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News and Features about Organized Crime, Mafia and La Cosa Nostra taken from National and Local News Sources. In an attempt to get you this type of coverage in a timely manner we can not be responsible for the content of the following material. |
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10-23-00 Crime figure held in sweep.
Monday, October 23, 2000 By Jim McKinnon, Post-Gazette Staff Writer Thomas "Sonny" Ciancutti, identified a decade ago as a member of La Cosa Nostra in this region, was among 14 people arrested yesterday in a sweep that state police said was a blow to organized crime. Ciancutti, 71, of Arnold, and eight other suspects were arrested and taken to Night Court, where they were detained on $25,000 bond each before troopers transported them to Fayette County, where investigators said the illegal operation was centered. The 10th defendant, Ralph Maselli, 60, of Brookline, turned himself in at Night Court after he learned of the warrant for his arrest. His wife, Karen Maselli, 51, was among those arrested. Four more defendants were arrested in Uniontown, where all members of the crime ring were being arraigned last night. According to a state grand jury presentment, the 14 were participants in an organized crime ring that operated there. District Justice Elaine M. McGraw of Bridgeville, who was on duty at Night Court last night, placed a detainer on 10 of the suspects based on 10 separate charges filed against each of them: three counts of pool selling and bookmaking; three counts of operating illegal gambling devices; two counts of operating or participating in a corrupt organization; and one count each of insurance fraud and dealing in unlawful proceeds. McGraw set the temporary bail so the suspects would remain in custody until their arraignments were completed by District Justice Wendy Dennis in Farmington, Fayette County. Dennis will set bail and schedule preliminary hearings. The 14 defendants reside in Allegheny, Fayette and Westmoreland counties. Also arrested were Sylvia Thorpe Ciancutti, 62, of Arnold; Louis Cutone Jr., 63, of Squirrel Hill; Dave Borkovich, 48, of Penn Hills; Mark Borkovich, 44, who is the owner of Willows Driving Range in Penn Hills; Joseph Scarillo, 42, of Bethel Park; Carl Abt, 52, of Millvale; Albert Tabasco, 61, of Jefferson Hills; Thomas Thornton, 42, of Bloomfield; and Jeffrey Risha, 46, Thomas Ferris, 59, Mark Howard, 39, and James John, 45, all of Uniontown. State police declined comment on the details that led to arrests. Attorney General Mike Fisher is to hold a press conference today in Pittsburgh where he is expected to explain parts of the investigation and its impact on organized crime. Fisher could not be reached last night for comment. Last night, the suspects arraigned in Pittsburgh calmly followed instructions before being taken away by troopers. An Allegheny County sheriff's deputy led them one by one before McGraw. The deputy removed the handcuffs and shackles his colleagues had placed on the defendants. Outside the iron gate in the courtroom, a line of uniformed troopers waited, each accompanied by a plainclothes officer and equipped with handcuffs, to provide escorts for each of the suspects to Fayette County.
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