Gangland 12/2/2021

[Dr031718]

Joining His Dad's Mob Crew Was A 'Very Dumb Mistake.' Then He Smartened Up, And Went Back To College.

Gang Land Exclusive!Joseph Amato Jr.Unlike most organized crime figures who tell relatives and friends they were "away at college" when they were behind bars for one scam or another, mob associate Joseph Amato Jr. has actually been taking college classes since his arrest on a slew of racketeering charges along with his wiseguy father and 18 others two years ago.

In fact, Amato, 28, who faces the music for his crimes next week, made the Dean's List a few times, and earned a bachelor's degree in business management from St. John's University in May. He is currently working toward a Masters Degree at the CUNY campus on Staten Island where he is maintaining the same top level grades, according to court filings in his case.

Amato was already a college student when he "made a very dumb mistake" and dropped out of Wagner College in 2015 to engage "in criminal conduct" with his Colombo capo father, Joseph Amato Sr. But his lawyer argues that young Amato is now committed to a "law abiding and productive life" and deserves a no-jail sentence instead of the 21-to-27 months in prison that is called for in his plea agreement.

Ironically, Amato Jr. was implicated, but not charged, in an aborted effort to fix a college basketball game between the two colleges he's attended — Wagner and St. John's on December 16, 2018. The FBI tape recorded him talking to an old Wagner College buddy, Benjamin Bifalco, who boasted that he had paid $7500 to three Wagner players to shave points, when he hadn't.

Benjamin BifalcoIn tape-recorded talks he had with Bifalco, mobster Thomas (The Plumber) Scorcia, and other defendants who were also snared on gambling and loansharking charges, Amato Jr. displayed some fairly sophisticated wiseguy protocol, presumably after being schooled by his old man in such matters. He also helped arrange, and take part, in a beating for his old man, according to government filings.

But those days are long gone, and never to be repeated history, says his attorney, James Froccaro who notes that Amato had straight A's in most of his classes during his last three semesters at St. John's. Amato Jr. "has been excelling academically" at CUNY grad school, Frocarro says, receiving grades of 90 or better on his midterm examinations.

And while excelling this year at two schools of higher learning, "Joseph has also distinguished himself in the workplace," the lawyer wrote. He began as a laborer for "a company that services and installs sprinkler systems at homes and businesses throughout the tri-state area" and was recently promoted by the owner who speaks highly of Amato, Froccaro wrote.

"His work skills improve every day by watching and learning from senior employees," Robert Lubelli, the owner of Waterlume Lawn Sprinklers, stated in a letter the attorney submitted to the sentencing judge. "He follows work assignments extremely well and puts his best effort into customer satisfaction," Lubelli wrote. "I would like to see him remain as a permanent employee."

James FroccaroAmato Jr.'s downfall resulted from what the defense attorney called "misguided loyalty and a natural yearning for his father's approval" after he quit college. "He is a far cry from the young man who appeared for arraignment in 2019," the lawyer stated in his sentencing memo to Brooklyn Federal Judge Brian Cogan.

"There is no dispute that Joseph's conviction resulted from his involvement with his own father, his namesake," whom Cogan sentenced to 70 months for stalking his former girlfriend and a host of other crimes, Frocarro wrote. "(Amato Jr.'s) transformative effort to brake the cycle of familial criminality is of central importance at his upcoming sentencing," the lawyer stated.

To press that point, Froccaro submitted letters from his client's mother and aunt stating how young Amato, who was 10 months old when his father was arrested for Colombo war crimes in 1994, had yearned for his dad's release from prison "for 15 long years" and that when it finally happened in 2009, it was the worst thing that could have happened to 16-year-old Joseph Jr.

"Unfortunately, his father did not turn out to be the role model he promised us he would be when he was finally released from prison," wrote his aunt, Kathy-Ann Ragonese. "We have often said that Joseph waited all those years for a hero, but instead, got a zero."

Joseph Amato Sr & Junior"During his childhood," his mother Laura Jane wrote, Joseph made her "so proud of him at every stage of his young life" as he won "academic awards in middle school and high school" and was "at all times a responsible, well-mannered and conscientious young man" whose only contact with his father was "in prison visiting rooms around the country."

During those years, she wrote, her son was the center or her world and her "life revolved around him" as she "spent every waking moment trying to compensate for the absence of his father from our home" until he was released from prison and her "son was elated that his father was finally a (daily) presence in his life."

"Our happiness did not last very long," she wrote. "Sadly," Mrs. Amato wrote, "Joseph's father resumed his old ways" and dragged her son into his world. They became "co-defendants," she wrote, because Joseph's "desire to have his father in his life and to make up for lost time overshadowed" his attachment to her, and the values she instilled in him. But only temporarily, she insists.

"The son I know and love has returned, the one with a good heart and head," she wrote. "Since his release on bail (he spent four nights behind bars after his arrest,)" Mrs. Amato wrote, "Joseph Jr. has been acting like the son and human being I raised him to be —a productive and law abiding member of his community."

