Gangland 10/20/2022

[Dr031718]

Anatomy Of A Racketeering Indictment Of Six Accused Genovese Gangsters

A series of blunders by a newly inducted Genovese crime family soldier six years ago have come back to haunt him and several fellow wiseguys in the so-called Ivy League of Organized Crime, as the Genovese family is often described. Among the screw-up's victims are a Bronx-based capo who is a very close pal of family boss Liborio (Barney) Bellomo, Gang Land has learned.

The blunders began when mobster Michael Messina couldn't keep his mouth shut about his own status as a member of the Genovese family and later coldcocked a loanshark victim. Messina's gaffes sparked a joint probe by federal and state agencies resulting in the indictment of Messina in April on racketeering, gambling and loansharking charges. Charged alongside him are Ralph (The Undertaker) Balsamo, a powerful capo who attended Bellomo's 65th birthday party in January, two other family wiseguys, and a father-and-son team of mob associates.

From 2011 up until April of 2022, the indictment alleges, the six Genovese gangsters were part of a racketeering conspiracy operating out of a four-bedroom home owned by Messina that sits on a secluded 3.5 acre plot in New Fairfield, Connecticut, and a tanning salon in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx that is owned by one of the mob associates, Michael (Mike Polio) Poli.

The investigation began as a joint effort by the state Organized Crime Task Force and Brooklyn District Attorney's Office in 2019. It was joined by the FBI a year later and survived the wounding of a federal prosecutor who was hit by a stray bullet as she dined in a Brooklyn eatery, and several other missteps before it ended with the arrests of the gangster sextet on April 26.

State authorities got wind of the 11-year-long racket, according to sealed court filings obtained by Gang Land, when a stressed out cabby who had borrowed $150,000 from Messina reached out to the cops in January of 2019. The loanshark victim said that on the prior New Year's eve he was seeking a way to pay off his debt, when Messina suddenly punched him in the mouth. The one-punch threat, the filings state, came three months after Messina had also held a knife to the cabby's belly and "threatened to kill him."

By then, according to affidavits by state investigator John Mullen and FBI agent Sarah Lingsch, the loanshark victim, a car service driver, was paying Messina $3070 a week vig on his interest only $150,000 loan.

Messina's first gaffe, according to affidavits, came in the Spring of 2016, on the day he met the car service driver who needed cash. After giving the cabby the first of many loans that grew to $150,000, Messina allegedly told him: "You're with a wiseguy now."

His next screw-up came in the spring of 2018 when Messina bragged to his loanshark customer that he was celebrating his anniversary as a made man: "It's my two-year anniversary," Messina said, and made sure the cabby knew what anniversary he was talking about, by pointing to his chest and stating: "It's two years I got my thing, my stripe."

The final straw for the stressed out cab driver was Messina's wordless punch in the mouth response when he was asked on December 31, 2018 to turn his $150,000 loan, for which he was paying a weekly "vig" of $3070, into a "knockdown loan," one that would turn his interest only payments into reductions of the principal.

During the next 20 months, as the car service driver dutifully made his weekly interest payment of $3070, he tape-recorded Messina as the buttonman implicated himself in threats to other loanshark customers. State probers also tapped Messina's phone and linked Balsamo, capo Nicholas (Nicky Slash) Calisi, soldier John Campanella, Michael Poli and his father Thomas to the alleged racketeering scheme.

Sources say that Messina dropped the names of the ultimate targets of any probe of the Genovese crime family "Barney and Ernie," the nicknames of Bellomo and his reputed "street boss," Ernest Muscarella, to the wired-up snitch but did not implicate the crime family leaders in the long-running gambling and loansharking scheme.

Messina became so enamored of the loanshark customer who was dutifully paying his weekly vig of $3070 that he often discussed his gangster business with him during breakfast and lunch meetings in the Bronx and Westchester. Messina also used him to "pick up and drop off other loansharking monies" at his New Fairfield home, according to the affidavits.

