While teenagers living in Westchester, New York, John "Johnny Boy, Fat Face" Petrucelli and Darin Mazzarella were best of friends. Mazzarella spent many weekends at the home of Petrucelli, where the two watched mob movies and dreamed of becoming made-members of one of New York City’s five Mafia Families.

     In the mid-1990s Petrucelli and Mazzarella were well their way to fulfilling that dream as members of a Bronx gang called the Tanglewood Boys. The youth gang was described as a "farm team" for the Lucchese Family. It was said that members "used the Tanglewood Boys [gang] to show they had what it took to be Lucchese soldiers and to be made guys."

     In 1995 Petrucelli and Mazzarella got into a dispute with Genovese Family associates Gene Gallo and Michael Zanfardino. The dispute, allegedly over "turf," came to a head on June 20 when Petrucelli refused to apologize after throwing a beer bottle in the direction of the two men. Zanfardino retaliated by tracking down and shooting Mazzarella (9 or 14 times, depending on which account you read). "I was hit in my arms. My legs. My butt, my lower spine – basically from my knee to my elbow," Mazzarella would confirm.

     Petrucelli and several gang members got Mazzarella to a hospital. Incensed over the shooting, two hours later, Petrucelli, unable to find Gallo or Zanfardino, took revenge on 17 year-old Paul Cicero, a cousin of Gallo. Petrucelli, at the time 25 years old, found the young man outside P. S. 108 in the Bronx.

     As Petrucelli shoved his knife deep into Cicero’s abdomen he told him, "Give this to your cousin." Cicero died from the vicious stab wound. In the days after the shooting, fellow gang members told Mazzarella that Petrucelli had avenged the attack.

     Zanfardino was later acquitted of shooting Mazzarella. Then in 1997 Mazzarella was arrested for his involvement in another murder. Robert Gearty of the New York Daily News reported that Mazzarella pled guilty to racketeering and agreed to become a cooperating witness in "exchange for a reduction of a possible 20-year prison sentence." He named Petrucelli in the murder of Cicero.

     In Petrucelli’s trial, which began last week, the government’s main witness is recent mob turncoat Joseph "Little Joe" Defede, the acting boss of the Lucchese Family from 1994 to 1999. During a "sit-down" to discuss the Cicero killing, Defede was told by Lucchese capo Anthony "Blue Eyes" Santorelli the details of what happened.

     John Lehmann of the New York Post reported that, "Defede, who was acting boss for jailed chieftain Vittorio "Vic" Amuso for four years, until his arrest in 1998, decided to become a turncoat early this year – only six months before he was due to get out of prison…"

     In opening statements in Petrucelli’s trial last week, his attorney David Brietbart told the jury the government was trying to make a "Mafia case" against his client by having Defede testify. "Imagine a stabbing in the Bronx, and you bring in the acting head of the Lucchese crime family," Brietbart told jurors.

     Also testifying for the government will be Mazzarella, the man whose wounding Petrucelli avenged. Brietbart, according to Robert Gearty, "Characterized Mazzarella as a ‘born con man without a conscience.’"

     Another witness the government will call, Sean McKiernan, who claims he saw Petrucelli "lunge" at Cicero, was called a "drunk" by the defense attorney. Brietbart says the "eye witness" could not have seen what he claims he did.

     Mob watchers consider the trial a "warm up" for Defede who is expected to testify against a number of higher-level mob members.

     …so few trials. Over the past year and a half we have seen prominent New York newspaper headlines announcing major indictments of mob family figures, but seldom have we seen much in the way of results – especially trials.

     Here is a re-cap of some of the most note-worthy of those indictments:

April 25, 2001 – 45 indicted in Brooklyn Federal Court on charges ranging from murder to stock market scams. Members of the Bonanno, Colombo, Genovese and Lucchese Families are said to be involved. Prominent names include Frank Serpico, Alan Longo, Salvatore Aparo, Peter DiChiara, Paul Geraci and Salvatore Demeo.

August 21, 2001 – 12 indicted in Brooklyn charged with using New York City branches of Euro-Atlantic Securities in a pump and dump stock fraud scam.

