Bonanno Crime Family Acting Boss Joe Cammarano Among 10 Rounded Up in New York City

On Friday, 10 reputed mobsters, including the Bonanno crime family's acting boss, Joseph Cammarano Jr., 58, were arrested in raids on Staten Island, including one at Xcess Gentlemen's Club in Charleston, according to a report by NBC 4 New York. (The indictment purports to name two consiglieris.)

Joseph Cammarano Jr. and John (Porky) Zancocchio, acting boss and consiglieri other Bonanno crime family, respectively
Joseph Cammarano Jr. holds court

The bust also included two other mobsters from other crime families, one from the Luchese and another from the Genovese crime families.

All face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, loansharking, wire and mail fraud, and narcotics distribution. Prosecutors allege that starting in 2012 until this month, the group of extortionists and drug dealers conspired to commit murder and assault in furtherance of the Bonnano operation.





As per news reports:

Albert “Al Muscles” Armetta is singled out for earning his nickname by allegedly getting paid to tune up at least one victim on Bonanno family orders. Or, as the indictment put it, Armettta “did commit and aid and abet the commission of an assault resulting in serious bodily injury.”

Eugene “Boobsie” Castelle was allegedly on loan from the Lucchese crime family, for whom the indictment says he is a soldier or made member.

They all collected money “by the wrongful use of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear,” the indictment says in charging them with conspiracy to commit extortion.

In addition to Armetta and Castelle, the indictment names as racketeering conspirators the following alleged Bonanno wise guys:

Joseph “Joe C” Cammarano, Jr., alleged capo and acting boss; John “Porky” Zancocchio, an alleged capo and consigliere or counselor; Joseph “Joe Valet” Sabella, an alleged capo; George “Grumpy” Tropiano, an alleged acting capo; Domenick Miniero, an alleged made member; Joseph “Joey Blue Eyes” Santapaolo, an alleged made member; and Simone Esposito, an alleged consigliere.

Alleged Genovese made member Ernest “Butch” Montevecchi is charged with conspiring with the Bonannos.
As per the indictment Zancocchio was a captain and the Consigliere of the Bonanno Family; Sabella was a captain of the Bonanno Family; Tropiano was a soldier and an acting captain of the Bonanno Family; Esposito was the Consigliere of the Bonanno Family; Miniero, Santapaolo and Armetta were soldiers in the Bonanno Family; Montevecchi was a soldier in the Genovese Family; and Castelle was a soldier in the Luchese Family.


Bonanno mobster George (Grumpy) Tropiano, 68,

In a separate indictment, a former NYPD officer also was charged with smuggling guns to the Bonannos. Patrick Balsamo (aka Patty the Cop), is charged with interstate transfer of firearms.

If convicted, the men face a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count against them.

Homeland Security Investigations worked alongside NYPD, Diplomatic Security Service and other law enforcement on the case, officials said.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.

United States v. Joseph Cammarano, Jr., et al., 18 Cr. 15 (AKH)
DEFENDANT
AGE
CHARGES
MAXIMUM PENALTY
JOSEPH CAMMARANO, JR., a/k/a “Joe C”
58

RICO Conspiracy; Extortion Conspiracy


20 years in prison for each count
JOHN ZANCOCCHIO, a/k/a “Porky”
60

RICO Conspiracy; Extortion Conspiracy


20 years in prison for each count
JOSEPH SABELLA, a/k/a “Joe Valet”
52

RICO Conspiracy;
Extortion Conspiracy

20 years in prison for each count
GEORGE TROPIANO, a/k/a “Grumpy”
68

RICO Conspiracy;
Extortion Conspiracy

20 years in prison for each count
ALBERT ARMETTA, a/k/a “Al Muscles”
48

RICO Conspiracy;
Assault in Aid of Racketeering

20 years in prison for each count
DOMINECK MINIERO
85

RICO Conspiracy;
Extortion Conspiracy

20 years in prison for each count
JOSEPH SANTAPAOLO, a/k/a “Joey Blue Eyes”
66


RICO Conspiracy


20 years in prison
SIMONE ESPOSITO
47

RICO Conspiracy

20 years in prison
ERNEST MONTEVECCHI, a/k/a “Butch”
72


RICO Conspiracy


20 years in prison
EUGENE CASTELLE, a/k/a “Boobsie”
57


Extortion Conspiracy


20 years in prison

Download U.S. v. Cammarano et al Indictment

USAO - New York, Southern


Bonanno Acting Boss
It was previously reported that Joseph Cammarano Jr. is the top banana on the street for the Bonanno crime family. Cammarano was named acting underboss and is also serving as acting street boss.Cammarano’s promotion has official Bonanno boss Michael (Mikey Nose) Mancuso's blessing.

Several Bonanno gangsters were sent back to prison for attending a Bonanno Christmas party in 2015 and violating parole orders. That was shortly after the new acting boss was named.

Known as Joe C. Jr., the 56-year-old Cammarano grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, joined the Navy after graduating from high school and served on a nuclear submarine in an elite patrol unit that conducted classified missions.

His wife, Angela, is the daughter of Bonanno soldier Vito Grimaldi, who owns Grimaldi Bakery in Queens.

Cammarano Jr. “is a unique man,” defense lawyer Elizabeth Macedonio wrote in a 2007 extortion case. “He is defined by his sense of selflessness, his strong commitment to family and his endless contributions to his country and community.” And he is known for strong-arming a Colombo wiseguy, for which he served 27 months in prison.


The Cammaranos live in a "modest home" located on Long Island's Glen Cove in Nassau County.

This story will be updated, please check back for more information....



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