Meanwhile, the court authorized wiretaps snared Messina arranging to meet with other loanshark customers and discussing the gambling business with Michael Poli, who allegedly ran it out of the Electric Paradise Tanning Salon, a thriving business Poli opened on Westchester Avenue in the Bronx in 2006 and later expanded to include a second location in Carmel, NY.

The wiretaps also overheard Messina talking with capos Nicky Slash and Ralph The Undertaker, according to an affidavit by Agent Lingsch.

In a coded talk on June 9, 2020, Lingsch wrote, Messina and Calisi discussed "an outstanding loan, and the length of time that the "vig" has been owed on this loan. In the talk, she wrote, after Calisi asked about the amount that was owed ("the date of the party,") Messina responded that it was $1600 based on "four months" of payments.

MM: What's up buddy?
NC: What's the date of the party?
MM: Ahh
NC: The date
MM: I think it was, I don't have the date, it's 16
NC: 16
MM: Yeah its ahh . . . Four months yeah

A few weeks later, on June 30, the feds generated a taped talk between Messina and Balsamo after they stopping Messina while he was driving alone and asked him about a loanshark victim he had met on Mulberry street.

Before the day was over, Lingsch wrote, "Messina promptly reported this contact" to Balsamo and stated he was going to "ke(e)p a distance" from other wiseguys and loanshark victims.

During their talk, after Messina told Balsamo that he had been pulled over and questioned about "that guy in Brooklyn," the burning question on Ralph the Undertaker's mind was whether his name had come up during the stop.

MM: No, no they got me, they got me with this kid.
RB: They didn't mention, they didn't mention anybody else or anything. . .
MM: No. They said okay here here's our number if you think of anything call us. If we have any questions, give me your number so I gave them my number.
RB: Not this number right?
MM: No are you out of your fucking mind.

Eleven months later, in May of last year, as the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office was fine-tuning its evidence and preparing to obtain a racketeering indictment, an assistant U.S. attorney involved in the case, Mollie Bracewell, was struck in the face by a ricocheting bullet fragment as she dined al fresco at a Thai restaurant.

Bracewell was not seriously injured. The feds quickly determined that the shooting had nothing to do with the loanshark investigation but Bracewell was still taken off the case. The shooting incident delayed the planned indictment until this year.

The government's best-laid plans to quietly arrest Messina and turn him into a cooperating witness against his Genovese cohorts fell apart when FBI agents, armed with an indictment only naming him, went to his home to arrest him on April 12. They were surprised to learn he was rehabilitating from a bout with Covid and other ailments at a nearby nursing facility, according to court filings in the case.

Once that happened, sources say, the feds realized that the cat was out of the bag and quickly dashed those plans. Two weeks later, they filed an indictment against all six gangsters. Three weeks ago, Poli's dad, Thomas, 62, copped a plea deal calling for a recommended prison term of 33 to 41 months behind bars .

The remaining defendants, Messina, Calisi, Poli, Campanella, and Balsamo, all face up to 20 years if convicted at trial. Sources say that several of them, who have a status conference before Judge John Koeltl next week, are seeking to dispose of the case with a plea deal.

That's not the case with Bellomo, whose sentencing guidelines call for up to eight years behind bars, according to a court filing by prosecutor Celia Cohen.

"There are no plea discussions involving Ralph Balsamo," his attorney told Gang Land. "Ralph's going to trial," said lawyer Gerald McMahon. "He's a totally innocent man who's been unjustly accused and we're going to punish the government by demanding attorney's fees after Ralph is acquitted at trial."

The Son And Accused Triggerman Guilty In Sally Daz Murder; Accused Getaway Driver Acquitted

As expected, a jury found Anthony Zottola, the son of Bonanno gangster Sylvester (Sally Daz) Zotola, guilty yesterday of the murder of his father, a 71-year-old mob associate. They reached the same verdict for Bloods gangster Himen (Ace) Ross who served as one of Anthony Zottola’s hired hit men. In a surprise decision, however, the same jury acquitted the accused getaway driver in the McDonald's drive thru slaying on October 4, 2018, Alfred (Aloe) Lopez, of all charges.

