The Friends of ours site links to an article describing Luigi Manocchio´s latest sentence. Here is the article in full length.
Also, click on the link below to see a special made Manocchio timeline.
Further down below is an article I found, published in The North Tonawanda Evening News (Apr 30, 1970) describing Monacchio´s indictment (in his absence) in a case with Carlo Gambino. This indictment is not mentioned in the special made Manocchio timeline.
"Former mob boss convicted in shakedown scheme"
"By Tim White, Target 12 Investigator"
"PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Luigi “Baby Shacks” Manocchio, the longtime former boss of the New England crime family, was sentenced Friday to 5 1/2 years behind bars for his role in shaking down strip clubs for protection money.
Manocchio, who turn 85 in June, has already spent 16 months in federal custody since arrest in Jan. 2011, so he has 50 months left to serve. He will then be under the thumb of supervised release for three years.
In court, his defense attorney Joseph Balliro warned any prison stay for a man of his age could be a “death sentence.”
“His health deteriorates everyday just like every other 85 year-old person,” Balliro told reporters outside court. “Hopefully he will be out some day to see his family.”
Balliro called the sentence by U.S. District Court Judge William Smith “fair.” Assistant U.S. Attorney William Ferland asked the judge to impose 70 months; Balliro requested 63, the judge ultimately split the difference.
Wearing a tan prison jumpsuit, Manocchio made a short comment when asked by Judge Smith if he had anything to say. He recognized the position he “inherited” was unlawful, but didn’t express remorse for the crimes prosecutors allege he committed.
“I don’t want my family or friends to believe I threatened anybody,” Manocchio said reading from a prepared statement.
Earlier in the hearing Ferland pointed out that Manocchio never needed to directly threaten anyone because as mob boss, the specter of harm was always there.
“He fails to recognize that because of his position, these businesses were willing to pay,” Ferland said. “They weren’t making charitable donations to La Cosa Nostra.”
Ferland also said Manocchio continued the extortion scheme even when he learned about the federal investigation.
“One would think this would be a tremendous wake-up call,” Ferland said. “But in reality the scheme never missed a beat. That shows a degree of lack of respect for the law.”
Manocchio pleaded guilty in February to racketeering conspiracy. In a plea agreement with government two other counts of extortion were dropped.
Prosecutors say the shakedown scheme netted the crime family up to $1.5 million since the early ‘90s."
Tim White ( twhite@wpri.com ) is the Target 12 investigative reporter for WPRI 12 and Fox Providence. Follow him on Twitter: @white_tim
Baby Shack´s timeline:
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/target_12/inside_mafia/timeline-luigi-baby-shacks-manocchioBaby Shack´s 1970 indictment with Carlo Gambino:
"Carlo Gambino, the alleged "boss of bosses" of all Mafia families, was indicted yesterday on charges of conspiring to hijack an armored truck transporting millions of dollars in cash. Arraignment for Gambino, 67, and four other men also indicted for their roles in the alleged plot, was scheduled for May 14 in Manhattan Federal Court.
Besides Gambino those named in the indictment were Frank J. Miceli, 35, East Paterson, N.J.;
Louis Manocchio, 42, Providence, R.I.; Frank Vendituoli, 55, West Barrington, R.I.; and Maurice Lerner, 33, Brookline, Mass.
Miceli was the only codefendant in court during the indictment proceedings. Manocchio and Vendituoli are fugitives from justice in a New England murder case and Lerner is in jail in Massachusetts awaitng a mandatory life sentence for first degree murder.
Named in the conspiracy but not listed as a defendant is John J. Kelley, 55, Boston, who was supposed to handle the actual hijacking but who turned state's evidence instead. He is being held in protective custody in Boston.
According to Daniel Hollman, head of the Joint Task Force Against Organized Crime, the plotters intended to hold up an armored truck loaded with banknotes making runs between the New York financial district and bank branches in Queens and Long Island.
Hollman said Gambino's role in the plot was to provide automobiles for the hijack and to dispose of the stolen money afteward. Kelley wanted to bring in members of the so called "Irish Mob" for the stickup.
The indictment said the conspirators met several times to plot the hijack which never came off because of Kelley's defection."