Dismissal of mobster’s federal appeal sought

Prosecutors want a court to dismiss a federal appeal by Anthony M. “The Saint” St. Laurent Sr., who is accused of trying to hire someone to kill a mob rival and is appealing a judge’s decision not to dismiss the case.
St. Laurent wants the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, in [...]

Berlusconi defends record on mafia, blames media

Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi yesterday defended his record in fighting the Mafia and vowed to hit back at the opposition press that reported he was being investigated in connection with a 1993 Mafia bombing campaign.
“If there’s a person who by nature, sensitivity, mentality, background, culture and political effort is very [...]

Mafia wife urges others to turn in husbands too

The wife of a Sicilian gangster, who has been praised for betraying him at their daughters’ request, has appealed to other mob women to leave their men.
The challenge to the mafia by Carmela Iuculano, 36, whose evidence sent her husband, Pino Rizzo, to jail for life, is rare in an organisation that expects [...]

With Gotti Jury Deadlocked, Prosecutors Face Prospect of Another Stalemate

John Gotti Jr. sat at the defense table, the weight of his family history and whatever we have learned from countless movies and TV dramas about the Mafia, swirling around him.
This was the fourth time in the last four years that prosecutors have brought a case against him, this time for murder and racketeering, and [...]

No bail for alleged Bonanno mob extort man who ‘found’ 10G in Bahamas

A top Bonanno gangster’s bail hearing blew up after he was forced to explain where he got the $10,000 in cash the FBI found on his bedroom dresser.
Joseph Sammartino, a reputed capo and member of the crime family’s ruling panel, whispered his explanation into his lawyer’s ear.
It was left to lawyer Marc Agnifilo to repeat [...]

Italy: Senate leader target of ‘mafia death threat’

Italian police have stepped up security for senate president Renato Schifani and his family after he received suspected mafia threats. The government’s top official in the southern city of Palermo, Giancarlo Trevisone, revealed the security measures in an interview with Adnkronos on Thursday.
“We have increased his security as we do in [...]

‘Nostra’ members admit guilt for roles in bookmaking ring

They carried interesting mob nicknames like “Frankie the Fixer” and “Ralphie Head” and were part of the gang dubbed Delco Nostra, but their cases ended quietly with pleas, including one entered Nov. 20 by 43-year-old Louis “Bent Finger Louie” Monacello.
Wednesday, Monacello of South Philadelphia, said to be a Philly mob enforcer, [...]

Mafia cops target Vatican bank

Anti mafia cops are asking the Pope to authorise access for police to see secret accounts in the Vatican’s private offshore bank as part of money laundering investigations, it emerged today.
The Church’s Institute for Religious Works accepts accounts from priests, Vatican city residents and worshippers who agree to donate part of their money to the [...]

The holiday that helps battle the Sicilian mafia

Francesco Galante throws open the shutters, revealing a view of fields of bright green and deep brown in the Sicilian hills.
Inside the building, built of local stone, sits a new wood-burning oven, tables and chairs, their cushions still wrapped in protective plastic.
But Mr Galante’s new restaurant is no ordinary venture – it sits [...]

Aww, poor mafia

Even mobsters are feeling the squeeze in today’s tough economy.
A bizarrely sympathetic judge took pity on a reputed Colombo family associate yesterday, saying he can keep his job at the trendy Lucali pizzeria in Carroll Gardens — despite prosecutors’ claims that it’s a sham.
Dominick Dionisio, 39, who has a conviction for racketeering, works [...]

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