Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[NickleCity]

WGRZ story on government witness that died
https://youtu.be/9qauOcinGmE

Gerace’s defense attorney Cohen says, “We are deeply disturbed that now two people who would have provided excellent testimony on behalf of Peter Gerace ….have now taken their own lives and that is deeply concerning. We expect there to be an investigation of those deaths.”

Reporter indicate that Cohen went on to say that this latest witnesses faced pressure from the US Attorney’s Office.

[antimafia]

“The York Regional Police Serious and Organized Crime Bureau has taken carriage of this case.”

UPDATE – NEW INFORMATION AND SUSPECT SKETCHES BEING RELEASED IN CASE OF DRIVE-BY SHOOTING IN SCHOMBERG
https://www.yrp.ca/en/Modules/News/inde ... 42357f81e5

I’ve been familiar with this incident since it happened but I never imagined anyone in Paul Volpe’s old neighbourhood would be targeted in a drive-by.

This case of mistaken identity has led to a serious investigation of MS-13 members hired by an (unnamed) organized-crime group. The identity of the actual intended target is either unknown or is being kept mum by York Regional Police (YRP).

Link:

https://www.yrp.ca/en/Modules/News/inde ... 491d707396

At the bottom of the YRP release is a PDF of the charges list — go to https://icreate.yrp.ca/230002_iCreate_N ... 472937873a to save/download the file.

The matters for both Carlos Pena Torrez and Eddie Garcia Corrales have moved up from the Ontario Court of Justice to the Superior Court of Justice. Detention reviews for both to be heard tomorrow (August 9) at the Newmarket courthouse via videoconference. Pena Torrez’s matter at the Laval courthouse is still being addressed this Thursday (August 10).

I feel that there is a big story that is just starting to be revealed, one that could involve Davide Barberio of Quebec.

[antimafia]

[snip]
The matters for both Carlos Pena Torrez and Eddie Garcia Corrales have moved up from the Ontario Court of Justice to the Superior Court of Justice. Detention reviews for both to be heard tomorrow (August 9) at the Newmarket courthouse via videoconference. Pena Torrez’s matter at the Laval courthouse is still being addressed this Thursday (August 10).

I feel that there is a big story that is just starting to be revealed, one that could involve Davide Barberio of Quebec.

All,

Some of you might have noticed I got my dates mixed up: what I should have written when I wrote "tomorrow (August 9)" is

tomorrow (August 10)

So Pena Torrez's matters at both the Newmarket courthouse and the Laval courthouse were coordinated so that they would both be heard at 9:30 am EDT.

[NickleCity]

Indicted ex-DEA agent restless for trial as co-defendant searches for new lawyer
Patrick Lakamp

Four years into wearing an ankle bracelet as an indicted ex-DEA agent, Joseph Bongiovanni now fears it could take well into a fifth year before he can try to clear his name in a courtroom.

His co-defendant's unsettled legal representation makes it inevitable that the scheduled Oct. 23 trial date will be delayed by several months – if the two are tried together, Bongiovanni's lawyers say.

The rest of the article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... -top-story

[NickleCity]

Judge recuses himself from strip club owner case after voicing suspicion of legal 'gamesmanship'
6/21/2023
by Patrick Lakamp

"U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. recused himself Wednesday from a high-profile bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking case less than two months before the scheduled start of the trial for the strip club owner and former DEA agent facing the charges.

The judge removed himself from the case over two names on a witness list submitted by attorneys for Peter Gerace Jr., the owner of Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club in Cheektowaga.

"Given defendant Peter Gerace Jr.'s inclusion of two individuals as supposed character witnesses among the hundreds of individuals on his witness list, recusal even in the absence of any bias, prejudice or partiality is now required," Sinatra said in his order.

U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. decided against reopening a detention hearing for Peter G. Gerace Jr. and will keep the Pharaoh's Gentlemen's Club owner in pretrial custody.

From the bench during Wednesday's status conference, Sinatra said including the two on the witness list "appears to be gamesmanship" and he said he was "skeptical of the tactic."

For the rest of the article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... b7e1b.html

I’ve mentioned Sinatra’s family before in this thread. It appears he recused himself because some of his relatives was going to be called as witnesses. Bongiovanni’s defense is blaming Sinatra for trial delay because he knew that was a possibility long before he stepped down from the case. The Buffalo News reports that Bongi’s Lawyers indicated the following:

“We also believe that the court holds responsibility for some delay too when the formerly assigned district judge held onto this matter after being warned that his relatives were possibly going to be called as witnesses at this trial.”

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... ca6c3.html

[B.]

I see on their restaurant page the Sinatras were originally from Vallelunga.

A probable early Detroit / Cleveland member Serafino Sinatra was originally from Buffalo before Ohio and came from Vallelunga. Vallelunga boss Calogero Sinatra also visited Buffalo in the 1960s.

Does John Sinatra Jr. have relatives associated with the Buffalo Family?

[NickleCity]

I see on their restaurant page the Sinatras were originally from Vallelunga.

A probable early Detroit / Cleveland member Serafino Sinatra was originally from Buffalo before Ohio and came from Vallelunga. Vallelunga boss Calogero Sinatra also visited Buffalo in the 1960s.

