GL NEWS 4/2/2020

[Bklyn21]

This Week in Gang Land
By Jerry Capeci

Ex Mafia Prince Junior Gotti Still Has A Thing For The Latin Kings
Gang Land Exclusive!John A GottiWho knew? John A. (Junior) Gotti wasn't just blowing smoke back in 2003 — a year after his late Mafia boss father died behind bars in a federal prison hospital — when he stated a few times while he was doing his own prison bid near the US-Canada border that he would rather have been a Latin King than a wiseguy, Gang Land has learned.

It turns out that the erstwhile acting Gambino crime family boss's stated admiration for members of the violent, nationwide Hispanic-based street gang was not a passing fancy. Sources say it was based on dealings he had with Latin Kings gangsters who were incarcerated with him at the Ray Brook federal medium security prison in upstate New York from 1999 to 2004.

And his admiration has not waned. Sources say FBI agents and mob busters from New York to Boston have tied Junior to recent meetings with Michael (King Merlin) Cecchetelli, the accused leader of the group's northeast region. In December, along with 60 other Latin Kings, Cecchetelli was hit with racketeering charges including murder conspiracies and a host of other crimes from 2009 to 2019.

Michael CecchetelliIn court papers, the feds say Cecchetelli, 40, is the Supreme East Coast Regional Overseer of Latin King Chapters from Massachusetts to Florida. They say Cecchetelli is the Eastern Region's conduit with the national leadership in Chicago, where the street gang is said to have formed back in 1954 to fight Italian and Greek street gangs that preyed on their Latino neighborhood.

Unlike the Mafia, which bars admittance to those who don't have Italian lineage, the Latin Kings is an equal opportunity organization. And just maybe that's part of Gotti's interest in the gang.

Cecchetelli himself is an Italian-American gangster from Springfield, Massachusetts whose bonafides with the Latin Kings go back to arrests and convictions in the 1990s.

David CecchetelliThe U.S. Attorney's office in Boston alleges that Cecchetelli "developed a leadership approach to the gang which has become a model for other Latin King regions of the country" after he left prison in 2009 following a three year stretch for weapons trafficking.

Law enforcement sources say the FBI and state and local officials in Massachusetts are looking at meetings Gotti had with Cecchetelli, and his uncle, David (Fat Chicky) Cecchetelli, who was nabbed on unrelated weapons charges on the day FBI agents arrested Michael and found nine rounds of live ammunition under David's bed.

Just to keep things interesting, David, 52, is not a Latin King. Instead, he is an associate of the Genovese family, which has long held sway in Western Massachusetts. Until his arrest, David, using "chickytheginniofficial" as his online handle, was a social media supporter of Team Gotti, which promotes Gotti's son John Gotti III, an up and coming, undefeated MMA fighter who turned professional three years ago.

In pictures posted online in various Instagram accounts, Gotti is seen with King Merlin Cecchetelli, his uncle Fat Chicky Cecchetelli, another King Merlin uncle, Rudy Ceccehetelli, a former MMA fighter named Damien (The Omen) Trites, and many other unidentified persons.

King Merlin, Junior Gotti & FriendsIn one photo, a grinning Gotti is seen with his arm around King Michael Cecchetelli in a group picture in which a woman is wearing a black baseball cap with white GOTTI lettering.

In another, Damien The Omen can be seen sandwiched between a smiling Gotii and a somber-looking Michael Cecchetelli.

And in another photo, Damien and Fat Chicky Cecchetelli are squeezed between Gotti and his son, John Gotti III, who is wearing a black jacket with the word WITNESS in capital letters running down the left sleeve.

Kristin Setera, a spokeswoman for the Boston FBI, was asked by Gang Land whether authorities were looking into any allegations against Gotti, whose name does not appear in any court filings in the case. She stated that "because of the ongoing investigation and prosecution of the case, the FBI will have no comment."

Junior, Damien & King MerlinBut Gang Land's sources say authorities are probing whether Gotti had anything to do with King Merlin's decision to use a longtime Genovese crime family social club in Springfield for two important statewide Latin Kings meetings last year. The two gatherings were cited in a detention memo as reasons why Michael Cecchetelli and other defendants should be held without bail.

In one meeting, Michael Cecchetelli set a "pre-trial hearing" for a Latin King who took pictures with a rival hoodlum, noting "You shouldn't be taking pictures with them; you should be laying them out." At the same session, King Merlin discussed a "peace negotiation" with a rival gang known as the Gangster Disciples, according to a 190-page detention memo by FBI agent Dominic Coppo.

