Gig Is Up for Gambino Associate Nailed for Murder
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| "Jerry" Bruno, Gambino associate |
The murder of Martin Bosshart in 2002 garnered widespread media coverage. Bosshart himself was a notorious thug who was alleged to be involved in several murders and himself could be likened to a one-man crime wave.
Bruno was arrested on Tuesday in Las Vegas, where his initial appearance for removal proceedings to the Eastern District of New York commenced.
“Gennaro Bruno started his criminal career at a young age as a member of a street gang where he earned his criminal credentials. He then graduated to become an associate in the Gambino crime family, where he proved himself to be both an earner for the family and capable of murder,” stated United States Attorney Loretta E. Lynch.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos stated, “Gennaro “Jerry” Bruno was originally trained as a member of the “Young Guns.” After being released from prison, Bruno was promoted to associate of the Gambino crime family. In January of 2002, Bruno executed Martin Bosshart by shooting him in the back of the head. Bruno was as ruthless as he was calculating, and after a long run of evading justice, Bruno’s gig is up.”
According to the indictment and other court filings, when Bruno was released from prison in 2000 following a three-year term he became an associate of the Gambino crime family, having graduated from The Ozone Park Boys, also known as "Liberty Posse" and "The Young Guns," which is a Gambino crime family Mafia crew based in Ozone Park, Queens. They are infamous for their massive number of crimes, including an illegal $30 million-a-year sports gambling enterprise.
''The list of people who would want him dead is rather lengthy, and we're doing what we can to narrow it down to something manageable.''
Over the next 14 years, before his arrest, Bruno engaged in a myriad of crimes as an associate under Joseph “JoJo” Corozzo, who had risen to the position of consigliere. Among Bruno's alleged crimes: he and other Gambino crime family members and associates imported large quantities of marijuana from Canada into New York City.
In 2001, Bruno’s criminal associate Martin Bosshart began efforts to exclude one of Bruno’s co-cohorts from the operation. Bruno plotted with other Gambino crime family members and associates, including Todd LaBarca, to murder Bosshart. On Jan. 2, 2002, Bruno and others lured Bosshart to an isolated location in Queens, New York, where Bruno allegedly shot Bosshart in the back of the head at point-blank range. Bosshart, 30 years old, was later recovered at the scene.
The New York Times noted that "the body was found about 9:25 p.m. in a desolate area near the Belt Parkway, investigators said. It was face up in front of a fence at 155th Avenue near Lahn Street. Mr. Bosshart was running one of the most lucrative stolen auto parts operations in New York City when he was arrested in 1996, officials said. At the time, he was just 25. Before his arrest, he had overseen an auto-theft marketplace in a warehouse that covered an entire Queens block, base for organized crime's auto theft operations in the city, and shared some profits with a member of the Gambino crime family, according to court testimony.
"[H]e had a reputation that went farther.
"Law enforcement officials said he was a suspect in killings in the Bronx and Queens, and the police in Florida wanted to question him about three 1995 killings there.
"He was also the target of a federal grand jury inquiry into credit card fraud, narcotics trafficking and other crimes in Fort Lauderdale, where he traveled to work as a club promoter, the officials said.
"His criminal record dates back to 1988 and includes arrests on charges of robbery, assault, forgery, narcotics trafficking and, in 1990, attempted murder, although he was never convicted in that case."
The article further noted that Bosshart was charged with kidnapping, robbery and assault for abducting and shooting a former partner aligned with the Bonanno crime family because he believed the man had stolen $50,000 worth of Mr. Bosshart's stolen auto parts.
A law enforcement official who tracked Bosshart told the Times, ''The list of people who would want him dead is rather lengthy, and we're doing what we can to narrow it down to something manageable.''
Bruno also is alleged to have extorted the owner of a waste carting company in Queens.
Ed, do you have any privy insider info about this guy? If so, do you think he will flip?
ReplyDeleteI plan to see if there is anything to follow up on. Will they try to paint Bosshart as a saint, you think?
ReplyDeleteofcourse not considering his "illegal profesion" ended up with him being killed.
ReplyDeleteThey gloss over Bosshart in the indictment. Sounds like someone had to take that motherfucker out sooner or later. A lot can be the read into this indictment.
ReplyDeleteAlso this is a one man indictment; this guy may not have anything to trade. Isolated cells, remember? The wily Sicilians running the street now may be too smart. The feds may have a whole new ballgame on their hands. Bringing in the Brunos isn't going to promote any judges.
ReplyDeleteRanting is encouraged, Philly!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree to a certain degree but didnt joey massino implement the same ruling panel/ isolated cell structure as well? The feds seemed to get around that. What makes these sicilian guys think that this time it can work?