October 18, 2001 – 25 indicted in New York City charged with stock fraud

October 24, 2001 – 8 Bonanno associates indicted in Manhattan and charged with selling weapons, drug trafficking, loan-sharking and gambling.

November 6, 2001 – 7 indicted in Brooklyn and charged with laundering gambling and loan-sharking profits through a Long Island bank. The most prominent named is Bonanno underboss Salvatore Vitale.

December 5, 2001 – 73 people, including 34 members or associates of the Genovese Family, are indicted in Manhattan and charged with racketeering. Most prominent named in the 98-count indictment are Genovese capos Rosario Gangi, Pasquale Parrello, and Joseph Dente.

December 6, 2001 – 12 men, either members or associates of the Lucchese Family, are indicted in Manhattan and charged with racketeering. Included in the counts are gun, drug, conspiracy, assault and gambling charges.

December 6, 2001 – 11 members of the New Springfield Boys gang, described as a farm-team type of gang, are indicted in Brooklyn and charged with racketeering, running a crime ring and drug trafficking.

December 11, 2001 – 4 people, including Colombo associate Saverio Galasso are indicted and charged with profiting from a pump and dump stock scam.

January 15, 2002 – 5 people associated with the Genovese Family are indicted and charged with murder in aid of racketeering involving the killing of Tino Lombardi.

January 23, 2002 – 8 high-ranking members of the Genovese Family are indicted in Brooklyn and charged with infiltrating the International Longshoreman’s Union and obstruction of justice. The 8 are Vincent Gigante and his son Andrew, Ernest Muscarella, Liborio Bellomo, Charles Tuzzo, Michael Ragusa, Thomas Cafaro and Pasquale Falcetti.

March 7, 2002 – 7 Genovese Family associates are indicted in New Jersey and charged in a "money for work" racket.

March 19, 2002 – 12 members and associates of the Bonanno Family are indicted in Brooklyn and charged with murder, drug trafficking, loan-sharking, extortion and gambling. Included among them is consigliere Anthony Graziano.

     Over the next few weeks AmericanMafia.com will try to keep its readers abreast of where these indictments stand.

     In the first one from April 2001, in which 45 people were named in the original indictment, 17 people have had their cases resolved without going to trial. Here’s the breakdown:

Pleading guilty to racketeering (dollar amount includes fines and/or restitution):

04-30-02 Rosario Gangi – 78 months / $955,000

07-16-02 Michael Norrito – 33 months / $50,000

09-09-02 Peter DiChiara – 63 months / $50,000

10-10-02 Salvatore "Sammy Meatballs" Aparo – 70 months / $145,000

10-10-02 Vincent Aparo – 63 months / $155,453

Pleading guilty to defrauding the United States:

04-10-02 Joseph Cerasani – 33 months

05-10-02 Jerry Brancato – 36 months / $500

05-10-02 Vincent Romano – 48 months / $1,000

05-10-02 Louis "Big Lou" Vallario – 3 years probation / $500

05-22-02 Glenn McCarthy – 18 months / $5,000

Pleading guilty to collection of credit by extortion:

04-10-2002 John "Johnny Beano" Setaro – 41 months

04-12-2002 Dominick "Skinny Dom" Pizzonia – 24 months

Pleading guilty to gambling:

08-09-02 Joseph "Joe Dinga Jr." Savarese, Jr. – 4 years probation

09-25-02 George Tobacco – 3 years probation

Pleading guilty to interference with commerce by threat of violence:

04-09-02 Thomas Barrett – 18 months

     Of the two others resolved, first, it was decided on April 15 that the jurisdiction for Joseph "Joe Dinga Sr." Savarese, Sr’s. case fell to the Southern District of New York. Second, on May 30 all the charges against Louis Colonna were dismissed.

     The original indictment was superceded to include Vincent Gigante and his son Andrew, Ernest Muscarella, Michael Ragusa and Charles Tuzzo.

     As is usual in these government indictments, the feds "piled on" the charges in hopes that the defendants would cop a plea to a lesser charge instead of having to go to trial – an expensive and time consuming alternative. In some cases government prosecutors are successful at turning defendants into government witnesses with deals that include reduced or zero prison time, and, in major cases, entry into the Witness Security Program. So far in this indictment no one has "flipped."

