Anthony Russo a former capo in the Colombo crime family who turned on his fellow mobsters hoped his cooperation would buy his freedom. Wednesday he was rewarded with just that as he was sentenced to time served and released into the witness protection program. He served 53 months in prison before being sentenced Wednesday a very small price for a life of crime. Russo was facing a sentence of life in prison after his 2011 arrest before deciding to roll over on more then a dozen of his former mafia pals. As part of his agreement with government Russo detailed his criminal career and admitted to doing everything from selling stolen goods to his part in a murder plot.

“Anthony Russo” 

Russo was part of a hit team in 1993 that whacked then Colombo family underboss Joseph Scopo during the bloody Colombo family war. Scopo was gunned down in front of his home in Queens as the rival factions one loyal to Carmine Persico and another loyal to Victor Orena battled for control of the family. Russo was the getaway driver for the hooded gunmen who whacked Scopo. Russo told judge Kiyo Matsumoto that he was sincerely sorry for all the suffering and pain he caused and there was no excuse for his actions. He then said he had to cooperate despite the fact that he would now be labeled a traitor in the mafia world where traitors are murdered. Russo said he will have to live the rest of his life in fear but he needed to protect him family and keep them together.
 

Judge Matsumoto noted Russo’s criminal past and the severity of it that of which included murder before then calling his testimony against his former New York mafia crew as extraordinary. As he was sentenced to time served Russo wearily dropped his head.

Theodore “Teddy” Persico Sr a long time Colombo crime family capo and brother of imprisoned for life Colombo boss Carmine “Junior” Persico is back on the streets after serving the last 22 years in prison. He was arrested back in 1993 outside St Patrick’s Cathedral on Palm Sunday at a meeting of Persico faction mobsters. He was a point man for the Persico faction during a bloody Colombo family mafia war against a rival faction led by Victor “Little Vic” Orena that lasted about two years. Teddy Sr was convicted in 1994 for racketeering and murder conspiracy. Prosecutors claimed he was involved in a number of murder plots against the Orena faction but was not implicated in any of the 12 murders that took place during the mafia war from 1991-1993. Teddy Sr spent the last six years of his prison sentence in a prison hospital due to undisclosed ailments before being released and spending two months in a Brooklyn half way house.
 

A law enforcement source confirmed they would be keeping an eye on Theodore who after doing his time now has more respect then ever. Being the only Persico currently out on the streets he could be called upon to get the Colombo family back on track as he once was part of a Colombo family ruling panel. His son and Colombo family mobster Theodore “Skinny Teddy” Persico recently agreed to a plea deal is slated to be sentenced to 12 years in prison. But others believe that the Persico’s power with in the Colombo family is slowly coming to an end and that Teddy Sr is not looking for any trouble and has been keeping to himself and staying close to home in Valley Stream since he has been back on the streets. Whether Carmine will look for his brother to step in and re-establish control is still unknown but one thing is for sure the Colombo crime family has plenty of leadership openings.

Reputed Colombo crime family mobster Angelo “Little Angelo” Spata is facing up to 21 months in prison on illegal gambling and money laundering charges after his 2011 arrest during a major mafia sweep. Now the wiseguy is looking for a little divine intervention in hopes of a more lenient sentence by submitting letters from an NYPD Chaplain and almost a dozen other priests on his behalf. The letters praised Spata for many charitable donations and call him a good friend of the church and his community at large. They point to several occasions including aftermath from Hurricane Sandy in which Spata and his company which operates local feasts and carnivals donated items such as food and even generators to power a local high school gym.

“Angelo Spata (center)”

But federal prosecutors have a much different opinion of Spata and paint a much darker picture. Spata holds a unique position in the New York Mafia being the son-in-law of Colombo family boss Carmine Persico and brother-in-law to acting Colombo family boss Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico. According to prosecutors Spata was proposed for membership into the Colombo family in 2010 but for unknown reasons the ceremony was called off. But even though he was not a made man in La Cosa Nostra his family ties to the Persico’s allowed him to have much more power and influence with in the Colombo family then any other associates. He used this reputation and his standing as mob royalty at the Brooklyn festival called Figli di Santa Rosalia to extort fees from festival vendors.
 

The feds told sentencing judge Kiyo Matsumoto that all of Spata’s charity should be dismissed because he was simply donating free services from his company so he could reap the public relations benefit. These letters from the “Godfellas” on behalf of mobsters are not exactly uncommon so its unclear as to if they will have any effect on Spata’s sentencing.

The former underboss of the Colombo crime family Gennaro “Gerry Lang” Langella died Sunday at the age of 74 while serving out his 100 year prison sentence. The former New York Mafia leader was one of eight defendants tried in the most highly publicized mob cases in history the “Mafia Commission Trial” held in the mid 1980’s. Other defendants in the case were top Mafia leaders which included Carmine “Junior” Persico then boss of Colombo family , Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno then boss of the Genovese family, and Anthony “Tony Ducks” Corallo then the boss of the Lucchese family. All of the defendants were found guilty on RICO charges and were all sentenced to 100 years in prison in November of 1986. Langella had been sentenced to a 65 year prison for a previous racketeering conviction but was allowed to serve both sentences concurrently.

