Gangland:1/26/17

[Dellacroce]

January 26, 2017 This Week in Gang Land
By Jerry Capeci

Feds Link Key Figure In Mob Rubout Plot To A Billionaire Playboy

Gang Land Exclusive!Bertram DukeThe feds have linked a key figure in a failed Mafia rubout plot involving the powerhouse Genovese family and the Crips to a billionaire playboy who is one of the world's wealthiest art dealers, Gang Land has learned.

The ties between Bertram (Birdy) Duke, who is accused of playing a key role in a 2014 attempt to kill a mob associate, and Hillel (Helly) Nahmad, owner of the renowned Helly Nahmad Art Gallery, on Madison Avenue, were cited by the government at a bail hearing at which Duke was detained without bail.

Duke is accused of having helped recruit three members of a Crips gang from the Bronx to whack mob associate Joseph Bonelli in June of 2014. According to charges filed by federal prosecutors, the hit attempt was engineered by Salvatore (Fat Sal) Delligatti, an associate of the Genovese crime family, and close friend and cohort of Duke.

The murder conspiracy case, filed last May in Manhattan Federal Court, was already a Gang Land outlier for the mix of gangsters and gangstas alleged to have taken part in the plot.

Hillel NahmadBut the new link between one of the alleged conspirators and a wealthy, internationally known, jet-setting art dealer throws the case into a whole new Gang Land dimension — one that includes movie stars, models and works of art valued at millions of dollars.

The ties between Duke and Nahmad are undisputed: Duke's attorney, Aaron Goldsmith, told Gang Land that his client worked for Nahmad as general manager of the art gallery, which is located in the posh Carlyle Hotel, for about two years.

The Helly Nahmad Gallery declined to comment about Duke's work for the Gallery, or any role he may have played in Nahmad's illegal gambling business.

Nahmad, 38, whose pals include super model Gisele Bundchen and Leonardo DiCaprio, made his own headlines when he was busted by the feds in 2013 for having a leadership role in an illegal gambling operation that allegedly generated tens of millions of dollars in bets around the globe each year.

ASalvatore Delligatticcording to prosecutors, Duke was an unindicted co-conspirator in that case. The art dealer, who was represented by lawyer-to-the-stars Benjamin Brafman, was initially indicted on racketeering charges. He later copped a plea to illegal gambling before Manhattan Federal Judge Jesse Furman and was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, ordered to forfeit $6,427,000 and to pay a $30,000 fine.

Nahmad's official release date was in May of 2015, but he spent only half that time behind bars. He was placed in a halfway house in late 2014, records show. Since his release, the dealer has made more news in the art world by putting some of his renowned works on the market, including a work by Mark Rothko valued at $50 million.

But what was not disclosed until now is that Duke was working for Nahmad's art gallery and allegedly involved in his illegal gambling business at the same time he was a partner with Delligatti in marijuana trafficking and a prostitution business.

Samson Enzer"They (Delligatti and Duke) have been doing criminal business together for years and years and years," assistant U.S. attorney Samson Enzer said at the bail hearing before magistrate Judge Henry Pitman on October 20, according to a transcript that was obtained by Gang Land.

Delligatti apparently had a keen interest in Nahmad's criminal case.

Enzer told the judge at the bail hearing that Duke attended Nahmad's April 30, 2014 sentencing and texted Delligatti a running account from the courtroom.

"Duke was sitting in Judge Furman's court when Nahmad was sentenced, and he was texting live from the courtroom where his boss Helly Nahmad was being sentenced, to Salvatore Delligatti, commenting on the sentencing," Enzer said.

Kelvin DukePitman voiced surprise that Duke was texting Delligatti from the courtroom since only prosecutors and lawyers can bring cell phones into federal court, and then only with permission. Enzer was unable to explain how Duke managed to get a cell phone into court.

"All I have is the text messages," said Enzer, indicating that the FBI had obtained them with a court order. "It looks like he's right there in the courtroom recounting what was said, and saying what Brafman said. He's talking about what the judge said. He's commenting on the community service (300 hours) and the letters of support" (58, according to court records) that Nahmad got.

