Buffalo Family Lineage

[Wiseguy]

I would add that back then in the 20's and 30's and even leading up to the 70's, especially with the FBI, the feds had no formal training and were learning as they went along how to investigate, gather information, intetview and prosecute OC members. No excuse after that period for the sloppy work just my 2cents.

That's why I've said their info is the most solid from the 1980's and on.

[JAnthony]

Here's the cigarette smuggling op.article involving Bobby and Lou Tavano, made members of the buffalo family.Someone also posted something similar to this article on Gangsters bb.
2 NIAGARA FALLS BROTHERS CALLED KINGPINS OF SMUGGLING OPERATION
By CHARLES ANZALONE AND MICHAEL BEEBE ,
DAN HERBECK AND MICHAEL BEEBE ,
JANE KWIATKOWSKI AND MICHAEL BEEBE ,
JON R. SORENSEN AND MICHAEL BEEBE ,
Michael Beebe ,
MICHAEL BEEBE AND DAN HERBECK ,
MICHAEL BEEBE AND HAROLD MCNEIL ,
MICHAEL BEEBE AND LOU MICHEL ,
MICHAEL BEEBE AND MATT GRYTA , and
MICHAEL BEEBE AND ROBERT J. MCCARTHY
Published Wed, Jun 25, 1997

Authorities say they have cracked one of the largest smuggling rings in the nation with the indictments this week of 21 people, including two Niagara Falls brothers described as leaders of the operation.

Robert and Louis Tavano, and a partner, Larry Miller of Massena, ran the local end of the smuggling ring from a Niagara Falls warehouse, federal officials said Tuesday.

How big is this case?

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Federal officials say the smugglers moved $687 million in contraband cigarettes and alcohol through a northern New York Indian reservation into Canada over the last four years.

Authorities intend to seize more than $500 million in property from the principals in the case.

A former Niagara Falls Republican chairman and his brother, an associate of the late crime boss Stefano Magaddino, were named by authorities as leaders of the group.

Robert J. "Bobby" Tavano Sr., 59, the former GOP leader, served a prison term for stealing $400,000 in insurance premiums from Niagara County in the 1970s. His brother Louis, 56, was one of 10 men, including Magaddino, cleared of gambling charges during the same period when a judge found the government had illegally wiretapped the crime boss.

A grand jury in Syracuse this week listed Miller and the Tavanos as the first three of 21 defendants in what is being called one of the largest smuggling and money-laundering operations in the country.

Doing business as LBL Importing Inc. at 2024 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls, the three men and others legally bought millions of dollars worth of tax-free cigarettes and alcohol for sale to Russia, authorities said. But the goods never made it there, investigators said, but were diverted instead to the Mohawk reservation, also known as the Akwesasne, for smuggling into Canada.

Rex Seitz, 48, of Grand Island, the owner of King Transportation, was named in the indictment for transporting the contraband from Niagara Falls to the Akwesasne.

Those indicted also included a former chief of the St. Regis Mohawk tribe, L. David Jacobs, accused of racketeering; and a retired state police officer, John Fountain, charged with using his armored car service and currency exchange business to launder millions of dollars.

Jeremiah Sullivan, the U.S. Customs chief in Buffalo whose territory includes New York's border with Canada, said the indictments show how easy it is for smugglers to operate in the St. Regis reservation, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border.

"The Akwesasne Indian Reservation is the Achilles' heel of the northern border," said Sullivan. "There are some serious national security concerns about whom, meaning people, and what, meaning things, traverse that reservation," he said.

Defense lawyers say the indictment is flawed.

"One of the questions that we have to ask is whether or not any federal crime has been committed," said Rodney O. Personius, who appeared for Robert Tavano at a bail hearing Monday. Tavano was released on $150,000 bond by U.S. Magistrate Judge Leslie G. Foschio.

If any country lost revenue, it would have been Canada, not the United States, Personius said, and federal appeals courts in New England have ruled that no U.S. crime is involved when that occurs.

