Gangland - 8/16/18

[Chucky]

Sorry for the delay guys

This Week in Gang Land
By Jerry Capeci

Lawyer Argues Murder Plot Was Personal — Not Mob Business

The feds say Salvatore (Fat Sal) Delligatti was the "main organizer and leader" of a failed Genovese family plot to whack a rival gangster and deserves up to 34 years behind bars. But his attorney has mustered a slew of arguments why his client deserves leniency. Among them is a flip on the classic mob rationale for deadly crime, famously invoked by Michael Corleone in The Godfather. Delligatti deserves a break, his lawyer is asserting, because his crime was strictly personal — not business.

In another unusual twist, an assistant warden at the Metropolitan Correctional Center where Fat Sal has been held for the past three years, has submitted a letter to the court containing strong words of praise for the veteran gangster.

Still, Delligatti has a steep road to climb. His sentence will be meted out today by a judge who is known for doling out lengthy prison terms and for whom the sentencing will be a kind of swan song as she prepares to step down from the bench.

In court filings, defense attorney Jeremy Schneider describes Delligatti as only a "middle man" in the scheme and has asked for a seven-year term.

Those 84 months would be sufficient punishment for Delligatti's role in a bungled assassination attempt in which a team of Crips gang members were recruited to carry out the hit. Schneider notes that it would be four years longer than what the instigator of the scheme received, and two years more than what the Genovese mobster who approved the contract received for his role in a murder plot that ended in arrests — not an execution.

Manhattan Federal Court Judge Katherine Forrest, the 54-year-old jurist who was appointed to the bench in 2011 and who has stated that she is retiring for personal reasons this year, is slated to mete out her sentence to Delligatti today. The 42-year-old gangster has already spent nearly three years behind bars since his 2015 arrest on murder-for-hire charges in the 2014 rubout plan.

In his quest for leniency for his client, Schneider submitted six letters containing fulsome praise and appreciation for Fat Sal from his neighbors at his current residence at the Metropolitan Correctional Center — three from MCC staffers and three from inmates.

"Delligatti has made the best of an exceptionally difficult situation" since he was incarcerated for the first time in his life on October 21, 2015, wrote Schneider, "doing everything in his power to improve his life," by working as an orderly, and by spending "the majority of his time helping other inmates."

"These testaments of gratitude and admiration from MCC staff, supervisors, and inmates," wrote Schneider, "show that Mr. Delligatti is a hardworking, respectful individual who dedicates his time to helping other people, and who can best use these attributes to contribute positively to society upon his release."

Indeed, among those submitting letters in support of Fat Sal is the associate warden of the MCC who, in deference to standard correction policies, gave only an initial for his first name. Nevertheless, M. Vitale wrote that "Delligatti is a remarkable worker, has an excellent rapport with staff and his fellow inmates," and has worked "endless hours" on the facility's drug counseling and GED tutoring programs.

"He is called upon on a daily basis to assist with several projects on the unit and maintains a positive attitude during the entire process," Vitale wrote. He stated that Delligatti is a "fantastic volunteer" who has worked as a GED Tutor and for more than two years has been "doing a phenomenal job helping his peers obtain their GEDs."

"He has a great attitude and demeanor on a regular basis," Vitale's letter continues. "He is respectful and helpful all in the same tone; he expresses patience with his peers, completed the healthy living program, and used the tools learned from the program to share with others, so they too, can benefit from the lessons of the course."

Fellow inmates added their praise:

A 24-year-old member of the Bronx-based B.M.B (Big Money Bosses) street gang, imprisoned in a federal racketeering case recently extensively profiled by WNYC radio, wrote that "Mr. Delligatti" was "a mentor and big brother" who convinced him to turn his life around.

A 27-year-old California resident who was "quite out of place here" wrote that Sal was a welcome friend who gave him "soap, toothpaste, deodorant, shower slippers and even his radio" when he was arrested on drug charges. And a 30-year-old Staten Islander wrote that Sal was a "ray of light" for him when he "was in a complete state of distress" following his arrest on drug charges.

