Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[NickleCity]

^^^
So Butchie BiFulco came up in the Bella case and in this case where Michael Masecchia, and self-alleged made man, arranged a meeting for Serio his "Godfather." Makes me think the rumor that Bifulco was boss was true... Probably would have been more accurate if those rumors referred to him as "street boss."

[NickleCity]

^^^^
Let me add this snippet because of the interesting surname.

Mark Falzone, 46, of North Buffalo, who called himself Serio's friend, testified last week that he was struggling financially when he became involved in Serio's drug-trafficking organization.

"I was complaining about my house being in foreclosure and he said he could help if I helped unload packagers," Falzone said.

Falzone helped unload three shipments of marijuana for $500 a load. He unloaded at his home 100 pounds of marijuana that came in packages hidden in wood pellets. He unloaded another 100 pounds hidden in mulch delivered to Serio's warehouse at Sycamore Street and Michigan Avenue. The third shipment was unloaded at Serio's mansion, also hidden in mulch, Falzone said. He spread the mulch around Serio's yard.

Falzone said he was also once paid $1,000 to drive to and from New York City, following behind Serio's car. If a police vehicle started following Serio, Falzone was instructed to drive erratically, acting as decoy, to distract the police officer from Serio's car.

Then came Serio's arrest in April 2017.

Falzone said he met shortly afterward with Masecchia, who was surprised by the arrest.

"I talked to my guy and Ron wasn't on any radars," Falzone said Masecchia told him.

There was a reason for that. The Erie County Sheriff's Office and FBI made the arrest, without informing the DEA. So Bongiovanni knew nothing of it.

[Newyorkempire]

^^^
So Butchie BiFulco came up in the Bella case and in this case where Michael Masecchia, and self-alleged made man, arranged a meeting for Serio his "Godfather." Makes me think the rumor that Bifulco was boss was true... Probably would have been more accurate if those rumors referred to him as "street boss."

Questioning the meeting took place in Canada. Butchie wouldnt be allowed into the country after that arson conviction unless he crossed illegally

[Newyorkempire]

Buffalo LCN died in 98 like Lee Coppola said

[chin_gigante]

^^^
So Butchie BiFulco came up in the Bella case and in this case where Michael Masecchia, and self-alleged made man, arranged a meeting for Serio his "Godfather." Makes me think the rumor that Bifulco was boss was true... Probably would have been more accurate if those rumors referred to him as "street boss."

Interesting article. The 'godfather' comment is very vague, could mean a lot of things. If Serio's understanding is correct, it could mean BiFulco sponsored Masecchia for membership or was his captain (or both). Obviously also dependant on if Masecchia was telling the truth when he told Serio he was made.

[NickleCity]

^^^
So Butchie BiFulco came up in the Bella case and in this case where Michael Masecchia, and self-alleged made man, arranged a meeting for Serio his "Godfather." Makes me think the rumor that Bifulco was boss was true... Probably would have been more accurate if those rumors referred to him as "street boss."

Interesting article. The 'godfather' comment is very vague, could mean a lot of things. If Serio's understanding is correct, it could mean BiFulco sponsored Masecchia for membership or was his captain (or both). Obviously also dependant on if Masecchia was telling the truth when he told Serio he was made.

Yeah, could mean BiFulco sponsored him. About Masecchia telling the truth about being made, we now have Lou Salva, Ron Serio, and a LE document sent to Bongiovanni referencing his possible made status. Also, I doubt he could have arranged for Serio to meet BiFulco if he wasn’t made but I guess it’s possible.

[B.]

Could be his literal godfather. Masecchia's father-in-law was a made guy so who knows who his family was close with. Either way good to see more details coming out of the case.

Did the email Bongiovanni received about Masecchia being a possible member come before these guys cooperated?

[NickleCity]

Could be his literal godfather. Masecchia's father-in-law was a made guy so who knows who his family was close with. Either way good to see more details coming out of the case.

Did the email Bongiovanni received about Masecchia being a possible member come before these guys cooperated?

I’m going to check, but I think it was 2014.

