpses in a battle for control. DeCavalcante crime family capo Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso went missing on Nov. 11, 1991, after shopping with his wife for his upcoming birthday party, and having dinner in their pregnant daughter . Delmore attended the infamous 1957 Apalachin Convention to represent the small New Jersey crime family, with underbosses of Elizabeth and Newark Frank Majuri and Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso. 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,[2] Newark, West New York,[3] and various other North Jersey cities and the surrounding areas in North Jersey. He had recently doubled the number of made members and he was taking full advantage of his native states remarkable propensity for corruption at all levels of government. He sounded like any worried father when he fretted aloud about his three sons. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. has fought against New Jersey withdrawing from the commission, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Important members over the years have included underboss Francesco (Big Frank) Majuri, capo di decina Luciano (Big Louie) Larasso, Frank (Frankie Coch) Cocchiaro, Vincent (Jimmy) Rotondo, and soldiers Robert (Bobby Basile) Occhipinti and the notorious Gaetano (Corky) Vastola. On Thursday, March 12, 2015, authorities arrested ten members and associates of the DeCavalcante crime family, including Stango and his son, and Frank Nigro, the family's consigliere. [18] With the decline of the DeCavalcante family, New York's Five Families have taken over many of the rackets in northern New Jersey. However, in many cases DeCavalcante crime family activities were even more colorful than the fiction they later inspired. 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. Antonio Caruso was a member of the DeCavalcante Family active in gambling operations on the Lower East Side with policy and card games. Unsurprisingly, the DeCavalcante Family were fans of the show. Sweeping federal indictments in past decades decimated the mob hierarchy as members flipped to help law enforcement or went to prison. DeCavalcante always paid a good price when persuading judges and politicians and cops to sell their souls. He appointed Gaetano Vastola to oversee the family while he was behind bars, but Vastola was subsequently arrested shortly afterwards as well. 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. They dont recognize more than five families, a law-enforcement expert notes. 20152016 "Milk" mentioned by Charles Stango in December 2012 wiretaps. Francesco Majuri was a well-respected member of the underworld who started out as an alcohol bootlegger in the 1920s and 1930s. [20], In March 2015, the FBI arrested 10 members and associates of the crime family on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and distribution of drugs, including 71 year-old captain Charles "Beeps" Stango and 72 year-old consigliere Frank Nigro. 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. Guarraci pleaded guilty and in January 2012 got off with six months of home confinement, followed by five years probation. [27][28] Stango reportedly wanted Nigro and associate Paul Colella to get permission from the New Jersey hierarchy to kill Luigi Oliveri, but the murder was not committed because Stango did not get an answer. 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. The current boss is Charles Majuri. However, long before the Sopranos there was an actual mafia network running criminal activities across the Hudson River that divides New Jersey from New York (and the Five Families who operated in the big city). A lock ( Today, the DeCavalcante Crime family is a shadow of its former self. During Guarino's time as an informant, fellow mobster Joseph Masella was gunned down on the orders of Vincent Palermo. In addition to Badami, the Jersey crew has frequently done hits for other families because of their low profile. He had to meet death, concluded the reputedcaporegime, the Italian term for captain in the underworld. Mario Galli III, 28, from Toms River New Jersey and an associate of the DeCavalcante crime family has been sentenced to five years in federal prison and probably much more.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,100],'aboutthemafia_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_2',650,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aboutthemafia_com-medrectangle-3-0'); In exchange for leniency, Galli plead guilty on Monday in the U.S. District Court in Trenton to possession of drugs and possession of a firearm during a drug crime, which were discovered during a search of his and another home by detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutors Office. 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. Apalachin meeting. While incarcerated, Riggi attempted to maintain control of the DeCavalcante crime family, with uneven success. 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. [10], Between 1999-2005, about 45 men were imprisoned, including the family's consigliere and seven capos. Riggi is said to have given the go-ahead from prison for a killer named Anthony Capo to dispatch DAmato. And when The Sopranos hit the airwaves, a lot of wiseguys took umbrage. I grew up in Elizabeth in the 70s and 80s and was good friends with John Riggi's younger granddaughter (who is now, funny enough, a lawyer). If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. Even so, legacymob activity in New Jersey is detailed in the records of recent federal prosecutions: The Port of New York and New Jersey is a longtime hotspot for organized crime, OMalley noted. 