GL 8/23

[Cheech]

By Jerry Capeci

Bronx Video Knocks Joey Cupcake Off The Menu And Off The Wall At Rao's
Joseph UrgitanoGang Land Exclusive!The FBI pulled his picture from its spot on the wall at Rao's back in 2010 as possible evidence. But that didn't stop Joey Cupcake — son of Luchese wiseguy Angelo Cheesecake — from dining at the famous East Harlem eatery over the past eight years and pointing proudly to another photo of him that hung over the bar. Until very recently, that is.

That all ended late last month, when a Bronx jury rejected his self-defense claim and found Joseph (Joey Cupcake) Urgitano, 51, guilty of first degree assault for stabbing his girlfriend's former boyfriend several times. Joey Cupcake was remanded by acting Supreme Court Justice James McCarty, a former top Westchester prosecutor who presided over his first trial since Governor Cuomo appointed him to the bench in June.

Urgitano, who spent 19 years in prison for a 1986 killing, could be a very old man before he gets another chance to dine at the legendary eatery where it's still possible to sit two tables away from Tony Bennett and listen to him belt out a tune on the juke box.

Luis QuinonesIf McCarty, who was the Westchester District Attorney for a year after DA Janet Fiore was appointed to New York's Court of Appeals, decides that Joey Cupcake, who also spent about 20 months behind bars for a 2012 baseball bat assault, is a "persistent felony offender," he could get 25-years-to life. His sentencing had been slated for today, but is expected to be put off until next month.

The key evidence against the Luchese associate was a dramatic three minute composite video in which Urgitano, carrying a kitchen knife inside a black garbage bag, and his girlfriend, are seen running through the lobby and out the front door and confronting the startled victim, Luis Quinones. Quinones, the girlfriend's old flame, had been leaning on her buzzer for six straight minutes, refusing to leave the apartment house entryway.

Urgitano is then seen pumping his right hand upward into the groin area of the victim, who darts into the lobby and up a three step platform chased by Joey Cupcake and trailed by his girlfriend, Elizabeth Maloney. They are all out of camera range for about 30 seconds, until a large mass (Quinones) is seen falling to the floor.

As Quinones gets up, Maloney seems to disappear out a side or back door as Urgitano runs back toward the camera, down the three step platform, and out the front door. He is then seen running down the street and away from the crime scene at 2840 Buhre Avenue in the Pelham Bay section.

James McCartyIn addition to the video, assistant district attorney Masateru Marubashi introduced into evidence a kitchen knife that police found in a garbage bin behind the apartment house. The knife, which the prosecution said was similar to others that Maloney had in her apartment, had DNA traces on it from all three people who were seen in the video.

In addition, Marubashi also played tapes of two 911 calls that were made from the apartment house on June 15, 2014, the night of the stabbing. The first was from a neighbor, who asked police to respond because a disruptive intruder was banging on the front door. The second call was from Maloney, who pleaded for an ambulance to be dispatched because a man "was bleeding all over the place."

Quinones, who lost 20% of his blood in the assault, initially balked at cooperating with police. But he later agreed to testify and Urgitano was indicted on attempted murder and other related charges in 2016, just as he was being released on parole from his 2012 baseball bat attack. Maloney did not testify at the trial.

Murray Richman"I am disappointed that the jury, which acquitted Joey of attempted murder, compromised and found him guilty of a lesser, but still very serious count of first degree assault," said attorney Murray Richman, adding that he intends to appeal the verdict. It came on Friday July 27, after a day of deliberations following a nine day trial.

Until then, despite his prior convictions for violent crimes, Urgitano, the son of the late Luchese mobster Angelo (Cheesecake) Urgitano, was free on a $100,000 bond, and a frequent patron at Rao's, which he has long claimed is owned by relatives.

Rao's — the tiny East Harlem joint that is a favorite of politicians and celebrities who enjoy the aroma of Cosa Nostra along with the clams and red sauce — has loomed large in Joey Cupcake's criminal life. In an appearance before the state parole board in 2005, Urgitano told officials that he was related to a Rao's owner and might get a job there as a waiter if he were released on parole.