Zottola and Ross were also convicted of murder-for-hire charges in the attempted rubout of Zottola's older brother Salvatore, who was shot several times in front of his Bronx home by Ross as part of Anthony Zottola's scheme to take over his father's $45 million real estate empire.

"Over the course of more than a year," said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, "Sylvester Zottola was stalked, beaten, and stabbed, never knowing it was his own son who orchestrated the attacks," adding that "for sentencing his father to a violent death," he and convicted triggerman Ross "will spend the rest of their lives in prison where they belong as a result of today’s verdict."

When the jury pronounced Anthony Zottola guilty of orchestrating the attempted murder of his brother and the killing of his father, his wife Heide, a daily spectator at the Brooklyn Federal Court trial, burst into tears and sobbed loudly as her husband hung his head.

Zottola, 44, and Ross, 36, were convicted of all charges in the fourth day of jury deliberations of their six week trial. Prosecutors used text messages that Zottola exchanged with Bloods leader Bushawn (Shelz) Shelton during several attempts by his underlings to kill Sally Daz and his son Salvatore before Ross killed Daz.

The texts included an exchange that Shelton and Zottola had minutes after his father was shot to death. In one snippet that was read to the jury, Zottola told Shelton he couldn't party later that night because it was his son's birthday but could the next day. In the same exchange, Zottola told Shelton he would also send him "cases of water," which prosecutors argued was code words for $200,000 Shelton was promised for the hit.

BS: Can we party today or tomorrow
AZ: Tomorrow most likely. I have dr appointment in morning and I meet later I hear you. I have the cases of water for you in a day or so
BS: Ok my blessings on your appointment AZ: Cool It's my lil man bday I am taking him to his favorite place mc Donald's than a movie. LOL Like I can eat that stuff. Thank you for being a great friend my man
BS: Tell the young king I wish him a happy new year. Enjoy I'll link you when your free Hey its like its your birthday today as well lol Peace I'll talk to you later
AZ: Peace my man thank you

Prosecutors used the testimony of Salvatore Zottola and two cooperating witnesses who were involved in the murder plot, Ron Cabey and Kalik (Dott Komm) McFarlane to tie Zottola and Ross to the nmurder for hire plot.

Judge Hector Gonzalez scheduled sentencings for Februaery 2.

An attorney for Lopez, John Burke, told reporters outside the courthouse that his client was ecstatic about the verdict and had thanked him, his co-counsel, Christopher Wright, the judge, and everyone else he could think of about his acquittal.

"Mr Lopez is very pleased," said Burke. "He's very thankful and very happy. He has been in jail for three and a half years. We're going to see him later. We have plans."

In his closing argument, Burke stressed that neither cooperating witness, Cabey or McFarlane mentioned Lopez, that no one identified him as the driver of the getaway car, which looked like his and was in the vicinity of the homicide.

"No eyewitness puts Mr. Lopez in the car," he told the jurors. "No eyewitness puts Mr. Lopez at the scene. No one says they saw a man come out of the Ford Fusion (his car) with a gun. No one said they saw a man get into the Ford Fusion with a gun."

"Now, the government's theory of the case is that Mr. Lopez did it but they don't have proof," he continued. "Maybe it's a hunch or a suspicion or it could be or it may be but this is serious business here. It's not just likely or could have, right, and just because a car is going to McDonald's or in the vicinity of a homicide doesn't mean he's guilty of participating in a murder-for-hire conspiracy."

Ex-Mob Buster Dumps Mark Zuckerberg And Re-Ups With His Uncle Sam

After toiling for a year as an associate general counsel for Mark Zuckerberg and a dozen or so other Facebook honchos, former mob busting assistant U.S. attorney Keith Edelman, a Gang Land Prosecutor of the Year, has returned to the fray with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, Gang Land has learned.