“Gennaro Langella”

Starting in 1996 Langella began making what seemed to be a never ending bid to be let out of prison on parole but was unsuccessful. Prosecutors were able to provide testimony from several cooperating witnesses including Gregory Scarpa Sr that Langella had ordered multiple murders on behalf of the Colombo crime family. Langella was also fingered for attending a meeting between the Colombo family and the DeCavalcante crime family from New Jersey where the families divided up territory for the sale of narcotics. In the book “Five Families: The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires” writer and former investigative reporter Selwyn Raab describes Langella as being a ruthless drug trafficker and loan shark. He was a throw back to a different era of the Mafia and mobsters.

The last year has been very interesting for La Cosa Nostra families across the United States. Many mafia families have seen changes with in their hierarchy due to law enforcement convictions, death natural or otherwise, and other various reasons over the last year. We have put together a list of the current 2014 mafia leadership for each of the active mafia families across the United States going into 2014. This list is compiled from information from several sources including mafia insiders and details from various law enforcement sources like the FBI and are as accurate as possible. It contains all known information on not only the current mafia family boss but also the rest of the families leadership. We are sure as we get further into 2014 their will be changes to these mob family leaders which we keep updated at our Mafia Family Leadership Charts page so be sure to check it out for future updates.

Gambino Crime Family (New York)

“Domenico Cefalu”

Boss: Domenico “Italian Dom” Cefalu
Underboss: Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali
Consigliere: Arnold “Zeke” Squitieri / John Gambino (?)
New Jersey Crew Boss: Nicholas “Nicky Mita” Mitarotonda

Colombo Crime Family (New York)

“Carmine Persico”

Boss: Carmine “Junior/The Snake” Persico (Life IP)
Street Boss: Andrew “Andy Mush” Russo (IP,UI)
Underboss: John “Sonny” Franzese (IP)
Acting Underboss: Dominick “Donnie Shacks” Montemarano
Consigliere: Unknown
Acting Consigliere: Thomas “Tom Mix/Mr. T” Farese

Genovese Crime Family (New York)

“Liborio Bellomo”

Boss: Unknown
Acting Boss: Unknown
Street Boss: Liborio “Barney” Bellomo
Underboss: Venero “Benny Eggs” Mangano
Consigliere: Dominick “Quiet Dom” Cirillo
New Jersey Crew Boss: Unknown

Bonanno Crime Family (New York)

“Michael Mancuso”

Boss: Michael “The Nose” Mancuso
Acting Boss/Underboss: Thomas “Tommy D” DiFiore
Consigliere: Anthony “T.G.” Graziano (IP)
Acting Consigliere: Anthony “Fat Tony” Rabito
New Jersey Crew Boss: Joseph Sammartino Sr

Lucchese Crime Family (New York)

“Steven Crea”

Boss: Steven “Stevie Wonder/Herbie” Crea
Underboss: Unknown
Consigliere: Joseph “Joe C.” Caridi
New Jersey Crew Boss: Ralph Vito Perna (UI)

New Jersey Mafia (Decavalcante Family)

“Giovanni Riggi-long time boss steps down”

Boss: Charlie Ears Majuri
UnderBoss: Frank Nigro
Consiglieri: “unknown”

Philadelphia Mafia Family

“Joseph Ligambi”

Boss: Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi (UI)/Joey Merlino (?)
Acting Boss: Steve Mazzone
Underboss: Joseph “Mousie” Massimino (IP)
Acting Underboss: “unknown”
Consigliere: George Borgesi (UI)
Acting Consigliere: “unknown”)

Detroit Mafia Family

“Jackie the Kid Giacalone”

Boss: Jack “Jackie the Kid” Giacalone
Underboss: Anthony (Chicago Tony) La Piana
Acting Consigliere: Anthony (Tony Pal) Palazzolo
Street Boss: Peter (Specs) Tocco
Street Counselor: Allen “The General” Hilf

New England Mafia (Patriarca Family)

“Anthony DiNunzio”

Boss: Anthony “Tony” DiNunzio/52 (IP)
UnderBoss: “unknown”
Consiglieri: Carmen “The Cheese Man” DiNunzio (IP/2015)

Cleveland Mafia Family

“Joseph Lacobacci”

Boss: Joseph “Joe Loose” Lacobacci (possibly retired)
Acting Boss: Russell “RJ” Papalardo
Underboss: “unknown”
Consigliere: “unknown”

Kansas City Mafia Family

Boss: John Sciortino
UnderBoss: Peter Simone
Consigliere: “unknown”

Another son of legendary mob boss Carmine “The Snake” Persico is set to start a prison sentence for his mob ties. Michael Persico is set to join his father Carmine and his brother Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico behind bars after his sentencing on February 28th baring any postponements. Michael was believed by many to be the good son of the family steering clear of his dads mafia business. But the feds have had a different opinion insisting Michael has long been involved in Colombo crime family business but was smart enough to not become an actual member of the mafia as his father and brother did. Although Persico and his lawyer claim he is simply a victim of profiling being targeted by feds because of his family name but he is simply an honest businessman.

“Michael Persico”

But the feds claim that there is plenty of evidence that hints to Michael’s involvement in the Colombo family. Legendary Colombo captain John “Sonny” Franzese was once caught on tape by an undercover informant praising the approach to the mob lifestyle used by Michael Persico saying “He don’t have to be a goodfella, he is doing different kind of work”. That along with information from former Colombo mobsters turned rat including alleged capo Carmine Sessa indicated there was also an illegal side to Michael’s legitimate businessman public profile. Sessa said Michael supplied his brother Alphonse with 100 thousand dollars to help the Persico faction in the 1990’s during the deadly Colombo family civil war.
 

