Criminals Crossing Borders: Salvatore Marciante

Lately the media is filled with outcries against President Trump's strengthening of the US borders.  What nation is able to let anyone who wishes to enter do so with no vetting at all? A nation that will not be sovereign long.  

It is not just Mexican and South American criminals crossing borders, it's terrorists and criminals from around the world.  Last week a small article appeared about a man named Salvatore Marciante, also known as “Baby Face,” who was arrested for entering the country in Nogales, Arizona.

Baby Face was born in Italy and brought to the US by his parents as a child. He grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn on 18th Ave. Some would consider that a bad neighborhood.

His parents came here for a better life.  Instead, Baby Face fell in with a Zip crew from 18th Ave.

"Zips" are what American mafia call the Sicilians operating in the US, because they speak such fast Italian.  

According to a childhood friend of Baby Face, he was a really good guy before he embarked on his life of crime. However, he became deeply involved with the Zips, moving large quantities of cocaine and heroin in what would come to be known as the Pizza Connection II case.

Baby Face and a crew also started robbing wealthy Italian restaurant owners they knew, mostly in Pennsylvania, but also New York and New Jersey.  They targeted them because they knew they had a lot of cash in their homes from unreported income.

Baby Face's best friend was Vincent Carini. Vincent and his brother Eddie botched a hit that was ordered by Carmine Persico, the boss of the Colombo family. They were supposed to kill a federal prosecutor, William Aronwald, who had angered Carmine Persico.  

Persico had given the hit to Joel Cacace, then acting boss of the Colombo family. Cacace scouted out the law office and gave the hit to the Vincent and Eddie - the Carini brothers.  They mistakenly killed George Aronwald, the father of the prosecutor, instead of William the prosecutor.

As a result, Vincent and Eddie were killed. They were found dead inside their cars, parked together on Ave X in Brooklyn.  That's when Baby Face lost his best friend.

In the 1994 Pizza Connection II, the indictment claims Baby Face ran a crew that sold multi kilos of heroin and lesser amounts of cocaine. He was arrested while still locked up for his involvement in what would later be known as the Petrified Forest case. He did his time for the heroin case and the home invasions, and he was then deported to Italy.

He moved to Canada, where he opened a restaurant that did well.  He was found out by the Canadians and was deported for overstaying his visa.

He lived in Italy for twelve years, and apparently kept out of trouble.

He recently made his way to Mexico where he attempted reentry into the US. People ask why we need to strengthen our borders. Salvatore Marciante, formerly of Staten Island, is one good reason.

Anthony Colombo Dies

Another one bites the dust.

This time it is the son of Joseph Colombo, the original man the Colombo crime family is named after. The one time boss of the Colombo crime family brought a lot of unwanted attention to the Mafia by forming a civil rights group. His son Anthony was the vice president of the Italian American Civil Rights League, which rallied Italians to the streets to protest the unfair treatment of Italians.  They were group that bullied the producers of the Godfather to remove the words “mafia” and “La Cosa Nostra” from the movie.

That all ended when Joseph Colombo was shot in the head and neck by a man named Jerome Johnson during the Italian Unity Day Rally. Johnson was wrestled to the ground and shot, but nobody was ever convicted of his murder.  Joseph Colombo remained paralyzed for the next seven years, until his death in 1978.

Anthony Colombo was a made member of the Colombo crime family, and when the war between the Persico faction and Vic Orena broke out in 1991, he choose to side with the Orena faction.  Carmine Persico was the boss of the family and Vic Orena was an acting boss who did not want to step down for Allie Boy Persico, who had been locked up.  

The war in the streets of Brooklyn and Staten Island left 12 people dead.  A number of associates also went missing.  The Colombos were barred from the Mafia Commission and most of its leadership was sent to prison.

After the war, Anthony Colombo and Gerard Clemenza, both Made members of the family, were put on the shelf by the Persicos. Which means that although they were still members of the family, they were to have no business with the family and other members were told to ignore them.

So Anthony, Gerard and Christopher Colombo formed the Colombo Brothers Crew in Orange County, New York. It was basically a traditional mafia crew that operated on its own.

Philippe Dioguardi, also known as “Fat Philly,” was a man I knew from Palm Springs, California.  He used to be with Jimmy Caci, a capo in the Los Angeles family.  He was involved with Jimmy and the guys so we used to see him a lot at the club on Palm Canyon Drive.  He was a long time friend of the Colombo brothers and Gerard Clemenza.