     While it comes as no surprise, it’s interesting to note that in the media coverage of this indictment the only names mentioned in the newspapers are criminals of Italian descent. AmericanMafia.com spoke to attorney Bettina Schein, who represented defendant Vincent Aparo. She agrees that in today’s atmosphere of Soprano mania that non-Italians don’t generate much interest in organized crime indictments. Perhaps that works in their favor. However, only 9 out of a total of 50 defendants in this case have names that don’t end in vowels.

     As far as the "piling on," when Schein’s client pled guilty to one count of racketeering, the government dismissed some 70 open counts against Aparo.

     From the time of the sensational murder of Paul Castellano, on December 16, 1985, until his imprisonment for life, on June 23, 1992, the "walking media event" known as John Gotti captured newspaper headlines across the country. No gangster since Al Capone had acquired the celebrity status that Gotti enjoyed. He loved it and he nurtured it.

     People who thought he would be forgotten when he was shipped off to Marion prison were soon amazed how Gotti continued to make news even though he was in lockdown 22 to 23 hours a day. The early stories about the "Dapper Don" involved who would replace him – not as boss of the Gambino Family but as "acting boss." Even though Gotti knew he would never be a free man again he was not going to give up his hard-earned title.

     This was followed by articles about 4^th of July parties still being held in his honor in his old Queens’ neighborhood on 101^st Street in Ozone Park. Mayor Giuliani began an unpopular clamp down on the festivities in 1996.

     That same year Gotti made news when he was allegedly beaten by a Black inmate in prison. Many didn’t believe the story, first reported on in the New York Daily News by Jerry Capeci and William K. Rashbaum on August 20, because Gotti’s longtime lawyer, Bruce Cutler, called the report of the incident "an out-and-out lie."

     "John was not hurt, John was not in any fight. The story is a lie," Cutler expounded.

     Since his incarceration whenever men formerly associated with the Dapper Don made the news the article titles never included their names, instead they appeared as, "Gotti Crony Cops Plea," "Suspected Aide to Gotti to Be Indicted…" and "Secret’s Up in Slay of Gotti Confidant."

     The year 1997 featured articles on Gotti’s prison artwork, the sale of his old Ravenite headquarters and dental work he needed to have performed. The following year was filled with stories of his son, John A. "Junior" Gotti’s legal problems. This culminated with a video and audio taped session in Marion prison with Gotti’s daughter Victoria and brother Peter. The video became a media sensation and was later the basis for a documentary on Gotti called "Life Behind Bars" on the Discovery channel.

     Of course, not one of the hundreds of articles about Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano over the years would be complete without mentioning his role in helping to put John Gotti away for life.

     In late September 1998 the first stories of Gotti’s battle against cancer began to surface. An operation that month was called successful, but by April 2001, not only had the cancer returned it was being reported that Gotti had taken a turn for the worst. He would spend the remaining months of his life at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri. Beginning in the summer of 2001 there were scores of reports that Gotti was on the verge of death – he had seen his last birthday, he wouldn’t live until Thanksgiving, he wouldn’t make it into the new year, etc, etc, etc.

     Still, Gotti persevered until June 10 of this year. His death, wake and funeral were covered in every newspaper and by all of the news channels. The funeral procession on June 15, which contained 75 limousines and 19 flower-cars, went on a "trip down memory lane," stopping at significant sites in Gotti’s life, followed by four news helicopters, before finally ending up at St. John’s Cemetery.

      John Gotti’s burial over four months ago has done little to keep him out of the headlines. First there was the media speculation on who would replace him. This was peculiar because the media in early June announced that his brother Peter, indicted just days before John’s death, had been "elevated" to the position of boss of the Gambino Family due to John’s worsening medical condition.

     Next came a warning from the Gotti family that they would begin legal action against anyone that was trying to make money off the Gotti name by selling T-shirts or any other kind of Gotti memorabilia. In July it was reported that a "sticky-fingered" prison worker had lifted the Dapper Don’s prison duds and was offering them for sale on eBay. Later, a note Gotti wrote to a prison dentist and signed, which was dug out of the garbage, was placed for auction with a starting bid of $2,500.