Sessa also says a meeting took place on th eve of the war at the Persico family compound in Saugerties involving high level Colombo family leaders with one of the Colombo hierarchy John Staluppi showing up in a helicopter. Also at this meeting was alleged Capo turned government witness John Pate who claims Michael and Alphonse discussed how to kill the leader of the rival faction Victor “Little Vic” Orena. This information along with other aspects lead to Michael Persico being charged with racketeering and multiple murders included in a sweeping indictment back in 2010. But the young Persico was able to cut a deal with the feds in 2012 just before his trial was set to begin.
 

The plea deal is a sweet one for Persico as he only had to plead guilty to loan-sharking charges instead of racketeering or murder. Instead of facing life in prison at trial Michael now will be facing a sentence of only 37-46 months. The deal did include a condition that his cousin Theodore Persico an alleged mob capo in Colombo family had to also plead guilty and agree to a plea deal which he did and is now facing a sentence of 12 years. Michael and his lawyer were also able to sweeten the pot some by having an agreement added to plea deal that feds could not seek future prosecution for any of previous charges including the murders and racketeering. Seems as if both Michael and Theodore both got plea deals they couldn’t refuse.

Theodore “Teddy” Persico Jr has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars for ordering a hit on a mafia rival. Persico a Colombo crime family capo plead guilty to murder conspiracy for ordering the hit on fellow mobster Joseph Scopo back in 1993 while he attended his grandmothers wake at a Brooklyn funeral home. Scopo was a leading member of a break away faction lead by Vittorio “Little Vic” Orena battling the Persico faction for control of the mob family during a bloody civil war. Teddy was actually out on a prison furlough to attend the wake of his grandmother when he green lighted the hit.

“Teddy Persico Jr”

Fellow Colombo family mobster turned rat Anthony Russo testified that Persico sat down at the chapel and after saying a prayer for his grandmother passed along the orders signing off on Scopo’s death warrant. The conversation between Persico and three mob associates which took place just out of earshot of the correction officers accompanying him. Russo outlined the entire event for the feds.
 

Russo said Teddy told him and his other mob associates that you have to go after Joey (Scopo), to end this war we have to get Joey he is a target. Then a few months later at the door of his Queens home Scopo was gunned down by a Colombo family hit team effectively putting an end to the Colombo civil war. The feds claim that Teddy is on a short list of candidates to take control of the Colombo family upon the death of his uncle and current boss Carmine “The Snake” Persico.

Greg “The Grim Reaper” Scarpa a former capo in the Colombo crime family and FBI informant could be played by Sylvester Stallone in upcoming movie. A screenplay about the life of the infamous mobster by Nick Pileggi who also wrote both Casino and Goodfellas is set to be made into a movie.   It will cover the mafia life of Scarpa and the numerous murders he was involved in along with his career as a top echelon FBI informant. Pileggi called it a fabulous story and according to him Stallone is definitely interested in playing the part of Scarpa. It would be produced by Irwin Winkler of Rocky fame along with Avi Lener, who did The Expendables series.
 

“Greg Scarpa”

He was a proven hard core mobster and rose through the ranks of the New York Mafia as part of the Colombo family becoming one of families more powerful capo’s. He ran a crew which included many members who themselves went on to be high ranking Colombo members. His was known for his violence and brutal ways which earned him the nickname “The Grim Reaper”. As the chief enforcer for former Colombo boss Carmine Persico he was responsible for at least three murders during the bloody Colombo family war in the early 1990’s.
 

Besides his life as a made man in the Colombo family Scarpa also led a very interesting life as an informant having had a hand in the famous “Mississippi Burning” case. J. Edgar Hover then the FBI director called upon Scarpa to help find the bodies of the missing civil rights workers down and bring the killers to justice. The Grim Reaper proved to be a good choice as he orchestrated the kidnapping of a member of the local Ku Klux Klan and tortured him for days. According to reports he pulled the Klan members finger nails out and pistol whipped him repeatedly before finally threatening to blow is brains out if he didn’t supply the information he needed.

Michael Persico the son of jailed Colombo crime family boss Carmine “The Snake” Persico wants to rip of his guilty plea on loansharking charges. He pleaded guilty to loansharking over two years ago in a deal which gave him immunity from being prosecuted on several possible murder charges. But now Perisco claims the feds are breaching the agreement which has him facing 37 to 46 months in prison at sentencing.

“Michael Persico”

Now the mob scion doesn’t like the idea that he could be facing upwards of five years. Prosecutors are arguing that the deal was already agreed upon and he is now stuck with it. Perhaps he should be gracious for such a sweet deal to begin with considering he could face more then 20 years if he was convicted at trial on murder conspiracy and extortion charges.

Michael Persico son of imprisoned Colombo crime family boss Carmine (The Snake) Persico has filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea on loansharking charges. Persico has swung what many thought was a sweet plea deal granting him immunity from prosecution on more serious crimes including murder facing only 37 to 46 months behind bars. But now the mafia prince claims the government used back door means to breach the agreement in a 38 page filing made by his lawyer this week. He was caught making an usurious loan of $100,000 to a cohort back in 2009 and plead guilty as to terms of the plea agreement back in 2012.

“Michael Persico”

Court filings claim that prosecutors sent a message to probation officials suggesting that the judge in the case upwardly depart from the recommended 37 to 46 month sentence which his lawyer said would have his client facing the statutory maximum for his crime of five years. Prosecutors also allegedly told probation officials that they had a preponderance of evidence against Perisco that could prove he took part in mafia murders along with a couple of other murder conspiracies. Marc Fernich attorney for Persico said this was exact language that is used to describe a standard of proof judges use to weight evidence in sentencing procedures.

