It is funny what stories the mainstream media will pick up and what they won't. I have written about Shrimp Boy the Dragonhead of Chee Kung Tong and California State Senator Leeland Yee. This past week they have been charged in a superseding indictment with even more felony counts but the media chooses not to give it much coverage. The new indictment raises the charge count from 50 to 228 against the same people. Shrimp Boy, Leeland Yee and Keith Jackson are among those now charged with racketeering in the indictment. Chinese Triads may not be as sexy as Mexican Cartels or Gangs, but they are much more dangerous. The Chee Kung Tong is hundreds of years old with more members worldwide and much more diverse when it comes to criminal activity. It has become clear that Shrimp Boy had worked with Leeland Yee to advance his Criminal Enterprise. The Tong was involved in illegal gambling, drug distribution and selling contraband cigarettes. They used many
ways to launder the proceeds of the enterprise because the cash that was rolling in was staggering. Leeland, along with Keith Jackson, used his various campaigns to solicit bribes. He even wanted to shake down the NFL by using his influence with the California Athletic Commission to change rules regarding out-of-state athletes. He also sought to extort cash from MMA Promotions that wished to operate in California. The worst thing that he conspired to (along with Keith Jackson and a dentist) was to sell weapons from an arms dealer to FBI sources.
I am sure that as this unfolds we will find out much more about how deep this conspiracy goes. They will take some plea deal down the road and this will all be forgotten, but this is the future. China is taking on a bigger role around the world as an economic power and this means many more Triad member's around the world.
On Thursday the Joe Isgro story hit the news, and sure enough, he was arrested for taking part in a Gambino family bookmaking ring that had an 8 year run starting in 2005. Part of the charges stem from gambling rings using a Bookmaking software program that keeps track of bets, bettors, games, odds and who owes what. The Arizona software company had licensed it out for a fee and when he was arrested for promoting gambling he agreed to cooperate. He later changed his mind and decided to fight it. The NYPD had already gone through the company records and they knew who the players were. Joe had been inducted into the family by John Gotti Jr, but he now has a new Capo in the family.
The whole arrest for gambling is kind of weak. Most people who get caught pay a small fine. If you stop to think about it, people bet on all kinds of sporting events. Even Obama spoke about his brackets during March Madness. All professional sports use odds, otherwise everyone would stop watch before the end of games if their team was losing. Monday night football is popular so bettors can make up for a weekend of losses.
I am no Joe Isgro fan, the guy is loud and a bragger but this is a waste. A lot of States have "Numbers" Aka Lottery and OTB-Off Track Betting and yet they never seem to make a profit? Here in California they were supposed to pay for the schools and yet every year the Politico's keep come back to us for more taxes for the kids.
I do see Law Enforcement's point because Bookmaking is the bread and butter of the Mafia. The Gambling enables them to work in many rackets including Joe Isgro's Shylocking. Even the Genovese have taken hits lately for bookmaking. Last week in New Jersey a couple of them plead guilty to running a gambling ring.
Joe Isgro plead not guilty, posted a $250,000 bond and was released.
I'll keep you posted on both of these stories.
Showing posts with label Joe Isgro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Isgro. Show all posts
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Sunday, July 27, 2014
LA and New Orleans - Mafia News
Los Angeles and New Orleans have Mafia news this week. Last week the Los Angeles County Sheriff arrested Joe Isgro, music & movie producer and Shylock. He was being held on a no bail hold in the Van Nuys jail, which was strange because why not men's central? Some say it was for running a gambling ring, but time will tell when he has his court date.
I will give you a little background on Joe Isgro. He has been in the record business for a long time. He was close to Joey Piney Armone who handled it for the Gambino Family. He was an independent record promoter and he worked on some really big albums like Michael Jackson in his glory days. He would send his people out to radio stations and make sure his artist got airplay. How he did that is where he almost ran into trouble. The Government tried to make a case against him in the late 80's saying that he was involved in Payola. They said he paid station managers and others to get his artists songs on rotation for a lot of airplay. The case fell apart because the judge said the Government conduct was outrageous. Brian Ross from NBC news claimed to have followed Joe Isgro to the Helmsley Palace Hotel in New York where he had the Presidential Suite and had meetings with John Gotti and Joey Piney Armone. Joe would claim that it never happened. I do know that Joe used to meet Joe Dente (Genovese Family) at Nicky Blairs on Sunset Blvd. Joe Dente used to conduct business out of a booth there and Joe was with him a lot. I met Joe at a house in the Valley off Balboa Blvd and he had some questionable people around him. Uncle Tony, Valentino and Anthony Gambino worked there. One time he
didn't like a message I was relaying to him from Jimmy Caci (LA Capo) and he jumped up from behind his desk and said, "I'm a wiseguy, so he cant talk to me that way." I went back to his Raging Bull records office on Ventura Blvd with Louie Gelfuso (LA Capo) and we all bullshitted for an hour. Joe's luck ran out in September of 2000 when he was sentenced to 50 months in Federal Prison for his Beverly Hills Shylock operation. He is now 66 years old and who knows what this new case will bring.