One day I was with Jimmy at a bagel place in downtown Palm Springs and Fat Philly came to sit down with us.  Vince Lupo ended up at the table too.  Philly explained that he was going to move to Queens.

Fat Philly became part of the Colombo brothers crew.  He was called a “bagman” by the prosecutors in the case.  Fat Philly would pick up cash in Manhattan and bring it to Anthony Colombo’s home. The problem was the organised crime squad was watching and listening to the crew.

They all ended up being charged with racketeering in the Southern District Federal Court.

The Indictment was the usual: gambling, extortion, loan sharking, etc, but they were also charged with defrauding the internet advertiser Doubleclick.

Anthony Colombo plead guilty to, among other things, getting Fat Philly a no show construction job with EDP Enterprises.  

He received 14 years.

He died at his home in San Diego, California at the age of 71 from complications due to diabetes on January 6.

2016 Year End Mafia Wrap Up

This year closes with more mafia busts. You can see with the new indictments that the Mafia has changed along with the times. It has become a more secretive operation concentrating more on crimes that bring in a lot of profit and without risking as much prison time.  Gambling and loan sharking are the lifeblood of the mafia.  Other Italian crime groups are much more involved in the drug trade.

If they keep up with this low profile the FBI will stay busy with Islamic terror organizations and maybe the mafia will rebuild.

The reckless boss of Philadelphia, Joey Merlino, was taken down by the FBI.  He was involved in a multi-family gambling, loan sharking and medical fraud operation.  The FBI intercepted a Genovese wiseguy telling another member that Merlino was a boss.

Meanwhile, Joey Merlino was on the books as employed at a restaurant in South Florida.  This is the same Joey Merlino who visited Los Angeles and was caught by TMZ (not the FBI) with Howard Stern personality Johnny Fratto.

The video is online for anyone to watch.  Hey, maybe Merlino was visiting his relatives in Los Angeles.

There has been a lot less activity in Los Angeles since Pete Milano died.  Joe Isgro, the Gambino family man who used to be in Mikey Scars’ crew, was arrested for gambling and money laundering.  Isgro was a successful record promoter and producer.  He also produced movies like Hoffa.  I know some day he will produce the Lucky Luciano movie.  This time he was able to get out of the gambling charges with a misdemeanor plea, which was much better than his loan sharking charges in Los Angeles years ago.

The Bonanno family had a better year after last years Christmas party was monitored by the FBI.  Some of their men may face a retrial on charges.

The mafia is fairing much better because they are killing less. The “no murder policy” has done well, because juries are hard pressed to convict on big charges when there are no bodies.

There may be some fireworks coming up with the Genovese family’s Bronx crew for a murder.

Michael Persico, the “good son” of Carmine “The Snake” Persico and brother of “Allie Boy” Persico, managed to put off his sentencing again until 2017. I am amazed because others like Eddie Garofalo are already out from the case.  Teddy Persico Jr., his cousin, has a bit more time, at least until 2020.  Steve Marcus flipped and soon Michael Persico will be going bye bye.

The Montreal wing of the Bonanno family is still in turmoil and they continue to blast each other.

A member was convicted this year for taking part in killing former acting Bonanno boss Sal “The Ironworker” Montagna who was deported by the Feds to Canada.

The staples of the mafia: gambling, loan sharking, garbage, untaxed cigarettes, unions and construction will keep it in the money for some years to come.

Have a great 2017!

I’m sure there will be more to write about for years to come.

L&B Spumoni Garden Murder

Michael Persico has once again managed to delay his sentencing until 2017.  He was supposed to be sentenced on November 1 for a case that has been going on since 2012.  Michael was facing a case that included two murders. He was able to negotiate a great deal that would give him a maximum of five years, but the guidelines call for 36-48 months in Federal custody.  

Michael has lived a charmed life, but he should hope that he does not end up like his father Carmine “The Snake” Persico. Carmine had ongoing trials for Federal hijacking starting in 1960 but he did not get sentenced until 1971.  

In other mafia news: Georgia Gigliotti and his son Angelo, who ran a large drug smuggling empire out of their Queens Cucina Modi Mod restaurant, were convicted this past July for transporting more than 50 kilos of cocaine from Costa Rica and possessing seven guns. They face 15-20 years each.  They worked with guys in the New York Families, they were part of the Ndrangheta which is the Calabrian organized crime group.