Fernich said that probation officials had heard the message loud and clear because every sentence made by them after the representation of preponderance that the government claims merit upward consideration. But Fernich did leave a way out for his client and the prosecutors short of the plea deal falling apart and that was to have a different judge who had not been tainted by the governments efforts to advocate a greater sentence on Persico be used.

Prosecutors now have until October 13 to make the next move and agree to the withdrawal and ask for a trial date to be set or to oppose the motion completely. Persico could face life in prison at trial where he would be open to murder charges along with other typical mob crimes.

Michael Persico the son of imprisoned official Colombo crime family boss Carmine “The Snake” Persico has been ordered to stick to his agreed upon plea deal with prosecutors on loan sharking charges. The mob scion wanted to back out of his plea deal after learning prosecutors claimed in a Pre-sentencing report they could prove he was involved in addition significant crimes. They wanted to use this to convince the Probation Department to consider sentencing Persico to the upper end of the range for his single count he plead guilty to.

“Michael Persico”

Through a preponderance of evidence the government claimed it could prove Persico was involved in other crimes including an involvement in murders of Michael Devine and John Scopo. The Colombo family prince got his panties in a bunch and argued that prosecutors had promised in his plea deal they would not push for a heavy sentence and he wanted permission to back out of his agreement. But Brooklyn federal judge Sandra L. Towned did not agree with the assessment of the deal and ruled against him.

The judge said the agreement did prohibit advocacy by the government and prosecutors before the court but it could not reasonably be interpreted as prohibiting it before the Probation Department prior to the Pre-Sentencing report. So prosecutors were on legal ground when presenting their case to the Probation Department who established the sentencing range in the first instance.

Many were shocked that Persico went to such measures as he agreed to what is seen by many as a sweet plea deal facing only 36 to 47 months behind bars. He is not set to face sentencing early next year in front of judge Townes.

The American Mafia has seen another interesting year come and go as we head into 2015 some families seem to be rebuilding while others continue to diminish. The past year has brought changes in the hierarchies of some of the major mafia families in the Unites States for one reason or another. Here is a up to dates list of the 2015 mafia leadership for most of the active mob families across the country going into the new year. The information found here is gathered from an array of sources including law enforcement reports , news reports, and much more with an effort to be as accurate as possible. Included in the charts are the current mafia family bosses along with the other known leadership positions with in the families. We will attempt to keep things updated through out the year on our Mafia Family Leadership Charts page so you can check back there occasionally for any further updates.

Gambino Crime Family (New York)

“Domenico Cefalu”

Boss: Domenico “Italian Dom” Cefalu
Underboss: Francesco “Franky Boy” Cali
Consigliere: “Unknown” John Gambino (?)
New Jersey Crew Boss: Nicholas “Nicky Mita” Mitarotonda

Colombo Crime Family (New York)

“Carmine Persico”

Boss: Carmine “Junior/The Snake” Persico (Life IP)
Street Boss: Andrew “Andy Mush” Russo (IP,UI)
Underboss: John “Sonny” Franzese (IP)
Acting Underboss: Dominick “Donnie Shacks” Montemarano
Consigliere: “Unknown”
Acting Consigliere: Thomas “Tom Mix/Mr. T” Farese

Genovese Crime Family (New York)

“Liborio Bellomo”

Boss: Ruling Panel (Liborio Bellomo , Daniel Leo , Ernie Muscarella , John Barbeto, Dominic Cirillo and Larry Dentico) ?
Street Boss: Liborio “Barney” Bellomo
Underboss: Venero “Benny Eggs” Mangano
Consigliere: Dominick “Quiet Dom” Cirillo
New Jersey Crew Boss: “Unknown”

Bonanno Crime Family (New York)

“Michael Mancuo”

Boss: Michael “The Nose” Mancuso
Acting Boss/Underboss: Thomas “Tommy D” DiFiore
Consigliere: Anthony “T.G.” Graziano (IP)
Acting Consigliere: Anthony “Fat Tony” Rabito
New Jersey Crew Boss: Joseph Sammartino Sr

Lucchese Crime Family (New York)

“Steven Crea”

Boss: Steven “Stevie Wonder/Herbie” Crea
Underboss: “Unknown”
Consigliere: Joseph “Joe C.” Caridi
New Jersey Crew Boss: Ralph Vito Perna (UI)

New Jersey Mafia Family (Decavalcante Family)

“Charles Majuri”

Boss: Frank Guarraci/Charlie Majuri ?
UnderBoss: Joseph “Joe” Miranda ?
Consiglieri: “Unknown”

Philadelphia Mafia Family

“Joseph Merlino”

Boss: Joey Merlino (?)
Acting Boss: Steve Mazzone
Underboss: John “Johnny Chang” Ciancaglini
Consigliere: Joseph “Uncle Joe” Ligambi

Detroit Mafia Family

“Jackie Giacalone”

Boss: Jack “Jackie the Kid” Giacalone
Underboss: Anthony (Chicago Tony) La Piana
Consigliere: Anthony (Tony Pal) Palazzolo
Street Boss: Peter (Specs) Tocco
Street Counselor: Allen “The General” Hilf

New England Mafia (Patriarca Family)

