Here's Why Retired Genovese Family Bookmakers Should Never Share An Apartment With Their Latin King Nephew
But if they do, they shouldn’t store their guns and ammunition in the bedroom, especially if they are a convicted felon....
David (Chicky) Cecchetelli, 54—reputedly a retired bookmaker associated with the Genovese family’s Springfield crew who was arrested in 2019 with his nephew, a big-shot in the Latin Kings—yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris.
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| Chicky, who was nabbed in a Latin King round-up, isn't a Latin King (source: Twitter). |
The judge slated Cecchetelli’s sentencing for March 17, 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. He faces up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a potential $250,000 fine. (See Twitter video of Chicky below.)
The trouble came early one morning in December 2019, when over 500 Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers raided the Latin Kings in the Northeast United States, arresting more than 60 members and associates of the criminal organization and executing 31 search warrants at 24 locations.
The arrests included Chicky Cecchetelli and nephew Michael Cecchetelli, who together shared an apartment in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Michael reputedly is part of the East Coast and Massachusetts leadership of the Almighty Latin Kings and Queen Nation, the organization's full name. Michael Cecchetelli oversaw operations spanning from Massachusetts to Florida, according to Joseph Bonavolonta, head of the FBI's Boston office.
In April, Michael Cecchetelli, a/k/a King Merlin, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity. He faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
While Chicky Cecchetelli has no apparent ties to the Latin Kings beyond having some of the same blood in his veins as his roommate, King Merlin, he reputedly has longstanding ties to the Genovese family’s Springfield crew. Years back, he also served eight months in Federal prison for bookmaking.
Thanks to that unusual arrangement (it's one that we haven't witnessed very frequently) involving a mobster uncle and gangbanger nephew sharing an apartment, as further detailed below, Chicky was indicted in April 2020 for being a convicted felon who possessed guns and ammunition, both of which were found when law enforcement conducted a search related to the Latin King bust of King Merlin.
As per court filings, prior to December 2019, the government commenced a probe that included a focus on Michael for allegedly being the East Coast Regional Overseer of the Latin Kings. Through surveillance and cell phone records, the government determined that Michael lived at 126 Firglade Avenue with his uncle, David. The two shared an apartment in a colonial house. Chicky Cecchetelli slept in the bedroom (which had a lock on the door), and Michael slept in the dining room(?). The two shared a kitchen, bathroom, and living room and paid rent separately to the landlord.
On December 2, 2019, the government applied for a search warrant of 126 Firglade Avenue to recover evidence related to Michael’s involvement with the Latin Kings. Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler issued a warrant later that day, authorizing the government to search “all rooms, crawl spaces, storage areas, and any containers such as safes, vaults, file cabinets, drawers, luggage, briefcases, valises, boxes, jewelry boxes, cans, bags, purses, and trash cans” and “all areas commonly accessible to the tenants of 126 Firglade, including hallways, basements, attic spaces, storage spaces, driveway, garage, front yard, back yard, and curtilage of the property” for such evidence.
Officers executed the search warrant at around 4:00 a.m. on December 5, 2019. After announcing their presence and entering the property, they observed David Cecchetelli emerging from the bedroom and Michael emerging from the rear of the apartment. Both men were wearing only boxers.
Officers arrested Michael pursuant to the warrant. At his request, the officers retrieved his sweatpants, a shirt, and sneakers from the dining room before transporting him to an FBI location for booking.
David Cecchetelli was informed of the search warrant and remained seated on a sofa in the living room. He chatted with some of the officers, eventually asking them if they could retrieve his glasses, sneakers, and a shirt, which he told them were located “right there by [his] bureau in there.”
Big mistake! When those cops searched that room, they found on said bureau, hiding behind a table fan, a loaded firearm with five rounds of ammunition. They also found an additional four rounds of ammunition under the bed.
Previously, in 2005, following an investigation into a bookkeeping operation involving Genovese crime family members, Cecchetelli pled guilty to Gaming Conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and Conducting an Illegal Gambling Business in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1955, crimes punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year. He received an eight-month sentence.
In April, Michael Cecchetelli, a/k/a King Merlin, 42, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity. He faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
Thanks to that unusual arrangement (it's one that we haven't witnessed very frequently) involving a mobster uncle and gangbanger nephew sharing an apartment, as further detailed below, Chicky was indicted in April 2020 for being a convicted felon who possessed guns and ammunition, both of which were found when law enforcement conducted a search related to the Latin King bust of King Merlin.
