GL News 03/24/2021

[AnIrishGuy]

Jailhouse Snitch Plans Tell All Book About His Trip From Drugs To Jesus: My Life Story

David Evangelista had been a drug-addled bank robber looking at 25 years in prison before he saw the light and obliged his Uncle Sam by fingering five Luchese gangsters for the sensational gangland-style slaying of a legendary mob drug dealer, Michael Meldish, onetime leader of the Purple Gang.

Evangelista's metamorphosis from junkie to key trial witness is so remarkable, he tells Gang Land, that he is planning to write a big book about the dramatic lifestyle change he underwent five years ago after jailers at the now-shuttered Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan mistakenly set him free.

He clearly has a lot of interesting material to work with.

He didn't know it at the time, but Evangelista said May 12, 2017 — the day his mixed up MCC jailers released him — turned out to be the most important day in his life. He celebrated his sudden freedom by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge still wearing his blue prison issue uniform. He walked all the way to Atlantic Avenue where he got on the subway to his Bensonhurst home where he wished his mom a "Happy Birthday."
That was the day "Jesus came to me," Evangelista said. "People might think I'm bugging out, but he's been with me ever since."
Since that day, he said, many people have told him that the story of his mistaken release from the MCC, followed by his journey to the witness stand in the Meldish murder trial and his eventual release from prison "will be a great book." A great book requires a great writer, and while Gang Land is not in the market, let all potential scribes pay heed: David Evangelista is looking for someone to help him tell his "life story." He has a lot of rich details: Evangelista said that when he got to Atlantic Avenue, still wearing his prison jumpsuit, he "asked a police officer" to "please let me on" the subway because he had "lost the money they gave me" when they let him out of prison. "He said, 'Sure.'" Evangelista went through the exit gate and took the train to his mother's home. As he went home, "I'm thinking, the (deputy) marshal's going to be there" and bring me back to the MCC because they figured out he was released "by mistake." But when he got there, he continued, no one was there. That's when, as he testified at trial, he called his lawyer, and then his brother, who arranged for him to surrender and return to the MCC.

"I changed my clothes," he said. "I talked to my mother. She was like, 'Dave, please, this is the chance you're talking about. You say you want to change your life around. Do the right thing. Don't die in the street.' I said, 'No, Ma, I'm not going to.'"
Within hours of his release, he was back at the MCC. He remained there for about 10 days, according to court records, until he was transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), where he met Luchese mobster Christopher Londonio, who was then awaiting trial for the November 2013 murder of Meldish along with mob associate Terrence (Ted) Caldwell.

Within weeks, the three other defendants Evangelista fingered in the murder, acting boss Matthew (Matty) Maddona, underboss Steven (Stevie Wonder) Crea, and capo Steven (Stevie Junior) Crea, were added to the indictment. Stevie Junior copped a guilty plea to lesser charges but the other four defendants were all convicted at trial, and sentenced to life behind bars.

Evangelista, whose testimony prosecutors have stated was "critical" in helping them convict Madonna and Stevie Wonder Crea, said he still thinks "about getting killed every day" since he was rewarded with a "time served" sentence and released from prison two years ago. But he has shunned the federal witness program and remains in the New York area.

"It's not easy, looking over your shoulder constantly," he said, "but I have good handlers. I'm protected. I'm watching. If I feel like somebody's following me, I give somebody a call, they'll have the marshals on me right away," said Evangelista. He stated that if he "decide(s) to get up and leave," he can be relocated through the federal Witness Security Program. "I have good opportunities where I am now," he said. He has a "very good sponsor" who has him attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings that help him avoid the heroin use that consumed him both in and out of prison for years, and a job doing "construction work for a private company." He's been drug free since October 15, 2019, he said, a week before he testified at trial. Evangelista, 47, cites a popular New York activity he enjoys — but one that is rarely cited as a tourist attraction — as another reason for remaining close to his Brooklyn roots. It enables him, he says, to keep his head straight, and relax. "I love fishing, that's my relaxation," said Evangelista, who sent along a picture of himself with a white stingray that he reeled in during a recent outing on New York area waters. "I love the water, it gives me peace," he said. Peace is something the controversial jailhouse witness is looking for these days. That's because he's a main focus of a motion for a new trial by the four defendants found guilty at trial.