All three inmates wrote that Delligatti helped tutor them and help them study for their GED exams and that they have seen him be as helpful and generous with his time with other inmates.

Fat Sal was found guilty of racketeering charges going back to 2008. But the linchpin of the case was Delligatti's role in the plot to kill Joseph Bonelli, a tough Genovese gangster from Queens who stared down the Crips hit team leader, Kelvin Duke, during one failed rubout and who was in court when Duke, who was the key government witness, testified.

There is no dispute, as prosecutors Samson Enzer, Jordan Estes and Jason Swergold stated in their request for a sentence between 27 and 34 years, that Delligatti took $5000 from his buddy Luigi (Louie Sunoco) Romano to kill Bonelli. Likewise, it's acknowledged that Fat Sal hired Duke to recruit a hit team, and gave him a gun and a car that a trio of Crips gangstas used on two road trips to kill Bonelli.

Duke testified that he and his team were waiting in front of the gangster's Whitestone, Queens home on their first try on Saturday, June 9, 2014. He held off, he said, when he made "eye contact" with Bonelli and saw that his girlfriend was with him. Duke and his hit team were arrested by police on their second try the next night, he testified.

Noting that the rubout failed "only because law enforcement learned of the plot to assassinate Bonelli in time to thwart it," the prosecutors argued that a virtual life sentence was warranted because Fat Sal "was ready, willing, and able to have Bonelli killed simply because he stood to benefit from Bonelli's death."

The benefits, the prosecutors wrote, were "profit and his standing" in the crime family, in particular with Delligatti's mob superior, soldier Robert (Old Man) DeBello, since the longtime mob associate was "pursuing a career as a mobster."

But Schneider argues that prosecutors are viewing the crime through the wrong lens. The attempted hit was motivated by personal pique, not for any traditional wiseguy gain. Schneider pointed out that Delligatti kept none of the $5000 that Romano gave him to whack Bonelli and that Louie Sunoco's motive to kill Bonelli "was personal" and had nothing to do with the Genovese crime family. "Bonelli was a known thug who terrorized Romano's business and made violent threats against Romano and his family," Schneider wrote.

"Even accepting the jury's conviction," wrote Schneider, "it is clear that it was not (Delligatti's) idea to commit the attack. He was not a leader or organizer of the conspiracy, he had no actual decision-making power or control, and at most, served as a middle man between Romano and the individuals who ultimately attempted to carry out the plot."

A seven year sentence would be "appropriate" for his client, Schneider added, if Judge Forrest "takes into account" the prison terms received by codefendants who "were guilty of similar, or more serious conduct than Mr. Delligatti," and other codefendants who have "significantly more extensive criminal records" than his client.

The feds gave Romano a plea deal calling for a maximum of three years in prison, Schneider wrote, even though he was the prime mover in the plot who "turned to Delligatti and asked him to recruit other individuals to attack Bonelli, and who also provided the payment for the job."

And the government gave a five year plea deal to Old Man DeBello, wrote Schneider, even though "the government alleged that it was DeBello who provided authorization to Delligatti to have Bonelli killed." Both plea deals were approved by Forrest, who gave each defendant the maximum sentence.

Schneider wrote that three Crips hit team members who were nabbed on their way to kill Bonelli — Marcus Grant, Tyrone (Ty) McCullum, and Sharif (QB) Brown — had sentencing guidelines from 19 to 26 years, and they received much lower prison terms, from 11 to 13 years.

"Accordingly, the conduct for which Mr. Delligatti was convicted is, at the very least, no worse than that of his co-defendants," wrote Schneider. noting that all "were involved in the murder-for-hire conspiracy."

"Moreover," the lawyer wrote, "McCullum and Brown have significant criminal histories involving violence, firearm possession and drug dealing" while Delligatti had "minimal misdemeanor records" dating back to 1997 and 2003, when he was 21, and 27.