The wife Elena was not able to participate in the trial because the judge ordered her into a psychiatric hospital because of a mental condition.  Just this week she was ruled sane, so now she also faces trial.

L&B Spumoni Gardens Pizzeria is a world famous place that serves a Sicilian square upside down pizza.  I went there a number of times with friends even though I do not eat pizza.  

It made the news a couple of years ago because Colombo family associate Big Frank Guerra along with Frankie “Notch” Iannaci went to the Square Pizza on Staten Island and slapped around the owner Eugen Lombardo.  They claimed Eugene stole the recipe for the pizza from L&B Spumoni Garden.  It turned into a family beef when Eugene ran to Bonanno family soldier Anthony Calabrese for help.  

Colombo Capo Anthony Russo was called in for a sit down and it was agreed that Eugene would make a payment of 4,000 dollars and the beef would be over.  

This whole incident came to light after Anthony Russo flipped and testified during Big Frank's trial.

L&B was again in the news this year on June 30 when Louis Babarti, one of the owners, was gunned down outside his Brooklyn home.  He was carry a loaf of bread and $15,000 in cash when he was shot.  Law enforcement were unsure if it was a hit or robbery because the cash was not touched.

Big Frank is away for many years so why did the FBI take up this murder case when there are so many murders everyday?  Murder is not a federal crime.

This week the FBI arrested a man named Andres Fernandez, also known as Andy.  He does not seem to have any Mafia connections and he is a known drug addict.  

The affidavit and complaint for his arrest warrant was written by an FBI Special Agent Chance Adams who handles Mafia investigations. It claims that Andy was at L&B Spumoni Gardens early and then was waiting in the Brooklyn neighborhood for Babarti to come home.  They were able to trace him via his cell phone usage.  They also have him on video hiding behind a tree with a glove on and a pistol in his hand. They have him walking towards Babarti and then immediately after the shooting running to a white Acura and driving away.  They brought him in and he asked for a lawyer right away.

I am sure there is more to this story.  If he was going to rob him, then why just blast him and take nothing?

A Mafia Prince and a Cop-turned-Mafia Pimp

On November 1st, if all works smoothly, mafia prince Michael Persico will be sentenced for several of his crimes. He will be the last of those that were taken down with my wire.

Michael Persico is a great take down for the FBI because he has long been the “clean” Persico who handled the cash for the rest of the Persico family.  He is the son of Carmine ”the Snake” Persico, the long imprisoned boss of the Colombo family.  Michael was never inducted into the crime family, but was a powerful associate because he could visit his father in prison to pass along messages and because his brother Alphonse was acting boss before he too went away for life.  

Michael passed along orders and actually gave orders himself.  He benefitted from all the perks of being in the family.  

It’s a shame that he was able to get a good deal and will only get up to five years for all his crimes.  Michael Persico even had his eighty year old mother write a plea to the judge in his favor.  He is believed to have been a part of a conspiracy to murder several men, one of them being Capo Joe Scopo.   Michael has long loaned out money and used the crime family to enforce his loans.  

He loaned cousin Teddy Jr. money, and after Teddy was sent away for 20 years he wanted the cash back.  Teddy is away now because of this same case.

Let's hope the judge takes into account the life Michael has lived and gives him an appropriate sentence.

Next up is Michael Rizzi, who I have written about before.  He is a real credit to society because he is an ex-NYPD officer who is collecting a tax-free disability pension for a back related injury that happened while on duty.  

I guess his back didn't hurt enough to stop him from running escort sites from Staten Island.  

He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to money laundering charges.  

Rizzi married into the Gambino crime family because his wife is the daughter of Gambino soldier Richard Giuliano Jr., and niece of capo Sonny Giuliano.  

He had to forfeit 120k in cash and a condo in Boca Raton Florida that he bought with the cash he made from the escorts.

He made  good deal because he will get at the most 51 months in Federal custody.  He will still have to face state charges for possession of a firearm, but that is a state charge and it will probably run concurrent to his Federal case.

Two men who profited by being around crime families and using the mystic that goes along with it.

The Edcia Saga

Edcia was a company formed by “Mob Wives” Alicia Garofalo and Debra Specchio and operated under the name Big R Trucking.  It was listed the office at the same address as a porn company and later had its trucks at the Bonafide yard in Brooklyn. On February 11, 2005, Edcia filed an application for an exemption from licensing and a trade waste registration with the City of New York Business Integrity Commission.