“Anthony Spagnolo”

Boss: Anthony “Tony” DiNunzio/52 (IP)
Acting Boss: Anthony (Spucky) Spagnolo
UnderBoss: “Unknown”
Consiglieri: Carmen “The Cheese Man” DiNunzio (IP/2015)

Cleveland Mafia Family

“Joseph Lacobacci”

Boss: Joseph “Joe Loose” Lacobacci (possibly retired)
Acting Boss: Russell “RJ” Papalardo
Underboss: “Unknown”
Consigliere: “Unknown”

Kansas City Mafia Family

“Peter Simone”

Boss: John Sciortino
UnderBoss: Peter Simone
Consigliere: “Unknown”

Buffalo Mafia Family

“Bobby Panaro”

Boss: Robert “Bobby” Panaro
Underboss: “Unknown”
Consigliere: Victor Sansanese.?

Chicago Mafia Family (Chicago Outfit)

“Joseph Andriacchi”

Boss (elder statesman): Joseph Andriacchi/Johnny “No Nose” DiFronzo
Street Boss: “Unknown” Possible Ruling Panel including – Albert Vena, Solly DeLaurentis, James Iandino ?
Consigliere: Unknown

Michael Persico the son of imprisoned Colombo crime family boss Carmine Persico is finally facing sentencing on Tuesday three years after copping a plea deal. The businessman prince of the Colombo family has fought to get out of that sweet plea deal he made with prosecutors claiming they breached the deal with the use of underhanded tactics. In return for pleading guilty Persico would face a recommended term between 37 and 46 months but with a possible maximum of five years. Prosecutors agreed to not seek a sentence above the recommended 46 months and not prosecute him on multiple murder charges, murder conspiracy, and other mob crimes they reportedly had evidence of.

“Michael Perisco“

Persico lawyers claim that prosecutors breached their part of the deal by attributing so many crimes to Persico in sentencing papers in hopes of swaying the sentencing judge. According to the lawyers prosecutors are underhandedly trying to get their client hammered with as much of the five year maximum sentence rather then sticking with the terms of the deals recommended guidelines. Prosecutors have dismissed these claims and told Persico , Fuhgeddaboutit as to his request to back out of the deal.

Judge Townes has already refused Persico’s request to back out of the plea agreement and has ordered the sentencing hearing to handle the unusual situation. Some fireworks are expected as prosecutors plan to put Persico’s former mob pal turncoat Colombo capo Anthony “Big Anthony” Russo on the stand to tie Michael to the murder of former underboss Joseph Scopo. It was the last hit in a bloody Colombo family war that lasted from 1991-1993 and Russo claims he and Francis Guerra were part of a hit team that killed Scopo on orders from Michael.

Russo testified at the trial for Guerra and was unable to convince a jury on that occasion but at this hearing will only need to convince Brooklyn Federal Judge Sandra Townes of Persico’s part in the mafia hit. Prosecutors also plan to call Chance Adam a former FBI agent to testify about an extortionate loan Michael agreed to make with a turncoat mobster and two others. Part of Adams testimony will be a recording of Persico agreeing to the $100,000 loan to turncoat Steven Marcus, James Bombino, and Colombo family captain Theodore “Teddy” Persico.

Even if Persico is forced to stick to the original plea it seems like a pretty sweet outcome for a guy that would be facing multiple murder charges along with added crimes at trial. Many wonder even at the 5 year maximum why Persico doesn’t take advantage of the soft deal which seem to pop up far to often in New York mafia cases for some and be content he didn’t suffer a worse fate.

Carmine Persico the boss of the Colombo crime family is currently serving a 100 year sentence after being convicted on RICO and murder charges in the 1980’s. Perisco was part of the historic Mafia Commission Case led by Rudy Giuliani which targeted the mafia ruling body known as the commission. Carmine was convicted for being a member of the commission and for being part of a racketeering conspiracy that ordered the mob murder of fellow mobster Carmine Gigante in 1979. Defense lawyers have filed a 71 page brief, which includes 44 exhibits which they believe proves Persico was not the Colombo family boss and a member of the Mafia Commission from 1972 to 1985 making him innocent of the pivotal allegations.

Giuliani was part of an eight part TV series called “The Making of the Mob: New York” this summer and recalled his 30 year old success in the historic case. Since then, multiple informant reports from the 70’s and 80’s have surfaced which may prove that other mobsters led the Colombo family after the death of former boss Joe Colombo in 1971, and that Carmine didn’t take over as boss until 1980 according to court documents. These documents seek to dismiss Persico’s sentence, calling it an illegal consequence of an unjust crusade against him by prosecutors, including former U.S. Attorney Guiliani.

These new allegations charge that Giulinai and former FBI agent Lin DeVecchio were key parts in securing the illegal conviction. Defense attorney Anthony DiPietro argued that these new FBI reports establish that his client was not the boss of the Colombo family 1970’s and therefore could not have been a member of the Mafia Commission during the time frame alleged in the indictment and could not have conspired with other commission members to kill Gigante in 1979. DiPietro also outlined various examples of false allegations made agains his client by DeVecchio and prosecutors which were wrongly used to get a conviction.

One of the main FBI reports being filed by DiPietro states that DeVecchio learned from a top informant which was most likely Colombo captain Greg Scarpa Sr on November 5, 1980 that Carmine Persico had been bumped up to the official boss of the Colombo crime family taking over for Thomas DiBella who had stepped down with the approval of the Commission. Scarpa was identified as a mob informer and as a source of information on the Mafia Commission case in DeVecchio’s 2011 book We’re Going to Win This Thing. Other aspects of the DeVecchio book are also being used as proof that Perico has been falsely accused.