"A sentence of 84 months imprisonment falls within the middle of the range of sentences imposed upon Mr. Delligatti's co-defendants, who exhibited similar, if not worse conduct, some with much more significant criminal histories," the lawyer wrote.

Prosecutors countered that "Delligatti deserves a substantially more severe sentence" than his codefendants because Fat Sal was "the main organizer and leader of the murder conspiracy" and has "failed to accept responsibility for his crimes even after being confronted with overwhelming evidence of his guilt."

"None of (the cited) codefendants had anything close to the level of involvement in organizing, plotting, orchestrating, or leading the murder conspiracy as Delligatti" had, the prosecutors wrote.

The prosecutors noted that the Probation Department had rejected "Delligatti's argument that an 84-month sentence is warranted" and instead recommended a substantial prison term of 25 years.

The government prosecutors appeared unimpressed by the support Fat Sal mustered from his friends on both sides of the MCC bars. They totally ignored Schneider's argument that Delligatti had turned his life around during the nearly three years he's been in the federal lockup and would be a productive citizen in four years. They apparently believe it'll take him at least another 24 years before that happens.

Judge Forrest, while noted for meting out heavy sentences, recently handed down a surprisingly sweet seven year prison term to a bank burglar who was looking at 13 years for the two 2016 bank heists that netted a record breaking $30.5 million in loot.

Forrest's decision on how soon Fat Sal Delligatti will be going home will come as she closes out her own seven year tenure as a federal judge. He's got to be hoping Forrest believes seven is a lucky number — and that she read those letters from the MCC.

Feds Teaming Up Their Best And Worst Turncoats For Luchese Racketeering Trial

The biggest Mafia trial of the year — in White Plains Federal Court, that is — will feature one of the best mob turncoats that the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office has had in years, along with another snitch who has been a total dud, Gang Land has learned.

Sources say prosecutors intend to call Anthony Zoccolillo — he struck out in 2012 as a Mama's Boy in the Mama's Boys of the Bronx reality TV show, but was a smash hit as a mob turncoat in 2013 and 2014 — at the October 1 racketeering trial of five Luchese mobsters and associates charged with a 17-year-long racketeering enterprise.

The record of the other witness is a lot less impressive. Turncoat Bonanno capo Peter (Petey B.S) Lovaglio — his nickname is just what you think — was a flop at the February trial that ended in a hung jury for Philadelphia mob boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino.

The quintet were indicted last year along with longtime underboss Steven (Stevie Wonder) Crea, his son Steven D. (Stevie Junior) Crea, who was released on bail last week, and three others who are charged with the 2013 murder of former Purple Gang leader Michael Meldish. Their trial is slated to take place next March.

It will be Zoccolillo's courtroom debut for the feds, who were able to get guilty pleas from 14 mobsters and associates whom the Mama's Boy tape recorded during a two month stretch in 2013. Zoccolillo was Gang Land's Most Productive Cooperating Witness of 2014.

The focal point of Zoccolillo's testimony will be Luchese associate Vincent Bruno. Bruno, 34, is charged with drug dealing and the attempted murder in 2012 of a Bonanno associate who dissed underboss Stevie Wonder Crea during a dustup at a Luchese social club in the Bronx, according to court records filed with Judge Cathy Seibel.

Bruno's alleged murder attempt of a Bonanno associate name Carl Ulzheimer was the focal point of several embarrassing misstatements that prosecutors Scott Hartman and Jacqueline Kelly made about evidence they had against Stevie Junior Crea, Bruno, and soldier Paul (Paulie Roast Beef) Cassano during several bail hearings.

Initially the prosecutors said that Bruno had admitted taking part in the Ulzhemier plot in a taped talk with Zoccolillo. When lawyers for Cassano and Stevie Junior called them on that, they conceded they misspoke, but cited a talk that Zoccolillo had with Genovese soldier Salvatore (Sally KO) Larca as evidence of the plot. But Judge Seibel later dismissed that claim.