Mark J. Mahoney, a lawyer representing Seitz, the Grand Island truck driver, described his client as being caught in the middle for making deliveries from wholesalers like the Tavanos to the Indians.

Seitz was released on $20,000 bond.

As part of its case, the government is seeking $50 million from the Tavanos and three other defendants, money they say was laundered by them as part of the operation.

Officials say they will put liens on Robert Tavano's $170,000 home at 953 Lafayette Ave. in the Falls, and his brother's home in Las Vegas. Officials also have identified six automobiles and trucks they intend to seize from Robert Tavano.

The forfeitures are part of $557 million in assets the government intends to seize, including boats, vans, trucks, luxury cars and eight properties.

[JAnthony]

Here's some recent stuff,campaign contributions,biz owners,Suspected Mobsters/associated, Just something to read,a recent article regarding some Cleveland matters etc.....
Cleveland Scene
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News » News Features
Feeding The Machine
A Quick Look At Who Gives To, And Who Benefits From, Bill Mason's Campaign Treasury

by James Renner October 22, 2008
WHO GIVES:

¥ Frank Mahnic: Convicted in 1996 for giving false information to a grand jury. Contributions: $10,150.

¥ Carole Hoover: Ran a minority-owned company involved in an airport expansion project that never paid county taxes during Mike White's administration. Contributions: $9,500.

¥ Sam Miller: Forest City executive whose subsidiary, Sunrise Developments, bought contaminated land and sold it to the county for a profit of about $2 million. Contributions: $7,500.


¥ John and Ferris Kleem: Owners of Blaze Construction, whose office was raided by the FBI in July. $3,250.

¥ Russell Masetta: Founder of Nature Stone flooring. According to news reports, Masetta married the daughter of the Los Angeles mafia's boss and took a job there, working for the Teamsters. He was arrested in 1988 after accepting a bribe from an FBI agent (he was charged with a felony but pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and spent four months behind bars). His local business was named in an FBI search warrant during the recent county raids, apparently because Nature Stone did work on the palatial homes of Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo. It's not clear whether Nature Stone was visited by agents. Contributions: $7,500.

¥ John Allega: Owner of Allega Cement Contractors, a company that was suspended from doing business with Cleveland in 2007 after an investigation found that Allega was using minority front companies to win a contract at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Contributions: $3,850.

¥ William Schatz: Attorney who worked part-time for the sewer district at a salary of $160,000 while also representing companies that won sewer contracts. He resigned last year after a sewer-district board member started asking questions. Contributions: $4,300.

¥ Ricardo Teamor: A close ally to former mayor Mike White, he admitted to bribing former Councilman Joe Jones to get city contracts and served four months in prison. Contributions: $1,000.

¥ James Palladino: A felon (last convicted in 1972) and a target in a 1989 FBI investigation into drug smuggling (that did not lead to charges), he once ran the area's most lucrative garbage business before moving to Kelleys Island. Contributions: $1,000.

¥ Steve Pumper: CEO of D-A-S Construction. His home and business were raided by the FBI earlier this year. It appears he did about $50,000 worth of construction on Jimmy Dimora's house. Contributions: $1,350.

¥ Andrew Futey: Republican lobbyist who got probation for his role in laundering campaign contributions to state Treasurer Joe Deters for stock broker Frank Gruttadauria. Contributions: $2,000.

¥ William Consolo: A developer who gave Parma Mayor Dean DePiero free office space for his campaign and hired a company owned by DePiero's family as its leasing agent, while DePiero voted in favor of a $8.5 million office park built by Consolo's company. Contributions: $2,850.

¥ Jason Lucarelli: Runs the Minute Men day laborers business with his father, Sam, who pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in 1989 after the FBI uncovered his side business, a local gambling ring. Contributions: $9,500.

¥ Employees of Bill Mason have also donated $82,885 to his campaign.

Who Gets:

¥ Richard Cordray: $10,000

¥ Gov. Ted Strickland: $10,000

¥ The Ohio Democratic Party: $30,000

¥ Pat O'Malley, Mason's college roommate and convicted pervert: $15,000 loan to his campaign fund.