Edelman, who won guilty pleas last year from a dozen Gambino mobsters and associates who pulled off a $1.5 million labor racketeering scam, including capo Andrew (Sonny) Campos and millionaire realtor John (Johnny Si) Simonlacaj, is a special counsel in the criminal division under Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite.

In a two-sentence post on LinkedIn, the ex-Brooklyn federal prosecutor stated he had returned to the government and joined his former colleague — and co-Prosecutor of the Year in 2017, Nicole Argentieri — at the DOJ as he ended his yearlong gig at Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and a bunch of other entities in the company's Metaverse.

"After my time at Meta with so many talented and supportive colleagues," Edelman stated, "I am incredibly excited to return to public service."

"That (Meta and Facebook) just wasn't a good fit for Keith," said a former colleague at the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office where Edelman worked for seven years. During his tenure, he was involved in major cases against wiseguys and associates in the Gambino and Bonanno families as a member of the Organized Crime and Gangs section. He was the unit's deputy chief when he left the office a year ago.

"I am not surprised that Keith is now with the DOJ," said one defense lawyer he dealt with. "He always struck me as a government guy."

"His appointment as a senior counsel is well deserved," said former AUSA Lindsay Gerdes, a seven year veteran who also left the U.S. Attorney's office last year and is in private practice. "The DOJ is beyond lucky to have him back," she told Gang Land. "And I could not be more jealous of Keith's reunion with Nicole Argentieri. Miss them both."

Gerdes , who shared Gang Land's Prosecutor of the Year award with Edelman and Argentieri in 2017 for their work in nailing Bonanno soldier Vincent Asaro and 18 mobsters and associates on racketeering, arson, extortion, loansharking, and murder conspiracy, was referring to Argentieri's return to the government six months ago after four years in private practice.

The 19 Bonanno defendants went down in two separate cases that the prosecutors made using information obtained from turncoat gangster Gene Borrello, the former one-man crime wave and onetime cohort of Howard Beach based Bonanno wiseguy Ronald (Ronnie G) Giallanzo. Borrello has had troubles with the feds since his release from prison in 2019, but he had such close ties with Asaro and Ronnie G that he was never tested at trial.

In one case, Asaro — who bested Argentieri in 2015 by winning an astounding acquittal for racketeering and murder stemming from the storied $6 million Lufthansa Airlines Robbery — and John J. Gotti, a grandson of the late Dapper Don both pleaded guilty to arson charges. Asaro received eight years in prison. In the other, Giallanzo was hit with 14 years, and forfeited his $1.5 million Howard Beach home. Three mobster underlings were jailed for six, seven, and eight years.

Edelman, who had to seek approval from the DOJ to obtain indictments for charges including racketeering and federal murder when he was an AUSA in Brooklyn, will now be involved in making those kinds of decisions for AUSAs all over the country. His exact role and duties in his new gig are a mystery, though. He did not respond to calls and emails about them. A DOJ spokesman replied, but declined to comment.

Editor's Note: We're holding off announcing the winners of Gang Land's Surprise End-Of Summer contest that was featured in our September 22 column until next week to give the bashful second and third place winners a couple of more days, until Saturday, October 22, to contact us and claim their prizes. Come hell or high water, we'll announce our winner next week.

[JohnnyS]

Thanks for posting. Interesting that they now have Muscarella as the street boss. In the GL article about Barney's birthday party, Capeci said that the feds had been carrying Muscarella as the underboss and Ragusa as the street boss with Ernie the one calling the shots for Barney and Ragusa in more of a messenger role.

[Little_Al1991]

Surprised that this guy even got inducted into the Genovese Family but I assume that after this whole thing is finished, he will probably be on the shelf

[sharpieone]

Abusing customers and bragging about status on wires. Some things never change not even if you’re with the “Ivy League.”