The defense attorney has also questioned the use of prosecution witnesse and former FBI agent Joe Pistone, who provided vital testimony in the Commission case. DiPietro believes the use of piston as a witness is also the reason for the sentence against his client to be vacated because the former agent had taken part in various crimes while working an an undercover agent from 1976 to 81. These crimes included being part of a conspiracy to murder Persico co-defendant Bruno Indelicato who was sentenced to 20 years as part of the Commission trial.

DiPietro claims proof is found in Pistone’s own words from his book Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business: Shocking Declassified Details from the FBI’s Greatest Undercover Operation and a Bloody Timeline of the Fall of the Mafia, where he says “I was guilty of once conspiring to murder Bruno, and committed an overt act in furtherance of such plot.” Pistone wrote that he took part in the plot to kill Bruno to maintain his cover and he is quoted as saying “If Bruno’s there, he’s gone. If I have to put a bullet in his head, I will, and I’ll deal with the federal government and Staten Island D.A. later.”

The government replied to the allegations of misdeeds asking the judge not to consider the merits of the motion which only revives decade old issues which have already been extensively litigated. Co-counsel Mathew Mari said it’s high time for Persico to go home and spend some time with his family. He also said “Enough is enough is enough,” said Mari. “The government won the war. Junior Persico is a prisoner of war for 30 years, and the war is over. Even POWs get released when the war is over.”

Linda Scarpa is the daughter of infamous Colombo crime family mobster Gregory Scarpa, who was known as the “Grim Reaper” on the streets. Scarpa was one of the most feared enforcers in the New York mafia for years serving as an executioner for Colombo family boss Carmine Persico and former consigliere Carmine Sessa. Many of the murders Scarpa committed happened during the bloody Colombo family war from 1991-1993. The book by Linda Scarpa called The Mafia Hit Man’s Daughter goes into detail about life insider a mafia family.

According to the new book Scarpa was known as the Grim Reaper “because if you did wrong and were in the life, or you hurt his family or anyone he cared about, it was his job to bring you death.” As a hitman for the mob he claimed to have stopped counting the number of victims at 50. Even as he suffered from AIDS, which he contracted during a blood transfusion he maintained his mafia loyalty joining the Persico faction during the 1990’s Colombo war at the behest of long time mob pal Sessa against a rival internal faction led by Victor “Little Vic” Orena.

Linda says in the new book that her mother, Linda Schiro was a mistress of Scarpa’s and she grew up thinking someone else was her father and that he was just a friend of the family. She didn’t learn the truth about her and her brother Joey’s real father until she was a teenager. But she says even before she knew he was her father she loved him and tells how as a kid, she always had the best cloths and nicest cars. According to Linda her and brother Joey often went with Scarpa to the crew’s Wimpy Boys Social Club in Bensonhurst where Scarpa worked. They always got free chocolate egg creams at the next door luncheonette and candy from the store across the street.

“Greg Scarpa and daughter Linda“

But Linda would soon learn the truth about her father’s gangland dealings and according to her she lived in fear. She tells a story from back 0n November 18, 1991 when she really learned what it meant to be the daughter of a mafia hitman. Mobsters from the rival faction of the Colombo family were waiting for the Grim Reaper that morning as he left the family’s home in Bensonhurst. Linda followed her father out of the driveway when she cut off a van which had come speeding down the block. It almost slammed into her and she had some choice words as she pulled off. When they got to the end of the street there was a truck blocking the intersection and the van stopped behind them and as she looked down at her then 8 year old son she all of a sudden heard sounds like fireworks.

She was right in the middle of a mafia hit as guys emerged from the vehicles and surrounded the cars dressed head to toe in all black and carrying long black guns with silencers. She said as soon as she hard the shots ring out she saw her father go down. At only 22 years old, she froze wanting to put her kid on floorboard where he would be safe she couldn’t move. Joseph “Joe Fish” Marra a mob pal of her fathers jumped out of his car and returned fire turning things into a fire fight. After almost being hit he jumped back into his car as one of the other hitmen panicked spraying shots everywhere including into Linda’s car. She said her father’s car had taken so many shots it looked like Swiss cheese before finally taking off through the stop sign.

Linda survived the violent ordeal and as she returned home, she was confident her father had been killed. She told her mother “Big Linda” Schiro that Scarpa was dead before seeing him walk through the door. She said he was pale as a ghost, but had survived the hit attempt and started to cry after seeing her and the baby were okay. He looked at her and said ‘You saved my life. You realize that, right?’ ” He then said “Don’t worry,They’re all f–king dead. They’re going to f–king die, starting tonight.” Little Linda also goes on to tell about her father’s relationship with the FBI and in particular an FBI supervisor named Lin DeVecchio.

She said her father gave the license plate number from one of the vehicles used in the hit and Lin checked around informing Scarpa that it was owned by William “Wild Bill” Cutolo a member of the families rival faction. She said he knew for sure then that the hit was sanctioned by Vic Orena and Wild Bill and then knew who his targets were. DeVecchio was tried back in 2006 on charges that he helped Scarpa carry out multiple gangland murders during the bloody mafia war, but the case collapsed after Linda Schiro denied DeVecchio’s involvement in the Scarpa murders a decade earlier in an interview with the Village Voice.