[NickleCity]

Could be his literal godfather. Masecchia's father-in-law was a made guy so who knows who his family was close with. Either way good to see more details coming out of the case.

Did the email Bongiovanni received about Masecchia being a possible member come before these guys cooperated?

I’m going to check, but I think it was 2014.

[Newyorkempire]

Could be his literal godfather. Masecchia's father-in-law was a made guy so who knows who his family was close with. Either way good to see more details coming out of the case.

Did the email Bongiovanni received about Masecchia being a possible member come before these guys cooperated?

Only a 21 year difference between the two. Not saying its not possible but im betting against the "real" Godfather angle. I dont believe his fathers name comes up anywhere as an associate either.

[NickleCity]

Email was from 2013. Serio wasn’t arrested till 2017.

[B.]

Email was from 2013. Serio wasn’t arrested till 2017.

Thank you. So LE referred to him as an associate and possible member in an internal 2013 email then a cooperator flipped in 2017 and said he'd previously been told by Masecchia that he was made? Am I understanding correctly too that another CW said he was told the same thing?

I asked because it means LE regarded Masecchia as a possible member before anyone flipped and said he told them that.

Re: "Godfather", I think it's likely Masecchia was referring to BiFulco as his superior in the organization in some way but was just considering other possibilities. Even if Masecchia's family weren't directly associated with Cosa Nostra we know many of these families around Buffalo are very close.

[NickleCity]

Email was from 2013. Serio wasn’t arrested till 2017.

Thank you. So LE referred to him as an associate and possible member in an internal 2013 email then a cooperator flipped in 2017 and said he'd previously been told by Masecchia that he was made? Am I understanding correctly too that another CW said he was told the same thing?

I asked because it means LE regarded Masecchia as a possible member before anyone flipped and said he told them that.

Re: "Godfather", I think it's likely Masecchia was referring to BiFulco as his superior in the organization in some way but was just considering other possibilities. Even if Masecchia's family weren't directly associated with Cosa Nostra we know many of these families around Buffalo are very close.

Yes, Lou Selva who was Bongiovanni’s best friend and the best man in his wedding and flipped as well. He was responsible form bringing Bongi into the organization and negotiated the bribes as a way into the drug organization. It bought him a certain percent- like 5 percent if I remember correctly. He testified that he asked Masecchia if he was a made man and and Masecchia told yes.

[NickleCity]

I might be remembering the 5% …

Lou had already asked Masecchia to be part of the organization and started by helping him with grow in Southern Tier. He asked to join the organization in 2008 and reached out to Masecchia cause he was swimming in debt and could t keep up with child support.

Here is the article on Selva:

A pivotal witness in the Joseph Bongiovanni corruption trial said he was “swimming in debt” in 2008 when he reached out to a childhood friend who he believed was a member of Italian organized crime.

Louis Selva testified Wednesday that he asked Michael Masecchia if he could become part of Masecchia’s marijuana grow operation in the Southern Tier.

“I wanted to get involved,” said Selva, 59. “I needed to keep up on child support.”

When Masecchia brought him into the enterprise, Selva helped prepare, plant and water the marijuana plants and would then transport the harvest in his SUV to Buffalo.

Prosecutors say Selva accomplished an even bigger task for Masecchia: recruiting Bongiovanni, a North Buffalo childhood friend of both Selva and Masecchia’s who had gone on to become a special agent in the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Bongiovanni accepted at least a quarter of a million dollars in bribes to protect the drug-trafficking organization, prosecutors say. Bongiovanni faces 15 federal charges, many related to his dealings with Masecchia, the former teacher who trafficked more than a ton of marijuana into Buffalo and its suburbs over 20 years, and others involving Peter Gerace Jr., the owner of Pharaoh’s Gentlemen’s Club in Cheektowaga.

Testifying for about 10 hours Wednesday and Thursday, Selva barely looked at the defense table where Bongiovanni sat.