If you look at the name you can see where they came up with Edcia.  Eddie and Alicia.

Debra Specchio is the wife of Steve Marcus who would later wear a wire against Eddie and the Persicos.  Steve was caught on tape by me and the FBI was able to go up on their phones.  Steve was confronted by the FBI and they made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Steve joined Team USA.  

On August 18, 2006, the Commission issued a 15-page recommendation that the application be denied.

Eddie and Steve Marcus were already doing business all over New York and parts of New Jersey.  

One of the reasons the Commission denied the company and exemption was Eddie’s friendship with Teddy Persico Jr.  Teddy was released from prison on April 28, 2004 after 16 years for dealing cocaine.  Eddie knew full well what Teddy was going to do when he got out.  Eddie arranged Teddy’s limo ride home. Eddie knew Teddy was going to eat at a restaurant in the city with other Colombos.  Eddie was supposed to keep Teddy out of trouble while he got acclimated to being free.  Eddie knew Teddy most of his life and after Eddie’s father was killed Teddy stepped up for him so he could make a living.  Eddie knew without a doubt that Teddy was in the Colombo family.  

Eddie was recorded by the Commission telling them he knew Teddy all his life and they were friends and that he did believe he was what they claimed.  The Commission used the tape I made in Eddie’s truck with Teddy yelling about Craig Marino and his brother Carmine having dirty bullets in his gun.

Eddie also claimed to the Commission that he was helping out Teddy because he had no family and his father was in prison.  Really?  Danny, Sean, Carmine and all the cousins?  

May 27, 2004 a month after Persico’s release and during the same time period Persico possessed the gun charged in the indictment, Persico incorporated T&E Leasing Corp. (“T&E”) which is for Teddy and Eddie.  Eddie had him buy some trucks and then lease them to him so he had something to show money coming in monthly.

Eddie told the Commission that he did not know Teddy was a member of Organized Crime until he got Teddy’s indictment from his brother and he read about Teddy.  

Even after Teddy took the plea deal Eddie still would not believe he was a Colombo.

The biggest farce is that Michael Persico loaned Eddie the money to start Edcia on a handshake and promise. Don’t most people get 100k on just a handshake from the boss of the Colombo family's son?  He had to go back and ask Michael for an extra 50k.

Eddie worked for Edcia for free and did not take a salary.  I wonder how he paid for his gambling and vacations?  He told the Commission that he was his wife’s “fire man,” “If there is a fire, I go put it out.”

Eddie is now free and back with his family.  Teddy is locked up and Michael is still awaiting sentencing.   He and his wife sure got off easy.

Twisted Logic of the Mafia

In 1996 I made the decision to walk away from the life.  It would be another 8 years before I was off the streets and on with my “fresh start.”  I got that fresh start because I wore a wire for the FBI.  That lasted more than 8 years.  When I first started writing online posts, I was attacked by people because they kept insisting that someone would not “just flip.”  I kept getting hate mail calling me every name in the book, and claiming the FBI must have had more of a case on me.  A person cannot just look at their life, see what a waste it had become, and decide to change?  I saw that it was a dead end and that I would be brought down or killed if I continued with the way things were.  All these “armchair gangsters” online do not know what it is like to be a part of the life and to make that decision.

I have one friend who was in the life from birth.  He followed his father into the life and even served a prison term. When he was able to step back from the life and see the toll it had taken on his family, he made the choice to work with the FBI.  He wore a wire on his father.  The father was an evil man who belonged to an evil organization.  The father had killed for gain and enjoyed it. How is my friend in the wrong?

Another friend grew up in the life.  He lived the Mafia life without having to go through much of what the rank and file had to go through.  When the family was involved in a civil war he was not on the front lines.  His father murdered and ordered murders,.  One day his father went to a secret meeting where a few guys were supposed to be inducted into the family.

There was no induction, there was only a bullet to the head.

When his father never came home, the vultures descended on his father's businesses to split up what his father had built. My friend saw it first hand when he went to his father's office.  A man was sitting behind his father's desk in the Union he had built up and this was before he knew his father was never coming home.  This man was a drug abusing alcoholic overweight idiot who could not have run a lemonade stand, but his last name happens to be Persico.  The Underboss of the family came to his mother's home and threatened her for money.  So many people attacked my friend for being a weakling for not taking his revenge by gun.  He wore a wire instead.