[Dr031718]

All the other photos this week are old photos or photos found in the mugshot section except for this one

Michael Messina

[Southshore88]

Thanks for posting, interesting updates on the indictment for Messina & others

[OcSleeper]

Thanks for posting. Interesting that they now have Muscarella as the street boss. In the GL article about Barney's birthday party, Capeci said that the feds had been carrying Muscarella as the underboss and Ragusa as the street boss with Ernie the one calling the shots for Barney and Ragusa in more of a messenger role.

I think it was just a mistake. This article was littered with typos and he even mixes Balsamo and Bellomo up when talking about Balsamo not getting a plea deal. I would bet he mixed Ragusa and Muscarella up on top of everything else.

Thanks for posting.

[Tonyd621]

"You're with a wiseguy now..." lol sounds so stupid, childish and something you would only hear in the sopranos

[Cheech]

Messina gets pulled over by the feds. immediately calls balsamo.....smh still on the phone in 2022

[Wiseguy]

Thanks for posting. Interesting that they now have Muscarella as the street boss. In the GL article about Barney's birthday party, Capeci said that the feds had been carrying Muscarella as the underboss and Ragusa as the street boss with Ernie the one calling the shots for Barney and Ragusa in more of a messenger role.

I think it was just a mistake. This article was littered with typos and he even mixes Balsamo and Bellomo up when talking about Balsamo not getting a plea deal. I would bet he mixed Ragusa and Muscarella up on top of everything else.

Thanks for posting.

My thinking as well. Jerry needs to make sure he's fully awake when typing up his articles. Drink a Diet Coke or something.

[Amershire_Ed]

Thanks for posting.

$3k+ per week in vig from a car service driver?? This dude must’ve had something going on on the side because that’s an absurd figure to expect from a guy that drives a car for a living to cover weekly.

This Messina guy literally fucked up every step of the way here. He’s soaking a loan shark customer who can’t afford it but is still doing his damndest to make his payments on time. He brags about his button to this poor bastard. He name drops the freaking boss of the family to him as well. He gets pulled over and asked about this guy by the cops, and then he immediately hops off the phone and calls a captain to tell him about it. Only way they don’t shelve this dude right away is if they think it might make him flip (kinda like with Mikey Scars).

[Cheech]

Thanks for posting.

$3k+ per week in vig from a car service driver?? This dude must’ve had something going on on the side because that’s an absurd figure to expect from a guy that drives a car for a living to cover weekly.

This Messina guy literally fucked up every step of the way here. He’s soaking a loan shark customer who can’t afford it but is still doing his damndest to make his payments on time. He brags about his button to this poor bastard. He name drops the freaking boss of the family to him as well. He gets pulled over and asked about this guy by the cops, and then he immediately hops off the phone and calls a captain to tell him about it. Only way they don’t shelve this dude right away is if they think it might make him flip (kinda like with Mikey Scars).

I thought the same, where this driver getting $12,000 a month from?

[Cheech]

Capeci fixed the Bellomo gaffe I emailed him hahahaa

[SonnyBlackstein]

Thanks for posting. Interesting that they now have Muscarella as the street boss. In the GL article about Barney's birthday party, Capeci said that the feds had been carrying Muscarella as the underboss and Ragusa as the street boss with Ernie the one calling the shots for Barney and Ragusa in more of a messenger role.

It all depends on who Jerry is quoting. Is he quoting Messina? Did Messina state Ernie was the "street boss"? I'd find that surprising. That's another level of stupidity, but I wouldn't disbelieve it if it came out.

Or is he quoting an LE source who is loose with terms?

Is it Capeci being a half tard and not knowing how to write?

The other option is Ernie is in charge on the street, handles day to day, but his official position is UB. Ragusa is messengero.

[Hired_Goonz]

Thanks for posting. This Messina is a complete clown, no question that in a previous era he would have gotten clipped for a fuckup of this magnitude. Lol at Capeci padding his article with that lame story about the former "mob-buster".