“Very hard,” Selva replied when the prosecutor asked about testifying against Bongiovanni, his friend since sixth grade and now the first DEA special agent in Western New York ever charged with bribery and corruption. “I’m in this position now. A lot of emotion. I put myself in it,” said Selva, also the best man at Bongiovanni’s wedding.

Selva recounted for prosecutors that Masecchia wanted to know if the DEA was looking into his two grow operations in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. Ronald Serio, who was buying Masecchia’s marijuana, was willing to pay for that information, Selva testified.

Selva recalled Masecchia’s instructions to him about bringing Bongiovanni on board: “Reach out to him. Ron’s prepared to pay.”

Selva met Bongiovanni twice at Hertel Avenue bars, and he wasn’t nervous about making the pitch for a couple of reasons. Bongiovanni was financially stressed as well, also strapped with child support payments and other expenses. What’s more, the two had used cocaine together about a half dozen times since Bongiovanni joined the DEA, Selva told jurors. They went drinking together at bars, often commiserating over their financial pressures, complicated by their divorces, he said. In text messages, they referred to each other as “bro,” short for brother.

If anything, Selva had reason to be more nervous over Masecchia.

The term “Italian organized crime” came up during the trial’s opening statements and from time to time over the first three days of testimony, with no limits to how often and when prosecutors can say it in front of jurors. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo has said prosecutors are not free to say Mafia or La Cosa Nostra – or even “soldier” and “connected” – whenever they please. But he did not impose a complete ban on those words, saying the terms could be used when needed to explain something that someone said or that is in an email.

Selva talked about organized crime connections in the case.

Selva said he viewed Masecchia as a “tough guy.”

That’s why Selva listed Masecchia in his phone contacts as “gorilla.”

“I asked him, ‘Are you connected? Are you a made guy?’” Selva recounted. “He said yes.”

When Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Tripi asked Selva how Masecchia’s reputation as an organized crime member made him feel, Selva replied, “scared.”

Prosecutor: DEA agent Bongiovanni became 'a double agent' for drug traffickers in WNY
Prosecutor: DEA agent Bongiovanni became 'a double agent' for drug traffickers in WNY
Among his other federal charges, Bongiovanni is on trial for allegedly taking bribes from two sources: the Serio drug-trafficking organization and Gerace.

Selva’s testimony focused on how he said Bongiovanni helped shield Serio, Masecchia and others in the drug-trafficking organization from investigation, tipped them off to informants, advised them on law enforcement strategies and tactics, and alerted them to GPS trackers on their vehicles.

Bongiovanni’s defense team has asked jurors to be skeptical of Selva.

“What was Mr. Bongiovanni supposedly providing for this quarter of a million dollars?” defense attorney Parker MacKay asked jurors during his opening statement last week. “I want you to pause and think about this. It’s a quarter of a million dollars.

“The government’s giving you some examples where they think Mr. Bongiovanni steered the investigation away. We’re going to get into the evidence and show you that we don’t think that’s what happened.”

Approaching Bongiovanni
Selva said he called Bongiovanni’s DEA phone to set up a meeting at a Hertel Avenue bar to broach the topic of providing information to Masecchia.

At the bar, Selva said he told Bongiovanni about the marijuana grow operation being run by Masecchia with help from other friends from North Buffalo.

“I told him Mike told me to reach out to you to see if you’re willing to participate,” Selva said.

Bongiovanni got upset at first, saying that would risk his career.

“He got upset,” Selva recalled. “It didn’t go well.”

But the $2,000-a-month retainer would help Bongiovanni’s finances, Selva said he told him.

That first meeting ended without an agreement from Bongiovanni, but he said, “I’ll have your back.”

“But he wasn’t sold on the idea yet,” Selva said.

Selva went back to Masecchia, who wanted Selva to try again.

A few weeks later, Selva and Bongiovanni met at another Hertel Avenue bar.

The offer remained available, Selva said he told him, highlighting the financial benefits that would help the DEA agent “get over” his financial situation.

“He said, OK, I’ll do what I can,” Selva testified, adding Bongiovanni would “keep a watchful eye” for any DEA investigations into the grow operations.

What would happen if Bongiovanni tipped them off to an investigation?

