U.S. Says Breaks New York/New Jersey Crime Family
October 21, 2000 - 0:0
NEW YORK U.S. authorities on Thursday indicted virtually the entire leadership of what they called a "trigger-happy" organized crime family for five murders and other crimes in New Jersey and New York dating back decades.
U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White of Manhattan said at a news conference that 12 reputed members of the Decavalcante organized crime family were indicted on charges related to five murders, conspiracy to murder eight other people, securities fraud, loansharking, gambling and extortion.
"They are an extremely violence-prone and trigger-happy crime family," White said.
Of the 12 charged, 10 were arrested on Thursday morning in New Jersey and New York and one in Florida, officials said. One defendant was still at large.
White said the three-year investigation "will effectively dismantle the Decavalcante family and essentially eliminate its criminal grip on businesses and labor unions in New Jersey and New York." Officials said the New Jersey-based family operated crews in New York and had grown in importance among the major organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra in New York since it began operations in the 1960s.
Among those indicted were alleged Decavalcante boss Giovanni Riggi, who has been incarcerated since 1990. Officials alleged however, that Riggi has remained in charge and directed operations from his prison cell by sending messages to other members.
Alleged "consigliere" or counsellor of the family, Stefano Vitabile, and three alleged members of the family's ruling panel were also among those named in the indictment and arrested.
1978 Murder White said the alleged murders dated back to 1978 and included "people suspected of cooperating with the government or being a risk to cooperate if arrested or some other act of misbehavior or disloyalty as viewed by the family hierarchy." FBI Assistant Director Barry Mawn said at the same news conference that a Sept. 1989 murder of a man named Frederick Weiss was committed to "curry favor" with Gambino crime family boss John Gotti. He said Gotti feared that Weiss would become a witness against him.
Gotti was convicted and imprisoned for life in 1992 for murder and racketeering.
Mawn charged that the Decavalcantes "plotted and committed murders on the streets of New York while at the same time trying to make a killing on Wall Street." But the indictment unsealed on Thursday showed that two members of the family made profits of a paltry $10,000 in an alleged conspiracy offering and selling securities through the mail.
(Reuter)
U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White of Manhattan said at a news conference that 12 reputed members of the Decavalcante organized crime family were indicted on charges related to five murders, conspiracy to murder eight other people, securities fraud, loansharking, gambling and extortion.
"They are an extremely violence-prone and trigger-happy crime family," White said.
Of the 12 charged, 10 were arrested on Thursday morning in New Jersey and New York and one in Florida, officials said. One defendant was still at large.
White said the three-year investigation "will effectively dismantle the Decavalcante family and essentially eliminate its criminal grip on businesses and labor unions in New Jersey and New York." Officials said the New Jersey-based family operated crews in New York and had grown in importance among the major organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra in New York since it began operations in the 1960s.
Among those indicted were alleged Decavalcante boss Giovanni Riggi, who has been incarcerated since 1990. Officials alleged however, that Riggi has remained in charge and directed operations from his prison cell by sending messages to other members.
Alleged "consigliere" or counsellor of the family, Stefano Vitabile, and three alleged members of the family's ruling panel were also among those named in the indictment and arrested.
1978 Murder White said the alleged murders dated back to 1978 and included "people suspected of cooperating with the government or being a risk to cooperate if arrested or some other act of misbehavior or disloyalty as viewed by the family hierarchy." FBI Assistant Director Barry Mawn said at the same news conference that a Sept. 1989 murder of a man named Frederick Weiss was committed to "curry favor" with Gambino crime family boss John Gotti. He said Gotti feared that Weiss would become a witness against him.
Gotti was convicted and imprisoned for life in 1992 for murder and racketeering.
Mawn charged that the Decavalcantes "plotted and committed murders on the streets of New York while at the same time trying to make a killing on Wall Street." But the indictment unsealed on Thursday showed that two members of the family made profits of a paltry $10,000 in an alleged conspiracy offering and selling securities through the mail.
(Reuter)