Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[NickleCity]

Judge Michalski is implicated again in the Gvts. Supplemental Memorandum in Opposition to release of Gerace.

See: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap ... 8.502.0.pd


Defense thinks there should be a hearing to question witness statements about the rats.
See: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap ... .501.0.pdf

[NickleCity]

Judge refuses to release strip club owner ahead of bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking trial
The Buffalo News
June 6, 2023
By Patrick Lakamp

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/judg ... 7e3c4.html

[NickleCity]

^^^
The government is definitely alleging he “groomed” [their word] people in high places to leverage their influence. Did he pay for it or just exchange favors (prostitution and cocaine) for that influence?

Tripi said:
“Now, I'll note -- and I'll get to this later in my presentation -- that this defendant has many contacts in law enforcement, many friends in high places, to include State judges, members of law enforcement, multiple prior police commissioners of the Buffalo Police Department, police commissioners, friends in police departments -- in local police departments.
He has bragged to witnesses that he has contacts in every local police department, political figures, and many others. And we get that through our investigation through multiple sources of information.”

Speaking about Judge Michalski Tripi goes on to say:
And that's just one example that I'm willing to talk about today, of people in high places, that we submit the defendant has been able to groom over time.
Just like females that he groomed at his club, leveraged relationships with, and ruined lives.

How could some of these individual in the legal system be? Back at the suppression hearing for evidence from Bongiovanni' Cell Phone these names were mentioned in public court documents. I posted then but thought it may be a good time to bring back up:

Rocco Diina (Former Police Commissioner and friend of former Mayor Masiello)
Michael Sinatra (Landscaper who dated Bongiovanni’s wife’s younger sister and did landscaping for Bongiovanni.)
Mike Mecca (Narcotics Detective Charles Mecca’s son?)
Frank Todaro (Erie County Legislator/Collision Masters did work on DEA cars)
Joel Moranto (??)
David Lapenna (???)
Paul Parisi (Opened Soho restaurant with the John Amoia known to be involved with drug trafficking in Vegas)
“Philly" Torre (Phillip Torre??? BPD officer with Major Case Squad??)
Paul Puglise
Nicholis Pugliese
Tommy Francaforte
Paul (A.K.A. Hotdog) Frankaforte (Serio’s and Frandaforte’s are related thru marriage)
Tom Gerace (Retired BPD Detective and DEA Task force member?)
Sam Catalano (Funeral home scammer?)
Thomas Oswald (Tonawanda Police?)
Tom Doctor (Retired Buffalo Police Detective and Bongiovanni’s partner on the DEA Task Force—Pictured with Peter Gerace, Bongiovanni, his wife Lindsey. Tom's brother Sean was on Buffalo Fire Department convicted of running a asbestos abatement racket in 2017.)
Dan Derenda (Former BPD Commissioner)
Lou Salva (Erie County Sheriff's Deputy whose home was raided)
Judge Michalski (at time of raid on Bongiovanni’s home Bongiovanni told LE Peter Gerace and Michalski were good friends)

[NickleCity]

Prosecutor calls late Judge Michalski 'unindicted co-conspirator' in Gerace sex-trafficking case
The Buffalo News
By Lou Michel, Patrick Lakamp

[NickleCity]

Gerace’s attorneys have made a motion to dismiss his indictment for anti-Italian bias based on ethnically charged stereotypes. In one of the footnotes they argue that Peter's friendships with LE and other prominent authorities goes against the principles of omertà and demonstrates Gerace is not associated with the mob thus he is only being prosecuted because he is Italian.



For their full argument see their memorandum in support for dismissing the indictment at this link: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap ... .515.1.pdf

[Tonyd621]

The OG podcast is doing a show "Buffalo Mafia Update." I dl not have time to listen to 50 min of Backstory to get to the point

[NickleCity]

Strip club owner accused of drug and sex trafficking faces additional $2 million Covid fraud counts
By Patrick Lakamp
06/17/23

The indictments are piling up for the owner of Pharaoh’s Gentlemen’s Club.

Peter Gerace Jr. mug from Niagara County Jail
Peter G. Gerace Jr. booking mug shot from 2023.
Courtesy of Niagara County Sheriff's Office
Peter Gerace Jr. now faces fresh charges that he defrauded the government of $2 million in Covid aid for the Cheektowaga strip club, in what is considered to be one of the largest Covid fraud cases in Western New York.

A federal grand jury indicted Gerace on four counts of wire fraud, adding to his drug- and sex-trafficking charges as well as witness tampering in previous indictments.

Gerace’s lawyer entered a plea of not guilty to the Covid fraud charges at his court proceeding Thursday.

Gerace has been behind bars since March, and given his upcoming August trial on the other felony charges, the Covid fraud charges would “not be the focus of our attention” until the other charges are resolved, defense attorney Eric Soehnlein told U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer.

IMHO it seems the Feds are throwing everything at Gerace to get him to flip. For the rest of the article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... a611d.html

[NickleCity]

Very interesting finds about the Coppolas, NC. The FBN has many errors when it comes to parent names and based on other records the Stephen you mentioned is the son of Vincenzo.