Evangelista was less forthcoming when Gang Land asked whether he had discussed the motion with prosecutors who recently received permission from the trial judge to file an unusual sur-rebuttal to defense charges that they wrongly withheld 33 jailhouse tapes from the defense at trial.
"I can't get into that," he said. "My lawyer did tell me, just in case," Evangelista volunteered, "to be prepared: 'You might have to testify again.'"
The tapes show, defense lawyers allege, that Evangelista was dealing drugs, threatening family members, and discussing lying to the feds so he could take back his guilty plea back when he was planning to cooperate in 2017. That information, they argue, would have severely undermined his testimony and led to a different verdict at trial.

"People" Evangelista declined to identify but were undoubtedly on the law enforcement side of the aisle "told me not to talk to you," he said. "But I told them I wanted to, so I could tell you that I told the truth on the stand," Evangelista continued.
"Their lawyers there tried their best to catch me in lies, but I only spoke the facts," he said. "Truth is the truth. If I would have had a recorder on me (in the MDC) everything I talked about (on the stand) would have been backed up. Every fucking thing."
Evangelista conceded that he was "a rat" who tried to cooperate several times before he was able to get a deal to testify against the Lucheses, but he insisted that "Chris's big mouth is what fucking got them in trouble."
Evangelista had a ready response to the argument that it was hard-to-believe that Londonio would admit committing a murder to an inmate he just met in prison when he hadn't in taped talks with a Luchese mob associate — something that White Plains Federal Judge Cathy Seibel had questioned in pre-trial sessions.

"He knew he was dead on the murder" when they were cellmates, he said. "Chris knew he was gonna be convicted" and he decided he would try to escape and talked to Evangelista about that because he "really thought I escaped from a prison" in 2016, Evangelista said. That's because the feds had charged him with escape, he stated, when in reality he had just "walked out of the halfway house" in the Bronx and never returned.
And while they had only met in the MDC, an inmate who had known Evangelista from their time together in the MCC had vouched for him, he said. "When me and him were talking about the escape," Evangelista continued, "his hopes were so fucking high to get out of there. He knew this was the only way he was fucking going to make it." At one point, Evangelista recalled, "I said, 'Chris, what the fuck do they have on you?' And he opened up. He said, 'I fucked up.' He said, 'After the murder, I made a phone call. I should have never made the phone call. The cell towers got me pinged. They pinged off the towers. They got me from a block away, making a phone call and everything.'" Londonio was also furious that Madonna and other wiseguys were calling him a "rat" because the Bureau of Prisons had temporarily housed him in a private facility in Queens that "was known as a rat joint," Evangelista said. "He was like, 'Oh, I go to court, they don't even say hello to me. His wife and them, they're talking to agents, they go say hello to agents. I put so much work in for these people and everything, and now they're turning their backs on me."

Another time, Evangelista said, Londonio got an email and mistakenly believed that the Creas, the father and son, had both been released on bail, when only Stevie Junior had. "He was like, 'These motherfuckers, they got bailed. They had more to do with it than I did. They're the ones that gave me the order and everything, and they get bailed. I'm facing the death penalty." Evangelista said he often argued with his family members and angrily hung up on them, but he denied threatening them or selling drugs in prison. He stated that he sold cigarettes for Londonio and that Chris used members of the Bloods to sell synthetic marijuana and a methadone generic to other inmates. Anthony DiPietro, the elder Crea's lawyer told Gang Land that Evangelista was an "un-repented and scheming cooperator unworthy of any credibility" who provided "false testimony against my client." He is confident that "a new jury will not blindly accept the bogus account" that he gave the jury at the 2019 trial.
"I'm also very glad Evangelista's planning to write a book, and willing to talk to the press," the lawyer added. "Hopefully, he will be as willing to talk again in court, under oath when subject to cross-examination about the suppressed evidence that devastates whatever credibility the Government may claim he has left," DiPietro said.

Skinny Teddy To Remain Behind Bars At Least Until Next Year

In what he called a "tough decision," Brooklyn Magistrate Judge James Cho ordered Colombo capo Theodore (Skinny Teddy) Persico, the crime family's reputed boss of the future, to remain behind bars at least until next year, when his racketeering trial is slated to take place.
Cho's decision came yesterday after a long session at which prosecutor Devon Lash argued that there were no bail conditions that would adequately protect the community from violence by the recidivist mobster who has been convicted of murder and other violent activities in the past. Lash also noted that Persico had taken part in criminal activity while he was on supervised release from his most recent prison term.
In a 16 page filing, Lash and co-prosecutor James McDonald wrote that the government had strong evidence that Persico had been intimately involved in the centerpiece charge in the case, the long shakedown of a Queens-based construction union, and had been a driving force in the scheme since getting out or prison in 2020.