Prosecutors gave Cassano a sweet plea deal in return for not pursuing misconduct allegations against them, and he received 18 months for illegal gambling. The attempted murder of Ulzheimer is still pending against Stevie Junior. He will face that charge next year when Crea, his dad, and three others go to trial for the Meldish murder.

It's unclear what Zoccolillo plans to say about the Ulzheimer plot, but the Mama's Boy has plenty of evidence that Bruno was involved in a lucrative pot selling business: so much that Bruno copped a plea deal to that in 2014 and is currently serving a prison stretch for it that ends next year.

Sources say that Lovaglio was involved in the 2012 dustup with the Lucheses at their Bronx social club, and that prosecutors Hartman, Kelly and Hagan Scotten plan to call Lovaglio at the October trial of Bruno, and Luchese mobsters John (Big John) Castellucci, Joseph Dinapoli, Joseph (Big Joe) Datello, and associate Carmine (Spanish Carmine) Garcia.

Attorney Gerald McMahon said he was disappointed with the government's tactics against Bruno, but voiced optimism about his plight when contacted by Gang Land yesterday.

"Vincent Bruno's a nice young kid who got caught up in selling marijuana, and he's paying the price for that, and now they want to pile on," said McMahon. "Well, juries don't allow piling on, and Zoccolillo is going to be running back to his mommy and daddy."

The outspoken barrister opted not to discuss Lovaglio specifically, but predicted a big win for the defense: "All in all, it's going to be a very humiliating defeat for the Southern and Sovereign District of New York." He declined to say in what round the KO will come.

All American Bookie Gets A Very Sweet Sentence In Sexual Assault Case

The federal court sentencing of Bonanno crime family associate Robert (Rob) Pisani ended last week without a final decision. But the All American bookmaker got a sweet conditional discharge sentence this week for his misdemeanor sexual assault conviction for forcible touching involving a former worker at a bagel store he owned last year.

On Tuesday, Queens Criminal Court Judge Ushir Pandit-durant rejected a request for a year behind bars from assistant district attorney William Richards, and imposed the conditional discharge sentence that defense lawyer Seth Ginsberg had requested.

Perhaps as a sop for the Queens District Attorney's office, which pulled out all the stops in prosecuting Pisani, Judge Pandit-durant imposed a $500 fine on Pisani, who was also dunned $250 in court costs, according to an online report about the sentence.

Meanwhile, in federal court in Brooklyn, attorney Ginsberg last week questioned the federal government's efforts to up Pisani's sentencing guidelines from 16-to-21 months to 24-to-30 months based, in part, on Pisani's misdemeanor sexual assault conviction.

Along with a 12-page brief, Ginsberg submitted the entire trial transcript of the state case to argue that despite the Queens jury's verdict, Chief Judge Dora Irizarry should not increase his client's sentence for bookmaking "based upon Pisani's conviction in the state case."

Last week, Ginsberg argued before Irizarry that it was "implausible" that Pisani, who had "been in business for 20 years and never had a complaint against him by a single woman" would engage in the illicit conduct he was charged with while "he's out on bail" on federal racketeering charges.

Citing Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and Charley Rose as examples, the lawyer argued that his client was an innocent victim of the growing number of "me too" claims involving the growing number of allegations of "sexual misconduct by men against female employees."

"It does not mean it did not happen," said Irizarry.

"But you know what," Ginsberg responded, "With Mr. Pisani, no one said 'me too.' People said Rob? That? Are you kidding me? Never. He would never do that," adding that while the sexual assault allegations were pending, Pisani got 87 letters of support, including some written by "female employees that worked for him."

In the end, Irizarry agreed not to consider the sexual assault conviction in deciding on a sentence for Pisani, the proprietor of a popular sandwich shop in Broad Channel called the All American Deli. But the judge withheld a final decision regarding whether to credit the government's allegation that Pisani obstructed justice with Patricia Adams, the publisher of a local Queens newspaper, to try to convince the woman employee from going forward with the sexual assault charge against Pisani.