This Tuesday another man who has lived the mafia life will face a judge and be sentenced for his crimes: Michael Persico.  This so called “mafia prince” never had to get in the trenches to get his hands dirty.  He was born into power and ordered others (who were not born into the ruling class) to do his work for him.  He lived the life of privilege, wealth and power that comes with being mafia royalty.  A position he never earned.  He was able to live the way he did because of the murderous reign of his father Carmine.  

Michael Persico was never an inducted member of the Colombo Family, yet he held the power of life and death. He held a position that was higher than the capos in the family.  He was able to amass wealth from the family.  He was the conduit to his father, imprisoned-for-life Boss Carmine Persico.  He held the purse strings for the Persico Family.  When his brother Allie Boy was locked up and his ex-wife decided move on with her life, Michael was in the the thick of it.  He took calls from his brother.  He met with men who had one purpose and that was murder.  He took part in the murder of Michael Devine who was not part of the life.  Michael Devine had nothing to do with the Colombo Family or the Mafia he was a civilian.  He was shot to death in his car on Staten Island because he loved the wrong woman and that woman happened to be Allie Boys ex-wife.

Michael Persico got away with murder for 18 years until another Colombo soldier decided to change sides.

Tuesday Michael Persico will only face a maximum of 5 years.  He has had a battery of high priced lawyers (that none of the family soldiers would ever be able to afford) delay the sentencing for 3 years.  

One of the tapes the FBI used to bring the racketeering charges against Michael was made by Steve Marcus who Michael gave a $100,000 Shylock loan.  Steven was partners with Teddy Persico and Eddie Garofalo in the trucking business on Staten Island.

Eddie has already taken a 7 year deal and Teddy took 12 years.  The two people who really gained the most but face the least are Michael Persico and Alicia DiMichele. They both got great deals for pleading out.

The enterprise could not have functioned without those two.

Maybe the judge will grant Michael Persico his wish and let him take back his plea deal.  Send him to trial where he will face murder and racketeering charges.

Teddy Persico will emerge from prison ready to continue on in the family tradition because that is what he knows.  Eddie Garofalo, whose father was a big man in the construction industry in New York until he was murdered in front of his Brooklyn home by Sammy the Bull’s crew, continued on in the footsteps of his father regardless of his father’s fate.  The Gambinos wanted to take away Eddie’s business after his father was murdered, but Teddy stepped in the argument.  Teddy told them to let the kid earn a living.  Once Teddy and I were talking about a guy who bad mouthed Eddie for not doing anything about his father’s murder. The guy was talking about using a gun to get revenge. Teddy said what was he supposed to do?  He was a kid.  Fight the whole Gambino family?  A few years later Eddie was in a bad spot because nothing happened to him after I wore a wire on him.  The Colombos wondered why nothing had happened to him as a result.  I wonder also.

I hope more guys continue to get out of the life.  Maybe more will see that it leads to a dead end.  There are no happy endings in the Mafia.  There are no exceptions to the rule.

The Colombos need to take notice of how Michael lives and how many lawyers he has and how he was able to post millions in bail.  Then they need to look at what they have for themselves.  Michael, and those like him, live off the blood and sweat of others.

Andrew "Mush" Russo

Andrew Russo was the acting boss of the Colombo Family on January 20, 2011 when he was arrested by the FBI.  The FBI knows this because there was a meeting in Brooklyn on May 11, 2010, and with the FBI listening, Russo was introduced to Ralph Scopo (a Colombo Soldier) as the Acting Boss of the family.  The FBI agents that listened to the recording must have chuckled when Russo accepted the congratulations from Scopo on his promotion.

Russo had some work to do inside the Colombo Family after being away for a number of years.  The Family had been run by a panel for years.  The panel was 3 or 4 Capos that decided what the family would do and handled the day to day operations of the family.  

Russo started reaching out for Colombo Family members and asking them to pledge their allegiance to the family.  He told people he was putting the family back together again after the war in the 1990s and all the busts that went down.  He told everyone that anyone who would not pledge allegiance to the family would be placed on an “enemy list” that would go to the other families.  If any of them worked with any of the guys on the list they would be placed on the list too.  These are Russo’s exact words from the wire:

“Yeah, what my intentions are that when I’m finished, who really doesn’t want to come in, I’m making up a list. I’m giving it to all the borgatas and they’re outlaws. Anybody that deals with them is my enemy. I’m making it as clear as that.”