Despite those promising employment prospects, the board turned thumbs down on Cupcake's parole. This triggered an angry letter from Urgitano to the board, questioning why one parole commissioner, Ileana Rodriquez, had suggested there was "something nefarious" about Rao's, and had "asked him during the proceeding about how to get a table at Rao's," according to a 2011 exclusive account by distinguished New York Times newsman William K. Rashbaum.

William Rashbaum"Please tell Ms. Rodriguez I said if she really wants (to) know how to get a reservation @Rao's," Urgitano wrote, "ask your boss, Governor Pataki. He's eaten there a few times. Perhaps he can tell her.''

Two years later, in 2007, Urgitano won release and re-entered the world armed with a college degree he earned while behind bars at Eastern Correctional facility in Naponach, NY.

Rao's figured again in Joey Cupcake's life in 2010 when FBI agents, armed with a warrant, seized a prison photo of Urgitano and Colombo capo Theodore (Skinny Teddy) Persico, a nephew of imprisoned boss Carmine (Junior) Persico that had been hanging below a drawing of Vincent Rao, the son of original owner Charles Rao.

Sources tell Gang Land that the agents seized the photo to back up information that an FBI snitch named Steven Marcus had told them. Marcus stated that he saw the picture there when he had dinner at Rao's with Persico during a three year sting that led to a March, 2010 labor racketeering indictment against Skinny Teddy and his cousin Michael Persico, the businessman son of Carmine.

Theodore Persico Jr.The Persicos, and numerous others who were indicted based on Marcus's undercover work, all pleaded guilty. Marcus never testified, but the FBI never returned the picture.

Coincidentally, earlier this month, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn stated in a court filing that it's high time that Marcus be sentenced for his crime, and that the case be closed, since all the investigations in which he was involved have ended. So perhaps, in the foreseeable future, the FBI will return the missing Joey Cupcake photo to its rightful spot on the wall at Rao's.

It'll likely be quite some time though, before Joey Cupcake will be able to see it. Skinny Teddy Persico, the other person in the photo is slated to be released in two years. But it'll probably take until he completes his post prison supervised release in 2023 before he'll be able to stop in for a bowl of pasta at what one local resident referred to as the "Sistine Chapel of the mob," in Rashbaum's NYT story.

Feds Line Up Heavy Baggage Handlers For Luchese Mob Case
Michael MeldishFederal prosecutors intend to use their own mini-crew of mob turncoats against the four remaining Luchese family gangsters facing attempted murder and other charges as part of a 17-year-long racketeering enterprise. The feds are also seeking to shoehorn in evidence about the 2013 gangland-style slaying of former Purple Gang Leader Michael Meldish — even though the defendants are not charged with taking part in the murder.

In a Monday court filing, prosecutors confirmed last week's Gang Land account that they plan to use Bonanno wiseguy Peter (Petey B.S.) Lovaglio and Anthony Zoccolillo, a Mama's Boy in the short-lived Mama's Boys of the Bronx reality TV show at an upcoming trial in White Plains Federal Court. They also stated they intend to call two other mob songbirds as witnesses — Luchese associates Robert Spinelli and Joseph Foti.

The prosecutors wrote they also want to introduce "limited evidence" about the Meldish murder that was tape recorded by Spinelli, who cooperated with the feds for about five years. Spinelli, 55, discussed the Meldish slaying with mobster Joseph (Big Joe) Datello, and Carmine (Spanish Carmine) Garcia, two defendants still slated for trial. The other remaining defendants are mobster John (Big John) Castellucci, 58, and associate Victor Bruno, 34.

Robert SpinelliSpinelli, however, comes with heavy baggage: He took part in the failed 1992 rubout attempt of Patricia Capozzalo, the sister of the late cooperating witness Peter (Fat Pete) Chiodo on orders from Luchese boss Vittorio (Vic) Amuso. The flubbed assassination — Capozzalo was shot twice but survived — was considered a Mafia low point, as mob rules prohibit attacks on innocent relatives.

In a filing with Judge Cathy Seibel, prosecutors Scott Hartman, Hagan Scotten, and Jacqueline Kelly argue that the Meldish murder talk is needed "to show the existence of the enterprise, the pattern of racketeering activity, and the motives of the trial defendants," even though they are not charged with any involvement in the rubout of Meldish.

