Cosa Nostra News

They were brothers who dedicated themselves to a criminal lifestyle invented by Sicilian bandits possibly in the 19th century. Michael Londonio, aka Chunk.Died at 29. (The Sicilian Mafia has been around at least since the 1870s, when a Sicilian landlord documented how a group of local Mafia members used threats and harassment against him to the extent that they drove him off the island. Cosa Nostra seemingly popped up in the aftermath of Italy’s 1860-61 reunification.*) The Londonio brothers, Michael and Christopher, will likely be relegated to little more than a footnote, if that, to the story of the American Mafia, and perhaps deservedly so. Still, each brother certainly made a mark, and each in his own way. And we noticed ... When was the last time a wiseguy attempted to bust out of prison? Make a last stand against a team of armed cops serving a no-knock? In September 2017, Christopher Londonio, the reputed Luchese soldier who will be one of five on t...

UPDATED In the aftermath of former Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto's January 2004 arrest ( following the flipping of Bonanno boss Joseph Massino, who revealed Vito's role in a 1981 triple homicide in New York City), more than 40 people were murdered, abducted, or vanished under mysterious circumstances in and around Montreal. Tony Magi outside a Montreal court in 2010. Many of the cases were tied to the Mafia, many specifically over unpaid debts, though sometimes other inferences could be drawn. On January 19, 2004, for instance, Carmelo Tommasino called home to tell his wife that he would be unable to pick up their young daughter at school that day. "Why? What's happened" his wife asked. Without providing anything by way of an explanation, he hung up the phone and was never seen or heard from again. Since then, the Journal de Montreal has reported  (in French) that Tommasino was killed accidentally during the murder of Paolo Gervasi, who was...

There is absolutely nothing like wiretap recordings: they instantly transform you into the proverbial fly on the wall of the room (or inside the car etc.) where the mobsters think they are speaking privately. The problem with this one, and there is a problem, is that brevity is not always the soul of wit. This recording of former Gambino boss Constantino Paul Castellano, only 40 seconds long, is too damn short. And there's no need for a transcript because the spoken words appear on screen, so you can read along. Still, this will be considered extremely fascinating by anyone who has ever wanted to hear Big Paul talk turkey. His cousin/brother-in-law Carlo Gambino, the crime family's founder/usurper is mentioned, and they're discussing "having" Brooklyn, and an election, though that's about all I take away. Other than the chance to hear Paul Castellano speak, that is. Castellano was born on June 26, 1915, in Brooklyn. The nickname Big Paul w...

Alleged Bonanno capo/consiglieri John (Porky) Zancocchio's lawyer claims that the racketeering indictment against Porky and nine other alleged wiseguys should be dismissed because Manhattan Assistant US Attorney Jason Swergold did an extraordinary favor for turncoat Bonanno ­captain Peter Lovaglio. Porky stuffed his face after judge let him out of jail in order to eat healthier. The prosecutor, the lawyer claimed in the filing, handed the turncoat copies of government wiretaps to bolster his $5 million lawsuit against the NYPD. Furthermore, the material also could serve as a “cheat sheet” for when he testifies against high-ranking Bonanno wiseguys, as per "blockbuster federal court filing claims," noted by the New York Post. About a year ago, Zancocchio and alleged Bonanno acting boss Joseph "Joe C" Cammarano Jr. were among 10 reputed mobsters indicted by federal prosecutors for their alleged roles in a racketeering enterprise involving murder,...

Luchese associate Brian Vaughan allegedly was a drug runner for the mob, but exactly when he filled that role should be a larger topic of discussion. Anthony  DiPietro Esquire The following is based ENTIRELY on information obtained and exclusively reported by Jerry Capeci on Gang Land News on November 15, 2018. Vaughan was a longtime associate who reportedly served as an enforcer and former bodyguard/driver for Luchese street boss Matthew (Matty) Madonna. We're betting that not many (unless you are a Gang Land subscriber) understand that after the Bronx 2013 murder of Purple Gang leader Michael Meldish, Vaughan and Matty Madonna both saw their status among their Luchese cohorts drop " dangerously low ," according to Gang Land. Vaughan, who is "permanently disabled" from a construction accident, faces more than seven years in prison, even though he steadfastly declined to deal narcotics that both an uncover FBI agent and mentally handicapped snit...

