Maxie's Colombo Profiles

[Extortion]

WILLIAM (BILLY) RICCHIUTI - born 1925 in NYC. Resided in Plainview (99 Round Tree Drive), in Nassau County for many years.
——
Activities: mail-cargo thefts, narcotics, gambling.
——
Billy Ricchiuti started out as a short-order cook at a Westbury diner. He later owned an area coffee shop.
——
Associates: during the 1960’s, he initially befriended several Nassau mob figures who frequented his diner. These included associates of the Franzese regime:
-
John (Sonny) Franzese
Robert (Bobby Blue Eyes) Mauro
Louis (Lou Curry) Arcuri
Ralph (The Beak) Jacobson
Robert (Bobby Green) Falvo
John Malizia
George Papageorge
Dominick Santoro
....... but eventually gravitated to several Brooklyn based members.
——
He had a terrible habit as a lifelong degenerate gambler, who doubled as a small-time bookie.
-
Somewhere along the line, to make ends meet or to pay his own gambling debts, he became involved in thefts. It soon graduated to larger scores, and he soon became acquainted with several larcenous young men who worked as baggage handlers at JFK airport in Jamaica, Queens. The year was 1967!
-
He soon tied up with them and started robbing from the airport. They would eventually start snatching U.S. Postal mail bags.
-
Inside these pouches were often a treasure trove of valuables.
-
Gold, jewelry, diamonds, negotiable stocks, bonds and securities, stacks of blank credit-cards, furs, etc..... it was almost too easy to steal, and too good to be true!
-
This went on for several years, enabling the robbery gang to steal over a whopping $100-million in assets.

Note: [aside from cash taken, Ricchiuti was the gang’s main conduit to mafia “fences” to dispose of other goods] l
-
By 1971, the shit started to hit the fan! A gang member was caught on a mail theft; indicted, convicted and jailed. Robert F. Cudak started spilling his guts on the gang. The others had also been previously caught and jailed for similar mail thefts.
-
Senate Hearings were convened in Washington by Senator McClellan about this plague of massive airport thefts across the country.

Brought hooded and under heavy police guard before the Senate panel, he testified under a grant of immunity to all he knew and implicated his two main confederates who had been previously jailed on other charges.
-
Soon, those two (Ricchiuti and James V. Schaefer) were also subpoenaed to testify. Schaefer (29) immediately agreed to also testify if granted immunity from prosecution, and confessed, implicating Ricchiuti as well.
-
But when Ricchiuti (46) was brought before the panel, he chain‐smoked and cited the Fifth Amendment 88 times in refusing to answer questions about the syndicate.
Both witnesses, who were serving terms for mail theft, had been identified by Cudak as the men who started him on a four‐year career as a mail thief who stole more than $100‐million in Jewels, furs, stocks and‐other valuables from 17 major airports across the country.
-
First Under A New Law!

Cudak, who testified before the subcommittee for several hours secretly and in public, was the first Congressional witness ever to be granted immunity under a provision of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970.
Ricchiuti monotonously recited his constitutional protection against self‐incrimination in response to questions about his skill at playing gin rummy, whether he even knew he existed, and about Cudak's allegation that he had “very good connections with the principal mob‐people in New York and New Jersey.”
-
During his 45 minutes under questioning, Ricchiuti refused to say a word about his suspected links with the underworld “family” of Joseph Colombo of Brooklyn.
-
Note: [Billy’s alleged principal “fences” and contacts within the Colombo Family were Gregory Scarpa, Hy Sands, Frank and Cosmo “Gus” Cangiano]
————
After serving his federal prison term, Ricchiuti returned to his Plainview home and got readjusted to life outside prison walls.

But times had changed! Many of the mob guys he knew were not around or had gotten jailed themselves.

He no longer had his “theft crew” to make the big scores he had become accustomed to!

The only thing that had stayed the same..... the one constant in his life.... was his gambling affliction! But only now he had no way to afford it!
-
It was the late 1970’s-early 1980’s and drugs were more popular than ever.
-
He soon dove head first into pushing large amounts of marijuana! I mean bales and bales of marijuana! Hundreds of pounds at a time!
-
He also employed his children who had become young adults by this time. The Ricchiuti Family soon became a “Crime Family” in the most literal sense of the word!

All his kids were involved...his three boys and daughter too!