Prosecutors concede "that the murder of Meldish is more serious" than the charges the quartet face but they argue that "the law is clear that in the context of a racketeering conspiracy, such evidence may be admitted to prove the character of the enterprise." They state that "the government will take care to limit the evidence related to the murder and will make clear to the jury that none of the trial defendants is personally implicated in it."

In an August 18, 2014 talk with Spinelli, the prosecutors write that "Datello discussed his life as a Luchese soldier and the consequences of his choice to affiliate with the mob." Datello was also heard talking about a $150,000 debt that he owed to longtime family underboss, Steven (Stevie Wonder) Crea, who is slated to go to trial next year with four others for the Meldish murder.

Joseph DatelloThree years later, on March 22, 2017, Datello and Spinelli again discussed the Meldish murder, the prosecutors wrote, as well as a state labor racketeering prosecution of Crea and Datello in 2000 by the Manhattan District Attorney's office, "the debt that Datello owed to Crea, and the Luchese family control of certain labor unions."

Datello, 67, is charged with the attempted murder of Sean Richard, the key turncoat against Stevie Wonder and Datello back in 2000. Wiretap transcripts from that case show that before Richard flipped, Datello, who is also known as "Joey Glasses," and Richard were close pals and the two men spoke frequently about everything from the rackets to their diets.

According to the charges, Datello waited until October of 2016 to get even. That's when, prosecutors wrote, "Datello attempted to murder Richard" by traveling "to a residence in New Hampshire where he believed Richard to live and lay in wait outside his residence for several hours."

The prosecutors cite two discussions about the Meldish killing that Spanish Carmine Garcia had with Spinelli, including one on January 27, 2017, in which Garcia talked about "the motive for the murder, and the role that (soldier) Chris Londonio, the nephew of Garcia's good friend, played in carrying out the murder."

Joseph FotiProsecutors say that Foti, 66, began cooperating last year and will testify that he was part of a conspiracy "to import cocaine" into the U.S. with Datello and Garcia and "to distribute kilograms of cocaine as well as smaller quantities of heroin and marijuana" with them.

A longtime associate of the Bonanno and Luchese families, Foti was involved in two crimes in the 1980s, including a violent assault on a drug dealer, that prosecutors don't want defense lawyers to bring up during their cross examination because they "predate" and are "unrelated" to the drug charges that he pleaded guilty to as part of his cooperation agreement.

Questioning him about those crimes — in 1985 he "struck the dealer with glass bottles and threw him against the wall" and in 1989 he used a gun to collect a debt from another drug dealer — "would be inflammatory and unfairly prejudicial," the prosecutors wrote, and serve "only to embarrass the witness" and have "no probative value."

Lovaglio carries his own heavy baggage and prosecutors are seeking to keep as much of it out of the trial as possible. They've asked Seibel to block the defense from asking Petey B.S. (yes, that's what it stands for) about what they delicately describe as "prior physical altercations" he had with "domestic partners."

Dominic TruscelloAt least one of those former domestic partners has graphically described those incidents to Gang Land as brutal beatings by B.S. They shouldn't be brought up, the feds argue, because those incidents "have no bearing on the truthfulness of (Lovaglio) and their discussion at trial" would also be "inflammatory and without probative value."

Lovaglio took part in a brouhaha between the Bonanno and Luchese families at a Bronx social club in 2012, and will be a witness against Bruno, who is charged with the attempted murder of a Bonanno associate who dissed Stevie Wonder Crea during the dispute.

Defense lawyers are sure to object to many of the government requests in the coming weeks. The trial is slated to begin on October 1.

So far, nine Luchese mobsters and associates who were among the 19 defendants indicted last year, have copped guilty pleas to reduced charges, or agreed to plead guilty before trial.

A tenth defendant, longtime wiseguy Dominic Truscello, who was a codefendant of Crea and Datello in the state labor racketeering case in 2000, beat the rap: He died at age 84 after a long illness on July 26. He was laid to rest at the Madonna Cemetery and Mausoleum in Fort Lee, NJ.

