Mafia underboss nicknamed 'The Claw' cries poverty and reveals he lives on food stamps in a trailer
By SNEJANA FARBEROV
January 10, 2013

Benjamin ‘The Claw’ Castellazzo had spent decades in the racketeering business on behalf of the notorious Colombo family, but apparently the elderly Mafioso was not very good at his job.

In a desperate bid to reduce his sentence on extortion charges, the once-powerful Mafia underboss revealed that he has been living in a New Jersey trailer park, unlike most of his free-spending ‘colleagues’ in the business, and his wife has been receiving food stamps.

Castellazzo, 75, was arrested as part of a historic bust that netted more than 100 suspected Mafia operatives from New York's major crime families.


Out of luck: Benjamin 'The Claw' Castellazzo, the underboss for the Colombo crime family, faces eight years in prison after being arrested last year on extortion charges in a massive FBI raid


Poor house: Castellazzo appealed to the judge to reduce his sentence, writing that he has been living in a small trailer similar to the one pictured in New Jersey

Later this month, he is expected to be sentenced to eight years in prison for extorting money from the La Quila construction company in Brooklyn and The Square pizza parlor in Staten Island.

The 75-year-old criminal mastermind filed court documents shedding light on his life of hardship in the humble Eagleswood Village trailer park in West Creek, New Jersey, the New York Daily News reported.

'I have reflected on my life during the past two years… I am not proud of the life I have led.' he wrote, adding that his greatest wish is to live out his days with his wife, children and grandchildren - the only 'family' he cares about.

Castellazzo's modest mobile home comes with an eat-in kitchen and a small garden outside - a far cry from the garish McMansions that Mafia capos had built for themselves in Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Colombo family mafia boss Carmine ‘The snake’ Persico may have spent the past quarter of a century federal prison, but his wife has been living the good life in a sprawling red-brick mansion in Dyker Height, Brooklyn.


Busted: The Colombo No. 2 operative was arrested for extorting money from The Square pizza eatery in Staten Island, among other businesses

Another high-ranking Mafia boss, Anthony 'Gaspipe' Casso used to live in an over-the-top waterfront mansion in Mill Basin before moving into a far more austere penitentiary facility.

The lavish but ill-fated home's most recent tenant, disgraced State Sen. Carl Kruger, followed in Casso's footsteps when he pleaded guilty to corruption charges last April.

Meanwhile, the ailing Castellazzo has been living in a retirement community where, according to real estate sites like Zillow, a two-bedroom mobile home sells for about $40,000, or can be rented for $1,000 a month.

Castellazzo was among the 127 suspects from New York's notorious five Mafia families who were arrested in January 2011 in a series of targeted FBI raids described as the biggest crackdown on organized crime in U.S. history.

Along with Castellazzo, officials busted fellow Colombo family operative Andrew Russo, and Bartolemeo Vernace and Joseph Corozzo from the Gambino family.

As the No. 2 in the Colombo hierarchy, it alleged it was Castellazzo's responsibility was to collect money from businesses seeking protection, which explains his telling nickname, 'The Claw.'


Lavish lifestyle: The wife of jailed Colombo family mafia boss Carmine 'The Snake' Persico resides in this palatial home in Brooklyn


Cursed mansion: The two previous owners of this garish estate in Brooklyn, including mob boss Anthony Casso and disgraced State Sen. Carl Kruger, ended up in prison

The Colombo crime family is the youngest of the 'Five Families', originally formed in 1928 by Joseph 'The Olive Oil King' Profaci.

The family has endured three family wars over the years - the second of which brought the family under the power of Joseph 'Joe C' Colombo.

The third war erupted in 1991 when member Joseph Orena undermined Carmine Persico who was in prison - the family split into two separate factions.

Twelve family members were killed in the in-fighting and the family never fully came back to prominence.

The family recently turned to Ralph DeLeo to run the family for imprisoned Persico.

Two years ago several members of the Colombo family were indicted on multiple racketeering charges and three murders dating back to the family wars.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...ps-trailer.html