Gambino Soldier Jimmy LaForte, Serving Time in Philadelphia, Pleads Guilty To Racketeering Conspiracy In Brooklyn
James (Jimmy) LaForte—a strong arm for the Gambino crime family—plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy, Hobbs Act extortion/extortion conspiracy, witness retaliation, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He made the plea in Brooklyn Federal court last Wednesday before US Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo.
The US Attorney for the Eastern District accused LaForte, who holds the rank of soldier, and nine other Gambino wiseguys and associates of using violent extortion, fraud, theft and embezzlement to infiltrate New York's carting and demolition industries.
“These ten Gambino members and associates orchestrated a campaign of violent assaults and property destruction to collect debts and intimidate those employed by competing companies,” said FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Their collective actions terrorized New York residents and businesses to generate an illegal revenue stream. The FBI maintains its commitment to coordinating with our local and international law enforcement partners in the fight against organized crime.”
LaForte, 49, who is currently serving time on another case in Philadelphia that also involved his older brother Joseph, is the last of the 10 defendants charged in a 2023 indictment to plead guilty.
LaForte is a grandson of Joseph (Joe the Cat) LaForte, a low-key longtime Gambino soldier who ran the crime family's highly lucrative bookmaking operations. Joe the Cat made a fortune in real estate and owned the building that housed the Ravenite Social Club on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, where John Gotti held court in his heyday.
The other Gambino members and associates in the Brooklyn carting and demolition case pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy before US District Judge Frederic Block on October 17, 2025. Those defendants included Gambino capo Joseph (Joe Brooklyn) Lanni, a member of the Gambino family's ruling Sicilian faction who inherited some of underboss Frank Cali's rackets after Cali was senselessly murdered in 2019.
LaForte also plead guilty in the Philadelphia case involving his brother. In September 2024, Jimmy LaForte copped to racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and extortionate collection of debt, as well as obstruction of justice, for a violent assault he committed against one of Par Funding's receivership attorneys. Jimmy LaForte was sentenced to 11.5 years in March 2025 for that case, which centered on crimes committed as part of a criminal enterprise that ran a fraudulent lending operation known as Par Funding. Jimmy's brother Joseph LaForte was founder/president of the entity.
In the Brooklyn case, according to court filings, in 2020 and 2021, LaForte extorted a person who owed money to an associate of LaForte (John Doe 5). After failing to pay LaForte’s associate on time, John Doe 5 was introduced to LaForte, who asked John Doe 5 to run an illegal poker game and a craps game for LaForte. When John Doe 5 asked LaForte after the craps game for John Doe 5’s share of the earnings from running the game, LaForte hit John Doe 5 in the face, knocking John Doe 5 backward and giving him a black eye. LaForte later contacted John Doe 5’s father to force John Doe 5 to pay what LaForte said was John Doe 5’s debt. In text messages exchanged in November 2020, shortly after John Doe 5’s loan, the person who had lent John Doe 5 the money wrote that “[t]his other punk [John Doe 5] is playing games,” and “Might ride up to his house Saturday with one of my guys from down here.” Another party to the conversation responded, “I took him up to c jimmy made it clear” and later added, “We’ll get it. He’s scared to death of jimmy.”
On February 17, 2021, LaForte and Vincent (Vinny Slick) Minsquero assaulted a person who they believed had previously provided information to law enforcement about members and associates of organized crime (John Doe 6). That evening LaForte and Minsquero approached John Doe 6 inside a restaurant. LaForte called John Doe 6 a “rat” and hit John Doe 6 in the face with a bottle. LaForte and Minsquero also flipped John Doe 6’s table, sending drinks and shattered glass everywhere.
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| James LaForte. |
The US Attorney for the Eastern District accused LaForte, who holds the rank of soldier, and nine other Gambino wiseguys and associates of using violent extortion, fraud, theft and embezzlement to infiltrate New York's carting and demolition industries.