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. The latest "organized crime spotlight" report issued by the state focused instead on the notoriously violent street gang MS-13. After college, the son discovered his calling. Have a question about Government Services? Gambino BossFrancesco "Franky Boy"Cali was gunned down in Staten Island earlier this month. The longtime New Jersey mob godfather took over officially as boss in the early 1980's controlling the family for decades. 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. His reign proved to be very disruptive, as members of the Newark and the Elizabeth factions began fighting for total control of New Jersey. lieutenant, Giovanni Riggi, as the head of the family. In 1935, Vincenzo Troia conspired to take over the Newark family and was murdered. 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. New Jersey Mafia Road rage incident sends DeCavalcante mobster Jerry Balzano back to prison By DiMaiolo Santolo March 15, 2017 54 Comments Jerry Balzano a reputed soldier in the New Jersey mafia is back in prison after confronting a driver in a road rage incident according to a NY Daily News report. Riggis knowledge and control of unions enabled the DeCavalcante Crime family to shake down contractors and municipal governments, often earning the family impressive profits. After the first season, a crew of remaining family members were recorded praising the shows realism and acting. He hung out at the Ribera Social Club in Elizabeth, remaining so low-key that even some members of the family were unaware of his alleged position. Still, they boast around 40 made men and around 50 associates and have maintained strong alliances with the Gambinos, Philly and the Patriarca crime family in New England. Luigi Oliveri, 41, of Elizabeth, was charged with the possession of contraband cigarettes. Last edited by NYMafia; 04/03/23 07:16 PM. Charles Stango discussed his plans with an undercover agent, which included hiring two members of an outlaw biker gang to shoot the rival gang member. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Anthony Comello was arrested in Brick andcharged in the fatal shooting. At the same time, a New York State report indicated that he and another Mafia family controlled 90-percent of the pornography stores in New York City. NEWARK, N.J. Ten members and associates of the DeCavalcante organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra were arrested today and charged with various plots to commit murder, distribute drugs and run a prostitution business, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. 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. October 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Louis "Fat Lou" LaRasso (1926-November 11th, 1991) was an American mobster and the . The new boss was Giovanni John the Eagle Riggi. Pete Galletta was a "sleeper" DeCavalcante member who was involved in the Family's gambling rackets, yet unknown to law enforcement. 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. Riggi placed the family under the day-to-day direction of a ruling panel headed by Vastola, whose various activities ranged from shaking down dice games to promoting concerts by Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. DeCavalcante had hoped that he himself might get the honor and make his a sixth family. Read more about cookies here. The alleged MS-13 "regional director for the East Coast" had a home in the Jersey Shore's Long Branch. Badami's underboss Filippo Amari began to run the illegal operations. He retired to Florida upon his release. By the late 1990s, high turnover rates in the familys leadership due to arrests, deaths, or disappearances was beginning to take its toll on the crime networks fortunes. DeCavalcante can be heard on the recordings expressing some bitterness when Joe Colombo of the Colombo crime family was appointed to the ruling Commission at Carlo Gambinos urging. Sep 16, 2020 - Explore AmericanMafiaHistory.com's board "DeCavalcante Crime Family", followed by 512 people on Pinterest. ]. Umberto Gallo ran a private mob social club as a base and was partners with his older brother in the shylock rackets. [6] The New York City families had crews operating in New Jersey: the Masseria family's New Jersey faction, and the Reina family's Jersey crew. 1970s-1990s Organized Crime Jersey Style, After DeCavalcantes incarceration and apparent retirement, he appointed a trusted. Gallo was a strong ally and friend of Vincent Palermo's, and told him about Majuri's plans. It operates on the opposite side of the Hudson River from the Five Families of New York. Or at the very least, the mutt had to be maimed. 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. Law enforcement authorities seized 3,200 pounds of cocaine valued at $77 million at Port Newark in late February, though they havent yet named who they suspect of importing the drugs. The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. 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