The Criminal Prosecutions Section investigates and prosecutes a complete spectrum of crimes ranging from the simplest of misdemeanors, to complex corrupt organizations and conspiracies, to first degree murder cases wherein the death penalty is sought and sentenced. n. 51, and Commonwealth vs. Monzelli, sup. The McClellan Labor Rackets Hearing (1957-1960). In 1967 the President's Crime Commission found that "today the core of organized crime in the United States consists of twenty-four groups operating as criminal cartels in large cities across the nation."[10]. Numerous opportunities to anticipate or alleviate the city's problems, to provide enlightened public services, and to improve the quality of urban life are fumbled, lost, or overlooked. Reputation testimony was given by three prominent Philadelphia public officials, City Councilmen Thomas Foglietta and Benjamin Cucuruto, and State Representative Matthew F. 13: 20-21. 3. Legislation to modernize our perjury law by abolishing any uniquely rigid proof requirements and enabling a prosecutor to establish falsity of the defendant's testimony by proving that he made two contradictory statements under oath without having to prove which statement is in fact false. 13225; also, Annual Report of the Attorney General of the United States for Fiscal Year 1959, p. 216. For this reason there are few complainants when organized crime syndicates seek to overtake legitimate businesses. Police efforts against organized crime where it exists need to be substantially improved. 15 Task Force Report: Organized Crime, p. 34. . In 1959, eight Teamster Union organizers were convicted of income tax evasion stemming from illegal diversion of union funds. On the basis of these findings, the Crime Commission recommends the adoption of a series of measures to improve law enforcement and the administration of criminal justice where organized crime is concerned. No harm could be greater than this. Another form of insurance fraud concerns the illegal diversion of assets of insurance companies. 21559. The FBI estimates merchants lose in excess of $30 billion each year due to this activity, the revenues of which have been linked to . Although not as well known as Italian, Irish, Russian mafias, the Polish Mob has a presence in many urban Polish American communities. 111-68; vol. 199 Donald Cressey, Theft of the Nation (New York: Harper and Row, 1969), Also engaged in narcotics smuggling, labor racketeering, and dealing in stolen jewels and furs.[124]. In effect the pardon cleared LaRocca's record and left the government without a deportation case. Because both resided in New Jersey, their control over Philadelphia Cosa Nostra activities was not a matter of attention. Organized Crime in Pennsylvania: A Decade of Change. A continuing investigation by the Pennsylvania Crime Commission, assisted by the Pennsylvania State Police, substantiates that there are five La Cosa Nostra families operating in Pennsylvania and that they have a total of 142 members. In 1941 Giaocchino "Dandy Jack" Parisi (labeled the "ace triggerman" for Murder, Inc., by Manhattan District. 16919 (income tax evasion), and 19768 (evasion of wagering taxes). [116] After a lengthy beating had been administered. 3 Presentation of Professor Donald Cressey, University of California-Santa Barbara, at the Third Organized Crime Law Enforcement Training Conference, sponsored by the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, U.S. Department of Justice, at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, March 4, 1970. 2, p. 513. Many are operated by independents and have a high degree of organization. [2] [5] The LaRocca family is one of the original 26 mafia families in United States. The earliest Mafia-connected immigrant of record in Pennsylvania was Steven LaTorre, who came from Montedoro, Sicily, in 1880 with his wife and children and a number of other such families and settled in the Pittston area of Luzerne County. The rate of crime in Scranton is 31.74 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. Under the FBI's Top Hoodlum program, for example, personnel gathered and analyzed. In 1960 one of the major violators in the Philadelphia-New Jersey area was Ignatius Esposito. 224-225; also, Organized Crime and Illicit Traffic in Narcotics, Pt. (Philadelphia: U.S, District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania), Criminal No. The Crime Commission believes that the prosecutor is the keystone of any campaign against organized crime. It was higher than in 87.7% U.S. cities. In one case he demanded $1500 to transfer a defendant's case from a strict to a lenient judge in order to obtain a probationary sentence. Copyright , Thomas P. Hunt, Whiting, VT 05778All Rights Reserved, Michael Genovese (Pittsburgh-Allegheny County-West Virginia), Frank Amato Sr. (Braddock-Allegheny County), Gabriel Mannarino (Westmoreland County and northern portion of Western Pennsylvania). [8] The Committee also concluded that this organization was the "cement" binding together many independent and local criminal syndicates throughout the country. Pages in this web version have been numbered to correspond to the printed report. Act 131 comes on the heels of the 2010 passage of HB 1720 (Act 33), which added 3929.3. In 1960 Nick Stirone, President of Pittsburgh Hod Carriers Local 1058, was convicted along with two associates of extorting over $31,000 from a ready-mix concrete company in Pittsburgh. One scene . 