     In mid-August three imprisoned Gotti family members were placed in solitary confinement at different facilities for an alleged plot to kill the warden at Springfield, who the family reputedly blamed for bad medical treatment that attributed to John Gotti’s demise. As of this writing, Peter Gotti remains in the hole at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

     Earlier this month, in an exclusive story in the New York Daily News, Jerry Capeci kept the Gotti image alive by presenting proof that the Dapper Don really did take a beating in July 1996. The article even provided a picture showing Gotti with a bloodied face. Capeci used the comments (a.k.a. lies) made by Bruce Cutler in the article.

     "I saw him right after that," Cutler said. "He didn’t have a mark on him. This nut approached him out of no where. He was a giant, 6-4, mentally disturbed. There was no beating. John righted himself and had to be pulled off the fellow. John got the best of that, like he got the best of any conflict. John ended up in the hole and the fellow ended up in protective custody."

     Who ever recorded Cutler’s remarks didn’t check first to see if his lips were moving when he made those comments. If they were moving that’s always a sure sign Cutler is lying. Speaking of "mentally disturbed," it’s no wonder Gotti claimed Cutler was an imbecile.

     The article stirred some emotions on Internet Forums. Apparently the Gotti-philes, as Capeci calls them, were incensed that their hero had been disrespected, this information coming out after his death. This puzzles AmericanMafia.com because a lot of bad things usually surface after a public figure’s death. Look at the man Gotti murdered to become boss of the Gambino Family. Sordid stories of Paul Castellano’s affair with his maid and his sexual problems were revealed in a best-selling book about the gang leader. Were these people upset about that or when an alleged picture of J. Edgar Hoover in drag came out after he died?

     Granted Gotti is the only mobster ever to have seven books written about him while he was living. Still, one has to believe that there will be more to come out about him as the years go by. Who would want this information censored?

     The bad feelings toward Capeci turned ridiculous when someone suggested that he was really of Irish decent and not Italian. While it is not unheard of for a writer to change his name, it would be unusual for his whole family to follow suit – mom and dad, even aunts and uncles.

     Finally, in an article on October 18 it was reported that in July 1996 John Gotti had hired two hitmen, Michael Patrick McElhiney and David Michael Sahakin, members of the Aryan Brotherhood, to kill Walter Johnson, the Black inmate that had assaulted the Dapper Don. The announcement was made following a federal racketeering indictment against 40 Aryan Brotherhood members.

     Books and articles about John Gotti have always made for good reading. What organized crime enthusiast would want to see them end?

Short Takes:      

Atlantic City – As AM.com mentioned several weeks ago, reputed Philadelphia Family boss Joseph Ligambi failed to contest his nomination to the Atlantic City "black book" and has been voted onto the "preliminary" exclusion list. If he does not request a hearing in the next 30 days he could suffer "permanent exclusion," which would forbid him from entering any Atlantic City casino. In nominating him for the list, the Division of Gaming Enforcement claimed Ligambi "is a longtime mobster who has engaged in illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion and racketeering. He has associated with such mobsters as Nicodemo Scarfo, Ralph Natale and Phil Leonetti…" Two other men with mob ties were voted onto the permanent list by casino commissioners; John Ardito, a Genovese Family capo and Joseph Massimino, a member of the Philadelphia Family.

Boston (1) – A second request by "Dishonest John" Connolly to be removed from his Lexington, Kentucky prison cell, while his attorneys work on his appeal, was denied by US District Court Judge Joseph L. Tauro on October 15. Prosecutors claim that if Connolly were released he would seek the help of fugitive James "Whitey" Bulger and flee. Special Prosecutor John Durham revealed for the first time that Connolly had been in contact with Bulger a year after "Whitey" became a fugitive after being tipped off by "Dishonest John" that he was about to be indicted. The information was provided by former Winter Hill Gang member, and Bulger lieutenant, Kevin J. Weeks, who is now a government witness. The Boston Herald’s J. M. Lawrence reported Connolly’s lawyer’s response. "That is totally absurd. If John wanted to flee and if Bulger was going to help him, don’t you think he would have been gone by now?" questioned Tracy A. Miner. In Tauro’s ruling he also defended his decision to tell jurors to focus on listening to evidence as opposed to taking notes. Tauro said he did not tell the jurors they couldn’t make notes later. Defense attorneys are trying to get a new trial based on the fact that one juror brought notes he made at home to the deliberations.