Does John Sinatra Jr. have relatives associated with the Buffalo Family?

His cousin Michael Sinatra is mentioned in court documents but has not been charged. He is a small time developer in Buffalo and has a landscaping business. He did work for Bongiovanni’s married a friend of Bongiovanni’s family.

His brother Nick is a big time well connected developer in Buffalo who is close with the Campanellas. I firmly believe Nick is tied in someway, but cannot prove it. Many of these developers are.

His other brother Michael is the chef and runs the family restaurant. I initially believed the court documents were speaking about him, but learned it was a cousin.

The restaurant has always been a mob haunt especially when the father owned it. John Sinatra Sr. was close with the Masecchias (teacher’s dads family.) At the beginning of this case Judge Sinatra disclosed to the court that when he lived in Cleveland and had just had his first child Judge Sinatra’s mom and dad came to visit and do lunch and brought the Messechias with them. The judge played it off saying that his parents weren’t that close to Messachia’s parents.

John Sinatra Sr’s wife was a Mordino. Her brother was/is Leonard Mordino. A Leonard Mordino was arrested with Giglia and Alaimo in a suburb urban Buffalo drug ring. Haven’t been able to officially determine a familial connection but believe there is. There is an old article that indicate Leonardo Mordino is a “close associate” of the Buffalo LCN family and was a suspect in a 1971 murder.

By the way Vic Sansanese signed John sr’s online obituary guestbook.

[NickleCity]

BTW… I believe but can’t prove Michael Massechia’s father was involved with Buffalo LCN in some way.

[NickleCity]

Remember the death of this witness and the death of the judge are not the only suspicious deaths… The day before Bongiovanni was indicted funeral director Charles Durante died and his death was labeled suspicious by LE before being called a suicide. The Durante family was involved in cocaine trafficking that was connected to the Buffalo mob. Additionally the Durante family was friends with Monty Massimi who was killed by Vacanti in a drug beef.

Amherst Police report indicates they were looking into the possibility that Durante had been involved in a violent struggle before he died:



There were also indications that he might have been choked:



John Roberts the owner of the funeral home indicated that Durante had become increasingly depressed. I'm going to point out that Roberts has become part of the Perna collection of funeral homes.

[Tonyd621]

I don't see how a "mob hit" would go through all that trouble regarding Durante.

[NickleCity]

So Looks Like Scott Burnstein broke this story first:

FBI raids house while investigating death of witness against strip club owner
by Dan Herbeck

FBI agents executed a search warrant at an Allegany County home last week while investigating the death of a former exotic dancer who was going to testify as a prosecution witness at the trial of strip club owner Peter Gerace Jr.

Crystal Quinn, 37, died Aug. 1 in a home on Scott Avenue in the village of Wellsville, roughly 85 miles southeast of Buffalo. A team of FBI agents searched the home for evidence on Aug. 8.

“The cause of death has not yet been determined,” Dylan Foust, an Allegany County coroner, told The Buffalo News on Thursday. “The investigation is continuing.”

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... -top-story

[NickleCity]

…it just looks like the judge knew hew as going to be in hot water and chose to kill him self rather then face the heat…

Definitely a possibility the judge killed himself rather than have the information come out about him… But on the other side of the coin I have learned that [Michalski] locked the house and windows and was worried about something the night before he died.



Of course he was drunk so maybe that is the explanation for his “nervous” behavior.

The recent Buffalo News article indicates the feds were pressuring Michalski to testify against Gerace. The Buffalo News wrote:

In April 2022, State Supreme Court Justice John Michalski, who was a close, long-time friend of Gerace, committed suicide at his Amherst home 12 days after federal and state police executed a search warrant there. Friends and his former attorney told The News that Michalski had been under pressure from federal authorities to testify against Gerace.

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... urce=login

[NickleCity]

Buffalo News, Wellsville Sun exclusive: Wellsville FBI raid tied to exotic dancer death, federal mob trial
Wellsville Sun
By the Sun Investigative Team (SIT)

See: https://wellsvillesun.com/blog/2023/08/ ... mob-trial/

[AntComello]

Over 50 fbi vehicles at the house where Quinn’s body was found. Flash grenades and searched for over 8 hours. Seems like the fbi thinks this death could be more then just an overdose.

[Cheech]

So Looks Like Scott Burnstein broke this story first:

FBI raids house while investigating death of witness against strip club owner
by Dan Herbeck

FBI agents executed a search warrant at an Allegany County home last week while investigating the death of a former exotic dancer who was going to testify as a prosecution witness at the trial of strip club owner Peter Gerace Jr.

Crystal Quinn, 37, died Aug. 1 in a home on Scott Avenue in the village of Wellsville, roughly 85 miles southeast of Buffalo. A team of FBI agents searched the home for evidence on Aug. 8.

“The cause of death has not yet been determined,” Dylan Foust, an Allegany County coroner, told The Buffalo News on Thursday. “The investigation is continuing.”

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... -top-story

Please explain to me like im 2 what exactly did scott break? I dont subscribe to him but you do, right? Can you lay it out? Like with dates. Cause he for sure broke the story, right? It was so important you said it twice in 2 threads. That scott burnstein specifically broke the story. Should be easy to lay it out.