by gohnjotti » Tue Feb 25, 2020 1:15 am
Colombo family drug busts (might have missed some)
2005/6: Sometime in mid-2005, Colombo associate Nicholas Bova and two Lucchese associates robbed a marijuana dealer and Bova used the proceeds to start his own operation. In a tape-recording made on June 21, 2005, Colombo soldier Michael Catapano told CW & Colombo associate John Franzese Jr. that Bova had 55 plants "ready to go." Later, tape-recordings revealed that Bova's operation ballooned to approximately 150 plants. In one phone call, Bova mentioned that he hoped to yield 25 to 35 pounds every 45 days. Catapano instructed Bova only to run the operation for one year, due to the Colombo family's longstanding ban on drug-dealing. The FBI was never able to recover any marijuana since the indictments dropped after Bova had ceased production due to the one-year ban. Bova was indicted in Jun. 2008.
2006: In approximately Apr., Colombo associate Ori Spado pitched a potential cocaine trafficking arrangement to Colombo underboss John "Sonny" Franzese, seeking financing and Mafia backing. Franzese, due to the Colombo family's ban on drug-dealing, rejected the deal, and Spado gained a reputation as a cocaine and marijuana dealer who wasn't kicking up an appropriate tribute to his superiors. Figuring that Spado was going to deal drugs anyways, Franzese's nephew and Colombo acting capo Michael Catapano agreed to participate in cross-country drug-trafficking, without telling Franzese. On June 4, 2006, CW & Colombo associate Gaetano Fatato, on Spado's behalf, purchased 50 kilos of cocaine from two LA drug traffickers. Later that month, the traffickers attempted to sell 20 kilos of cocaine to Spado at his home, but Spado declined to store the drugs at his residence and the deal fell through. Spado & Catapano were indicted in Jun. 2008.
2006: Approximately 60 pounds of marijuana destined for Colombo & Albanian OC associate Lulzim Kupa were seized by the DEA, and Kupa was charged in Dec. with conspiring to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. Kupa was an associate of Colombo soldier Mickey Souza, and an associate of Christopher Curanovic, John Franzese's enforcer.
December 2006: An unspecified quantity of marijuana was seized from Colombo associate Nicholas Bruno's house. Bruno was charged, alongside Colombo soldier Mickey Souza and four other associates with marijuana trafficking conspiracy. Souza reported to captain Dino "Big Dino" Calabro.
December 2008: Colombo street boss Ralph DeLeo financed a two kilo cocaine delivery from California to Boston. The trafficker was pulled over and arrested mid-delivery. It's unknown if DeLeo's drug deals, which were relatively small-scale compared to earlier busts, were sanctioned by the administration.
Fall 2009: Colombo captain Reynold Maragni arranged a plan to import hundreds of kilograms of high-grade marijuana from Montreal, to Boston, to New York. Maragni introduced Colombo street boss Ralph DeLeo into the scheme to assist with trafficking the drugs in Boston. Maragni sought permission from Carmine Persico, via liaison Angelo Spata, to facilitate the deal. DeLeo was arrested in Nov. 2009 on unrelated charges and the deal never transpired.
There are more in the Amato crew that I will post when I have the time.
[u]Colombo family drug busts (might have missed some)[/u]
2005/6: Sometime in mid-2005, Colombo associate Nicholas Bova and two Lucchese associates robbed a marijuana dealer and Bova used the proceeds to start his own operation. In a tape-recording made on June 21, 2005, Colombo soldier Michael Catapano told CW & Colombo associate John Franzese Jr. that Bova had 55 plants "ready to go." Later, tape-recordings revealed that Bova's operation ballooned to approximately 150 plants. In one phone call, Bova mentioned that he hoped to yield 25 to 35 pounds every 45 days. Catapano instructed Bova only to run the operation for one year, due to the Colombo family's longstanding ban on drug-dealing. The FBI was never able to recover any marijuana since the indictments dropped after Bova had ceased production due to the one-year ban. [u]Bova was indicted in Jun. 2008.[/u]
2006: In approximately Apr., Colombo associate Ori Spado pitched a potential cocaine trafficking arrangement to Colombo underboss John "Sonny" Franzese, seeking financing and Mafia backing. Franzese, due to the Colombo family's ban on drug-dealing, rejected the deal, and Spado gained a reputation as a cocaine and marijuana dealer who wasn't kicking up an appropriate tribute to his superiors. Figuring that Spado was going to deal drugs anyways, Franzese's nephew and Colombo acting capo Michael Catapano agreed to participate in cross-country drug-trafficking, without telling Franzese. On June 4, 2006, CW & Colombo associate Gaetano Fatato, on Spado's behalf, purchased 50 kilos of cocaine from two LA drug traffickers. Later that month, the traffickers attempted to sell 20 kilos of cocaine to Spado at his home, but Spado declined to store the drugs at his residence and the deal fell through. [u]Spado & Catapano were indicted in Jun. 2008.[/u]
2006: Approximately 60 pounds of marijuana destined for Colombo & Albanian OC associate Lulzim Kupa were seized by the DEA, and Kupa was charged in Dec. with conspiring to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. Kupa was an associate of Colombo soldier Mickey Souza, and an associate of Christopher Curanovic, John Franzese's enforcer.
December 2006: An unspecified quantity of marijuana was seized from Colombo associate Nicholas Bruno's house. Bruno was charged, alongside Colombo soldier Mickey Souza and four other associates with marijuana trafficking conspiracy. Souza reported to captain Dino "Big Dino" Calabro.
December 2008: Colombo street boss Ralph DeLeo financed a two kilo cocaine delivery from California to Boston. The trafficker was pulled over and arrested mid-delivery. It's unknown if DeLeo's drug deals, which were relatively small-scale compared to earlier busts, were sanctioned by the administration.
Fall 2009: Colombo captain Reynold Maragni arranged a plan to import hundreds of kilograms of high-grade marijuana from Montreal, to Boston, to New York. Maragni introduced Colombo street boss Ralph DeLeo into the scheme to assist with trafficking the drugs in Boston. Maragni sought permission from Carmine Persico, via liaison Angelo Spata, to facilitate the deal. DeLeo was arrested in Nov. 2009 on unrelated charges and the deal never transpired.
There are more in the Amato crew that I will post when I have the time.