Boston (2) – In a vulgar waste of taxpayer’s money, government prosecutors tried for the second time to get a conviction on Eric O. Schneiderhan, a US Army counterintelligence officer, accused of lying to a grand jury in 2000. The charges arose from just two sentences in his grand jury testimony where he stated "he knew his father called [Stephen ‘the Rifleman’] Flemmi "Sarge’ but denied knowing his nickname was ‘Paul.’" Eric, the son of retired Massachusetts State Police trooper Richard Schneiderhan, was tried earlier this year only to have the jury deadlocked at his July trial. The government, which has lawsuits pending against it to the tune of $1.9 billion dollars, apparently had enough ready cash to try this ridiculous case again. This time the jury found the 39 year-old Schneiderhan not guilty. J. M. Lawrence of the Boston Herald reported that "Schneiderhan, who testified in his own defense, was overcome with emotion as he left federal court in Worcester to return to duty with his unit." Lawrence also stated, "Before the trial, Schneiderhan’s defense accused federal prosecutors of attempting a squeeze play on the Schneiderhan family. In court papers, they say the government offered to drop charges against Eric if his father…pleaded guilty in another case." Richard Schneiderhan’s trial on obstruction of justice charges begins in January – it had been scheduled for dates in June and September but was delayed. In a move that surprised no one, the Massachusetts US Attorney’s Office declined to comment. Sometimes AM.com wonders when they speak about the "government" in referring to the "Disaster in Bean Town" is it the same government that oversees the rest of the country. It sure doesn’t seem like it.

Chicago - Perhaps the federal Gun Control Act needs a little tweaking. This suggestion comes on the heels of a revelation this month that a the property owner of a suburban Chicago gun shop, whose owners have been charged with illegal gun sales, is none other than alleged Chicago Outfit boss John "No Nose" DiFronzo. Frank Main, a Chicago Sun Times reporter writes, "The federal Gun Control Act only requires a background check for those applying for a license. But the law does not direct the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to check the background of the property owner." An official from the agency stated, "That a store leasing from a top mobster was able to get a firearms license demonstrates the weakness of the law." A former ATF official claimed, "You need to make sure, for example, that the address is not an outlaw motorcycle gang’s hangout." We at AM.com concur. In his article Main informs us that, "The city has sued ATF to obtain national gun trace and multiple gun purchase data to confirm how many guns sold by defendants in the city’s suit wound up in the hands of criminals. A federal judge has ordered ATF to turn over the records, but the federal government appealed and the case is pending." DiFronzo, the 73 year-old leader of the Outfit, is said to be holding down the throne until the release of James "Little Jimmy" Marcello from Milan Federal prison in Michigan next year.

Los Angeles – The FBI in Los Angeles arrested Alexander Proctor on October 16 and charged him with threatening L A Times reporter Anita Busch. Proctor, described as "an ex-convict with burglary and narcotic-related convictions, left a dead fish and a sign with the word "STOP" written on it on the hood of the reporter’s automobile. Busch had been working on a story about the alleged extortion plot involving reputed Gambino Family associate Julius Nasso and Hollywood actor Steven Seagal. An FBI spokeswoman "did not rule out the possibility of more arrests." Proctor, as of yet, has not been linked to a similar threat against a Vanity Fair reporter. In that incident a gun was aimed at the writer.

