Judge Refuses Motion to Toss Indictments Against Bonannos

Bunch of Bonannos following their arrest mug for the camera.
Well, most of them do...
A judge refused Wednesday to toss out the indictments against eight reputed Bonanno mobsters, including longtime Bonanno heavyweight brokester Nicholas "Nicky Mouth" Santora.

The defendants, rounded up last July, appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court today. They were charged with enterprise corruption, the state version of the federal crime of racketeering. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 25 years.

Making up the corruption charge are a host of traditional mob rackets: extortion, loan sharking, and gambling -- as well as the selling of prescription drugs ranging from oxycodone painkillers to Viagra.

Vixen Belinda Rossetti gave us the lowdown
on underboss Santora.
Prosecutors say the case proves that traditional organized crime persists and that the crew's illegal activities even extended into online crimes. They highlighted that the case includes charges related to an illegal Costa Rica-based online gambling operation that took in $7 million over six months.

The list of the indicted also includes former Teamsters union president/reputed Bonanno associate Nicholas Bernhard, who headed Teamsters 917 on Long Island. The union represents about 1,900 workers in liquor, automotive, parking and other industries. Union members were allegedly recruited to borrow money from the mob loan sharks and then gamble it away.

The indictment was the result of a two-year investigation into a $10 million scheme involving organized crime's infiltration of the labor union. Investigators used court-ordered wire taps and search warrants during the investigation.

Some members of the crew were recorded making plans to sell hundreds of thousands of pills, for $5 each.

Nearly 30 guns were recovered as part of the operation, with some reports describing the crew as "well armed." Anthony "Skinny" Santoro -- who the New York Daily News can't believe uses foul language during personal conversations -- said that the guns he’s been charged with possessing were actually taken from the home of his neighbor.

As the News noted: "Skinny" Santoro was caught on tape threatening revenge on people who had crossed him.
A glum Nicky Mouth, denied bail, sits
in court earlier this year.

"[The] [o]bese Bonanno bad boy... has a temper as big as his waistline, spewing a series of profanity- and threat-laced rants in which he violently threatened a “young punk” and a “Greek m---------er,” court papers reveal. 

The tirade was all caught on wiretap, according to the court filings in Manhattan, and featured dialogue straight out of “Goodfellas.” 

"You tell him ... that he's doing some s--t that’s affecting me personally," Santoro rages at alleged family associate Nicholas Bernhard, 52, who is also a Teamsters local president. 

The pair were discussing an unidentified man with whom Santoro wanted to threaten. 

“I'm gonna split his f---ing head with a hatchet, to be honest with you,” the 5-foot-11 and 300-pound Santoro tells the union boss on the tape, according to the transcript. 

"I'll put two holes in his f---ing forehead. I'll double tap his forehead right now!" 

"Kid's a young punk," Bernhard remarked, fueling more acid rage from the man mobsters have nicknamed “Skinny.” 


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