As the Mob Turns

Colombo underboss Benjamin Castellazzo, also known as Benji, or “the Claw,” did what any father who happened to be a mafia underboss would do for his son.  He used his power and position to get his son a job at the Union controlled Hudson News.  He had his cronies falsify work histories to get him a job.  This is a job that should have gone to a real hard working Union member.

The guy who Benji used to set up the job took a plea deal and was given no jail time, only probation.  Benji took a plea deal for some other crimes in 2013 and was given 63 month in prison. He claimed at the time time that he was living on $868 dollars a month in Social Security and food stamps.  He had a beautiful house before he was arrested and now he lives in a trailer park.  Benji was released from prison August 14th, so he will have at least a three year parole term.  He is 77 now, so that means he will be 80 before he can make any real moves on the street.  My question is how many moves can an 80 year old make on the streets?  This is what I've talked about in my past blogs.  What kind of life is that?

I've written about the case of Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis, the man who founded the Miami Subs food franchise. A real rags-to-riches success story, where he started working for a submarine sandwich shop and worked his way to partner.  When he helped build it into over 200 shops, he retired to Florida.  He started Miami Subs and again that took off and that made even more money.  He started SunCruz Casinos, a fleet of gambling boats that left Florida for international waters where the passengers could gamble.  He had some trouble because he may have bought some of the boats while he was not a citizen.  He sold SunCruz to Jack Abramoff and Adam Kidan for $147.5 million. The whole deal was shady from the beginning because Gus kept a 10% silent partnership in the deal and accepted a 20 million dollar promissory note as a down payment.  

Jack Abramoff, a Washington insider, was behind the deal. He had two former college buddies front it for him.  Adam Kidan and Ben Waldman took over SunCruz and soon things went sour with Gus.  He claimed they committed fraud and worked with organized crime.  Kidan hired Anthony Moscatiello, aka Big Anthony, a reputed Gambino crime family member, to act as a consultant and supply beverages.  Big Anthony sold wine through a company so they paid them $145,000.  They also hired Anthony Ferrari, another associate to handle security for $95,000.

Gus was threatening to take this all away from them so they decided to murder him.

Gus was leaving his office in Fort Lauderdale when he was boxed in right off Federal Highway by two cars.  Another car pulled up and another man alleged to be John Gurino opened fire on Gus.  He died a few minutes later on Federal Highway.

It took until yesterday for them to convict Big Anthony of ordering the murder.  He now faces the death penalty.  He really does not have much to fear of being put to death by the state because he is 77 years old.  It takes decades to execute anyone today with the appeals process.

Anthony Ferrari was convicted, but spared the death penalty even though he was at the scene of the murder.

Another man, James Fiorillo, aka “Pudgy” will get 6 years for staking out Gus before the murder.  The shooter, John Gurino, had already tasted justice in 2003 when he was gunned down in a Deli Boca Raton Florida.  Who says that the life does not have consequences?