“We’d rip them out of the ground immediately,” Selva said of the marijuana plants, “and destroy all evidence.”

Typically, Bongiovanni would report back that the DEA wasn’t investigating, Selva said.

“’No, everything is good,’ and I’d report that back to Mike and Ron,” Selva said.

Selva said he typically received $15,000 to $20,000 a year as his share from the marijuana grow operation from 2008 to 2017.

The operation involved thousands of pounds of marijuana over time, and it expanded to include cocaine and, by the end, fentanyl pills that were mixed in with the large shipments of marijuana, Tripi said.

So after three years, they began paying him $4,000 a month, Selva said.

Masecchia, who attended high school and college with Bongiovanni, was the person who arranged the cash drops with Bongiovanni. Bongiovanni would meet Selva at bars to provide any information to pass along to the drug-trafficking group.

Selva said Bongiovanni warned those in the group to avoid dealing with three men who had become informants and were cooperating with law enforcement.

Law enforcement officials say they conservatively estimated Masecchia trafficked at least 2,204 pounds of marijuana between 1999 and 2019.

Masecchia, who has since been sentenced to prison on felony drug charges, admitted getting law enforcement sensitive information from Bongiovanni. But Masecchia made no admission of being a member of the Mafia in his plea agreement.

Serio pleaded guilty in 2020 to felony drug and weapons charges. His original November 2020 sentencing date has been postponed eight times, and he’s now scheduled to be sentenced in April.

Selva has not yet been charged with a crime and said he testified without entering into a deal with prosecutors.

"I'm hoping in the end it all works out," he said of his situation.

Relying on a ‘screw-up’
Bongiovanni’s defense team said the government’s case of money and information being exchanged hinges on the testimony of Selva.

“We can probably all think of a friend like Lou in our past,” MacKay told jurors. “He’s sort of the screw-up from the old neighborhood, the failure-to-launch kid who never quite got things together. He never held down a steady job, he was always bouncing from job to job. He seemed to have money, but nobody knew where it came from. He was in and out of relationships. He was just generally undependable, but very likeable.

“And Joe had known him for many, many years, and he looked out for him. He was, in the end, his friend.”

Deputy Louis Selva
Federal agents investigating organized crime executed a search warrant at the Buffalo home of Erie County Sheriff's Office Jail Deputy Louis Selva on Aug. 23, 2019. Selva resigned from the Sheriff's Office job hours later.
Photo courtesy of the Erie County Sheriff's Office
Bongiovanni agreed to be a reference for Selva to help him get hired at the Erie County Sheriff’s Office as a jail deputy, MacKay said.

“You’re going to hear a lot more about Lou Selva that should make you question everything he claims to have seen and done,” MacKay said.

Selva also testified about snorting cocaine with Bongiovanni at local bars, usually in their bathrooms, after Bongiovanni became a DEA agent.

After the Erie County Sheriff’s Office arrested Serio, Selva said Bongiovanni told him to be careful.

“I’ll keep my eye out. I’ll do the best I can,” Selva said Bongiovanni told him.

In the meantime, Bongiovanni told Selva to “stick to the story.”

The story was that if Selva was questioned by law enforcement, Selva was to claim he was Bongiovanni’s confidential informant.

Bongiovanni retired from the DEA in 2019, before federal agents searched his Town of Tonawanda home and his eventual arrest.

The retirement “happened abruptly,” Selva said. “He wanted out, to go down to Florida and start a new life. He was worried there could possibly be an investigation looking into him.”

Selva texted Bongiovanni’s wife a couple of days after Bongiovanni’s home was searched. “Love you guys,” he texted her.

But communications between him and Bongiovanni dwindled, save for a couple of walks in the park.

“There was really no contact,” Selva said.

In October 2019, a couple of months after agents searched Selva’s North Buffalo home, Bongiovanni left a package containing a bottle of Crown Royal whiskey on Selva’s porch as a birthday gift. Selva turned it over to authorities. By then, his communications with federal investigators had begun.

[Newyorkempire]

What a piece of garbage