¥ Carol Mason, Bill Mason's wife: $2,825.75 for "computer input," "letter service" and "consulting."

¥ Ridgewood Golf Course, Parma's public golf course. When then-state Auditor Jim Petro's office audited the golf course in 1999, it found alarming signs of a money-laundering operation in the works; cash registers that were opened 4,000 times when there was no record of a transaction, 330 late bank deposits, and missing financial records and receipts. At the time the books were allegedly cooked, Jack Krise was Parma's treasurer, and Michael Mason, Bill's brother, was his deputy treasurer. Krise is now a fiscal affairs officer in Bill Mason's office. $50,505, plus $1,160 in "cash gratuities."

¥ Kelly Mason, Mason's daughter: $2,090 for "campaign work" and a "donation."

¥ Tom Regas, a Parma councilman who currently works in the county engineer's office and writes the checks for Mason's campaign fund: $8,050 for "consulting" and "catering."

¥ Thousands of dollars were spent on graduation gifts for the sons and daughters of employees and contributors, though no one made out as nicely as Tom Regas' daughters, who each got $250.

¥ Thousands more were spent on wedding presents for staffers and political allies, including Ryan Miday, Mason's spokesman, who got a $150 check on his big day.

¥ Mason's Mean Machine, pee-wee football league: $3,600 for "uniforms." Sources: Friends of Bill Mason campaign finance reports (2002-2008), The Plain Dealer, the Columbus Dispatch, Black Box Voting.org, Scene

[JCB1977]

The problem is - and I'm not saying JCB is doing this - that we've always had people in these forums (fortunately far less than in the past) who will use any misstep by the feds, even if it's totally unrelated, as an excuse to ignore them completely. Obviously the ones who did this the most were the self-proclaimed insiders who's info usually conflicted with the feds and they needed a way to justify telling everyone to believe them and not the FBI. Nevermind the fact that time proved the feds to be incomparably more knowledgeable and accurate than any of these insiders. That's why my alarm goes up any time someone wants to criticize the FBI as a whole or has the knee-jerk reaction that they must be lying.

In the case with Buffalo, they simply took what they had as far as the latest intelligence and put it in a chart. But it had been years since you saw any law enforcement official list Buffalo among remaining families.

I'm definitely not one of those Wiseguy, you know me better than that. but the examples I gave are valid and severely impacted the lives of people who were innocent. Now obviously, where there is smoke, there is fire but in these specific cases, the FBI manufactured evidence, used highly non-credible pathological criminals in order to secure a conviction against OC targets. Chances are, these guys would have got themselves jammed up eventually, but the FBI expedited their road to a prison cell. My point is that even the "clean cut FBI" should be questioned due to many high profile mishaps.

You and I are cool Wiseguy, I've always liked you and appreciate your knowledge and persistence for accuracy.

[JCB1977]

Is Ronnie Carrabbia still alive ? I know he was released from that long bid not too long ago.I think his sons and him are heavily involved in Amusement vending machines and I know they were opening up loads of wholesale fireworks stores all over the U.S. , I think it's called SkyKing or something like that.Also, Isn't Tony Lib' s son a Major union boss ? Does he STILL run that union local ?

RC is alive and in his mid to late 80's. He just had a partial amputation on one of his legs. He only has one son, his son made millions of land he bought in FL and invested into Sky King Fireworks. I think he owns 33 stores. The son also had video poker machines and "games of skill" bars all around Sarasota, FL. The Crab hasn't been active since being released. Yes, Lib's son is a major Teamster Boss in Cleveland.

[FriendofHenry]

Is Ronnie Carrabbia still alive ? I know he was released from that long bid not too long ago.I think his sons and him are heavily involved in Amusement vending machines and I know they were opening up loads of wholesale fireworks stores all over the U.S. , I think it's called SkyKing or something like that.Also, Isn't Tony Lib' s son a Major union boss ? Does he STILL run that union local ?