I know the Persicos and I don't know anyone who would want to be on that list.

On June 29, 2010 the FBI was watching and listening when Russo had a meeting at a house on Staten Island with his son Billy (capo), Benji the Claw (underboss), Richie Fusco (consigliere) and Anthony Russo (capo).  He was talking about the family business and inducting new members. He wanted them to be smart, capable of murder and capable of doing time.

The FBI was again listening when incarcerated Russo bumped up Thomas Farese to consigliere.

Russo was very active in putting the family on the right track, the only problem is the FBI was there for every step.  I think he did do a lot of good (if you can call it that) for the family.

He had meeting after meeting with his capos to settle beefs, and even one beef they had with the Gambino Family.  He approved a gambling spot complete with Joker Poker machines that would bring more cash into the family.  He let Joseph Savarese and Larry Seesa run a bookmaking business.

Andrew Russo was so well liked that actor James Caan offered to put up his bail for him.  The judge must have liked him also because he only gave him 33 months.  Now he is 80 years old and a free man.

Michael Persico and the Colombo Family

Michael Persico is the son of Carmine Persico and the brother of Allie Boy Persico.  Michael was always known as the straight son.  Michael was never inducted into the Colombo Family but he didn't need to be because he was the son of the boss and the brother of the acting boss.

Michael Persico has lived with all the perks of being a Mafia Boss without the exposure.  He has watched as his father went away for a hundred years, his brother for life and many relatives.  Never has Michael been in trouble until recently and that is mostly because of a man named Steve Marcus.  I met and recorded Steve and his son Jeremy while I was wearing a wire.  Jeremy was the part paper owner of D.M. Equipment Leasing with Eddie Garafolo's wife Alicia and he was a bouncer at a Mob run stripclub in Manhatten.

Michael took a really good plea deal where he would plead out to one count of extortionate extension of credit, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.  This was a great deal considering what he was charged with at the time.  Michael gave Anthony Preza $100,000 for a shylock loan and he gave it to Teddy Persico Jr, James Bombino and a Cooperating Witness.  Michael did this to disguise the fact that he was giving the loan.

The Feds claim in the indictment and his sentencing memorandum that he took part in the murder of Joseph Scopo. They claim that he passed on the order for the murder along with his cousin Teddy Persico Jr for the hit.   They also write that Michael assembled the team of shooters to carry out the job.  They were Frank Guerra, Eric Curcio, Johnnie Pappa, Anthony Russo and John Sparacino.  He then provided the guns that would be used for the hit.  

They would murder Joseph Scopo and not long after Eric Curcio and John Sparacino would be murdered.  Johnnie Pappa would murder John Sparacino and then with the help of Anthony Russo they would cut off his penis, place it in his mouth before setting his body on fire.

These are wonderful people and they are what helped Michael Persico live the life of a Mafia Prince.  He ran a number of businesses thanks to his father and brother.  I was told by his cousin Teddy Jr that he would bring word from Carmine who was in Lompoc Federal Penitentiary.

There was a man named Michael Devine who lived on Staten Island and he owned a nightclub.  Michael never had anything to do with the mafia, never wanted to have anything to do with them.

Michael fell in love with a woman named Tori Persico and that would be his bad luck.

Tori Persico was the estranged wife of Allie Boy Persico who was locked up at the time.

Allie Boy was very jealous of the relationship so he had some of his men wait outside Michael’s condo complex on Staten Island.  When he pulled into the garage they were there and they shot him twice in the head and twice in the groin.  The next morning Michael was found in his still running 1991 Pathfinder dead.

The FBI had a tape of Michael Persico speaking with his brother Allie Boy about Michael Devine. Michael Persico was able to get the recording suppressed but that does not mean that he was not part of it.  

The Cosa Nostra or Mafia was never supposed to be about settling personal scores but the Persicos have broken every rule in the Mafia. They had Law Enforcement murdered, sold drugs and committed many other off-limits crimes.  

Carmine Persico was charged a long time ago in a hijacking case but he kept fighting it long after everyone else took their time which was not bad.  The case started in 1960 and it took five trials and 8 years for Carmine to be found guilty.  He ended up getting sentenced  to 8 years in Federal Prison.  Lets hope they grant Michael the right to a new trial and he gets a long time!

Joey Caves (Joseph Compitello) Colombo Takedown

Joe Waverly aka Joel Cacace is a wretched little man who will most likely die locked up.