New Orleans, the Big Easy is the birth place of the American Mafia and was once ruled by one man for decades. Carlos Marcello ran his family with an iron fist but he did not induct enough people into the family to insure its continued survival after he was locked away. There must still be people down there who operate because the Feds indicted two men for driving around in an assassins van. This is what went down: the New Orleans police were on routine patrol when their automatic license plate scanner detected a stolen plate on a van. They pulled over the van and there were two men inside Joseph Gagliano Jr and Dominick Gullo. Also in the van were two cut down dining room chairs bolted to the floor. They also found a 22cal rifle and a suppressor and 8 inches of cannon fuse. A scope for the rifle was found in a side panel in the van and it was equipped with custom sliding windows on the side and the rear perfectly in lined with the cut down chairs.This made for a perfect firing position. In other words, this was a van custom outfitted for murder.
Who were the two guys in the murder van? Joseph Gagliano is the son of Frank Gagliano, also known as Fat Frank, the underboss of the New Orleans Mafia Family. Fat Frank passed away in 2006 and the boss of the family Anthony Carollo passed away in 2007. The FBI and others continue to watch what is left of the organization, but little is known about the membership. Joseph Gagliano once worked with John Vaccaro, an LA Family Soldier in Jimmy Caci's crew. They put together teams of card cheats that had inside help to cheat Louisiana Casino's out of more than 500k! John Vaccaro was from New Orleans and he knew Carlos Marcello well. Joesph Gagliano was also arrested for participating with Joseph Corrozo and John Gammarano, both high ranking Gambinos in a bid to bring Joker Poker Machines to New Orleans. This case will take a long time to play out but it will be interesting to follow it and see what there is to learn about New Orleans crime families.
I will give you a little background on Joe Isgro. He has been in the record business for a long time. He was close to Joey Piney Armone who handled it for the Gambino Family. He was an independent record promoter and he worked on some really big albums like Michael Jackson in his glory days. He would send his people out to radio stations and make sure his artist got airplay. How he did that is where he almost ran into trouble. The Government tried to make a case against him in the late 80's saying that he was involved in Payola. They said he paid station managers and others to get his artists songs on rotation for a lot of airplay. The case fell apart because the judge said the Government conduct was outrageous. Brian Ross from NBC news claimed to have followed Joe Isgro to the Helmsley Palace Hotel in New York where he had the Presidential Suite and had meetings with John Gotti and Joey Piney Armone. Joe would claim that it never happened. I do know that Joe used to meet Joe Dente (Genovese Family) at Nicky Blairs on Sunset Blvd. Joe Dente used to conduct business out of a booth there and Joe was with him a lot. I met Joe at a house in the Valley off Balboa Blvd and he had some questionable people around him. Uncle Tony, Valentino and Anthony Gambino worked there. One time he
didn't like a message I was relaying to him from Jimmy Caci (LA Capo) and he jumped up from behind his desk and said, "I'm a wiseguy, so he cant talk to me that way." I went back to his Raging Bull records office on Ventura Blvd with Louie Gelfuso (LA Capo) and we all bullshitted for an hour. Joe's luck ran out in September of 2000 when he was sentenced to 50 months in Federal Prison for his Beverly Hills Shylock operation. He is now 66 years old and who knows what this new case will bring.
New Orleans, the Big Easy is the birth place of the American Mafia and was once ruled by one man for decades. Carlos Marcello ran his family with an iron fist but he did not induct enough people into the family to insure its continued survival after he was locked away. There must still be people down there who operate because the Feds indicted two men for driving around in an assassins van. This is what went down: the New Orleans police were on routine patrol when their automatic license plate scanner detected a stolen plate on a van. They pulled over the van and there were two men inside Joseph Gagliano Jr and Dominick Gullo. Also in the van were two cut down dining room chairs bolted to the floor. They also found a 22cal rifle and a suppressor and 8 inches of cannon fuse. A scope for the rifle was found in a side panel in the van and it was equipped with custom sliding windows on the side and the rear perfectly in lined with the cut down chairs.This made for a perfect firing position. In other words, this was a van custom outfitted for murder.
Who were the two guys in the murder van? Joseph Gagliano is the son of Frank Gagliano, also known as Fat Frank, the underboss of the New Orleans Mafia Family. Fat Frank passed away in 2006 and the boss of the family Anthony Carollo passed away in 2007. The FBI and others continue to watch what is left of the organization, but little is known about the membership. Joseph Gagliano once worked with John Vaccaro, an LA Family Soldier in Jimmy Caci's crew. They put together teams of card cheats that had inside help to cheat Louisiana Casino's out of more than 500k! John Vaccaro was from New Orleans and he knew Carlos Marcello well. Joesph Gagliano was also arrested for participating with Joseph Corrozo and John Gammarano, both high ranking Gambinos in a bid to bring Joker Poker Machines to New Orleans. This case will take a long time to play out but it will be interesting to follow it and see what there is to learn about New Orleans crime families.
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