Operating directly from their own home, used as their base.....week after week, month after month, for years they moved massive amounts of weed!
-
Before long he also started dabbling in the heroin trade. It was just way too lucrative to pass up. Within a short time he was moving several kilo loads of “junk” at a time.
-
Despite losing his mail-theft racket which had been a “golden goose” for him, Billy seemed to have bounced back financially quite nicely!
-
He was making tons of cash (it’s almost scary to think of how much he was earning). The problem was of course, that every single penny he schemed, he’d blow immediately at the racetrack, a football game, dice game or casino!

During those years, from the airport rackets and narcotics trafficking, he had made millions! Yet he didn’t have two cents to rub together!
-
Constantly broke despite rolling in the dough, he was like a mouse on a wheel, constantly running as fast as he could to keep the ball rolling!
-
Then one day, it all came crashing down!
-
Nassau County Narcotics Squad, the DEA, the FBI, NYPD Narcotics Division....... first they raided his home and arrested every single member of his family!

He, his wife, and all his children! Charged with operating a major marijuana trafficking ring.

They were tried and convicted, and he and most of his boys went to jail!..... but as this case was being handled, Billy was again indicted.

But this time around, it was for the sale of several kilo’s of heroin! The feds had infiltrated his distribution network and had him dead to rights with direct sales.

He was again tried and convicted.
But as a three-time loser, ex-convict and multiple felon, he received a life term!
———-
Billy Ricchiuti stood up like a man! He was shipped off to Terre Haute, Indiana. One of the toughest joints in the nation to serve his time.

I do not remember when he died. But it was at Terre Haute I believe that he passed away.
-
In his lifetime, this man stole, schemed and earned many millions. He should have been a millionaire and quit while he was ahead! But that gambling “bug” had bit him very hard as a young man. It had become a lifelong albatross and impediment to a happy life... for him and more importantly, his wife and family!
-
This is just another mob tale!
—————————————————-——————————————————

A $100 million in assets stolen? Yeah, right! Burke didn’t even get that. Also there is no real way to measure this is there?

[maxiestern11]

WILLIAM (BILLY) RICCHIUTI - born 1925 in NYC. Resided in Plainview (99 Round Tree Drive), in Nassau County for many years.
——
Activities: mail-cargo thefts, narcotics, gambling.
——
Billy Ricchiuti started out as a short-order cook at a Westbury diner. He later owned an area coffee shop.
——
Associates: during the 1960’s, he initially befriended several Nassau mob figures who frequented his diner. These included associates of the Franzese regime:
-
John (Sonny) Franzese
Robert (Bobby Blue Eyes) Mauro
Louis (Lou Curry) Arcuri
Ralph (The Beak) Jacobson
Robert (Bobby Green) Falvo
John Malizia
George Papageorge
Dominick Santoro
....... but eventually gravitated to several Brooklyn based members.
——
He had a terrible habit as a lifelong degenerate gambler, who doubled as a small-time bookie.
-
Somewhere along the line, to make ends meet or to pay his own gambling debts, he became involved in thefts. It soon graduated to larger scores, and he soon became acquainted with several larcenous young men who worked as baggage handlers at JFK airport in Jamaica, Queens. The year was 1967!
-
He soon tied up with them and started robbing from the airport. They would eventually start snatching U.S. Postal mail bags.
-
Inside these pouches were often a treasure trove of valuables.
-
Gold, jewelry, diamonds, negotiable stocks, bonds and securities, stacks of blank credit-cards, furs, etc..... it was almost too easy to steal, and too good to be true!
-
This went on for several years, enabling the robbery gang to steal over a whopping $100-million in assets.

Note: [aside from cash taken, Ricchiuti was the gang’s main conduit to mafia “fences” to dispose of other goods] l
-
By 1971, the shit started to hit the fan! A gang member was caught on a mail theft; indicted, convicted and jailed. Robert F. Cudak started spilling his guts on the gang. The others had also been previously caught and jailed for similar mail thefts.
-
Senate Hearings were convened in Washington by Senator McClellan about this plague of massive airport thefts across the country.