As per court filings, prior to December 2019, the government commenced a probe that included a focus on Michael for allegedly being the East Coast Regional Overseer of the Latin Kings. Through surveillance and cell phone records, the government determined that Michael lived at 126 Firglade Avenue with his uncle, David. The two shared an apartment in a colonial house. Chicky Cecchetelli slept in the bedroom (which had a lock on the door), and Michael slept in the dining room(?). The two shared a kitchen, bathroom, and living room and paid rent separately to the landlord.
On December 2, 2019, the government applied for a search warrant of 126 Firglade Avenue to recover evidence related to Michael’s involvement with the Latin Kings. Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler issued a warrant later that day, authorizing the government to search “all rooms, crawl spaces, storage areas, and any containers such as safes, vaults, file cabinets, drawers, luggage, briefcases, valises, boxes, jewelry boxes, cans, bags, purses, and trash cans” and “all areas commonly accessible to the tenants of 126 Firglade, including hallways, basements, attic spaces, storage spaces, driveway, garage, front yard, back yard, and curtilage of the property” for such evidence.
Officers executed the search warrant at around 4:00 a.m. on December 5, 2019. After announcing their presence and entering the property, they observed David Cecchetelli emerging from the bedroom and Michael emerging from the rear of the apartment. Both men were wearing only boxers.
Officers arrested Michael pursuant to the warrant. At his request, the officers retrieved his sweatpants, a shirt, and sneakers from the dining room before transporting him to an FBI location for booking.
David Cecchetelli was informed of the search warrant and remained seated on a sofa in the living room. He chatted with some of the officers, eventually asking them if they could retrieve his glasses, sneakers, and a shirt, which he told them were located “right there by [his] bureau in there.”
Big mistake! When those cops searched that room, they found on said bureau, hiding behind a table fan, a loaded firearm with five rounds of ammunition. They also found an additional four rounds of ammunition under the bed.
Previously, in 2005, following an investigation into a bookkeeping operation involving Genovese crime family members, Cecchetelli pled guilty to Gaming Conspiracy in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and Conducting an Illegal Gambling Business in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1955, crimes punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year. He received an eight-month sentence.
Because of that prior felony conviction, officers arrested Chicky in December 2019 and charged him with being a felon in possession of ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
BUSTING BALLS. AT THE CLUB pic.twitter.com/NKOE0aHSg7
— CHICKY CECCHETELLI (@CHICKYTHEGINNI) August 24, 2018
In August 2020, an unusual story related to another Genovese family-linked case hit the news thanks to Chicky’s attorney, Daniel Hagan, who asked the court to tell the public that his client is not an informant. (No, Daniel isn't related to Tom, for those wondering—and who get our somewhat lame Godfather-related joke.)
Hagan filed a letter in the public docket of the extortion case against Anthony J. Scibelli on behalf of Cecchetelli, his client, who was identified as “witness #5,″ in Scibelli’s case, as per reporting by MassLive.
As Hagan wrote (not very eloquently) in an August 19 letter to Federal prosecutors as well as Scibelli’s defense attorney: “Placing in public filings, information which can be used to derive Mr. Cecchetelli’s identity, and where the context could lead the public to conclude that Mr. Cecchetelli is a government informant or cooperating government witness, these filings have the potential to subject Mr. Cecchetelli and his family to serious harm.” He continued: “What is especially alarming here is that Mr. Cecchetelli is not a government informant or cooperating government witness and never has been,” the letter continues.
Or, as Hagan told MassLive in an interview: “I don’t represent rats."
Scibelli, 51, was charged with beating an unnamed informant in a parking lot in June 2019 and threatening a relative of the informant as part of his efforts to collect a $5,000 debt. He was arrested on July 2, 2019, and was held at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island until his release to home confinement.
Or, as Hagan told MassLive in an interview: “I don’t represent rats."
Scibelli, 51, was charged with beating an unnamed informant in a parking lot in June 2019 and threatening a relative of the informant as part of his efforts to collect a $5,000 debt. He was arrested on July 2, 2019, and was held at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island until his release to home confinement.
Scibelli is a “ruthless mobster,” Federal prosecutors say, alleging he used violence to collect debts for a loanshark. Scibelli faces one charge for extortionate loan collection from allegedly assaulting the debtor, who at the time was wearing a wire for the Massachusetts State Police and FBI. The debtor had been wearing the wire, which he supposedly forgot was running at inopportune moments (for himself), since May of 2019.
Scibelli also allegedly used mace and a taser to collect debts, and spat on another man who reportedly died shortly after the incident, whatever that means (court documents don’t specify).
Scibelli pleaded not guilty to the charge. His pretrial restrictions have since been relaxed. No trial date has been set. That case seems to have devolved into a complete mess.
Scibelli pleaded not guilty to the charge. His pretrial restrictions have since been relaxed. No trial date has been set. That case seems to have devolved into a complete mess.
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