Curious that the name Puma shows up, as that's a common name in Castellammare del Golfo and we know the Buffalo Family's history there.

Finally, I find it intriguing that there are Vacanti's in the Coppola family tree. The Vacanti family name has long been tied to mob related drug trafficking in Buffalo. Makes the Bongiovanni/Pierri/Alessi comments on the Monty Masimmi obituary I pointed out a couple years ago even more interesting. Remember Masimmi was murdered by Sam Vacanti (allegedly over a drug trafficking dispute). See this post and posts that immediately follow: http://theblackhand.club/forum/viewtopi ... 50#p140550

Jacobi’s Family
--John Jacobi Sr. designed and started Jacobi's Restaurant and Night Club on Abbott Road
--Family started 6 restaurants
--Had as may as four restaurants operating at a time

John Jacobi Sr.
--Married Sandra (nee Plehinger) d. 1974
--Married Marilyn (nee Hines)
John's Brothers:
--Frank
--Sebastian
--Russell
--Vito
--Carmen
--Joseph
John's Sons
--John Jr
--Philip
John's Daughters
--Sandra
--Kathleen (Homan)

Suspicious Activity Involving Jacobi Family:
1. Backhoe Attack on Jacobi’s Restaurant
--Over $350 debt John Jr. owed Samuel DelMonte for the delivery of building Materials. See: https://buffalonews.com/news/backhoe-ta ... 51762.html

--Over longstanding feud. It appears his daughter Sandra was married to Thomas DelMonte the cousin of Sam & Edward DelMonte who were involved in the backhoe attack. See. https://buffalonews.com/news/backhoe-at ... 9b6f9.html

--Thomas Delmonte was serving 6-18 years for 1986 homicide and robberies in Lackawanna. The couple divorced in 1992.

2. Sandra Jacobi Arrest in 2004 for Drug Trafficking Between Canada, California, and Mexico. See: https://buffalonews.com/news/6-local-re ... 4b769.html
--Buffalo News Quote from above article:

Federal authorities executed a search warrant at Jacobi's restaurant at 1404 Abbott Road, Lackawanna, early Wednesday, but Duszkiewicz said he couldn't comment on the search.

Authorities have been tracking the ephedrine trail from around the world, he said.

Manufactured in India, the ephedrine was imported through Germany to a company in Toronto. From there, it went to Thunder Bay, Ont., then to Alberta and Winnipeg, he said.

The load intercepted in Lewiston was bound for California and then to drug manufacturing labs in Mexico, he said. Those arrested are accused of helping to import the ephedrine from Canada and then helping to transport it to California.

Methamphetamine is "an addictive stimulant drug that strongly activates certain systems in the brain," according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is highly abused and very addictive.

--Here second husband was Hue Stevens a well known harness racer was also involved.
--I find it interesting that her husband was represented by Angelo Musitano. See: https://buffalonews.com/news/final-argu ... 8933f.html

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents charge that Stevens smuggled drugs for a major methamphetamine ring that was dismantled in 2004 after a series of arrests in Canada, Western New York and California.

Stevens, who will be tried at a later date, also denies the allegations. Jacobi, who faces four felony charges, did not testify during the trial.

Prosecution witnesses claimed that Stevens received tens of thousands of dollars to smuggle drugs, and that he hired people in the local harness-racing community to help him, sometimes hiding the drugs in horse trailers.

--Jacobi was found guilty in 2008. See: https://buffalonews.com/news/jacobi-gui ... d27c3.html

3. Joe Jacobi (Likely John Jacobi Sr.’s Brother) possible involved in Garbage Scam with Butch BiFulco.)
--Garbage by train from NYC to Buffalo by Chem-Rail Logistics
--Express Intermodal to offload train cars to trucks to take to Lewiston Landfill (This landfill is notorious for Buffalo mob activity.)
--Cops ticketed convey of trucks for being overweight.
--So they stopped and garbage just sat to rot in train cars and trucks for months.
See: https://buffalonews.com/news/garbage-is ... 4f530.html
Quote from Buffalo News article above:

That was eight months ago. A mid-winter meeting of all parties didn't go well. According to city officials, Chem-Rail executives at first declined to give their names, asking, "Whattya wanna know for?" Express Intermodal honcho Tony Pirrone threatened to "lawyer up.”

The mood didn't lighten when reputed mobster and recently convicted felon Frank "Butch" BiFulco -- an acquaintance of Express Intermodal execs -- supposedly meandered past the meeting room (although he didn't take part).

Express Intermodal's Joe Jacobi says BiFulco wasn't there -- "unequivocally not" -- but others claim he was.

"There was a weird, 'Sopranos'-like air to the whole thing," said a city official.

In any event, Express Intermodal counts itself among the victims. Jacobi claims his company is out a quarter-million bucks.