He was a storied Colombo Gangster.  He owned a Sheesphead Bay Florist shop, and one time some thugs attempted to rob him and he wound up shot in the chest.  He fought off the robbers, taking one of their pistols and killing one of them.  He then drove to the local police station with the robber’s dead body. On the one hand he was tough, but he was also often a coward who hid behind his crime family connections.

Carmine “Gimpy” Persico, the Colombo Family Boss, was sent away for life in 1987.  He decided to have the Federal Prosecutor George Aronwald murdered.  So he sent word to Joe Waverly that he wanted it done.  Killing anyone in law enforcement is forbidden by the rules of Cosa Nostra.  But that didn’t stop the honorless Gimpy Persico or Joe Waverly.  Joe Waverly then has the two Carini Brothers kill Aronwald, only they made a mistake and they kill his father who shared the same name.  He then had the  brothers killed for their troubles and marries one of their widows.   If that was not enough, he then had the men who killed the Carini’s killed also.   He then ordered the killing of Police Officer Ralph Dols, because he married Waverly’s ex wife the same one he married after he had her husband killed.  Yet another blatant violation of Cosa Nostra rules.

Joe Waverly was targeted for murder a number of times including by some Gambino Mobsters that wanted him dead.

This is where Joseph Compitello aka Joey Caves comes into the picture. Joey Caves was a Colombo soldier who killed for Joe Waverly.

Joey would sit at the witness stand and describe how they would refer to Joe Waverly by motioning his hand across the side of his head.  That way they could avoid electronic surveillance, He talked about his life in the Colombo Family and about how he killed for him.

He would detail his hangouts along Bay Parkway in Brooklyn and then the candy store on 75th street and 20th Avenue Brooklyn.  He then detailed his rise in the 1980’s as a Colombo associate to a Made guy until he flipped in 2008.    He spoke about his time during the Colombo war in the 1990’s when he sat on or clocked Joe Baudanza for murder.  

He then described the house of horrors on 76th and 20th in Brooklyn where Dino Saracino lived.  They killed a man named Richard Greeves there and then the Colombo underboss Wild Bill Cutolo.  They lured Wild Bill into the basement and Dino Saracino shot him as he descended the steps.

Joey then described in detail the murder of Ralph Dols, where he parked his car and how they used walkie talkies.    

After all the murders he helped out with he was rewarded by the Colombo’s by being proposed for induction.  Joey Caves name was placed on a list that was given to other families in New York.  No family had any objections so he was made.  The day he was made they had him wait at Roll N Roaster in Brooklyn.   One of the guys to show up was my old buddy Little Craig Marino along with Dino Saracino and his brother Sebby. They were then driven by another Colombo named Jimmy Gooch to a house on West 6th and Ave U.  The house was Jimmy Gooch’s sister and they were told to wait in the front room. Joey Caves was called in second and there sat Joe Baudanza,  Tommy Geoli, Upstate Vinny, Dino Calabro and Funzi. There was a table with a bowl, a pistol, knife and picture of a Saint.  They picked his finger they had him touch the pistol trigger, the knife and the saint.  They then burned it in his hand.  They then all came together in the room and were introduced around and put with Capo’s. Little Craig Marino was put with Joe Baudanza as a member of his crew.  

Joey Caves was once a bad man, he killed  and then he had a change of heart.  Joey went with Team USA and that is a good thing because he solved a lot of murders and gave some families some closure by revealing where there loved ones were buried.  Joey comes up for sentencing this month and I hope they go easy on him.  

Frank "Curly" Lino

Born on October 30th, 1938 in Gravesend Brooklyn Frank "Curly" Lino had his life's path already mapped out for him.   Frank's mother married Frank Lino Sr in a marriage arranged by the boss of the Genovese Family, Vito Genovese.  Frank would never get past the 10th grade at Lafayette High School in Brooklyn because he started running with a Mafia farm team: the Avenue U Boys.  He used to pull off robberies with the Avenue U Boys but he was soon running a floating game for a made Genovese Soldier.

Frank has lived a charmed life.  It may not have been the best life but he lived it to the max.  In May of 1962 he got involved with two other men to pull off a robbery of a tobacco store in Brooklyn.  While it was going down two NYPD Brooklyn Detectives were shot and killed.  Frank was picked up soon afterward and beaten severely in the station house by other detectives who he claimed stapled his hand and shoved a broomstick up his ass.  He did have a broken leg and arm.  The NYPD has put broomsticks up others asses, so who knows.