Based on wiretaps the FBI picked up during its long probe, Enzer stated that "Duke would make money pickups related to the illegal gambling business for Helly," who was allegedly part of a $100 million a year gambling and money laundering ring with ties to Russian organized crime.

Marcus GrantIn arguing against Duke's release on bail, Enzer stated that he had numerous arrests for violent crimes over the past 30 years and that the government had a very strong case that Duke played a major role in the plot to kill Delligatti's mob rival, Bonelli, and was a danger to the community who should be detained while he awaits trial.

To back up his contention, Enzer told Pitman that Delligatti "has a longstanding criminal relationship" with Duke. He based that on text messages the FBI recovered between the pair, as well as info the feds got from two cooperating witnesses that Delligatti reached out to Duke "to get his brother Kelvin, a violent career criminal, to carry out" the murder of Bonelli in May of 2014.

In a series of May 8, 2014 texts, in which Kelvin was referred to as DMX, because "he has a very poor temper like the rap artist DMX," Enzer said, the duo discussed Delligatti's desire to hire a hit team and why Fat Sal eventually provided a cohort's car for Kelvin and three Crips to use during the June 8 hit attempt to whack Bonelli a few blocks from his home.

Robert SowulskiSD: Would DMX be able to meet up with me at Cigar Inn or Scores tonight?
BD: Haven't spoken to him.
SD: Can you find out for me?
BD: Was waiting for you.
SD: Give him a call and let me know.
BD: Transportation will be his issue. He needs transportation.
SD: He doesn't have a car anymore?
BD: It's at my house since April of last year.
SD: Oh. I see where the issue of transportation lies now.

On June 3, said Enzer, after Bertram Duke texted Delligatti that he hadn't been able to reach his brother, Fat Sal texted Duke to call him.

A day or two later, Enzer said, Kelvin Duke recruited Tyrone (Ty) Mcullum, "a member of the Crips gang from the Mitchell Houses in the Bronx," and quickly got two others from the same gang for the job, Sharif Brown, and Marcus Grant. And on June 8, Kelvin Duke and the trio — Grant had a loaded .38 revolver in his waistband — were arrested in a car that a Delligatti cohort gave Kelvin Duke in order to solve his "transportation issue."

Robert DeBelloIn addition to the gun and hollow point bullets they took from Grant, arresting Nassau County detectives also seized a cell phone that Kelvin Duke used to talk to Delligatti while the foursome was en route to whack Bonelli, and a burner phone that Bertram Duke gave Kelvin before they set out on their failed mission, said Enzer.

The prosecutor said the feds also have two cooperating witnesses who will tie Bertram Duke to the murder plot, as well as an attempt to obstruct the investigation by spiriting Kelvin Duke to a hideout in Syracuse shortly after he, and the two Crips who were unarmed, were released without any charges being filed.

Enzer didn't disclose the identities of the witnesses, but according to court records, and sources involved in the case, they are Kelvin Duke, who flipped after he was hit with a sealed indictment and was arrested by the FBI, and Robert Sowulski, a former Delligatti cohort who decided to cooperate after he was indicted along with Fat Sal and the three Crips from the Mitchell Houses in 2015.

Ryan EllisAt the bail hearing, Goldsmith argued that the text messages were ambiguous, and that the case against his client revolved around the credibility of the cooperating witnesses, and that in any event, home detention with electronic monitoring would assure the safety of the community if Duke were released on bail. His client denies sneaking a cell phone into federal court, Goldsmith told Gang Land.

Pitman ruled that it was a "close question" but ordered Duke to remain behind bars to await trial, which is scheduled to begin in February — of 2018.

Since only four of the 18 defendants in the case — including Brown and McCullum — have pleaded guilty thus far, the February 2018 date is officially slated to be the first of two trials, but Gang Land, and the government, which rarely agrees with Gang Land these days, thinks that many of the remaining defendants, particularly the eight charged only with gambling, will cop guilty pleas.

Laura SwainManhattan Federal Court Judge Laura Swain set the tentative trial date on Friday, when Enzer announced that the feds expect to add extortion charges to the indictment against Duke, and two others charged in the murder plot, Genovese soldier Robert (Old Man) DeBello and mob associate Ryan Ellis.

