Cosa Nostra News

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. ...

On Thursday ( July 19), in Manhattan Federal Court, alleged Genovese capo Eugene (Rooster) Onofrio, 76, was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for loan sharking. The wiseguy, 76, was only trying to relive the glory days, his lawyer had argued.  The loansharking was an attempt--- a not very bright one, at that ---to relive his glory days, his lawyer sought to argue Thursday. Onofrio was arrested in 2016, one of the 46 alleged members of the Genovese, Gambino, Luchese, Bonanno, and Philadelphia crime families indicted for operating a so-called "East Coast LCN Enterprise," as the Fed's named it. Onofrio also pleaded guilty to hustling untaxed cigarettes. Onofrio was caught in a 2014 secretly recorded conversation discussing how to collect an interest payment of $600 on a $30,000 loan. “What do I got to do with him?” Onofrio, of East Haven, Conn., asked. "Do you have to take his eyes out? But hey, those threats were all talk, Onofrio’s attorney,...

"The kid grew up in Cosa Nostra. He knew all the moves because he was always around it. He knew it better than some guys twenty years older than him . "  --- Nicholas "Nicky the Crow" Caramandi, former soldier for Nicky Scarfo who became one of the first and most devastating turncoat witnesses against the Philadelphia Mafia in its history. In the quote, Caramandi is referring to Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino Merlino faces a serious prison sentence if he's convicted. Twenty-five times they tried to whack him. Three bosses wanted him gone, including one of the most violent Cosa Nostra bosses in American Mafia history, t he ultra-violent, diminutive Nicodemo (Little Nicky) Scarfo , who despised Skinny Joey  and wanted him sleeping with the fishes. Then,  Scarfo successor John Stanfa, the Sicilian boss who the Gambino crime family backed, ordered shooters to take him out. Finally, Ralph Natale flipped and sought to use testimony to bring him down...

NOTE: The attorney for  Michael Guidici  contacted me in comments yesterday, as some of you probably noticed, and sent me the minutes of the court proceeding. After reviewing them, I don't find the case compelling enough to cover here. Although Guidici was indicted with Bonanno mobster Vincent Asaro , his case is not mob-related, obviously .... One co-defendant in the so-called East Coast LCN Enterprise case, alleged Genovese capo Eugene (Rooster) Onofrio, wants to be tried separately from Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino. The reputed Genovese capo runs crews in Manhattan's Little Italy and in Springfield, Mass. One of the alleged mobsters arrested last August . Apparently, he has deep concerns that Merlino’s "alleged misconduct could prejudice the jury against him at trial," the Daily News reported , citing court records. Onofrio and Merlino were arrested last August as per United States v. Pasquale Parrello, et al.

When, precisely, did the FBI's New York Field Office realize that it was screwed? We refer here to the seemingly immense East Coast LCN Enterprise case , the investigation that resulted in last August's indictment of 46 mobsters, including mobsters from four of New York's five Mafia families and the alleged boss of the Philadelphia mob (who lives in Florida). George Borgesi with his hot younger wife. (N OTE: Reputed Philadelphia boss Joseph (Skinny Joey) Merlino is the only alleged "East Coast LCN crime syndicate" member from the Philadelphia Cosa Nostra.) The answer to that question may shed light on a possible alternative reason for why the Fed's in New York were reluctant to share information with offices in Philadelphia and Florida. The word has been that New York's Southern District was too greedy and didn't want to share the credit on what certainly appeared to be a large, sprawling Mafia case. Unless, of course, the Feds knew that said c...

Most defendants charged in the East Coast LCN Enterprise indictment were offered extra-sweet plea deals last Tuesday thanks to revelations about a whacky turncoat and alleged criminality of one of the FBI's mob squads. Skinny Joey: "You want me to pay how much? I'd rather go to jail...." Indicted last August were 46 alleged members and associates of four of New York's Five Families, and the alleged boss of the Philadelphia crime family in Florida. (John Gotti's grandson was busted on the same day ; who'd have believed of the two busts, Gotti's would ultimately be the more consequential.) Around 10 of the defendants apparently voiced intent to reject the offer. Additionally, the two "bosses" with the biggest reasons to cop deals are supposedly still mulling the prospect of going to trial.

The biggest crook in the so-called East Coast LCN Enterprise case just may have been turncoat John (J.R.) Rubeo Jr. In the end, he stole the Feds' case. Now they've had to drop the most serious charges in the indictment and are on bent knee  begging defendants to cop to plea deals. JR Rubeo Rubeo wore a wire against many defendants in the case, including the two alleged highest-ranking ones, Pasquale (Patsy) Parrello and Joseph Merlino. Rubeo was a Genovese crime family associate who became a cooperating witness because he had major legal problems of his own and wanted to avoid a lengthy prison sentence.

The Chin's Triangle social club suffered the same fate as the Ravenite: gentrification. "We got 30, 40 guys. Don't let anyone tell you that we're dead, 'cause we're here."   --Genovese capo Alan "Baldy" Longo speaking in October 2000 with Michael "Cookie" D'Urso, a mob turncoat..... UPDATED Jerry Capeci of Gangland News discussed last month's bust of dozens of mobsters for large-scale racketeering conspiracy on an episode of MetroFocus hosted by PBS show producer William Jones. Reputed members of an East Coast crime syndicate were charged in midsummer with racketeering, extortion, loansharking, gambling, credit card fraud and healthcare fraud. The indictment depicts an interesting version of how the New York Mafia seems to be evolving. Though largely focused in New York, crimes alleged in the case also occurred in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida and New Jersey.