Brought hooded and under heavy police guard before the Senate panel, he testified under a grant of immunity to all he knew and implicated his two main confederates who had been previously jailed on other charges.
-
Soon, those two (Ricchiuti and James V. Schaefer) were also subpoenaed to testify. Schaefer (29) immediately agreed to also testify if granted immunity from prosecution, and confessed, implicating Ricchiuti as well.
-
But when Ricchiuti (46) was brought before the panel, he chain‐smoked and cited the Fifth Amendment 88 times in refusing to answer questions about the syndicate.
Both witnesses, who were serving terms for mail theft, had been identified by Cudak as the men who started him on a four‐year career as a mail thief who stole more than $100‐million in Jewels, furs, stocks and‐other valuables from 17 major airports across the country.
-
First Under A New Law!

Cudak, who testified before the subcommittee for several hours secretly and in public, was the first Congressional witness ever to be granted immunity under a provision of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970.
Ricchiuti monotonously recited his constitutional protection against self‐incrimination in response to questions about his skill at playing gin rummy, whether he even knew he existed, and about Cudak's allegation that he had “very good connections with the principal mob‐people in New York and New Jersey.”
-
During his 45 minutes under questioning, Ricchiuti refused to say a word about his suspected links with the underworld “family” of Joseph Colombo of Brooklyn.
-
Note: [Billy’s alleged principal “fences” and contacts within the Colombo Family were Gregory Scarpa, Hy Sands, Frank and Cosmo “Gus” Cangiano]
————
After serving his federal prison term, Ricchiuti returned to his Plainview home and got readjusted to life outside prison walls.

But times had changed! Many of the mob guys he knew were not around or had gotten jailed themselves.

He no longer had his “theft crew” to make the big scores he had become accustomed to!

The only thing that had stayed the same..... the one constant in his life.... was his gambling affliction! But only now he had no way to afford it!
-
It was the late 1970’s-early 1980’s and drugs were more popular than ever.
-
He soon dove head first into pushing large amounts of marijuana! I mean bales and bales of marijuana! Hundreds of pounds at a time!
-
He also employed his children who had become young adults by this time. The Ricchiuti Family soon became a “Crime Family” in the most literal sense of the word!

All his kids were involved...his three boys and daughter too!

Operating directly from their own home, used as their base.....week after week, month after month, for years they moved massive amounts of weed!
-
Before long he also started dabbling in the heroin trade. It was just way too lucrative to pass up. Within a short time he was moving several kilo loads of “junk” at a time.
-
Despite losing his mail-theft racket which had been a “golden goose” for him, Billy seemed to have bounced back financially quite nicely!
-
He was making tons of cash (it’s almost scary to think of how much he was earning). The problem was of course, that every single penny he schemed, he’d blow immediately at the racetrack, a football game, dice game or casino!

During those years, from the airport rackets and narcotics trafficking, he had made millions! Yet he didn’t have two cents to rub together!
-
Constantly broke despite rolling in the dough, he was like a mouse on a wheel, constantly running as fast as he could to keep the ball rolling!
-
Then one day, it all came crashing down!
-
Nassau County Narcotics Squad, the DEA, the FBI, NYPD Narcotics Division....... first they raided his home and arrested every single member of his family!

He, his wife, and all his children! Charged with operating a major marijuana trafficking ring.

They were tried and convicted, and he and most of his boys went to jail!..... but as this case was being handled, Billy was again indicted.

But this time around, it was for the sale of several kilo’s of heroin! The feds had infiltrated his distribution network and had him dead to rights with direct sales.

He was again tried and convicted.
But as a three-time loser, ex-convict and multiple felon, he received a life term!
———-
Billy Ricchiuti stood up like a man! He was shipped off to Terre Haute, Indiana. One of the toughest joints in the nation to serve his time.

I do not remember when he died. But it was at Terre Haute I believe that he passed away.
-
In his lifetime, this man stole, schemed and earned many millions. He should have been a millionaire and quit while he was ahead! But that gambling “bug” had bit him very hard as a young man. It had become a lifelong albatross and impediment to a happy life... for him and more importantly, his wife and family!
-
This is just another mob tale!
—————————————————-——————————————————

A $100 million in assets stolen? Yeah, right! Burke didn’t even get that. Also there is no real way to measure this is there?

No way to actually quantify it of course. But that was what the government stated during the US Senate hearings on the subject

[JakeTheSnake630]

LAWRENCE (LARRY) MESSINA - born 1927 in Queens (40-04 12th Street) LI City. He later relocated out to Baldwin in Nassau County.
———
Messina was identified by the mid-1960’s as a mob associate. Specifically affiliated with the Sonny Franzese regime of the Colombo Family based in Nassau County.