Pisani's sentencing is scheduled for September 13.

[Teddy Persico]

Delligatti got 25 years.

[willychichi]

Genovese Crime Family Associate Draws 25 Year Prison Term for Murder Conspiracy & Racketeering

http://www.lawfuel.com/blog/mafia-prose ... keteering/

[DPG]

Can someone please explain this whole "Purple Gang" thing to me?

[NYNighthawk]

They were from East Harlem - 116th Street area back in the day. They were also big out in Detroit

[DPG]

They were from East Harlem - 116th Street area back in the day. They were also big out in Detroit

I know about the Detroit gang but I've read conflicting posts on here about this Harlem Purple Gang. I think JIGGS just recently posted in one thread about how it was basically make believe. Is there a thread on it already? I'll try to search for it.

[slimshady_007]

Good gangland this week. Also, anyone know why the Ulzheimer murder plot in 2012 was called off?

[Nicholas]

Delligatti got 25 years.

Shame

[SonnyBlackstein]

Thanks Chucky

[JIGGS]

They were from East Harlem - 116th Street area back in the day. They were also big out in Detroit

I know about the Detroit gang but I've read conflicting posts on here about this Harlem Purple Gang. I think JIGGS just recently posted in one thread about how it was basically make believe. Is there a thread on it already? I'll try to search for it.

Some guys that knew each other got bunched up together with other guys that knew each other and were all happened to be involved in the drug trade and had Italian surnames, plus the two Pollocks Mike and Joe "Il Ruso." Some part time journalist took an incident with Caserta and others and made up a conspiracy known as Purple Gang. After the Prohibition era gang, because the drug trade was being likened to Prohibition. They were getting credit for hits ( .25 caliber murders) they had nothing to do with. Murders that decades later were SOLVED pointing it in the right direction. But these motherfucks in media and the wikimafia want to keep running the Purple Gang myth. Now it's out of control. Anyone with a link to East Harlem and drugs was Purple Gang. Okay Have fun.

JIGGS

[JIGGS]

Delligatti got 25 years.

Shame

Why?..

JIGGS

[newera_212]

Good gangland this week. Also, anyone know why the Ulzheimer murder plot in 2012 was called off?

i think they tried twice and just couldnt find the guy. its alleged that they knocked on his door with a gun in their car and that, plus the hearsay from the snitches, is what is bringing an attempted murder charge. its a bullshit charge and its egregious, but its one of the most interesting parts of the indictment

[DPG]

They were from East Harlem - 116th Street area back in the day. They were also big out in Detroit

I know about the Detroit gang but I've read conflicting posts on here about this Harlem Purple Gang. I think JIGGS just recently posted in one thread about how it was basically make believe. Is there a thread on it already? I'll try to search for it.

Some guys that knew each other got bunched up together with other guys that knew each other and were all happened to be involved in the drug trade and had Italian surnames, plus the two Pollocks Mike and Joe "Il Ruso." Some part time journalist took an incident with Caserta and others and made up a conspiracy known as Purple Gang. After the Prohibition era gang, because the drug trade was being likened to Prohibition. They were getting credit for hits ( .25 caliber murders) they had nothing to do with. Murders that decades later were SOLVED pointing it in the right direction. But these motherfucks in media and the wikimafia want to keep running the Purple Gang myth. Now it's out of control. Anyone with a link to East Harlem and drugs was Purple Gang. Okay Have fun.

JIGGS

I got ya thank you. Were there ever any specific cases involving any of these guys together JIGGS?
I asking in the direction of was there ever a Purple Gang indictment?

[JeremyTheJew]

Hopefully the new guy who says he's fro same blocks as you sees this jiggs.

I'm sure you to prob have ran into eachother...

[JIGGS]

They were from East Harlem - 116th Street area back in the day. They were also big out in Detroit

I know about the Detroit gang but I've read conflicting posts on here about this Harlem Purple Gang. I think JIGGS just recently posted in one thread about how it was basically make believe. Is there a thread on it already? I'll try to search for it.

