- Maragni was released on bail April 2011 but required to reside in Staten Island
- In spring 2011, Joseph Carna told Maragni that Thomas Farese would assume responsibility for Maragni’s crew as Acting Captain
- On May 3, 2011, Maragni met with Farese in Florida, who confirmed he had been promoted to Acting Captain
- On June 8, 2011, Maragni met with Pat and Anthony Truglia and told them, “If Anthony [Induisi] even reaches out for you… Tell him, get in touch with the other guy [Farese]”
- On October 13, 2011, a Florida-based lawyer visited Andrew Russo in Brooklyn MDC for approximately eight minutes
- On November 4 and November 6, 2011, Farese travelled to Red Bank, New Jersey, and met with Joseph Carna, Luca DiMatteo, and Salvatore Castagno
- On November 11, 2011, Carna told Maragni that he had been demoted and Farese was promoted to official Captain
Excerpt from the conversation between Maragni and Joseph Carna:
- On November 14, 2011, Maragni met with Farese in Margate, FloridaCARNA: I have some bad news. [UI]
MARAGNI: What? Why?
CARNA: I have no idea why.
MARAGNI: It’s crazy. When did this happen?
CARNA: Last Friday. They gave Tommy Farese a borgata [UI].
MARAGNI: Okay.
CARNA: [UI]. I’m only a messenger.
MARAGNI: This is crazy. This is crazy.
- Farese told Maragni how he met with Carna, DiMatteo, and Castagno
- Farese got a message that, “Andrew [Russo] wants me in position”
Excerpt from the recorded conversation between Maragni and Farese:
The following excerpts are undated but presumably some are from the May 3, 2011 meeting and others from the November 14, 2011 conversation:MARAGNI: Okay. Now I’m a Florida guy. I don’t report to nobody but Florida guys.
FARESE: Absolutely. Listen when he gave me the message about Andrew, taking the position, Consigliere.
MARAGNI: Yes.
FARESE: He said, ya know, you can’t have guys around you. I said, I understand that. I understand that. He said, “Well you know they’ll still be with you but we can put them, we’ll put, uh, not you, we’ll put uh Bobby back with me and so and so back with whoever.” [UI]. I said, “Well listen why don’t you just hold off on that until I go up there in, in Christmas.”
[…]
FARESE: And, uh, he mentioned Donnie [Montemarano] and I said, “And I’ll see Donnie and I’ll, I’ll see, ya know, what the story is.”
MARAGNI: But what position is Donnie taking?
FARESE: I don’t know. I don’t think he knows, only that he’s back, but not a Caporegime. I don’t think Donnie would come back to that. That’ll be.
MARAGNI: It’s gotta be Underboss.
FARESE: Maybe he’s acting. Maybe he’s gonna act or something, I don’t know.
MARAGNI: Maybe gonna act for Benji [Castellazzo]?
FARESE: Maybe he’s gonna act for Benji. I don’t know.
[…]
MARAGNI: Yeah but where the fuck is he getting these orders from? Where, where is this coming from?
FARESE: I know that, I checked. The order, as far as I’m concerned. I sent someone to see Andrew. I don’t know, the question was, “Did you send messages to Tommy?”
MARAGNI: Hmmm.
FARESE: The only answer was yes.
[…]
FARESE: It’s hard to talk to Andrew because – unless you’re in there [Brooklyn MDC] – because I wouldn’t send someone in there to –
MARAGNI: No.
FARESE: Ask him any questions. They [UI] –
MARAGNI: No, no you can’t. No you can’t.
FARESE: What I did was, what I wind up, wind up. Call his family, he said, tell him that a close friend of Tommy’s or whoever is coming in to say hello to him. Said, “Okay.” The lawyer asked him one, first of all, the lawyer’s involved in that entertainment business so he got along good with Andrew.
MARAGNI: Um hum. Um hum. Right.
FARESE: But he asked him one question. I’m only here to ask you one question if I may. Tommy got a message, he wants to know if the message came from you. Yes or no, I don’t want to know, don’t tell me anything else. Andrew said, “Yes.”
MARAGNI: The way this thing is headed, he wants us to stay nice and calm, nice and easy. They’re going to elevate me to Underboss, and uh, I instigated something, and they’re going to elevate you to Consigliere. And that’s the way it is.
FARESE: That’s the way it is. [Laughing]
MARAGNI: I don’t know if they’re doing us a favor.
FARESE: That’s right, we don’t know if they’re doing us a favor.
MARAGNI: I don’t know if they’re doing us a favor, but
FARESE: Or giving us a headache.
MARAGNI: A lot of guys are bitter up there. A lot of guys are mad, a lot of guys are bitter. I’m getting together with Ralphie Lombardi [sic.]. I’m trying to get together with Ralphie Lombardi and I want to see Frankie the Bug. Right now they’re looking
FARESE: Ralphie Lombardi’s still alive?
MARAGNI: Yeah, Ralphie Lombardi just got elevated.
FARESE: Charlie died.
MARAGNI: Yeah, Charlie died. Ralphie Lombardi just got elevated to Caporegime. And I want to see him.
FARESE: Who’s taking care of things [UI]
MARAGNI: Well, Richie Fusco.
FARESE: [UI] Richie’s [UI]
MARAGNI: Well, he’s supposed to be running things in the street, but there’s like a – they’re trying to – it’s supposed to be a panel. It’s supposed to be like a three guy panel Richie, Ralphie Lombardi, and myself, you know. Ralphie Lombardi’s 84 years
MARAGNI: Alright, let’s get – let’s get everybody together if we can because I want to introduce you to them as the, as their new Caporegime.
FARESE: Yeah, but you don’t have to do that.
MARAGNI: Yeah, I do have to do that, that’s – It’s got to be like that. It’s got to be like that. That’s the way it’s got to be. Listen, we can’t start cutting corners.
FARESE: No, I’m not concerned. I’m not, uh –
MARAGNI: Yeah but I don’t want – I don’t like to cut corners. It is what it is.
FARESE: Yeah, it is what it is, we’re not cutting corners. We’re just – we’re just – it’s like these kids worry. These kids are legitimate kids, Reynolds.
MARAGNI: Yeah.
MARAGNI: And I told you a long time ago, when they straightened me out, I says, “If it’s you that they put there, I’m great. If it’s me that they put there, we’re great. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter.
FARESE: I feel the same.
MARAGNI: You know, it doesn’t matter. I feel like you’re my brother. I can sit and I can talk to you, forget about that other shit, I don’t care. But you need to have a position. You needed to have a position. And I’m the happiest guy in the world. You know why? Because I feel like I brought you back into the fold. I fought like a bastard for it. And I love you and you’re a good man and you deserve it. You know, and misunderstandings sometimes takes fucking ten years to straighten out. You know. Other guys who wanna try this-- All you’re gonna do with all your good intentions is you’re going to incite shit. You know, there’s certain guys that have certain guys’ ears. Let those guys take care of it. You know, and that’s what I did.