One up and died. Another was apparently cut loose. At least two face more than a decade in prison, and two others just under that..... Matty Madonna They were among the 19 Luchese made members and associates who were nabbed in a 2017 sweep for murder, attempted-murder, extortion, and gun- and drug-trafficking charges , and other offenses. (Technically, four were already behind bars; this was a superseding indictment.) Five go on trial in March for the murder of former Purple Gang boss Michael Meldish, among other crimes. The indictment, a so-called "Christmas Tree RICO," included mobsters allegedly involved in different crimes, some overlapping, all of which are packaged together for procedural purposes. In many Christmas Tree RICO cases, most of the indicted belong to the same crime family (in this case, obviously they do), but they don’t face the same charges. Following is a list of the names of the indicted, age at the time of the indictment, their...

Cosa Nostra News Exclusive EXPANDED Bonanno boss Michael (Mikey Nose) Mancuso (or should we write, Mr. Mancuso, sir?) apparently has been commuting between the Bronx halfway house he was relocated to in August and the Pelham Bay neighborhood, Cosa Nostra News has learned. Mikey Nose is reminding people who's who. He's "all dressed up" and "playing the part," and "reminding people who is in charge," a source tells us. Mikey Nose also apparently has been telling people "he is all over the Internet and is actually mentioning your site!" So there you have it, folks, Michael Nose apparently has been reading all about himself here on  Cosa Nostra News . He's also become partners in a realty firm. "I'd love to see him hold open houses," the source added. Our source, who we hope keeps in touch , is knowledgeable about certain doings up in the Bronx and we're not going to name him, as per his request. ...

The killers used a GPS device hidden under Sally Daz's car to track him and whack him, according to prosecutors Friday. Sally Daz shooting. Assistant US Attorney Lindsay Gerdes said the feds found the device under alleged Luchese associate Sylvester “Sally Daz” Zottola's car. Zottola, 71, was sitting in his car waiting for coffee at a McDonald's drive thru in the Bronx when he was shot to death on October 4. His 41-year-old son survived an attempted hit in July that was caught on camera. An investigation into the GPS device led authorities to an address where surveillance footage from the day the device was activated caught some of the accused killers — all alleged Bloods members— coming and going. The GPS was activated on September 29, days before  Zottola died. DNA from Bushawn “Shelz” Shelton, one of the accused, was also allegedly found at the scene of the attempted shooting of Salvatore Zottola a month before the murder. The suspects sat t...

UPDATED In November 2000, David Antinuche threatened an Assistant District Attorney with whom he found himself in a Queens courthouse elevator. "I've got a trophy for you for loser of the year," Antinuche told him .... David Antinuche, 51, and four alleged accomplices were busted following a 10-month narcotics probe in Queens and Brooklyn dubbed “Operation Goodfellas.” Undercover officers made 19 purchases, buying a total of 300 grams of cocaine and 150 grams of heroin with a combined street value of $35,000. At least two batches of the heroin contained the synthetic opioid fentanyl. The undercovers convinced Antinuche, an alleged Gambino associate, to introduce them to his suppliers, said Deputy Inspector Dominick D’Orazio, commanding officer of the NYPD’s Criminal Enterprise Investigative Section. Antinuche’s rap sheet includes previous busts for attempted murder, robbery and drugs. He was once described by law enforcement authorities as the leader of t...

UPDATED WITH INTERVIEW You'd think a guy like John (Junior) Gotti would've had enough of courtrooms to last five lifetimes. Junior Gotti, right, and Sergio DaSilva. Yet even though he's survived four racketeering trials, as he never fails to remind, each of which ended in a hung jury, and even though he was detained without bail for 30-something months, apparently Junior has not had enough. The Dapper Don's son/former lead decision maker on a Gambino crime family ruling panel made an appearance at Queens court earlier this week, on Tuesday, to stand tall for an MMA fighter-turned-accused bank robber. And the MMA fighter in question was NOT Junior's son, John Gotti III, who's also an MMA fighter. Rather, the accused was Sergio DaSilva, who robbed an Astoria CitiBank in August 2017. Donning a ski mask, leaping over a three-foot glass partition, and allegedly threatening to shoot people, he dashed off with around $45,000. And was promptly arrested. ...