RC is alive and in his mid to late 80's. He just had a partial amputation on one of his legs. He only has one son, his son made millions of land he bought in FL and invested into Sky King Fireworks. I think he owns 33 stores. The son also had video poker machines and "games of skill" bars all around Sarasota, FL. The Crab hasn't been active since being released. Yes, Lib's son is a major Teamster Boss in Cleveland.

"Crab hasn't been active since being released." How interesting

[JAnthony]

Thanks for the heads up @jcb1977 ! I've read so much crap over the years I don't remember who's who,involved in what,from wherever ! I think the son just lost a whole lotta money recently and filed for bankruptcy with the some online gambling venture in Grenada.

[JAnthony]

It's great,No more fed.oversight in the Teamsters union .It'll be real interesting to see what happens over the next 10+ years especially since there is more union corruption of every kind over the last 16 Years than there has been in the Mob's heyday, I think some 2,100+ fed.cases prosecuted from 2000-2016.

[JCB1977]

Thanks for the heads up @jcb1977 ! I've read so much crap over the years I don't remember who's who,involved in what,from wherever ! I think the son just lost a whole lotta money recently and filed for bankruptcy with the some online gambling venture in Grenada.

His son may have filed bankruptcy under a failed business venture, but his son made sure for 25 + years that RC was getting his weekly cut from gambling and then bought thousands of acres along I-4 near Orlando. He made millions on the land back then. He also ran his father's vending company and assumed ownership of most of his commercial properties along Youngstown-Poland Rd in Struthers, OH. I've known his son Ron for many years and he lives in Lakewood Ranch, FL, close to Sarasota. He and my cousin are partners in 5 of the Sky King Fireworks Stores between Western PA and Indiana. When I say I've known him, I mean that I've had dinner with him, golfed with him and drank alot of wine with him. He is an honest businessman. Sure, he possibly may have used some alleged illegal proceeds to fund many businesses, but he operates within the confines of the law and has done very well for himself.

[JAnthony]

I see that, He's definitely done well for himself and his family .Just because he filed doesn't mean he ,or anyone for that matter are broke,or near broke ! The guy's a Legend !

[JAnthony]

Thanks for the info jcb1977 ! I'm from Ny, I pretty much try and keep up to date with other areas as much as possible !

[Five Felonies]

Here's the cigarette smuggling op.article involving Bobby and Lou Tavano, made members of the buffalo family.Someone also posted something similar to this article on Gangsters bb.

yeah, i wonder who that could've been mrjustsayno! people like you really have some sort of mental illness with your constant trolling of these sites. fuck off!

[Angelo Santino]

Here's the cigarette smuggling op.article involving Bobby and Lou Tavano, made members of the buffalo family.Someone also posted something similar to this article on Gangsters bb.

yeah, i wonder who that could've been mrjustsayno! people like you really have some sort of mental illness with your constant trolling of these sites. fuck off!

Who is this guy?

[JCB1977]

Here's the cigarette smuggling op.article involving Bobby and Lou Tavano, made members of the buffalo family.Someone also posted something similar to this article on Gangsters bb.

yeah, i wonder who that could've been mrjustsayno! people like you really have some sort of mental illness with your constant trolling of these sites. fuck off!

Mr. JAnthony pulled the wool over my eyes. Didn't see that one coming.

[OlBlueEyesClub]

Where are these gbb people coming from. But yeah, he played himself when he mentioned the dead articles in reference to the Buffalo Family that MrJustSayNo posts on gbb. I'm tellin' ya, I wouldn't be surprised if SC put them up to this. Actually no, SC wouldn't stoop that low as far as I know. If they arent genuine posters, what I've noticed is many of them get upset, site gbb as the place their going to, or they cite gbb topics as sources to their beliefs from the jump, like what JAnthony just did. I don't think it's SC, but i wouldn't be surprised if it was Moe and other retards he's recruited to do this. I don't know for sure, but I have my reasons for why I feel this way. I think some ip checks are definitely needed.