In their filing, prosecutors responded to assertions by Persico's lawyers that the feds had misinterpreted two taped talks when they stated Persico was giving orders in the scheme. According to Lash and McDonald, the taped conversations were accompanied by "hand signals" by the wiseguy who had orchestrated the union extortion, capo Vincent (Vinny Unions) Ricciardo, that established that Persico was in fact giving orders.
In the April 13, 2021 talk that lawyer Joseph Corozzo had cited, the prosecutors wrote, Ricciardo used a hand-signal to inform cooperating witness Andrew Koslosky that Persico had the "power and ability" to give orders to underboss Benjamin (The Claw) Castellazzo.
On the tape, Ricciardo told Koslosky that Castellazzo "would now be overseeing the scheme." In response, Koslosky asked whether "Teddy in Staten Island" was involved. Ricciardo was heard cryptically stating "this guy," was involved. Corozzo had argued that the words indicated that Teddy Persico wasn't involved.
But in their filing, the prosecutors asserted that, as he spoke, Vinny Unions made a "hand signal for the letter 'T,' which (Koslosky) understood was Ricciardo's code for Persico."Koslosky understood, according to the prosecutors, that he was being told that Skinny Teddy had given instructions to Castellazzo.

Ricciardo then explained, the prosecutors wrote, that Persico’s order was "the last word," indicating that Skinny Teddy had the "ultimate authority and his decision could not be challenged."

Vinny Unions gave Koslosky "the same message" a week later, the prosecutors wrote, when he stated, "this guy," and again formed "a letter 'T' with his hands to indicate Persico" had in fact "dumped it" on Castellazzo and told him he agreed with whatever decisions he made.
Corozzo replied that Mafia protocol cited by the government in the current case, and for more than 30 years, was that only a boss can give orders to an underboss, not a capo who did not have a crew. The lawyer also argued that since Persico's reputed superiors, Castellazzo, family boss Andrew (Mush) Russo, and consigliere Ralph DeMatteo, were free on bail, his client deserved the same right to be able to prepare for trial at home, instead of behind bars.

In rejecting bail, Cho stated that while "the evidence against" Persico was "not as strong as the government takes it to be," he found it "most troubling" that the "allegations took place while he was on supervision" and he was denying bail because the proposed $4.5 million bond "does not give the court assurance that he will comply with the terms of his release."

In addition, Cho said he was also "mindful that this defendant has an extensive criminal history."

Mob Turncoats Mum About Their Dust Up In Their My Blue Heaven

It happened in the Sunshine State last year, but reliable sources on both sides of the law are still talking about a knockdown drag-out blowup that left a Colombo family defector bloodied and gasping for air at the hands of a turncoat who ran with the Genovese family. The combatants, sources say, were former Genovese gangster Michael (Cookie) D'Urso and ex-Colombo associate Lawrence (Larry) Mazza. Like many other former New York-based mob informers and cooperating witnesses, both have relocated to South Florida, an area that Gang Land noted nine years ago had become a real life My Blue Heaven for ex-gangsters.

Sources say the fisticuffs erupted during what had begun as a peaceful discussion between D'Urso and Mazza, who had been friends for years, at a local eatery. It suddenly turned violent when D'Urso, who was known as a bit of a hothead when he ran with the mob, took offense when Mazza "raised his voice" to him.

Sources say that Mazza, who has trained in kickboxing and is no slouch, didn't know what hit him when D'Urso, who is built like a bull and is a martial arts aficionado, "immediately cracked Mazza and sent him flying off a chair." Then, the sources say, D-Urso straddled Mazza, stuck out his mug, and dared Mazza to "take one free shot" at him.

Mazza, 61, decided against it and walked away, as D'Urso, nine years younger at 52, yelled at him to steer clear of him in the future, sources say.
On the witness stand, both ex-wiseguys spilled their guts about their former cohorts. But when contacted by Gang Land, the tough guys clammed up about exactly what was under discussion when things got hot.

