Per a government press release Wednesday, imposing and relentless Genovese mob figure Carmelo (Carmine Pizza) Polito was pulled from his skipper’s post following his guilty plea to racketeering and bookmaking charges earlier this month as part of a global deal agreed to for him and four others.

But it’s not as bad as it sounds for the “Westside” heavyweight. It’s probably only temporary.

The U.S. District of Eastern New York listed Polito, a favorite of Genovese mob administrators, who was the No. 1 defendant in the case that landed in 2022, as a “former acting captain and current soldier” in the crime family. He was indicted as the acting capo of the Genovese mob’s Little Italy crew, which controls swaths of Manhattan and Queens. GR sources say Polito when he gets past his current legal issues and is done with his time behind bars, he will become an official capo.

On Thursday, Gangland News reported that the feds are far from done with the 64-year old “Carmine Pizza” and are hoping to bring another case against him in the near future. His sentencing guidelines in the sports-gambling case are a less-than-daunting ten months to three years. Polito beat a murder conviction on appeal in the 2000s.l

During the investigation into his bookmaking affairs and collection methods, the FBI caught him on a wire threatening to break one debtor’s face and put another one under a bridge if they didn’t make good on their respective betting tabs. In its exclusive reporting, Gangland News revealed that FBI surveillance units have observed Polito meeting with people such as Genovese mob soldier, Tony Costa and Genovese mob associate Michael (Franklin Square Mike) Sellick to conduct mafia business despite being on bond restrictions for the last two years. Sellick acted as an alleged go-between for Polito and Genovese Queens skipper Anthony (Rom) Romanello while part of a jewelry-heist crew running wild in Manhattan.

I don't understand how Scott Burnstein will take things directly from Gangland News or other publications and still get it wrong.

Burnstien may be the worst one doing reports that is out there. He's horrible.

well a few questions.

1. why was polito acting capo?
-was this because his capo was imprisoned at the time.
-the article states an individual was a go between for polito and capo romanello. is romanello politos capo.
-or does this crew of the genovese use the 'acting' moniker for what is in effect the #2 or street boss of the crew. i know other families use this setup of having an acting capo even when the actual capo is not imprisoned.

2. why do many writers continue to use these unnecessary terms when describing mafia members? are the agreed upon terms not enough? I.E. associate, soldier, capo etc. heavy weight, right hand man, 32, lieutenant etc.
- what makes polito a heavyweight? the very fact that he actively behaves like a mafia member skimming and scamming and the like. in the genovese pecking order, polito is not a heavyweight. lets just think about that for one second.