86 Annual Report of the Attorney General of the United States for Fiscal Year 1966, U.S. Department of Justice (Washington, D.C.: US. 75 US. Twenty-four individuals were arrested and over $4000 was seized. Four goons showed up at the jeweler's store and glared at him. As a result of that probe, twenty men were convicted of conspiracy to obstruct justice. He had his hand. At one point he said "Erie is as bad as Pittsburgh for rackets. Charged with making and receiving illegal payments, all five defendants were convicted in 1963 and placed on probation for two years. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. 244 Task Force Report: Organized Crime, p. 20. All were subsequently convicted and given small fines. 3. The Section consists of a Section Chief, litigation attorneys, legal support staff, and the Asset Forfeiture Administration Unit which is tasked with administering and liquidating all forfeited property. In December of 1967, eight individuals including a former secretary-treasurer of the union were charged with fraudulently securing over $16,000 in bank loans. As they become respectable community leaders, their past and present involvement in more sinister criminal activities becomes hidden. From the three resident Cosa Nostra families in Pennsylvania, the following individuals attended:[36], 1. Luigi Quaranta, member, Southeastern Cosa Nostra family. The Crime Commission will support and assist state and local law enforcers with its investigative and legal staff, accounting expertise, and intelligence sources. Through its infiltration of businesses and labor organizations, organized crime has a crippling impact on the freedom and integrity of the private sector. ALSO EXAMINED ARE NEW TACTICS AND LEGISLATION NEEDED TO COMBAT ORGANIZED CRIME. He took a taxi to a hospital where he was informed, the next day, that the $2,000 car would pay $500 worth of the debts and that if he didn't sign over the title, he would owe the usurer $100 a week interest. In 1926, two Philadelphia Cosa Nostra members, John Focoso and Peter Gallo, were arrested by Philadelphia Police for the murder of a rival member. State and federal law enforcement agencies have brought a number of other significant prosecutions in Pennsylvania in the following areas: 1. The Allegheny County sheriff never picked up the writ informing Ripepi and the others of the suit. In 1951 the Kefauver Committee found that "Reading is a classic example of political strangulation af a police department at the behest, of gambling interests seeking to thwart any interference with their activities"[215] In 1957 the Pennsylvania Attorney General launched an investigation into vice and extortion in Reading, and reported that "One is led inescapably to the conclusion that, at best, the local law enforcement officials were less than diligent in the discharge of their duties. 213 Final Report of the Investigating Grand Jury, Court of Quarter Sessions of Northampton County, February, 1967. A way of life, it imposes rigid discipline on underlings who do the dirty work while the top men of organized crime are generally insulated from the criminal act and the consequent danger of prosecution.[2]. 3. This results in an intricate network of crimes, again beginning with conspiratorial planning and ending in the commission of individual criminal acts. The first myth which bookmakers preach is that their operations are local, and that no outside syndicate controls them. It exists as one of the largest agencies in the nation devoted exclusively to drug enforcement. Johnny went from a jail cell to employment with the Minker mob. These weapons were used to threaten borrowers into paying. Through Fudeman, Minker had set up a phony "Berks County Amusement Association. Joseph N. Pecora was convicted in federal court in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1968 for selling altered alcohol spirits in refilled liquor bottles. They can also provide assistance to local agencies. In the last 5 years Pottstown has seen rise of . Ill-, gas and Monzelli were convicted in Philadelphia on local charges of attempting to bribe local officials. (Angelo Bruno once advised, "No friend of ours is supposed to sign any kind of statement with the law. 246 Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes Annotated, Title 71, secs. In 1964 Migliazza borrowed $12,000 from Cosa Nostra Boss Sam DeCavalcante in order to repay a gambling debt. They will go to any lengths to protect their criminal enterprises and will take extreme measures against anyone Who causes them trouble. The section also works closely with the Pennsylvania State Polices Organized Crime Division throughout the Commonwealth. (Philadelphia: US. The principal source of income for these criminal syndicates is the supply of goods and services that are illegal but for which there . [200] Edward Fina has over fifteen arrests, five of which are for violent crimes. 