In a second meeting, which like the first, was captured on videotape, Coppo wrote that King Merlin officially rejected killing the son of a Latin King member because that was against the gang's protocol. But it could be allowed under certain circumstances, Cecchetelli said. "If a brother bumps into him on the street, we can't tell that brother to stand down," the gang boss declared, according to Coppo's affidavit.

The Kings meetings took place at a location with a long Italian history: The Mount Carmel Social Club has been a staple in Springfield's South End since it was opened by Italian immigrants in 1897. The club was long used by Genovese associate David Cecchetelli and is also where in 2003, Genovese capo Adolfo (Big Al) Bruno was shot to death on orders from the family's New York hierarchy in the parking lot, when he left a card game.

Junior, Damine, Fat Chicky & John Gotti IIIGotti's ties to the Latin Kings go back to his days in Ray Brook after his father died in June of 2002, and at a time when he was on the outs with his mobster uncles, Peter and Richard Gotti. In taped talks, he accused them of stealing money his father had intended for him. Sources say that during that stretch, he was befriended by several Latin Kings who were incarcerated with him, and looked up to him.

At least three times in 2003, with then-attorney Richard Rehbock, and two close friends, John (Johnny Boy) Ruggiero, and Steve Kaplan, he voiced his anger with the crime family, and stated he would rather have been a Latin King, according to talks that were tape recorded by the FBI.

In what can best be described as a heart-to-heart talk with Ruggiero, whose late father was a close pal and longtime-partner-in-crime with the Dapper Don, Junior begged Johnny Boy, who was looking to follow in his father's footsteps, not to even think of becoming a made man.

"Listen to me and understand what I'm saying," Gotti said. "I'm saving your life," he continued as Ruggiero kept protesting until Gotti raised his voice. "You ain't half of me. You ain't half of what I was," Gotti said. "You ain't half of what I used to be, John. Look at how they fucking turned on me. Are you crazy? Are you crazy? I'd rather be hanging out with . . . I'd rather be a Latin King."

John AliteGotti blamed his father for his uncles' "treachery" in his rant to Kaplan. "My father couldn't have loved me, to push me into this life," he moaned. "I'd rather be a Latin King than be what I am. I swear to you, Steve, I mean it on my father's grave. I'm so ashamed. I am so ashamed."

The first time the Mafia heir was overheard lamenting his plight, was in March of 2003, in one of the early talks picked up by the bug during the 14 months it was in play. His father "could do forever in jail," Junior said, telling Rehbock that most of the men he left behind were "pieces of shit" who only want "to make a buck. I am ashamed of who I am. I would rather be a Latin King."

The tapes were played in Gotti's third trial for ordering the 1992 shooting of the outspoken talk radio jock, Curtis Sliwa, which like the first two, ended in a hung jury in September of 2006.

Junior Gotti Preens In His Dad's Barber ChairGotti was never linked to a Latin Kings plot to kill turncoat gangster John Alite, but two years later, prosecutors in Tampa accused the violent street gang of plotting to kill Gotti's old pal who was then being held in a local jail. It was in much the same manner that King Merlin allegedly tried to get an imprisoned Latin King to "TOS," or "terminate on sight" a "fellow inmate" in 2017 — by sending a coded letter to the Tampa prison where Alite was being held.

In September of 2008, an informer gave prison authorities a note written on a rag that was addressed to the "Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation" which stated: "The TOS is in lockdown now. How iz u gunna get to him now?! We know hes locked up in Pine County. Pep in da street is payin good to get the job done. So finish that TOS ASAP."

Just as Massachusetts jailers did three years ago, Florida officials relocated Alite and he lived to testify against Gotti in 2009, the fourth and last time Junior was in the dock.

The sources say that after his last bout with the law, Gotti lost contact with the Kings. He went on to write a tell-all book to counter one that was written by Alite. He also joined with John Travolta to produce a biopic movie about growing up as the son of the Dapper Don and his own successes against the feds over the years.

David Cecchetelli & Junior GottiBut sources say in recent years Junior has renewed his ties to the Latin Kings. He is said to have met leader King Merlin Cecchetelli through a friendship Gotti developed with Fat Chicky Cecchettelli, an MMA boxing fan who was a visible social media supporter of Team Gotti, which promotes John Gotti III, who is 5-0 since turning pro.