“These ten Gambino members and associates orchestrated a campaign of violent assaults and property destruction to collect debts and intimidate those employed by competing companies,” said FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Their collective actions terrorized New York residents and businesses to generate an illegal revenue stream. The FBI maintains its commitment to coordinating with our local and international law enforcement partners in the fight against organized crime.”
LaForte, 49, who is currently serving time on another case in Philadelphia that also involved his older brother Joseph, is the last of the 10 defendants charged in a 2023 indictment to plead guilty.
LaForte is a grandson of Joseph (Joe the Cat) LaForte, a low-key longtime Gambino soldier who ran the crime family's highly lucrative bookmaking operations. Joe the Cat made a fortune in real estate and owned the building that housed the Ravenite Social Club on Mulberry Street in Little Italy, where John Gotti held court in his heyday.
The other Gambino members and associates in the Brooklyn carting and demolition case pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy before US District Judge Frederic Block on October 17, 2025. Those defendants included Gambino capo Joseph (Joe Brooklyn) Lanni, a member of the Gambino family's ruling Sicilian faction who inherited some of underboss Frank Cali's rackets after Cali was senselessly murdered in 2019.
LaForte also plead guilty in the Philadelphia case involving his brother. In September 2024, Jimmy LaForte copped to racketeering conspiracy, securities fraud, and extortionate collection of debt, as well as obstruction of justice, for a violent assault he committed against one of Par Funding's receivership attorneys. Jimmy LaForte was sentenced to 11.5 years in March 2025 for that case, which centered on crimes committed as part of a criminal enterprise that ran a fraudulent lending operation known as Par Funding. Jimmy's brother Joseph LaForte was founder/president of the entity.
In the Brooklyn case, according to court filings, in 2020 and 2021, LaForte extorted a person who owed money to an associate of LaForte (John Doe 5). After failing to pay LaForte’s associate on time, John Doe 5 was introduced to LaForte, who asked John Doe 5 to run an illegal poker game and a craps game for LaForte. When John Doe 5 asked LaForte after the craps game for John Doe 5’s share of the earnings from running the game, LaForte hit John Doe 5 in the face, knocking John Doe 5 backward and giving him a black eye. LaForte later contacted John Doe 5’s father to force John Doe 5 to pay what LaForte said was John Doe 5’s debt. In text messages exchanged in November 2020, shortly after John Doe 5’s loan, the person who had lent John Doe 5 the money wrote that “[t]his other punk [John Doe 5] is playing games,” and “Might ride up to his house Saturday with one of my guys from down here.” Another party to the conversation responded, “I took him up to c jimmy made it clear” and later added, “We’ll get it. He’s scared to death of jimmy.”
On February 17, 2021, LaForte and Vincent (Vinny Slick) Minsquero assaulted a person who they believed had previously provided information to law enforcement about members and associates of organized crime (John Doe 6). That evening LaForte and Minsquero approached John Doe 6 inside a restaurant. LaForte called John Doe 6 a “rat” and hit John Doe 6 in the face with a bottle. LaForte and Minsquero also flipped John Doe 6’s table, sending drinks and shattered glass everywhere.
All the defendants who plead guilty in E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-443 (FB):
JAMES LAFORTE (also known as “Jimmy”)
Age: 49
New York, New York
JOSEPH LANNI (also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino”)
Age: 54
Staten Island, New York
DIEGO TANTILLO (also known as “Danny” and “Daniel”)
Age: 50
Freehold, New Jersey
ROBERT BROOKE
Age: 58
New York, New York
SALVATORE DILORENZO
Age: 69
Oceanside, New York
ANGELO GRADILONE (also known as “Fifi”)
Age: 59
Staten Island, New York
KYLE JOHNSON (also known as “Twin”)
Age: 48
Bronx, New York
VINCENT MINSQUERO (also known as “Vinny Slick” )
Age: 39
Staten Island, New York
VITO RAPPA (also known as “Vi”)
Age: 58
East Brunswick, New Jersey
FRANCESCO VICARI (also known as “Frank” and “Uncle Ciccio”)
Age: 65
Elmont, New York
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