4. Joe Jacobi provided the Buffalo News a Photo to use in Dan Herbeck’s story abut Frank BiFulco’s death. See: https://buffalonews.com/obituaries/fran ... b65b9.html



5. Monty Masimmi married a Jennifer Jacobi in 1984



Someone told me about the Massimi murder and it really got me looking into the mafia in Buffalo because of the alleged corruption in high places covering it up. Here is the quote from the now defunct Topix Forum:

Buffalo, NY is and always will be one of the most corrupt cities in America because there are too many people in high places who have family ties to drug trafficking, gambling, and murder, that goes back to at least 3 generations of Italian mobsters who's close knit relatives have managed to reach every position of power available in Buffalo: Mayor, Police Chief and District Attorney not to mention countless Judges. I'm not going to mention any names but this is going to have to be dismantled on a federal level. These people run the city with no fear of prosecution. Their nephews, uncles and cousins run around North Buffalo, Kenmore and the West Side of Buffalo dealing major cocaine and heroin, but they always seem to escape the yearly FBI round ups....

Make sure your reread what I've previously written about the Masimmi's and Vacanti's alleged ties to IOC in Buffalo and and more importantly the alleged cover up by relatives in high places.

[NickleCity]

Judge recuses himself from strip club owner case after voicing suspicion of legal 'gamesmanship'
6/21/2023
by Patrick Lakamp

"U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. recused himself Wednesday from a high-profile bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking case less than two months before the scheduled start of the trial for the strip club owner and former DEA agent facing the charges.

The judge removed himself from the case over two names on a witness list submitted by attorneys for Peter Gerace Jr., the owner of Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club in Cheektowaga.

"Given defendant Peter Gerace Jr.'s inclusion of two individuals as supposed character witnesses among the hundreds of individuals on his witness list, recusal even in the absence of any bias, prejudice or partiality is now required," Sinatra said in his order.

U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. decided against reopening a detention hearing for Peter G. Gerace Jr. and will keep the Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club owner in pretrial custody.

From the bench during Wednesday's status conference, Sinatra said including the two on the witness list "appears to be gamesmanship" and he said he was "skeptical of the tactic."

For the rest of the article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... b7e1b.html

[AntComello]

Judge recuses himself from strip club owner case after voicing suspicion of legal 'gamesmanship'
6/21/2023
by Patrick Lakamp

"U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. recused himself Wednesday from a high-profile bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking case less than two months before the scheduled start of the trial for the strip club owner and former DEA agent facing the charges.

The judge removed himself from the case over two names on a witness list submitted by attorneys for Peter Gerace Jr., the owner of Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club in Cheektowaga.

"Given defendant Peter Gerace Jr.'s inclusion of two individuals as supposed character witnesses among the hundreds of individuals on his witness list, recusal even in the absence of any bias, prejudice or partiality is now required," Sinatra said in his order.

U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. decided against reopening a detention hearing for Peter G. Gerace Jr. and will keep the Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club owner in pretrial custody.

From the bench during Wednesday's status conference, Sinatra said including the two on the witness list "appears to be gamesmanship" and he said he was "skeptical of the tactic."

For the rest of the article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... b7e1b.html

Would u mind explaining what gamesmanship is for myself and the other not so bright posters here lol

[NickleCity]

Would u mind explaining what gamesmanship is for myself and the other not so bright posters here lol

The judge has a "connection" to two of the witnesses the defense may call. He was "vexed" that these names were included and thanks this is "tactic" by the defense. We are not told what that "tactic" would be. As of right now that would just be a guess. Playing this guessing game one could surmise it is to delay the case further. The prosecution has already implied that Bongiovanni's attorney Mr. Harrington resigned to delay the trial and suggested the extra time might be used to get to witnesses the government planned to use. The previous felony case against Gerace took over 6 years to reach a judgment than another couple of years in appeal. I'm not an attorney but that certainly seems as if delay could have been the a strategy and part of the gamesmanship in that case.

[NickleCity]

Would u mind explaining what gamesmanship is for myself and the other not so bright posters here lol

The judge has a "connection" to two of the witnesses the defense may call. He was "vexed" that these names were included and thanks this is "tactic" by the defense. We are not told what that "tactic" would be. As of right now that would just be a guess. Playing this guessing game one could surmise it is to delay the case further. The prosecution has already implied that Bongiovanni's attorney Mr. Harrington resigned to delay the trial and suggested the extra time might be used to get to witnesses the government planned to use. The previous felony case against Gerace took over 6 years to reach a judgment than another couple of years in appeal. I'm not an attorney but that certainly seems as if delay could have been the a strategy and part of the "gamesmanship" in that case.

[NickleCity]

Would u mind explaining what gamesmanship is for myself and the other not so bright posters here lol

The judge has a "connection" to two of the witnesses the defense may call. He was "vexed" that these names were included and thanks this is "tactic" by the defense. We are not told what that "tactic" would be. As of right now that would just be a guess. Playing this guessing game one could surmise it is to delay the case further. The prosecution has already implied that Bongiovanni's attorney Mr. Harrington resigned to delay the trial and suggested the extra time might be used to get to witnesses the government planned to use. The previous felony case against Gerace took over 6 years to reach a judgment than another couple of years in appeal. I'm not an attorney but that certainly seems as if delay could have been the a strategy and part of the "gamesmanship" in that case.

[NickleCity]

Don't know what happened with the multiple posts... I just went to add the quotes to gamesmanship.

[OcSleeper]

Sounds like the defense is also hoping for a more favourable judge