Judge Seeks To Send Snitch Who Went On Johnny & Gene Podcast Back To MCC, Also Orders Probe (Into Podcast?)

A former Genovese crime family associate who wore a wire and helped the FBI build a major Mafia racketeering case may wind up in the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Lower Manhattan for the crime of appearing on the Johnny & Gene Show.

Gene Borrello, left, John Alite.
Gene Borrello, left, John Alite.


Ironically, turncoat John (JR) Rubeo predicted that he could "get in trouble" for appearing on the podcast hosted by former Gambino associate John Alite and former Bonanno associate Gene Borrello. And now it appears he is just that. 

The reason, Gang Land News reported yesterday, is an "irate federal judge" who is planning to send Rubeo back to the clink after watching the podcast and seeing how Rubeo allegedly "openly flouted the judge's order barring him from associating with convicted felons."

Rubeo was the wire-wearing mob mole who helped the FBI ensnare 46 wiseguys and associates from several crime families in the August 2016 East Coast LCN Enterprise case, which seemed to depict a sprawling, long-running racketeering conspiracy case involving the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno, and Philadelphia crime families. 

Reputed Philadelphia boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino was among the high-ranking wiseguys caught up in the case, the magnitude of which seemed to shrink by the day thanks in no small part to Rubeo himself, who continued to commit crimes while working for the FBI. 

Rubeo, 45, received a 15-month sentence in return for his cooperation, which apparently was even less of an effort than was originally thought if what he said on the Johnny & Gene Show is to be believed. (And it wasn't much back then. As we wrote in 2017: "The biggest crook in the so-called East Coast LCN Enterprise case just may have been turncoat John Rubeo Jr. In the end, he stole the Feds' case.")

Judge Richard Sullivan, who is on the 2d Circuit Court of Appeals, charged that the podcast glorified mob life and also noted that, in addition to getting Rubeo tossed in the slammer, he wants a full scale investigation into the Johnny & Gene Show, presumably meaning to include John Alite and Gene Borrello, along with their laptops, cellphones, and hard drives. This is because of the obvious "planning" that went into the podcast. 

Clearly the Judge views the podcast itself as if it were a criminal act.







The judge, in court about two weeks ago, referenced a Daily News story by Larry McShane about Rubeo's appearance on the podcast. The report highlights multiple things that Rubeo not-so-intelligently admitted during the 85-minute interview, such as “I mangled the case [against Merlino]” and “I committed robberies while I was cooperating. I was gambling. I literally shouldn’t have had an agreement." 

Rubeo also owned up to framing a mobster for arson and hitting the factory reset on his cellphone before handing it over to prosecutors, thereby deleting a year's worth of evidence in the form of cellphone text exchanges between him and and other FBI targets, including Skinny Joey Merlino. 

Merlino, 58, finished serving a two-year bid on July 27, according to the BOP. Merlino copped out after his Manhattan trial ended in a mistrial.

John Alite, in an exclusive discussion with Cosa Nostra News earlier today, took issue with Judge Sullivan's response and his right to investigate cellphones and laptops.

"John Rubeo's whole message was stay off the street, that it doesn't pay," John said. "With all due respect, I'd love to sit down with Judge Sullivan and talk to him about the podcast and what I do for kids. I don't get a paid a single dollar, either. The podcast is against the street. My message to these kids is, I am an ex-gangster criminal. I gave up all violence and crime and if I can change my life, anyone can. We talk about violence and crime, but not in a good way, and we certainly don't glorify the street."

"John Alite," he said of himself, "is a poster child to stay off the streets. I was one of the most violent criminals in modern history." (Note: In wide-ranging ongoing discussions with various gangland figures, we received significant corroboration regarding John Alite's violent activities on the street.) 

In the past nine years or so John Alite has sought to help kids with addiction problems and has focused on attacking street gangs as an option for kids in the inner cities.

Judge Sullivan "ordered probation officials to file specific charges for a full-blown hearing that the judge could conduct remotely, or in court, he said, "which will have a cellblock attached to it, which can lead right to the MCC." 




Sullivan also ordered probation officers "to pull out all the stops and determine how many conversations and meetings Rubeo had with Alite and Borrello because the podcast was "not just a screwup on a Thursday" but something that was planned over a "period of weeks or longer." If necessary, the judge told her, he was "absolutely prepared" to order "laptops and hard drives be turned over, and phones. We can do the whole thing," he said, "because I can't believe that this guy, after getting a sentence of time served, given the nonsense that went on during his period of cooperation . . . has the poor judgment to do this."

As we noted a couple months back the Johnny & Gene show is recorded and edited in a studio. The Johnny & Gene Show kicked off around when the COVID-19 shutdown began. John and Gene are doing the show to influence youngsters to avoid life on the street in a gang or mob crew. It comes down to offering their life experience via the podcasts, which generally include guests who also have life experiences to share.

"We can tell them how fake and treacherous street life is," John told us then. "We want to help them see it for what it is. We keep it real and hope to help kids understand gangs, the streets, the mob, and that there is opportunity in life outside crime, whether they live in the inner cities or rich areas."

"Me and Gene are from two different generations," but both have experienced violence in ways that are beyond most people's understanding.

As for the very recent trouble, we have to wonder if Judge Sullivan watched the same podcast we did... 

In our humble opinion, it is highly arguable that anything is glorified on the Johnny & Gene Show..... Frankly, all the participants (except that Felix Levine guy) look like they would benefit from a good dose of serotonin reuptake inhibitor.... 



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