11 Members and Associates of the Colombo Crime Family
Indicted
Three indictments were unsealed today in federal court in
Brooklyn variously charging 20 defendants with racketeering, extortion,
loansharking, stalking, attempted sports bribery and related offenses. Among those charged with racketeering were
Joseph Amato, an alleged captain in the Colombo organized crime family of La Cosa
Nostra (“the Colombo family”); Daniel Capaldo and Thomas Scorcia, alleged
Colombo family members; and Joseph Amato, Jr. and Anthony Silvestro, alleged
Colombo family associates. An additional
alleged Colombo family member, Vincent Scura, was also indicted. The indictments relate to the defendants’
charged criminal activities in Staten Island and elsewhere since January 2014.
The defendants were arrested this morning, and are scheduled
to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Vera M.
Scanlon.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern
District of New York; William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and James P.
O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the
charges.
As alleged in the indictments and the government’s detention
letters, the investigation began in November 2016 when a GPS tracking device
was found concealed on an MTA bus. Amato
had earlier obtained the device to surveil his then-girlfriend and boasted
about the resources at his disposal to keep her under close surveillance. In one email, Amato stated, “This is my
island. Not yours. I have eyes all
over[.]” In another email, Amato stated,
‘I’m a MANS MAN!!!” His then-girlfriend
discovered the device on her vehicle and removed it, and it was subsequently
attached to and recovered from the MTA bus at a depot n Staten Island. Thereafter, the government obtained
court-authorization to intercept communications over various cellular
telephones used by the defendants.
As detailed in the government’s court filings, Amato and
members of his crew used violence and threats of violence to earn illegal
proceeds and solidify the crew’s reputation and standing. On one occasion, an individual confronted
Amato Jr. for insulting a woman in a bar.
Amato Jr. told the individual to back off, and threatened, “Do you know
who my father is?” The following day,
the individual was lured to a location where Amato, Amato Jr. and other members
of Amato’s crew brutally beat the victim, leaving him bloodied and in need of
staples in his scalp. On other
occasions, court-authorized intercepts captured: (1) Scorcia boasting, “I told
the guy sit in the car, and the kid had the tears,” (2) Silvestro advising
Scorcia, “[Y]ou send him a smack. If he
raises his hand back to you, we beat the bricks off him, that’s it” and (3)
following the commission of one of the charged crimes of violence, Amato Jr.
described the crime and the victim’s reaction, “[W]e abused him so bad. Yo I had, bro, me and Pap (Silvestro), bro,
had him shaking bro. He was in tears, he
was crying.”
The court-authorized wiretaps also captured the defendants’
scheme to fix an NCAA college basketball game.
To further the scheme, defendant Benjamin Bifalco offered members of a
college basketball team thousands of dollars to intentionally lose the
game.
Two firearms, two stun guns, a canister of purported tear
gas and thousands of dollars in U.S. currency were recovered during
court-authorized searches of residences of Amato and Scorcia.
“The mafia is not the criminal threat it once was, but we
remain vigilant and will vigorously investigate and prosecute members and
associates who engage in violence and extortion to intimidate victims and
enrich themselves and their crime family,” stated United States Attorney
Donoghue. Mr. Donoghue extended his
grateful appreciation to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Drug
Enforcement Task Force for its assistance during the investigation.
“One of the stunning things revealed in this investigation,
it seems members of the mafia families that were once almost romanticized by
Hollywood and pop culture, have resorted to acting like playground
bullies. As alleged, they are still up
to their old extortion and bribery schemes, and terrorizing their victims, but
they are also still getting caught. The
FBI New York Joint Organized Crime Task Force wants to send a clear message to
members of the families in our communities who continue to operate, we will do
all we can to stop a true resurgence from ever happening,” stated FBI Assistant
Director-in-Charge Sweeney.
“The successful outcome of this investigation shows our
continued efforts to target and hold responsible organized criminal
syndicates,” stated NYPD Commissioner O’Neill.
“I thank our investigators and law enforcement counterparts whose
cooperation was vital to bringing these individuals to justice.”
The charges in the indictments are allegations, and the
defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s
Organized Crime & Gangs Section.
Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geddes and Megan E.
Farrell are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-442 (S-1)(ILG)
JOSEPH AMATO
Age: 60
Colts Neck, New Jersey
JOSEPH AMATO, JR.
Age: 26
Staten Island, New York
JOHN CAHILL
Age: 27
Staten Island, New York
DANIEL CAPALDO (also known as “The Wig” and “Shrek”)
Age: 54
Staten Island, New York
PRIMO CASSARINO
Age: 31
Staten Island, New York
CHRISTOPHER COFFARO
Age: 21
Staten Island, New York
JOHN DUNN
Age: 30
Staten Island, New York
PHILIP LOMBARDO
Age: 61
Staten Island, New York
JOSEPH MARRA (also known as “Joe Fish”)
Age: 58
Brooklyn, New York
ALBERT MASTERJOSEPH
Age: 57
Brooklyn, New York
DOMINICK RICIGLIANO (also known as “The Lion”)
Age: 30
Staten Island, New York
THOMAS SCORCIA
Age: 52
Staten Island, New York
VINCENT SCURA (also known as “Vinny Linen”)
Age: 58
Staten Island, New York
ANTHONY SILVESTRO (also known as “Bugz”)
Age: 28
Staten Island, New York
KRENAR SUKA
Age: 26
Staten Island, New York
JOHN TUCCIARONE
Age: 39
Staten Island, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-443 (CBA)
ANTHONY BOSCO
Age: 26
Staten Island, New York
NICHOLAS BOSCO
Age: 30
Staten Island, New York
JOSEPH BOSCO
Age: 55
Staten Island, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-444 (ARR)
BENJAMIN BIFALCO
Age: 25
Staten Island, New York
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