But Linda would later tell investigators about how DeVecchio helped Sacrpa through the Colombo wars as his FBI handler. She alleges that Gregory secretly aided the FBI for years in exchange for cash and tips. Little Linda said her father once joked about his relationship with the Feds when they were young telling her to call him “Greg. Greg Bond” in reference to his love for James Bond spy movies. She said it wasn’t until she was older when she realized what he was talking about. She also goes into a beat down of a former boyfriend by her father and his crew and the murder of a man who tried to attacked her as a kid. She even talks about the murder of her brother Joey and much more.

The new mafia book is definitely one of the more interesting to be released over the last several years and is a must read. You can get a copy of the book The Mafia Hit Man’s Daughter at Amazon for a great price in many different formats. Perhaps we will soon see a movie made about this infamous mafia hitman either from The Mafia Hit Man’s Daughter or at least in conjunction with it.

Michael Persico an alleged Colombo crime family associate continues to battle prosecutors over his 2012 plea deal before sentencing is handed down. Michael is the son of jailed Colombo family boss Carmine “The Snake” Persico and agreed to the plea deal after being charged with loan sharking. The deal called for the New York mafia scion to face sentencing guidelines of 37 to 46 months, but cleared him of his possible involvement in two mafia murders. Persico claims prosecutors tried to backdoor him and push for a stiffer term then agreed to by making mention of his alleged role in the killings at sentencing.

“Michael Persico“

His attempt to scrap his plea deal was shot down by Judge Sandra Towles and the deal was made permanent and sentencing was scheduled to proceed. But defense attorney Marc Fernich now want to block prosecutors from being allowed to mention other crimes, including the mob murders or Persico’s alleged role in them during sentencing. In a pre-sentencing hearing Persico and his attorney laid down a timeline to once again present their arguments. During the hearing, prosecutors pointed out their different position, and that they believed that Persico participated in ordering the hit on Joseph Scopo a mobbed up union official.

The plea deal seemed like a slam dunk for Persico and it was an odd piece of mafia news when he decided to try and yank it last year. As more details of the prosecutors plan to use the crimes as ammunition for a sentence beyond the plea deals recommended guidelines during the sentencing hearing it has begun to make a little more sense. If the New York mob prince is successful in his fight and is sentenced within the current plea deals guidelines it will have been worth the effort. A special pre-sentencing hearing may be set forth to hear arguments from both sides.

Carmine “Junior” Persico the ailing boss of the Colombo crime family continues his fight for early release from prison. The now 83-year-old New York mafia boss has served the last 31 years in prison but still owes the government 34 years of his 100-year sentence. He is the only living defendant from the infamous Commission case against the NY mafia still behind bars. But now time is of the essence for the aging mobster who claims he is suffering from various ailments as his health continues to deteriorate. According to reports he needs a wheelchair to get around because of emphysema and his eyesight is failing along with the use of his arms.

“Carmine Persico”

A request was made last summer stating that long concealed FBI documents now recovered by his defense team through the Freedom of Information Act prove that he was convicted of a crime he did not commit. The defense claims that Persico’s sentence was illegally enhanced based on allegations they can now prove were not true. That request is still pending, but Persico is now pressing the issue filing new motions and adding more newly discovered documents that allege government wrongdoings against him by the FBI according to a report by Ganglandnews. Persico’s attorney Anthony DiPietro has requested a status conference be called by Manhattan Federal Court Judge Kevin Duffy.

“Carmine Persico while in Prison”

Although DiPietro stated in his new motion that a status conference could be a moot point if the judge agrees that Persico has already demonstrated a basis for sentence relief based upon the already submitted documentary evidence from last year’s filing. The defense attorney claims he is ready to add even more documents to the file if needed exposing even more troubling issues with the case against his client and claims the submitted evidence to date demonstrates his client’s innocence. Among other things, these newly submitted documents according to the defense establishes that Persico had not yet become the boss of the New York mob family in the 1970’s.

DiPietro wrote that since Persico was not yet a mafia boss, he could not have been a member of the Mafia Commission during the time frame charged in the indictment and he could not have conspired with other Commission members on the 1979 murder of mafia boss Carmine Galante. These newly discovered documents also call into question “illegal and unethical service contracts” that the feds had with cooperating witnesses that played a crucial role in Persico’s conviction. One witness testified that Junior Persico admitted to taking part in a vote to kill Galante with other NY mob bosses and that Carmine had taken over as boss of the Colombo family after Joe Colombo was mortally wounded in 1971.

These newly discovered reports prove that the feds knew both of those things were false at the time of the Commission case according to DiPietro. Among the documents filed were numerous FBI reports that identified others as acting bosses of the Colombo family during the 1970’s and one which state that Carmine had become boss of the Colombo family in November of 1980. DiPietro wrote “The importance of affording Mr. Persico a just and timely review of his motion cannot be overstated,” due to his ongoing health concerns. DiPietro also noted the release of former Lucchese family consigliere Christopher (Christy Tick) Furnari in 2014 after spending 28 years of his 100-year sentence from the Commission case.

Carmine “Junior” Persico the boss of the Colombo crime family was sentenced to 100 years in prison for a racketeering conviction in the 1986 Mafia commission trial.

The aging mobster has been fightings to have that sentence set aside but saw his efforts once again shot down. A Manhattan federal judge in a 24-page decision denied Persico’s request to be resentenced stating that the defendant was convicted by overwhelming evidence in what was a fair trial. But Persico maintains that his sentence is constitutionally defective because of the feds failure to disclose favorable information to him and his defense team before trial and at his sentencing.