As Enzer was announcing their names and the additional — but less serious charges of extortion — Ellis's distraught mother Mary, fainted. Judge Swain halted the proceeding, called in medics, and rushed down from the bench and offered her assistance as Ellis, who is detained without bail, craned his neck and watched anxiously from the jury box until his mom came around.

Mrs. Ellis was escorted out of the courtroom by medics. A short time later, Swain again stopped the proceeding to tell Ellis that she had just spoken to court personnel and that his mother was fine.

Bonanno Capo Guilty In Sushi Lounge Assault

Peter LovaglioBonanno wiseguy Peter (Pug) Lovaglio pleaded guilty last week to assault charges stemming from the brutal beating he gave to the owner of a Staten Island sushi restaurant and bar in 2015 that left the owner blinded in one eye.

Lovaglio faces a minimum of five years in prison, but he could do as much as eight. Whatever his sentence, he is still the subject of much Gang Land gossip for the bizarre blabbing he did to a cop who pulled him over for a routine traffic stop last year.

"I'm in the Mafia," Lovaglio blurted out to police officer Joseph Perfetto, according to court papers obtained by Gang Land. "I did 15 years in prison for racketeering. My license is suspended. I'm out on $50,000 bail for a felony assault bar fight, and I have a knife on me for protection in case I get into another bar fight."

Following the plea, assistant district attorney Natalie Barros did not ask that Lovaglio begin serving his prison term immediately. Instead, Lovaglio, 55, is scheduled to be sentenced by Supreme Court Justice William Garnett on March 10.

Anthony PerrettiSeveral criminal attorneys said that it is not unusual in state court cases, unlike in federal court where judges are required to remand defendants convicted of a crime of violence, for a defendant to be allowed to remain free on bail even if he has pleaded guilty to a violent crime.

And Lovaglio's lawyer, Patrick Parrotta, who is expected to argue for a five year prison term on sentencing day, told Gang Land there were "no secret deals" and "no sealed proceedings" before saying good-bye in a quick telephone conversation.

Lovaglio was already in hot water with his mob bosses even before the traffic stop. Sources say Bonanno family leaders chastised Pug for bringing heat on himself and the crime family after he was arrested for assaulting the restaurant owner, a former cop, during a drunken brawl in November of 2015.

Before that arrest, sources say the acting capo was involved in numerous dealing with mobsters and associates with several crime families, including a sitdown over a $50,000 dispute between two drug dealers. That argument ended violently a year ago when a rival mob associate, Richard Gambale, stabbed Lovaglio crew member Anthony Perretti to death after Perretti assaulted Gambale with a metal pipe.

Except for his two Staten Island arrests, the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office and the Staten Island DA's office each declined to comment about any mob activity, or involvement with the law that Lovaglia may have had following his release from federal prison in early 2015.

Legendary Brooklyn Barrister Jack Evseroff Dead At 91

Jack EvseroffJacob (Jack) Evseroff, a legendary Brooklyn barrister who won countless trials as a prosecutor in the 1950s, and as a defense lawyer for the next half a century representing wiseguys, drug dealers and cops accused of murder and other crimes, died last week. His death came less than two months after Evseroff, 91, announced his retirement.

A St. John's Law School graduate, Evseroff was admitted to the New York state bar in 1949 and joined the Brooklyn District Attorney's office in 1950. As Gang Land reported in December, he took down his shingle last year after 67 years as an attorney.

"I would have begun my career a couple of years earlier, but like a lot of people, I quit college for a couple years, from 1943 to 1945," he told Gang Land last year, noting with pride that he was in the 95th Infantry Division and had fought in the Battle Of Metz during the Lorraine Campaign to retake French towns that the German army had captured in World War II.

Sterling Johnson"That's when I saw General Patton," he laughed, "and I swear he looked just like George C. Scott in the movie."

Evseroff's legal career went full circle last year when his last client was sentenced for drug trafficking by Brooklyn Federal Judge Sterling Johnson. They had known each other for more than 60 years, but it was the first time the lawyer had appeared before the judge, who has been on the bench since 1991. They had worked together in the 1950s when Evseroff was an ADA and Johnson was a detective, and the ADA helped the detective get steady night work so he could attend law school in the daytime.