108 J. Edgar Hoover, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1969 FBI Appropriation (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, 1968), p. 85. Like the Cosa Nostra families, the local syndicates have significant wealth, influence, and power, and regional and national connections. In 1968 Cosa Nostra Boss Sam DeCavalcante was indicted for conspiring to rob players in one of his crap games. SLS also routinely reviews and, where appropriate, takes suitable steps to litigate, the issuance of compulsory process seeking production of OAG criminal investigative and administrative records, including grand jury materials, and/or testimony of Criminal Law Division (CLD) personnel, in both civil and criminal cases. Upon the request of a district attorney who lacks the resources to conduct an adequate investigation or the prosecution of the criminal case or matter or who represents that there is the potential for an actual or apparent conflict of interest on the part of the district attorney or his office. 71 P.S. 239 For a discussion of the Illgas case, see sup. The loan shark racket is a field where the failure of debtors to meet their obligations on time could cause severe financial hardship to the syndicate. CAMDEN, N.J. - A West Reading, Pa., man admitted he conspired to defraud FirstPlus Financial Group Inc. (FPFG), a Texas-based financial services company allegedly targeted for extortionate takeover and looting by a group led by alleged Lucchese organized crime family member Nicodemo S. Scarfo, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. 188. Three of these families are run by bosses each of whom resides, along with the major portion of his family, in Pennsylvania. Governmental agencies concerned with areas as diverse as health, horse racing, taxes, zoning, securities, and government contracts should search out thc manipulative influence of organized crime and apply appropriate sanctions. These have been steady sources of independent income, and have provided routine meeting places for syndicate councils and places to mingle with community leaders. Bribery as a form of nullification still exists, but it has been supplemented by an intricate web of political favors and hidden payoffs with a semi-legitimate cover. Mrs. Cristina agreed to cooperate with the FBI in the case, and the two numbers writers, Dominick Gullia and Charles Giammateo, were indicted and convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit embezzlement. The eavesdropped conversations were introduced in court during pretrial motions. 191 U.S. vs. Gelso, et al. 242 Henry S. Ruth, Jr. "Why Organized Crime Thrives," Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. Most underworld crap games and gambling casinos maintain a resident loan shark to assist patrons who fall too far in debt while the evening is young. 137 Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs for the Year Ended December 31, 1967, Bureau of Narcotics, U.S. Treasury Department (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1968), p. 6. The first boss of the Southeastern Pennsylvania family, Salvatore Sabella, was tried in 1927 for the murder of two rival bootleggers. Since gambling is considered by many criminal justice authorities to be a marginal crime - if a crime at all - the penalties for involvement in gambling are an ineffective deterrent. In the Lehigh Valley area, a large bookmaking operation directed by Joseph Migliazza was actually controlled in New York by the family of Vito Genovese through Mario Mosiello. We are able to document conclusively that (1) organized crime exists in Pennsylvania, (2) numerous levels of organization are involved in the operation of illegal activities, and (3) the provision of illegal goods and services in Pennsylvania depends upon immunity and insulation from law enforcement and prosecution efforts. Roy Titler, Captain, Organized Crime Division, Pennsylvania State Police, Harrisburg. 122 Annual Report of the Attorney General of the United States for Fiscal Year 1958, U.S. Department of Justice (Washington, D.C.: US. Many borrowers are threatened and assaulted. DeCavalcante: I don't want to know nothing about it.[6]. 48 ORC Associations throughout the United States METRORCA (NY Metro Area, New Jersey, Pennsylvania Michigan Regional Organized Crime Task Force Mid-Atlantic Organized Retail Crime Alliance Missouri Organized Retail Crimes Association Montana Organized Retail Crime Alliance National Anti-Organized Retail Crime Association New legislation may be needed to clarify the authority of the Attorney General in criminal cases. 117 The 1967 Report to the People of Philadelphia from the Office of the District Attorney, Office of the District Attorney of Philadelphia County (Philadelphia: 1968), pp. [148], 3. Yet the necessity to create monopolies and to prevent leaks of information to law enforcement authorities has in fact maintained the system of intimidation and violence, although violent crimes are today more selectively committed. [141], Numerous other major organized crime figures have been apprehended due to their interest in illegal liquor distilleries. 