Some guys that knew each other got bunched up together with other guys that knew each other and were all happened to be involved in the drug trade and had Italian surnames, plus the two Pollocks Mike and Joe "Il Ruso." Some part time journalist took an incident with Caserta and others and made up a conspiracy known as Purple Gang. After the Prohibition era gang, because the drug trade was being likened to Prohibition. They were getting credit for hits ( .25 caliber murders) they had nothing to do with. Murders that decades later were SOLVED pointing it in the right direction. But these motherfucks in media and the wikimafia want to keep running the Purple Gang myth. Now it's out of control. Anyone with a link to East Harlem and drugs was Purple Gang. Okay Have fun.

JIGGS

I got ya thank you. Were there ever any specific cases involving any of these guys together JIGGS?
I asking in the direction of was there ever a Purple Gang indictment?

Never. I ain't never heard or read about a Purple Gang trial or indictment. All you have are individual crimes being committed with the perpetrators being referenced as former Purple Gang leader. For the record, it's only now that Mike Meldisch is getting tagged with the Purple Gang leader title. They wasn't saying that 20-35 years ago. It's all newspaper gimmick shit to hype the story and make the whole story more dramatic than what it actually is.

The closest thing to a federal investigation was a 1976 DEA Report. I first became privy to it when it was first cited in a newspaper article with the same sensational sentence that continued to be referenced in those wacky Mafia encyclopedias. That the PGN was 127 Italian American youth from East Harlem who did contract killings, extortions, moved "H" and were associated with the Genovese, and Lucchese families. (They even had them doing deals with the Contras in Nicaragua. GMAFB!) They were all supposed to be the children of wiseguys. They took one example (Jimmy Caserta) whose old man was in the life and converted that into the PGN's autobiography. But if anyone reads the DEA report it conveys an organized gang on its last legs. In other words the report was capturing them in their decline. But then the faccia brut' phony journalism reporters concocted some sort of PGN renaissance post-1976. Making them out to be the Sixth Family. Claiming unnamed sources in the NYPD were concerned over a shooting war. When Johnny Cokes got whacked they cited that murder as an example to bolster the NYPD concern. We know that this Jersey hit was committed in-house by the West Side. Mikey Cigars is currently in the clink for that act. But back then it was an unsolved homocide. These motherless fucks exploited the situation and hyped up the Purple Gang angle.

See the 1970s had all this talk about the Mulinyan, the Mexicans, Cubans, Fuckin' Gook gangs, etc. The PRs. They were all supposed to take over the underworld. Based on some scholar's theory about immigrants taking turns at the top of the criminal food chain. Because of the Black Power movement it was supposed to be their turn at the top. What that stupid movie about Lucas was all about. Even Pileggi was pushing that shit. As was Bill Bonanno in his first tell all.. These bastards were going by wherever the wind blew at the time. If the prevailing theory would have been the Micks were emerging as a power in the underworld, they would have had Hugh Mulligan as boss of bosses if they could. And they were going that route too. You could see it. Anyone who was Irish was automatically a Westie. Even though Hugh was a Queens guy. PGN is the same as the Westies. Marketing terms given to individual racketeers and junk pushers, loosely connected to traditional organized crime groups. There was no hierarchy. Jimmy Coonan was the boss of Jimmy Coonan. He had "whoever" on his payroll when he was at his peak. The fact that a Yugoslav was ID'd as the heir to the Westies throne should have been a wake up call to anyone following that story. So while the media was focused on mythical gangs, the zips quietly took over the junk trade. And none of these rags were reporting it. They limited them to being a new breed of soldier for Carlo Gambino (who was reportedly attempting to unify Cosa Nostra. One giant family with him as the boss. Ha!) The media was really going to town in the 1970s after the Godfather films came out. So you really have to take all that shit about there being a Purple Gang, .22 Cailber Hit Squad, and even a Westies, with a grain of salt. Despite what the popular "facts" and "reports" claim.

JIGGS