Two months ago, when Gang Land detailed Evseroff's long career as an attorney, Johnson said: "Jack was a crackerjack trial attorney. He always knew his way around the courtroom."

Matida EvseroffEvseroff, whom Gang Land cited as Defense Lawyer of the Year in 2016, passed away in Mount Sinai Brooklyn two weeks after he fell and broke his hip.

"I shared an office with him in Downtown Brooklyn for 25 years," recalled attorney James DiPietro. "And in his prime, in a murder case in state court, he was as good as any lawyer in the land. I learned a lot from him early on in my career. If they ever open a criminal defense lawyer's Hall of Fame, Jack gets in on the first ballot. He was as good as it gets."

His wife Matida recalled how Jack proposed to her after he met her in December of 2006, when he was a young 81: "He joked, 'If you marry me, you'll add 10 more years to my life.' But as the years went on, he wanted to live to be 100, but it wasn't to be. I told Jack I'm sorry you didn't live to be 100, but we had ten good years."

"He was an amazing guy," said his son, Kenneth. "I saw him the day before he died, and he still had the mind of a 25-year-old. But his body failed him."

In addition to Matida and Kenneth, he is survived by a son, Paul, a daughter Leslie, a grandson Brett, and a granddaughter Erica. Following an emotional graveside ceremony at New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon, Jack was laid to rest beside his father Elias, and his mother Bernadine.

[Fughedaboutit]

Interesting. No mention of Scarfo like others suggested.

Thanks for the article

[Hailbritain]

Another god awful bore fest from capeci

[willychichi]

Where's Sonny? I'll say it for him, not your best work Jerry.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Yup. Typical Jerry, a lawyer passing gets a 12 paragraph write up but not a single mention of the passing of one of the most memorable, violent mob bosses of the 80's.

Honestly this guys priorities are just ridiculous.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Where's Sonny? I'll say it for him, not your best work Jerry.

The only interesting section was about Loviglio and even then the SI did a better write up.
And beat Jerry by a full week.

But a sincere thank you as always to dell for the post.

[Garbageman]

First, and as always, thanks for posting, Dellacroce.
I'll try to add some spice to this week's very boring read. When I got to Otisville FCI, one of the inmates there was this Helly Namad kid. He appeared to me as if he was a parents worst nightmare. Decheveled hair, squinty untrustworthy eyes and really fuckin dumb. I had no clue who he was on the outside until months later. Kid was a total space cadet. Got the luck of the sperm draw. One day, we got a visit from the halfway houses available to us in the area. Just to talk about what it would be like and what was to be expected of inmates while there, rules and regulations kinda thing. One of the requirements was that you are not allowed to be self employed. Another was, any money you earned, a certain percentage of that check (I think 15% or not to exceed 90 bucks a week) went to the halfway house. This kid Helly raises his hand and asks "um, can I work for a family business?" The woman from the halfway house says "are you an owner?" to which Helly responds "well, yeah" so she tell him no. He then says "yeah, but what if it's like... a really old business, that like, has been around forever" *silence* *dumbfounded look from everyone* then everyone laughed. The next question young Helly asks is "what if I make, like, 5 thousand a week, how much do they take out of that?" Finally, the head CO says "Namad, if you make 5 grand a week, I'm shooting myself after work" The whole place went wild.
After I got out, I Googled the kid. Couldn't believe how somebody this baked could possibly run a business. I felt sorry for his parents.

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[dave]

Yup. Typical Jerry, a lawyer passing gets a 12 paragraph write up but not a single mention of the passing of one of the most memorable, violent mob bosses of the 80's.

Honestly this guys priorities are just ridiculous.

Capeci never writes about stuff you can already read in full about somewhere else. What do you expect him to add to the story? I mean, he could mention it, but what good would that do? His column has always been about breaking news, and writing abou subject you can't find anywhere else.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Yup. Typical Jerry, a lawyer passing gets a 12 paragraph write up but not a single mention of the passing of one of the most memorable, violent mob bosses of the 80's.

Honestly this guys priorities are just ridiculous.