"Joseph Jr. will never fall prey to his father's improper influence again," she insisted. "He has accomplished so much in the past two years and will continue to prosper and be a productive and law-abiding member of the community if Your Honor gives him a second chance at life. I know that he would never let Your Honor, me, or himself down again. It would also break my heart to see my only child follow in his father's footsteps — off to prison."

Last Hurrah for Fabled NY-NJ Waterfront Commission? It's Up To Governor Hochul

Kathy HochulNew Jersey won a big victory in its effort to kick the Waterfront Commission out of the Garden State last week when the U.S. Supreme Court stayed out of the fight. But the waterfront watchdog, established in 1953 to combat mob corruption, is still on the job, with its eyes on the area's docks and ports. Officials say the agency will be there for the foreseeable future, as New York Governor Kathy Hochul decides whether to take the federal government's advice to step up and ask the Supreme Court to block New Jersey's move to quit the bi-state agency.

It's a complicated mess, with a lot of moving parts, but the key player in the game is Governor Hochul. She has to decide whether it's in the Empire State's interest to maintain the two-state combine that Congress and President Eisenhower set up to combat the mob's stranglehold on the docks that was portrayed in the movie classic, On The Waterfront.

If she makes that determination — most observers believe she will — New York could sue to block the move in the Supreme Court, as acting U.S. Solicitor General Brian Fletcher stated in his October filing with the high court. "If NY believes that NJ has violated the agreement with the two states, it could seek leave to file an original action against NJ in this court," Fletcher wrote.

New York could also file suit in New Jersey Federal Court. That's where the current legal battle began in 2018, when the Commission sued to block New Jersey from enacting a state law it passed to withdraw. The Commission won that battle, but the decision was reversed last year by the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals. That's the prevailing law since the Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal by the Commission.

Amy PaulinSources say federal law enforcement officials in both states, as well as state officials in New York — and even some in New Jersey — want her to fight New Jersey's move. But Hochul, who has announced her decision to seek election as Governor on her own next year, and her office, have ducked the issue. "We are reviewing all options," a spokeswoman told Gang Land, which is what she stated November 22, when the Supreme Court opted out on the Monday before Thanksgiving.

The only elected New York official that Gang Land could find with a public position on the politically volatile issue, is Amy Paulin, an assemblywoman from Scarsdale. For 20 years, Paulin has represented several tony Westchester towns far from the New York and New Jersey ports that have long been under the thumb of the Gambino and Genovese crime families.

Gang Land was unable to connect with Paulin, a Brooklyn native who married and relocated to Scarsdale to raise her family more than 30 years ago, over the last two days. But we were able to obtain a November 22 letter that she wrote the Governor about the matter.

In her letter to Hochul and two key aides, Paulin expressed strong support for the waterfront watchdog. She urged Hochul to "take all steps necessary to ensure that the Waterfront Commission continues to operate and fulfill its critical mission" to "protect the port from the influence of organized crime and to ensure diversity in hiring."

Raymond LesniakDisbanding the Commission would "leave a void in oversight of the port" since it plays "a unique role in combating the influence of organized crime at the port and ensuring that hiring is done on a fair and non-discriminatory basis," wrote Paulin, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Corporations Authorities and Commissions.

"This mission combines national security interests with those of fighting against historic and ongoing discriminatory hiring practices at the port," Paulin, a Democrat like Kochul, wrote. She said it was "critical" not to "disrupt" the Commission's work now, "at a time when the port is experiencing unprecedented demands and supply chain challenges."

Paulin implied it would be a smart political move for the Governor to challenge "New Jersey's unilateral legislative withdrawal from the bi-state Commission without any mirroring legislation by the State of New York," which has "has refused to enact any legislation to dissolve or amend" the Commission's work since 2009.

"It is critical that we protect the role New York plays in bi-state agencies and commissions," Paulin wrote. "New Jersey's attempt to circumvent the proper legislative process and to dissolve the Commission without New York's agreement cannot go unchecked," she stated, noting that the federal court ruling in favor of the Commission was reversed "on purely procedural grounds."

Not challenging the Garden State's actions "would not only have serious consequences in this instance," Paulin wrote, "but it would also establish a dangerous precedent for the operation and governance of the Port Authority and all other similarly organized compact agencies."

Susan WigentonSince 2010, New Jersey state senator Raymond Lesniak, with backing and funding by the International Longshoremen's Association and New York Shipping Association, has led the effort to oust the Commission, arguing that the mob "had been driven out of the Port" and that the Commission's oversight rules were stifling "economic growth" of the state's waterfront.

In 2018, Judge Susan Wigenton decided it was "in the public interest for the Commission to continue its investigatory and regulatory work." In a 23 page ruling, she wrote that the Commission had obtained convictions "of hundreds of individuals who were conducting illicit activities in the Port, including, but not limited to, drug trafficking, theft, racketeering, illegal gambling, loansharking, and murder."