New York (1) – Joseph "Butter" DeCicco earned his nickname as a sarcastic response to his "gruff, coarse and crude" demeanor, according to a law-enforcement official. The 80 year-old mobster, whose criminal career spanned six decades, is going back to prison, perhaps for the last time. "I’m 80 years old. I can barely walk. You may have to bring flowers to my coffin." His alleged frailty didn’t keep him from initiating an extortion plot while he was in a New Jersey federal lock-up in 1999 for loansharking and a probation violation. At the time DeCicco, with the help of a Brooklyn dentist, began to extort a Queens businessman. The pair got more than $100,000 before getting nailed. The New York Post reported that in Queens Supreme Court last Wednesday, DeCicco pled guilty to attempted grand larceny and will be sentenced to two to four years. DeCicco’s record of felony convictions dates back to when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president. While not a made-member of organized crime, DeCicco’s brother George is an alleged capo in the Gambino Family. Another brother, Frank, was John Gotti’s first underboss after he seized power following the murder of Paul Castellano in December 1985. Frank DeCicco was killed in a car bombing on April 13, 1986.

Phoenix – There was no surprise in Maricopa County Superior Court as Judge Steven D. Sheldon sentenced Gerard Gravano to nine years in prison to be served concurrently with the sentence he received in New York this past July. Young Gravano had pled guilty to involvement in an Ecstasy drug ring that his infamous father, Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano, also pled guilty to. Sammy Gravano is scheduled to be sentenced in Arizona on October 30. He is expecting to get 20 years to be served concurrent with his New York sentence. Janet Napolitano, the State Attorney General, claimed the sentencing of 27 year-old Gerard Gravano "puts an end to the effort to breed a new generation of mobsters in Arizona."

Providence – Raymond J. Silva and his brother Domingo – president and vice president of Local 81 of the International Longshoreman’s Association – have been arrested and charged with extortion. Also implicated in the charges is Rhode Island State Representative Paul E. Moura, the senior deputy leader in the State House of Representatives. The extortion charges involve David Bourque, the president of State Line Scrap Company. Bill Malinowski of the Providence Journal reported an affidavit alleges that the Silva brothers threatened Bourque after he "refused to hire a member of their union to work 30 hours a week at the port regardless of whether or not the work was needed." Bourque went to the state police and on October 9 an undercover detective accompanied the president to a meeting with the Silvas. During a "profanity laced tirade" from the brothers, Domingo Silva was reported to have said that if the ILA wasn’t used to do work, "I’ll kill you and your family." An hour and a half into the heated meeting Moura arrived just as Raymond Silva jumped up from his seat with his fist "cocked back" ready to bash Bourque in the face. Moura was said to have calmed Silva down, but left quickly afterward. Moura was also witnessed at another meeting "patting down" Bourque to see if he was wearing a wire. The Silvas are scheduled to be arraigned on December 17.

Trenton – On October 16 an article by the Associated Press stated "two confidential informants claimed that [New Jersey] state police Superintendent Joseph Santiago was ‘friendly’ with a reputed mobster…" The mobster Santiago was alleged to be "friendly" with was Peter "The Crumb" Caprio. The aging mobster and confessed killer made news last year when he testified against mob boss Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino, as well as other key members of the Philadelphia Family. Although the allegations against Santiago first surfaced back in January, at the time he was nominated for the superintendent’s post by Governor James E. McGreevey, they were not "independently corroborated." The AP stated that suspicions arose after Santiago sent out an internal memo requesting "his subordinates to turn over all investigative files pertaining to him and his top staff." In addition to Caprio, it was also alleged that Santiago had ties to "an associate of the Genovese crime family who operated illegal gambling machines throughout Newark." Santiago, the former chief of police of Newark, got the nomination over the objections of the trooper’s unions who wanted someone from within their ranks to be promoted. Santiago had a colorful past with several black marks on his record and a reputation for having an "abrasive management style." Nevertheless, his attorney called the accusations "a smear campaign" when interviewed for the AP piece. The day after the article appeared Santiago resigned as superintendent. He was the third person to leave the position in the past four years.

AmericanMafia.com attempts to keep its audience advised of ongoing legal matters in the world of organized crime. New entries and addition to existing information will appear in RED – ONLY UPDATES THIS WEEK.

October 30, 2002 – Phoenix – Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano is scheduled to be sentenced in Maricopa County Superior Court for his part in masterminding a multimillion-dollar Ecstasy drug ring in the state. Gravano was sentenced in New York City several weeks ago to a 20-year term for his role. He is expected to receive the same sentence in Phoenix and to serve both terms consecutively.

Contact: AllanMay@AmericanMafia.com

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