He was a longtime partner of two notorious Franzese bookmakers by the names of Nicky Botta and Albert Maione (nephew of Murder, Inc., contract killer Happy Maione).
———
As a young man he worked as a NYC sanitation worker.
———
Activity: bookmaking (horses-sports)
———
Starting in 1951 he had arrests for:
-
Disorderly conduct
Bookmaking (four times)
Promoting gambling
Bribery and conspiracy
———
In 1976, Messina was among eleven federally indicted on interstate gambling charges. This was an FBI run investigation incorporating wiretaps put on several separate “wire-rooms” operations which established that several bookies were utilizing a master “lay-off” service.

Co-defendants included Richie Esposito (lay-off boss), Louie Maggio, Botta, Joseph Falco, John Yarmosh - a major bookie and John Iannone.
———
In 1980, Messina and Botta again figured into a gambling related probe. This time in relation to the systematic bribery of a Queens State Supreme Court criminal Judge named William Brennan.
-
Operating through an intermediary, restauranteur Andy Bruno, they as well as other mob figures including Colombo soldier “Little Dom” Cataldo, “Crazy Sal” Polisi among others, paid bribes over several years to either have criminal cases completely dismissed or charges vastly reduced.

Eventually the scheme came to light and the subsequent arrests, various indictments and trials became a major “black eye” for the NYS judicial system.
-
Nicholas Botta turned informant and testified for the prosecution. He testified that in 1974 he paid $3,000. cash to have his five year probation sentence shortened by two years, and $12,000. cash to Judge Brennan to have a gambling indictment against his partner Larry Messina dismissed.
———-
After the early 1980’s and the publicity that the bribery conspiracy trials brought, Larry Messina seems to have faded away. I could find nothing more about him or his activities. No dod available.
—————————————————-——————————————————

My dad grew up with Larry Messina’s son in Baldwin. Lawrence was known as
Larry “The Eel” He used to get his son and my old man tickets for Skynyrd, Allman Bros, Stones, were all front row. My dad also remembers there always being big boxes and stacks of appliances in the Messina house. He gave my grandparents their first microwave before those were really in homes. Pretty cool to find some info out there on Larry Messina

[maxiestern11]

LAWRENCE (LARRY) MESSINA - born 1927 in Queens (40-04 12th Street) LI City. He later relocated out to Baldwin in Nassau County.
———
Messina was identified by the mid-1960’s as a mob associate. Specifically affiliated with the Sonny Franzese regime of the Colombo Family based in Nassau County.

He was a longtime partner of two notorious Franzese bookmakers by the names of Nicky Botta and Albert Maione (nephew of Murder, Inc., contract killer Happy Maione).
———
As a young man he worked as a NYC sanitation worker.
———
Activity: bookmaking (horses-sports)
———
Starting in 1951 he had arrests for:
-
Disorderly conduct
Bookmaking (four times)
Promoting gambling
Bribery and conspiracy
———
In 1976, Messina was among eleven federally indicted on interstate gambling charges. This was an FBI run investigation incorporating wiretaps put on several separate “wire-rooms” operations which established that several bookies were utilizing a master “lay-off” service.

Co-defendants included Richie Esposito (lay-off boss), Louie Maggio, Botta, Joseph Falco, John Yarmosh - a major bookie and John Iannone.
———
In 1980, Messina and Botta again figured into a gambling related probe. This time in relation to the systematic bribery of a Queens State Supreme Court criminal Judge named William Brennan.
-
Operating through an intermediary, restauranteur Andy Bruno, they as well as other mob figures including Colombo soldier “Little Dom” Cataldo, “Crazy Sal” Polisi among others, paid bribes over several years to either have criminal cases completely dismissed or charges vastly reduced.

Eventually the scheme came to light and the subsequent arrests, various indictments and trials became a major “black eye” for the NYS judicial system.
-
Nicholas Botta turned informant and testified for the prosecution. He testified that in 1974 he paid $3,000. cash to have his five year probation sentence shortened by two years, and $12,000. cash to Judge Brennan to have a gambling indictment against his partner Larry Messina dismissed.
———-
After the early 1980’s and the publicity that the bribery conspiracy trials brought, Larry Messina seems to have faded away. I could find nothing more about him or his activities. No dod available.
—————————————————-——————————————————

