Two Genovese Family Members Plead Guilty in Illegal Betting

Two members of the Genovese organized crime family pleaded guilty yesterday to running an illegal gambling racket in the bronx, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said.

John Caggiano, 59, and Douglas Maleton, 60, of the Bronx, were subjects of a 17-month investigation that uncovered illegal gambling rings at the New York City Terminal Produce Cooperative Market, at the Hunts Point Cooperative Meat Market, both in the Bronx, and at various other locations in New York County, the district attorney’s office said. Caggiano was the owner of one of the largest wholesalers in the Hunts Point market, C&S Wholesale Produce.

The illegal betting involved both sports bets and “policy” bets, known colloquially as “numbers.” The district attorney’s office said the gambling operations took in about $1 million in bets a year.

A co-defendant, Ralph Balsamo, who was the head of the Hunts Point crime gang and a member of the Genovese crime family, had earlier pleaded guilty to enterprise corruption. Known as the “Undertaker” because his day job involved running a Bronx funeral parlor, Balsamo was sentenced to between 21/2 and 71/2 years in prison, and fined $50,000. Caggiano worked as Balsamo’s lieutenant in the Hunts Point gambling enterprise, authorizing and supervising gambling activities. Caggiano’s father-in-law is Dominick “Quiet Dom” Cirillo, the former acting boss of the Genovese crime family, according to the district attorney’s office.

As part of the two men’s plea bargain, Caggiano pleaded guilty yesterday in the New York State Supreme Court to enterprise corruption, a felony. He will be sentenced in the state supreme court to between 11/2 and 41/2 years in prison November 3, and will be fined $176,000. Maleton pleaded guilty to attempted enterprise corruption, also a felony, and is due to be sentenced to one year in jail October 10.

http://www.nysun.com/new-york/two-genovese-family-members-plead-guilty/84703/