Gotti-phile Chris Kasparoza, who slams Alite as a "rat" every chance he gets on his website and who says he is producing a docu-series, Witsec Mafia, with Junior, produced podcasts featuring Damien and Fat Chicky in which David Ceccetelli talked about their friendship with Gotti. But they're no longer available, according to a Gang Land check.

But during the podcasts, according to law enforcement sources who've seen them, David Cecchetelli was identified as a "former Genovese bookie, an ex-con and a Gotti pal" as they chatted about the old neighborhoods and the highlights and lowlights of their lives on the "fringes of the law."

Gang Land was unable to reach Gotti, or Kasparoza, or David Cecchetelli's lawyer. Attorney Michael Bourbeau, who represents Michael Cecchetelli, told Gang Land he "heard about the pictures but until I see them, or hear any allegations about them, I will not comment on them."

Two Wiseguys Receive Bail Due To COVID-19 Pandemic; Accused Dad-Killer Doesn't
Anthony ZottolaAnthony Zottola, who is awaiting trial for the execution slaying of his father, Bonanno associate Sylvester (Sally Daz) Zottola, lost his appeal this week to get out of his federal lockup due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So did several other defendants in mob related cases. But two mobsters who were behind bars stemming from prosecutions in the city's two federal courts were granted bail.

Judge Raymond Dearie noted that he and his colleagues on the Brooklyn bench "are deeply concerned about the potential impact of the coronavirus on the safety and health of persons entrusted to the care of the Bureau of Prisons." But due to the "compelling circumstances" of the charges and evidence against the 42-year-old Zottola, his continued detention at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan was required, Dearie wrote.

"None of this is pleasant," the judge wrote, stating that he is "aware of the impact that detention may have on family members and others" and that hundreds of deaths in New York due to the coronavirus "pose unprecedented challenges and risks for us all."

Daniel Capaldo"But there are other compelling circumstances in Mr. Zottola's case that have not abated since the Court last addressed the issue of bail," wrote Dearie. In two prior motions for bail, Dearie ruled that Zottola was a "flight risk and a danger to the community," in particular, to his brother Salvatore, whom Anthony is also charged with plotting to kill.

In another Brooklyn case, over the objections of prosecutors, Judge Margo Brodie ordered that Colombo wiseguy Daniel (The Wig) Capaldo, 55, be released from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn on a personal recognizance bond under strict home detention to await trial on racketeering charges including gambling and loansharking.

Brodie agreed with attorney Peter Guadagnino that Capaldo, who "suffers from asthma" and "has a history of pneumonia and scarring of both his lungs" should be released from the MDC on the grounds that continued incarceration there "imperils" Capaldo's life.

Eugene CastelleIn Manhattan, Judge Alvin Hellerstein agreed to grant bail pending appeal to Luchese mobster Eugene (Boobsie) Castelle, 60, who was in Danbury Federal Prison, where he was serving a 77 month sentence he began in June for his conviction at trial last year for racketeering charges that included two gambling operations he ran from 2012 to 2018.

Again, over objections from the government, Hellerstein ruled that because of Castelle's "ailing health and the concomitant risk" stemming from "the COVID-19 pandemic," he ordered that Castelle be released on a $500,000 bond that was secured by two signatures and the deed of his brother's Staten Island home.

In his filing, Castelle lawyer Richard Levitt wrote that because Boobsie had a history of ailments and had recently been returned to Danbury after being treated for pneumonia at a local hospital, he was "an at-risk inmate" who was "far more likely than others to succumb to COVID-19 should he become infected," and deserved to be granted bail.

Joe Waverly Still Owes A Very Small Debt For A Life He Snuffed Out
Joel CacaceColombo wiseguy Joel (Joe Waverly) Cacace still has six weeks of halfway house status left before he completes his 20 year sentence for the bizarre, mistaken identity killing of a 78-year-old civil lawyer. But federal prosecutors have cleared up the mystery of the $21,292 in restitution he owed the victim's son, former prosecutor William Aronwald.

In a letter to Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Sterling Johnson, assistant U.S. attorney Patricia Notopoulos wrote that Cacace had made restitution payments of $5775 to the court, but that it had not been sent along to Aronwald, who was the targeted victim that Cacace had marked for death, because the court did not have the attorney's address.