1366-1370, August 1956 Term of Grand Jury. Formerly owned L and G Amusement Company with Michael Genovese. He was involved in the garment industry rackets and was believed to be cooperating with law enforcement authorities. In 1958 a special federal grand jury probing organized crime and corruption in Western Pennsylvania heard testimony from Alvin Murschetz, independent operator of Al's Music Company in Beaver County. 143 U.S. vs. Cerulli, et al. The organized crime ring was headed by Rafael Levi, 50, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Attorney General Shapiro said at a news conference today at the Office of Attorney General in Strawberry Square. At the library Law Library (Crown) Today's hours: 8:30a - 7p Find it Basement Request More options Find it at other libraries via WorldCat Description 22813 and 70-13; also, "Revenue Men Raid South Philadelphia Racket Center," Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, February 27, 1967, p. 3. vonZamft arranged for the purchase of $1 million of stolen IBM stocks, which were transported in 1968 from New York to Gettysburg. Alfred King, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. These men insulate the banker from direct involvement in the gambling operation. Although Maloney was acquitted of the tax evasion charges, all government witnesses who testified passed polygraph tests relative to the payment of bribes to Maloney. (Pittsburgh: US. Angelo Bruno (Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania). 19537. Not that he wants to. The Mannarino brothers, Sam and Gabriel, enjoyed a virtual monopoly over coin-machine distribution in the New Kensington area of Westmoreland County. On February 19, 1969, Mastrangelo's Blue Jay Pool Room was raided by State Police officers, and two of his associates were arrested and later indicted for operating a dice game. Some time in the 1930's Volpe was succeeded by John Sciandra. [5] He continually defaulted on payments, and DeCavalcante kept adding interest to the loan. Government Printing Office, 1959), pp. The bodies are covered by at least 4 1/2 feet of dirt to prevent dogs and animals from digging them up. The Section is primarily responsible for the litigation of asset forfeiture cases pursuant to Chapter 58 of the Judicial Code relating to Forfeiture of Assets. The Senate Labor-Management Committee in 1958 held hearings investigating Pennsylvania attendance at the 1957 Apalachin meeting, but the structure and full operations of the Cosa Nostra in Pennsylvania were not touched upon. Violence against Law Enforcement Officers. The majority of district attorneys in Pennsylvania do not have an investigating grand jury and may not have any county detectives. All identification and clothing is removed from the body, and is placed in the open grave and covered. In the vonZamft case, reckless diversion of assets of a legitimate business led to purchase of stolen stocks. The brutal details of organized crime murders have long shocked the general public. Law enforcement, social science, legal and medical experts have all described the illegal narcotics traffic as vicious and ugly. Physical description xii, 279 p. : ill. ; 28 cm. Obviously, past efforts in Pennsylvania to control organized crime have been inadequate. Criminal syndicates are pyramids of individual rackets and differ according to the number, variety, and size of rackets controlled. The State Insurance Department ordered the company to come up with $1 million in sceurities in order to retain its license. n. 75; and "Top Citizens Go to Bat for Rackets Kingpin in Bid to Cut Term," Philadelphia Inquirer, March 19, 1967, sec. Through time, syndicate racketeers have been able to secure a monopoly over non-union labor in the garment industry in the Northeast. In addition to the numbers operations unraveled at the Maloney trial, federal authorities were successful in bringing a number of other major prosecutions in Pittsburgh: 1. The foremost goal along this line should be to remove criminal infiuence from establishments holding liquor licenses. William C. Sennett, Attorney General, Chairman (Philadelphia: U.S. Distriet Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania), Criminal No, 22842; and U.S. vs. Karasow, et al. Self-policing methods should be adopted throughout the criminal justice system; not just by the police, but also by prosecutors, court clerks, probation offiicers, and judges. The Grosso operation was found to handle an annual volume of $12 million. 68 U.S. vs. Fedool (Philadelphia: U.S. District Court. Joseph Luciano, member, Erie regime of the Buffalo, New York, Cosa Nostra family. 135 Traffic in Opium and Other Dangerous Drugs for the Year Ended December 31, 1956, Bureau of Narcotics, U.S. Treasury Department (Washington, DC. It is striking that organized criminal accomplices often turn against one another when law enforcement pressure is applied. that Cosa Nostra leaders were interested in moving into MeKeesport but that Plopi refused to relinquish his territory. Konigsberg agreed to lend the $13,500 for thirty days, and he demanded to be repaid $25,000 - almost 100% per month interest (almost 1200% if figured on an annual basis). Scro supervises a contingent of approximately eight Cosa Nostra members in Erie County.

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