A Promotion In The Bonanno Ranks Earns Ronnie G An Extra Nickel
Ronald GiallanzoHis five crew members had all received sentences well below the recommended prison terms in their plea agreements when they faced the music. But the judge had a different playbook in mind last week when it was acting Bonanno capo Ronald (Ronnie G) Giallanzo's turn to stand in the dock in Brooklyn Federal Court.

The judge hit Giallanzo, the leader of a 12-man crew of gangsters with a dozen years for heading a 19-year-long racketeering enterprise. She wasn't finished. She then gave him two additional years for committing extortion and other crimes while he was serving strict supervised release restrictions (VOSR) following his last stretch behind bars.

Ronnie G's sentencing guidelines were 70-to-87 months for racketeering, and 12-to-18 months for the VOSR. But those are just the guidelines and the judge is free to set the term up to the law's max, and she came close. The 14 year prison term he received was five plus years longer than he had bargained for. On top of that, he was also ordered to forfeit $1.25 million, pay $268,000 in restitution, and to sell the estimated $3 million mansion he built with money that he made as a racketeer.

Judge Dora IrizarryThe day had started out nicely for Giallanzo, whose wife Elizabeth, and their four children, and more than a dozen friends, relatives and other supporters squeezed into the courtroom of Chief Judge Dora Irizarry.

The first thing Ronnie G heard was encouraging news from lawyers Charles Carnesi and Elizabeth Macedonio when they met him before court: The Probation Department, which oversees the sentencing guidelines in all plea agreements, they told him, had lowered his numbers from 78-to-97 months to 70-to-87.

So even if Judge Irizarry gave him the maximum recommended sentence for his conviction and his VOSR, the 48-year-old wiseguy was looking at a nine-year, three-month sentence. With credit for the 17 months he's already spent behind bars, and the standard 15% good time credit that all federal prison inmates receive, Giallanzo would have been home when he was 55.

As she had in the five previous sentencings in the case, the judge began with a stern lecture about the crimes that the defendant committed. But this time, instead of meting out lower sentences than the recommended ones as she had done in the past, Irizarry lowered the boom on Ronnie G.

Michael HintzeThe judge noted that despite a prior 87 month sentence for racketeering, Giallanzo didn't give up The Life. Instead, Irizarry told him, "You rose in the ranks of the Bonanno crime family," engaging in extortion and other crimes. Her sentence will keep him behind bars until he's 60, unless his attorneys can get it reduced. Since his plea agreement gives him the right to appeal any sentence greater than 121 months, his lawyers can, and will appeal.

Not they're thinking about it, but none of Giallanzo's underlings can appeal their sentences, including his brother-in-law, Michael Hintze, who collected loanshark payments for Ronnie G when he was behind bars. Hintze, 52, got three years. His guidelines were 37-to-46 months.

The sentencing guidelines for three other associates, Evan (the Jew) Greenberg, 46, Robert (Chippy) Tanico, 50, and Richard Heck, 46, were 27-to-33 months. Greenberg got two years; Tanico was sentenced to 18 months, and Heck received five years probation.

Judge Irizarry also gave five years probation to Anthony (Cubo) Cuminale, 28, whose guidelines were 12-to-18 months.

[Cheech]

dom truscello died it appears

[slimshady_007]

Good gangland. The Luchese trial on October 1 will be very interesting. Wonder if petey bs will choke again on the stand.

[johnny_scootch]

I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall during that dust up in that Bronx social club.

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

truscello-dominic.jpg

foti-joseph.jpg

datello-glasses.jpg

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

[Breadman]

is there a picture of Urgitano?

Thanks

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

is there a picture of Urgitano?

Thanks

[Fughedaboutit]

is there a picture of Urgitano?

Thanks

Why the long face?

[SonnyBlackstein]

is there a picture of Urgitano?

Thanks

Why the long face?

Thanks for the post and the pics.

Truscello gone. The Luke’s are getting thin on the ground at the top.

[Rocco]

No Obit for Dom that I can find....

[52g]

Anyone have the video of Urgitano

[JeremyTheJew]

Was Dom active? I know his name but I don't remmember why? I believe he was a player back in the amuso/casso days??

[Hailbritain]

The pic the feds confiscated from rao’s

[Hellboy 17]

The lucchesse and bonanno beef at the club. What exactly was that all about? I read about it, but don’t remember reading the actual reason behind the altercation.