Capeci never writes about stuff you can already read in full about somewhere else. What do you expect him to add to the story? I mean, he could mention it, but what good would that do? His column has always been about breaking news, and writing abou subject you can't find anywhere else.

Sure. And a good point.

But there's always a balance. He is meant to be a 'news' site and Scarfo, in 'news' priorities, should easily trump some ambiguous connection between a Genovese third party associate and a wealthy individual and a 12 paragraph obituary to a deceased lawyer.

Not that these ARENT worthy of an exclusive, but to mention both in such depth as to the exclusion of such a seriously important story, is bullshit prioritizing.

ESPECIALLY as he has Anastasia. THE Philly fucking guru who couldve, should've given the penultimate obit.

[BobbyPazzo]

First, and as always, thanks for posting, Dellacroce.
I'll try to add some spice to this week's very boring read. When I got to Otisville FCI, one of the inmates there was this Helly Namad kid. He appeared to me as if he was a parents worst nightmare. Decheveled hair, squinty untrustworthy eyes and really fuckin dumb. I had no clue who he was on the outside until months later. Kid was a total space cadet. Got the luck of the sperm draw. One day, we got a visit from the halfway houses available to us in the area. Just to talk about what it would be like and what was to be expected of inmates while there, rules and regulations kinda thing. One of the requirements was that you are not allowed to be self employed. Another was, any money you earned, a certain percentage of that check (I think 15% or not to exceed 90 bucks a week) went to the halfway house. This kid Helly raises his hand and asks "um, can I work for a family business?" The woman from the halfway house says "are you an owner?" to which Helly responds "well, yeah" so she tell him no. He then says "yeah, but what if it's like... a really old business, that like, has been around forever" *silence* *dumbfounded look from everyone* then everyone laughed. The next question young Helly asks is "what if I make, like, 5 thousand a week, how much do they take out of that?" Finally, the head CO says "Namad, if you make 5 grand a week, I'm shooting myself after work" The whole place went wild.
After I got out, I Googled the kid. Couldn't believe how somebody this baked could possibly run a business. I felt sorry for his parents.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Hahahaha

[Fughedaboutit]

First, and as always, thanks for posting, Dellacroce.
I'll try to add some spice to this week's very boring read. When I got to Otisville FCI, one of the inmates there was this Helly Namad kid. He appeared to me as if he was a parents worst nightmare. Decheveled hair, squinty untrustworthy eyes and really fuckin dumb. I had no clue who he was on the outside until months later. Kid was a total space cadet. Got the luck of the sperm draw. One day, we got a visit from the halfway houses available to us in the area. Just to talk about what it would be like and what was to be expected of inmates while there, rules and regulations kinda thing. One of the requirements was that you are not allowed to be self employed. Another was, any money you earned, a certain percentage of that check (I think 15% or not to exceed 90 bucks a week) went to the halfway house. This kid Helly raises his hand and asks "um, can I work for a family business?" The woman from the halfway house says "are you an owner?" to which Helly responds "well, yeah" so she tell him no. He then says "yeah, but what if it's like... a really old business, that like, has been around forever" *silence* *dumbfounded look from everyone* then everyone laughed. The next question young Helly asks is "what if I make, like, 5 thousand a week, how much do they take out of that?" Finally, the head CO says "Namad, if you make 5 grand a week, I'm shooting myself after work" The whole place went wild.
After I got out, I Googled the kid. Couldn't believe how somebody this baked could possibly run a business. I felt sorry for his parents.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

Well, that idiot was hanging out with people like Dicaprio...he is doing something right lol

[Garbageman]

You don't know the half of it. He fucked Gisele bundchin and shit tons of other models. We had model story time in the TV room on Saturdays... The Little prick lol

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[Garbageman]

dc931f01a2aaaae153198a58aa5fac27.jpg

Here he is in Otisville celebrating Shabbas. My buddy was the picture taker guy.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Fughedaboutit]

You don't know the half of it. He fucked Gisele bundchin and shit tons of other models. We had model story time in the TV room on Saturdays... The Little prick lol

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

wow

lucky little asshole

[Snakes]

You don't know the half of it. He fucked Gisele bundchin and shit tons of other models. We had model story time in the TV room on Saturdays... The Little prick lol

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Do you believe him?