ReplyDeleteTruth being said Joey isnt ur normal mob boss after the war with John stanfa he made himself boss. He goes against the grain of a mob boss with Joey its all about Joey and the money remember guys were paying to be made members so it wouldnt surprise me about a reality show but this is the first im hearing about it and ur right about one thing DC i dont care made guy tough guy someone jumps in my face were going let the chips fall were they may its on. Philly
ReplyDeleteNot yet my friend, but time will tell. The mistake joey massino made was with the barry weinberg deal. He shouldn't have had his wife mail out the check from her account leaving a paper trail. The fbi's forensic accounting folks are incredible at the job they do.
ReplyDeleteGaeton Lucibello is already out, he was released to a halfway house to finish the last 6 months of his sentence. His supervised release/halfway house stay will end in February. Marty Angelina is due out in July, but he also could be released early into a halfway house to finish out his last 6 months.
ReplyDeletePhilly below me is 100% right. Ligambi is the consigliere now, and he was NEVER the official boss of the family. He was boss on an acting basis while Joey was in prison; however, I will agree with you that while he was the acting boss he did a commendable job putting things back together. And Mr. Scarpo had it correct - Stevie Mazzone and Johnny Chang are running things in South Philly right now for Joey.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is entitled to their own opinion, but think about this... if Uncle Joe is the boss (who has now been back out on the streets for almost a year now) then why would they still have the need for an acting boss (Stevie Mazzone)? It's been confirmed multiple times, and there are numerous reports from notable mob experts, not to mention the folks in the know from South Philly themselves, who can confirm that Mazzone is the acting/street boss and HAS BEEN since Ligambi's arrest in May 2011.
ReplyDeleteLigambi said himself that he was ready to retire after the government failed to convict him and he was released following the second trial last January. He may be partially retired, but he's filling the consigliere spot for now, at least on an acting basis.
As Vinny Gorgeous said: the life always ends in a life sentence.
ReplyDeleteEd I think you can agree the only main thing a real wiseguy has to watch is any type of communication device phone taps wire taps and then a close associate becoming a rat because of the same reasons , when you look at the inditments they always need a good rat or great wiretaps otherwise there's no strong case I'm not an expert just sharing my thoughts I think Vinny gorgeous only said that about the life, because he got pinched by that rat bastard Massino but wondering if you agree and your tonight's on what I said ?
ReplyDeleteHell yeah I agree -- without tapes and informants they'd have to catch them in the act, just about. Or build a case strictly on evidence. These organized crimes are very difficult, there's not much evidence unless your stupid enough to keep written records. These also are often victimless crimes, or the victim is dead or complicit. Guys have been convicted (and freed) based on wiretaps and/or turncoats.
ReplyDeleteMassino started it but it's now 20 years later. The mob has "institutional memory," I think it's showed it has learned from past mistakes.
ReplyDeleteLast I recall all the wiseguys that went down or flipped when Massino went down were all home grown Italian-American or Sicilian American wiseguys. The Bonanno' s Sicilian connection died with the pizza connection, unless you mention Canada. I believe some of them if not most were Sicilian, that is, the ones associated with the Bonannos.
ReplyDeleteSicilians born and raised in Sicily are the shrewdest in the business, very cunning, calculating and discerning. If you ever hung out with them or dealt with them, you would know what I mean. In other words, you ain't gonna learn that from reading a gangster book. They don't consider Italian-Americans Italian at all and don't trust them. But anyone can turn rat. Remember John Stanfa in Philly thought he would import some young Sicies to do hits for him? The problem was they were way too young, I think 20 and 21. They ended up ratting on him too. So, you never know. But the Gambino guys are older, experienced, and have the right blood lines.
Massino also tended to surround himself with weak guys, like Coppa, Shellackhead... If you were too strong, he took you out, permanently. There was no real reason for him to kill George from Canada Sciascia.
ReplyDeleteVinny Gorgeous took the reigns because no one else had the balls. He, in turn, put the Sicilians in charge -- he knew they were tough and shrewd enough. Dominick Cicale should see this and have something to add about the zips...
You raise an interesting point.....There was actually a "cabal" within the Sicilian faction of the Bonanno family. They were double-agents, so to speak, made in Sicily, then made in New York courtesy of Carmine Galante who everyone thought had imported them here. The cabal answered to Palermo, and consisted and was led by Catalano, Baldo, Cesare... The Pizza Connection was an infiltration of the American Cosa Nostra by Sicilians, as noted. Then, on top of that. Gaetano Badalamenti, who was driven out of Sicily by the Corleonesi, set up in Spain. He sent relatives to the American Midwest to operate pizzerias. He was doing the same thing as the Sicilian Cosa Nostra - the thing was probably his idea, in fact. So he started doing his own version. Then, he decided to contact Catalano in New York and try to get him and his group to deal for him as well. They were setting that up -- apparently Toto was going along with it. But the Sicilian cabal in New York was under investigation. Badalamenti walked right into it......Meanwhile other zips, like George Sciascia, as you say, were tied to Canada....Catalano and his guys were arrested. Now, did the Bonanno family bosses know what the hell was going on? I don't think so. None of them were indicted for the PIzza Connection....It's complicated but there's a great book about it "Last Days of the Sicilians".......
ReplyDelete