“Carmine Persico“

Persico insist that FBI records prove that other mobsters were serving as the Colombo family boss at the time of the mob hit on Carmine Galante in 1979, and since he wasn’t the boss of the Cosa Nostra family at the time he could not have been part of the Mafia Commission. This means that he couldn’t have had anything to do with the historic NY Mafia hit on Galante a murder which he believes formed the basis of his sentence. But the judge wasn’t buying Persico’s claims and said the FBI reports submitted by Persico contained either “preliminary, challenged or speculative” information and this wouldn’t have changed the verdict at his trial if they had been presented and had nothing to do with his sentencing.

The judge in the last page of his ruling that nothing discovered by the defense since the trial and sentencing throws any doubt upon the previous conclusion. Defense attorney’s Mathew Mari and Anthony DiPietro have vowed to carry on the fight on behalf of Persico and said they were disappointed in the judges decision but plan to appeal the ruling to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Perhaps Persico has a better chance at getting released on parole although that seems just as unlikely. But according to U.S. Parole Commission guidelines come January when Persico completes 30 years of his sentence parole would be mandatory unless “there is a reasonable probability that the prisoner will commit any Federal, State, or local crime, or that the prisoner has frequently or seriously violated the rules of (his) institution.”

But the feds still consider the aging mobster to be the official boss of the Colombo family and has allegedly ordered violent crimes from prison on numerous occasions over the years. These alleged orders include the Colombo family war from 1991-93 which left various Colombo family mobsters and other dead. The feds with the use of this information will definitely make a heavy push for the parole board to keep the infamous American mafia boss behind bars until his death which may not be far off due to reports of his declining health.

It has been more than four years since reputed mafia prince Michael Persico pleaded guilty to loansharking after agreeing to a plea deal.

Michael, the son of imprisoned Colombo crime family boss Carmine “The Snake” Persico is set to be sentenced on November 2. According to the feds, Michael never became a made member of the New York mafia but is considered to be a powerful Colombo family associate. Prosecutors claim that he participated in a murder conspiracy back in 1993 to kill rival mobster Joseph Scopo during a Colombo family civil war although he was never charged with the murder. The loansharking case is the first ever felony conviction for the mob scion.

“Michael Persico”

The plea agreement agreed to by the 60-year-old mobster called for sentencing guidelines of 37 to 46 months behind bars. But Michael hopes that a letter from his 80-year-old mom can help to keep him at home and out of jail. According to a nydailynews report, Joyce Persico the 80-year-old matriarch of the Cosa Nostra clan wrote in a letter to judge Dora Irizarry “I am getting older and need my son around, He helps me with everything. I am scared that if he is sent to prison I will never see him again outside of that place.” It was part of an 88-page filing that contained letters from various family members, friends, and business associates of Persico’s pleading on his behalf.

Over the years Joyce Persico has seen multiple family members sent to prison due to their mob involvement including her husband Carmine Persico who is currently serving a 100-year sentence after being convicted in the mafia “commission trial” in 1987. Another of her sons Alphonse “Allie Boy” Persico is serving a life sentence for a murder conviction. Lawrence a third son has also spent time in prison for a no-show union job but is currently out. She also said in her letter that “Throughout his life, Michael has been a loving son to me and our family and a doting father to all his children.” According to Michael’s lawyer, she is suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis and emphysema.

His lawyer also told the judge “It is clear from these letters that Mr. Persico has always endeavored to conduct himself in a law-abiding manner and has struggled to overcome the infamy of his last name and blood relations.”

The recent saga of Michael Persico the businessman son of imprisoned Colombo crime family boss Carmine “Junior” Persico continues as his sentencing has once again been delayed.

He was slated to be sentenced this week after agreeing to a very favorable plea deal back in 2012 that covered various racketeering crimes and murders. According to the feds Michael never became a made man in the New York mafia but as part of the Persico clan, he was a very influential associate of the Colombo family. The whole case has been a rollercoaster ride with disagreements between Persico and prosecutors causing one delay after another some of which was covered in a previous article found here.

“Michael Persico”

The 60-year-old mobster will once again be home for the holidays after Brooklyn Federal Court Chief Judge Dora delayed sentencing until January of next year. The judge offered no specific reason for the delay according to reports but it may be related to an array of letters supplied by Persico’s family, friends, and associates asking for leniency. According to his 2012 plea deal, Persico is facing a sentence from 37-46 months but could be given up to a maximum of five years by the judge. According to a sentencing memo, the defense has asked for a sentence of “time served” for 72 days that Persico spent in prison back in 2010. Prosecutors are sure to push for at a minimum the maximum 46 months as offered in the plea.

This is somewhat of an ironic twist as Michael’s father Carmine who is serving a 100-year sentence will be fighting for his release during that same month. The 83-year-old mob boss was sent to prison as part of the mafia “commission case” back in 1987 has fought for parole ever since becoming eligible after serving his first 10 years without success. But a Bureau of prisons rule that was in place when he was sentenced may allow the infamous Cosa Nostra boss a way out. The rule stated that an inmate must receive parole after serving 30 years unless prosecutors can establish that the convict has either committed crimes while behind bars or is likely to return to a life of crime once released. According to the feds, Carmine still holds the rank of boss in the Colombo family and prosecutors are sure to mount a strong case against him being released.