Mazza confirmed the duo "had a disagreement," but said that Gang Land's account was "ridiculous" and "distorted." Mazza, a close associate of Colombo mobster and top-echelon FBI informer Gregory Scarpa in the 1980s and early 1990s, testified for the government about his role, and that of other wiseguys and mob associates in the family war that left 12 dead in 1993.

D'Urso, who penned an open letter in Gang Land two years ago telling mobsters who were heard talking about looking for him they would be sorry if they acted on their stated intentions, was mum about the matter. D'Urso wore a wire for three years in an undercover FBI investigation that led to the conviction of the late boss Vincent (Chin) Gigante and dozens of other mobsters. Gang Land dubbed Florida as the preferred My Blue Heaven hideaway for mob turncoats in April of 2013. That was when we disclosed that mob canary, Giuseppe (Joey) Gambina, a witness at the murder trial of Gambino consigliere Bartolomeo (Bobby Glasses) Vernace, and three other ex-gangsters from Queens, had teamed up with old cohorts in South Florida much the way Steve Martin had done on the big screen in 1990 as a relocated mob snitch in the movie version, My Blue Heaven.
Since then, sources say, a number of other former mob turncoats, like numerous true-blue wiseguys, mob associates, and other New Yorkers, have relocated to the Sunshine State.

[Shellackhead]

Thanks for posting

[Southshore88]

Thanks for posting

[Nurzhamba]

What is known about Ralph Di Matteo? It would be interesting to know information about him. I know that his brother Luca was a skipper for a while in the family.

[Tonyd621]

So two informants got into a fight at a restaurant? Out of all the places to put these informants.Why concentrate so many in one location?

[SonnyBlackstein]

Thanks for the post.

Its unbelievable how stupid Colombo management are. A Capo telling a Jewish Opera singing associate about who runs what rackets and holds what power in the administration. Fucking idiots.

[Sittite]

How much of Teddy’s adult life has been spent inside??? He’s still young- you think he’s wanna change gears for a lil bit.

[Wiseguy]

How much of Teddy’s adult life has been spent inside??? He’s still young- you think he’s wanna change gears for a lil bit.

I need to leave a body on the street so people know I'm back.

[Pmac2]

anyone think Michael persico excepted his button after being the money maker for the family for 40yrs and doing 5yrs in jail on his last pinch. just almost as a token. his cousin andy mush still runs the family and or his cosin teddy. or do you think hes just like im alset he dony need it but he dedicated part of his life the colombo persico family. i bet he got his button either before he went in or rite after he got out

[Pmac2]

off paper.

[Ryan98366]

Thanks for the post.

Its unbelievable how stupid Colombo management are. A Capo telling a Jewish Opera singing associate about who runs what rackets and holds what power in the administration. Fucking idiots.

Who are you to attack someone for being Jewish? You are from England and had ZERO experience in America. Keep you Anti-Semitic comments to yourself Prince Charles.

[Ryan98366]

Thanks for the post.

Its unbelievable how stupid Colombo management are. A Capo telling a Jewish Opera singing associate about who runs what rackets and holds what power in the administration. Fucking idiots.

Prince Harry to comment on American Italians. When he's from England and 100% fancy.


Disgrace!!!!!

[Sittite]

anyone think Michael persico excepted his button after being the money maker for the family for 40yrs and doing 5yrs in jail on his last pinch. just almost as a token. his cousin andy mush still runs the family and or his cosin teddy. or do you think hes just like im alset he dony need it but he dedicated part of his life the colombo persico family. i bet he got his button either before he went in or rite after he got out

At this point in his life why does he need it ?? He made all that money w/o it…. Did his 5…. It ain’t a button-it’s a magnet that attracts problems I’m sure he doesn’t want.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Who are you to attack someone for being Jewish? You are from England and had ZERO experience in America. Keep you Anti-Semitic comments to yourself Prince Charles.

Stating someone 'is Jewish' is not anti-semetic moron.

[johnny_scootch]

Thanks for the post.

Its unbelievable how stupid Colombo management are. A Capo telling a Jewish Opera singing associate about who runs what rackets and holds what power in the administration. Fucking idiots.

Who are you to attack someone for being Jewish? You are from England and had ZERO experience in America. Keep you Anti-Semitic comments to yourself Prince Charles.

Who are you to attack someone for being English? You have zero experience in England! Keep your anti English comments to yourself !!