My dad grew up with Larry Messina’s son in Baldwin. Lawrence was known as
Larry “The Eel” He used to get his son and my old man tickets for Skynyrd, Allman Bros, Stones, were all front row. My dad also remembers there always being big boxes and stacks of appliances in the Messina house. He gave my grandparents their first microwave before those were really in homes. Pretty cool to find some info out there on Larry Messina

Nice to chat with you Jake. Yes, Larry was a decent guy. Bookmaker. He typically didn’t focus on other things. But he made a good living over the years for sure.
-
Small world right pal? Especially for those of us who grew up in the NYC-LI area’s.
-
Glad you enjoyed my bio of him. Not many people on this forum know his name.
-
Please read some of my other related bios. I hope you enjoy!
-
I’ll been talking to you again ok.

[JakeTheSnake630]

Thanks for the response Maxie. I’m actually a Boston guy. My pops came here in the mid 80s. I would love to see some profiles on some of the Patriarca NE LCN guys. Either way all the content you put on here is great and so helpful for people like me who spend hours going through the internet for shit like this. Thanks again.
-Jake

[maxiestern11]

Thanks for the response Maxie. I’m actually a Boston guy. My pops came here in the mid 80s. I would love to see some profiles on some of the Patriarca NE LCN guys. Either way all the content you put on here is great and so helpful for people like me who spend hours going through the internet for shit like this. Thanks again.
-Jake

My pleasure. I meant to tell you to click into my link below in this post so you can go directly to a very cool
Website I’ve created for OC.

It allows you to see all my Profiles I’ve had up on the forum plus a ton more. But also all the profiles you’ve been looking through on the forum I expanded those bio’s adding cool pictures and news articles as well to each bio which augments them, making them that much more interesting.
-
And so you know, I will be creating several stories and bios about NE as my ButtonGuys website develops ok.
You can count on it pal!

[maxiestern11]

Louis (Lou Curry) Arcuri - born 1910 was a veteran Colombo associate very active in the streets. Originally active in the Brooklyn/Queens area. He was a “dyed in the wool” thief-trickster who was into truck hijacking, armed robberies, burglary, cargo theft, etc. Arrested several times during the 1950’s for fur and meat hijackings, and being a principal in a stolen securities ring that cashed $500,000. in U.S bonds. Migrated to Mineola LI during the early 60’s during the LI building boom of that era. Before long he was directing the operations of two safecrackers later killed in a stakeout by police. Came under surveillance at that time by Nassau LE. Soon police found him in meetings with top shylocks such as Sebastiano (Buster) Aloi who Arcuri is believed to have reported to. He was also named as the source of stolen credit cards that were being “busted out” by a gang through restaurants and stores on LI. He has arrests for assault, robbery, grand larceny, forgery, possession of a gun and burglary, etc., and served two related jail terms (2-3 years) and (3 years)......by mid-late 1970’s he faded from the scene, and died not long after.
[/quote]

[Russellm323]

Common theme seems to be relocated to long island are Colombia still rocking long island.

[maxiestern11]

Common theme seems to be relocated to long island are Colombia still rocking long island.

Yes and no. They are still a significant presence on LI, but nowhere near what they were years back.

But truthfully, you could probably say that of the other four crews about LI (and NYC) too....their overall presence as well as their influence and impact has been greater diminished in the last twenty years.

[Russellm323]

I'm from Nassau county I would love some stories on long island mafia. My friends father was busted with luchesse and Russians in gas scam in 2000 it made the papers luchese Russian crew's working together but that's all I've seen close up

[maxiestern11]

I'm from Nassau county I would love some stories on long island mafia. My friends father was busted with luchesse and Russians in gas scam in 2000 it made the papers luchese Russian crew's working together but that's all I've seen close up

NP,
Give me your friends Father’s name or PM me an I’ll pull together what I can for you ok.

[Russellm323]

Ok cool jon romeo was his name he answered to a Marco minuto and was best friends with Alex lukov who was Russian. They made millions

[bert]

Ok cool jon romeo was his name he answered to a Marco minuto and was best friends with Alex lukov who was Russian. They made millions

Was Marco Minuto a very overweight guy, about 6" in height, or am I thinking of another person? I think the one I mentioned was from the Bronx.

[maxiestern11]

Ok cool jon romeo was his name he answered to a Marco minuto and was best friends with Alex lukov who was Russian. They made millions

I know the name. And I’ll put together something and PM you soon as I can ok.

[Russellm323]

Thanks