If Gang Land had known, it would have been glad to refer the court to the public web site that includes contact information for all licensed New York State attorneys. But since that problem has been solved and the court now has Aronwald's address, Notopoulos wrote, it will forward the funds that the Judge ordered Cacace to pay, when he agreed to sentence him to 20 years for the murder of George Aronwald, plus three reputed gangsters that Joe Waverly had whacked in 1987.

William AronwaldThe prosecutor made no mention of the $15,000 that Cacace still owes for the funeral costs that Aronwald and his sister had to pay to bury their dad, who was mistaken for his younger son by the murderous, not-so-bright killers who were dispatched by the Colombo family consigliere.

Since Joe Waverly was a high-ranked Colombo mobster "with a history of committing violence against those who opposed his interests" and was slated to end his federal custody soon, Notopoulos asked Johnson to seal an Aronwald letter as a safety measure, since his address was on it.

At this point, Gang Land doesn't think Aronwald has anything to fear from Cacace. The Colombo mobster behind the order to kill Aronwald was Mafia boss Carmine (Junior) Persico who died behind bars last year.

Gang Land was unable to reach Aronwald yesterday, but we're pretty sure he'd return the money he got from Joe Waverly, and forgive the rest of the debt, if the 78-year-old mobster would go back to prison and die behind bars as the attorney believes he should, for the murder of his father.

As the former prosecutor told Gang Land in January, "I would have preferred (a sentence) of life without parole

[mafiastudent]

I can't post the link but I reported about Capaldo being released two days ago. They all should be - temporarily, of course - and I mean all of them including non-alleged "wiseguys".

[Bklyn21]

I can't post the link but I reported about Capaldo being released two days ago. They all should be - temporarily, of course - and I mean all of them including non-alleged "wiseguys".

I had no idea , And some of the pics they have of Capaldo he looks totally different I don't even think it's the same person

[mafiastudent]

I can't post the link but I reported about Capaldo being released two days ago. They all should be - temporarily, of course - and I mean all of them including non-alleged "wiseguys".

I had no idea , And some of the pics they have of Capaldo he looks totally different I don't even think it's the same person

Yeah, I've seen several different pics of him too. Have no idea what he looks like.

[richard_belding]

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[richard_belding]

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[Wiseguy]

While I get the impression Capeci was sort of being tongue-in-cheek, I'm willing to bet these Kings think more of hanging out with a Gotti than the other way around. A lot of those "homies" idiolized his father back in the day.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Thanks for the post Bklyn, thanks for the pics RB.



How the f does an Italian become a Latin King??

[SonnyBlackstein]

“ Law enforcement sources say the FBI and state and local officials in Massachusetts are looking at meetings Gotti had with Cecchetelli”

Would you give me a fucking break. The FBI doesn’t have better things to do? Honestly. Does anyone seriously believe Junior is doing serious racketeering with the f***ing Latin Kings now? Because they had some photos together because his sons an MMA fighter?
Fuck me. Great spending of tax dollars. Well done. Pathetic.

[Griz23]

smh wow what is Gotti doing hanging out with Latin King members. How can Eugene Castelle get released on bail if he has a 70 something sentence?

[mafiastudent]

smh wow what is Gotti doing hanging out with Latin King members. How can Eugene Castelle get released on bail if he has a 70 something sentence?

Because he has underlying risks for catching this virus. There's a strong push to remove as many as possible from the prison systems across the country. If it starts sweeping through in there it will have a devastating effect in communities (prison workers, officers, etc. bring it back out to the community) and the already near overloaded healthcare system. This is an unprecedented time right now.....and these releases are also not permanent...so it's something that needs to happen.

[Griz23]

That makes sense. I had seen stuff about people being released awaiting trial but hadn't seen any with people being sentenced.

[slimshady_007]

Nice gangland. It still baffles me that Cacace got only 20 years for whacking a judge. What kind of plea deal is that? Was the evidence rly that weak?

[SonnyBlackstein]

Nice gangland. It still baffles me that Cacace got only 20 years for whacking a judge. What kind of plea deal is that? Was the evidence rly that weak?

Age was likely a determining factor.

[dack2001]

If memory serves, he wasn't the only one around that time who took plea deals calling for 12, 15 or 18 years to cop to racketeering murders. His may have been the most serious killing but you never know how strong the evidence would have been. Guarantee if they would have had him dead to rights they would have taken him to trial, but they probably thought they would convict him on the Dols killing and this was insurance.