Last year, the appeals court reversal did not address the merits of the case, but decided that the lawsuit by the Commission was invalid since it "impinges" on the "sovereignty" of New Jersey, which can only be sued by another state. That is why Hochul, as the Governor of the empire state, is the major player in the game.

Meanwhile, as Hochul continues reviewing all her options, the embattled Waterfront Commission is gearing up for its next public meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, December 13.

Judge Sends A Thanksgiving Message To The State Department; Skinny Joey Gets His Passport

Joseph MerlinoBack in September, the U.S. State Department stated it would take up to 30 days to mail a passport back to a Mafia boss once the agency finally found it. They were wrong. Actually, it took only one day — after a no-nonsense federal judge scheduled a special Thanksgiving Eve court session and threatened to cite one of its officials and the Department with contempt of court.

Until then, the nameless bureaucrats ignored repeated inquiries from prosecutors and defense lawyers about the agency's refusal, or inability for whatever reason, to carry out the seemingly simple task of mailing Philadelphia mob boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino his passport.

Skinny Joey's post prison supervised release for illegal gambling had ended in July, and the wiseguy wanted his passport, which he had surrendered in 2016 in order to be released on bail.

But the department, which admitted that its employees had found the passport back on September 24, wasn't in any rush. The agency's officials told prosecutors that Merlino's passport would be returned within 30 days.

Thirty days is about how long it might have reasonably taken Thomas Jefferson and his State Department staff of six to return a passport back in 1789. But that was more than 200 years ago. Which is why Manhattan Judge Richard Sullivan was decidedly upset when he learned on November 22, the Monday before Thanksgiving, that the agency's 11,000 or so civil service employees in the nation's capital still hadn't mailed it, and that they had also ignored "multiple calls and emails" about the matter from prosecutors.

Judge Richard Sullivan"IT IS HEREBY ORDERED," Sullivan wrote, that "the government and a representative of the State Department shall appear before the Court" at 9AM on Wednesday November 24 "to explain the Department's failure to return Defendant's passport and show cause why the representative and/or the Department should not be held in contempt of court."

It didn't take long for the still nameless bureaucrats to grasp, and to act on, the judge's message.

Within hours, prosecutor Jonathan Rebold reported that State Department employees had already packaged and shipped the passport via "UPS 'Next Day Air' to the defendant's residence in Florida" and had given Merlino's lawyers and the government the "UPS shipping label and tracking number for that shipment."

Rebold added that while he remained "available to appear" in court on Thanksgiving Eve "alongside a representative from the State Department," he was dutifully providing a quick "update to the extent it obviates the need for a hearing."

Sullivan promptly "VACATED" the contempt hearing that had been scheduled for Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at 9:00 a.m. But the judge noted that the word of the State Department alone didn't pass muster with him. "The government shall instead provide an update by November 24, 2021 confirming delivery of the passport," the judge wrote.

Turns out that the UPS's Next Day Air service worked like a charm, which the prosecutor confirmed a day early, on November 23, with help from Skinny Joey himself.

"UPS tracking information indicated that the shipment had been delivered," Rebold wrote, adding that "the Government learned from Jordan Barbone, counsel for the defendant, that the defendant had confirmed receipt of the document

[Dapper_Don]

thanks for posting

[Chopper]

Merlino’s passport saga cracks me up
Thanks for posting.

[Southshore88]

Thanks for posting

[SonnyBlackstein]

Thanks for the post.

Looks like Joeys permanently in Florida. Little surprised that now hes off supervised release he's not back in Philly.
Feds are up his ass wherever he goes. Must like the weather.

[SolarSolano]

Thanks for posting. I can rationalize with Joe Amato Jr. and wonder if he really is a good kid who got screwed by his dad.

[Ivan]

Joey just keeps on winning, lol. Imagine being that guy. What a life.

[Manf]

Joey was at the Garden on Saturday night.

[Shellackhead]

Hopefully Joe Amato Jr. Is really changing his ways & not wasting his life in the mob.

[Shellackhead]

Also I wonder what’s gonna happen to Joe Amato Sr’s crew, will it get disbanded, merged, taken over by someone else on an acting basis or permanently.

[Dr031718]

Also I wonder what’s gonna happen to Joe Amato Sr’s crew, will it get disbanded, merged, taken over by someone else on an acting basis or permanently.

Most of the crew went down in the bust so most likely merge what’s left with another crew IMO

[Tonyd621]

Hopefully Joe Amato Jr. Is really changing his ways & not wasting his life in the mob.

He seems like a quick learner. Can't say that every mobsters kid.

[Dave65827]

I seriously doubt the kid is going straight. He was arranging extortion and beat downs with members of his dads crew as long as being a point man for the younger associates in the write up GohnGotti did here

[AntComello]

No way the kid goes straight.

[Tonyd621]

No way the kid goes straight.

Why not? I mean we've seen guys more commited to the life try and go straight before. He's just a kid