The court placed him on 3 years probation after he threatened to sue the city.  The other men were given the death penalty that was later commuted to life in prison.

This was not the last time Frank would be a torture victim due to his criminal activity.  During the heyday of the Mafia, the real life “Luca Brazi” for Junior Persico, a man named Hugh "Apples" Macintosh (or just Mac) grabbed Frank out of a bar. Mac brought him to a basement where he beat him and tortured him for two days trying to make him give up the names of his friends that had a beef with Persico.  He never gave up their names even after he was beaten so badly he suffered a weird eye twitch - a blinking twitch that remained for the rest of his life. So Mac let him go after telling him 'the reason you are being let go is because you didn’t rat. If you did we would have killed you"  Frank was so afraid he never looked back until he was well away from that place.

He was made on his 40th Birthday in 1977 in Little Italy.  It has been said it was because of his cousin Eddie Lino who was with John Gotti and a major drug dealer.  Gotti was very close to Joey Massino at this time.  

Frank was asked by his Capo Sonny Red Indelicato to drive him to a peace meeting at a social club in Brooklyn. Sonny Red decided to have Frank drive him to the meeting instead of his son Bruno because he did not really trust the other Capos. He told his son Bruno to kill all the Zips and the rest of the Capos if he did not return. There was a lot of internal strife in the Bonanno Family at the time because the self proclaimed boss Carmine Galante had been murdered by Bruno and others on orders from the Commision. Rusty Rastelli was the real boss but he was locked up, so his most trusted Capo Big Joey Massino was working hard to keep the family together.  The Zip Faction, The Canadian Faction, Sonny Black and Joey Massino all lined up against the other three capos.  Sonny Red, Dominick Trinchera and Philip Giaccone were all opposing Rusty but they were called into this last ditch peace offering.  Things seemed to be going fine when Frank saw three hooded come down the stairs into the club.  He saw Joey Massino hit Sonny Red in the head with something and another man jump out of a closet with a gun.  He saw Giaccone thrown up against a wall and shot before he fled so fast that nobody on the hit team could stop him.

He then went into hiding but the powers that be did not want him dead.  They wanted Bruno who had escaped the massacre.  Frank was close to him and knew where he was hiding out.  He met with the Underboss of the Gambino Family who gave him a chance to live, if he murdered Bruno.  Frank pretended to be looking for Bruno, when he really already knew where he was.  The Bonanno Family powers gave the contract to Sonny Black who then gave it to Lefty Ruggiero and Donnie Brasco.   Things went downhill from there because Donnie Brasco was an undercover FBI Agent and the Commission's case came down and Bruno was picked up.  

Frank was then asked to bring Sonny Black to a meeting because it had come out that Donnie Brasco was an FBI Agent and he was vouched for by Sonny Black.  Sonny knew he was not long for this world so he left his jewelry at home for his wife.  They got to the house where the meeting was to take place and Frank showed him to the basement.  Sonny went first and a few steps down Frank shoved him and when he fell the shooter fired into his body but the gun jammed.  Sonny Black told them to "Hit him one more time, Make it good"  They did.  They would cut off his hands because he shook them with an FBI Agent and Frank Lino's son helped dispose of Sonny Black.  The world of the Mafia is crazy because years later when I was at BaMontes in Brooklyn a guy wearing a black over coat was walking back and forth smoking a cigarette.  I was watching him and Nicky Santoro a Bonanno Capo told me that he was Sonny Black’s kid.  So Sonny's kid is still around those guys.

Frank did it all on the street, from drugs, robbery, pump and dump, extortion to Gambling.  He made money from Family Union contracts with school buses.  He had conspired with the Lucchese Family to kill a Gambino associate until Sal Vitale the Underboss had a sitdown with Nicky Corrozzo who told him I dont care what the kid did, what he stole its done, we have big plans for him.  So that was it for that hit.  Good for Frank because when he was locked up later he was going to get shanked in the yard of a prison.  When the huge Bonanno family indictments came down he learned that Sal Vitale had flipped and he knew it was over.  He flipped becoming the first of many Bonanno's to testify for the Government.  He would implicate his own relatives in many Mafia crimes and for that he was rewarded with just 8 years by the judge and is now out and a free man.

I hope he lives a good life and enjoys his freedom.  He is older and he knows what he did.