Bonanno 'Enterprise Corruption' Trial Set for Next Week

Are those stitches in Nicky Mouth Santora's head?
Next week, the big Bonanno trial is expected to begin.

The defendants were rounded up last July; many are alleged members of a crew headed by longtime Bonanno heavyweight brokester Nicholas "Nicky Mouth" Santora, who also is on trial.

Santora became a power on the street back in the late 1970s, when FBI agent Joe Pistone used his Donnie Brasco cover to infiltrate the same crew Santora belonged to, under Dominic "Sonny Black" Napolitano.

Santora and others were charged with enterprise corruption, the state version of the federal crime of racketeering. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 25 years.

Making up the corruption charge are a host of traditional mob rackets: extortion, loan sharking, and gambling -- as well as the selling of prescription drugs ranging from oxycodone pain killers to Viagra.


Skinny Santoro is in the lead. He's the
one the Daily News refers to as the
"Potty Mouth."
The Manhattan District attorney unveiled the indictment, noting that it was the result of a two-year investigation into a $10 million scheme involving organized crime's infiltration of a labor union. Investigators used court-ordered wire taps and search warrants during the investigation. (Names of defendants/charges at end of story.)

Another key defendant is former Teamsters union president/reputed Bonanno associate Nicholas Bernhard, who headed Teamsters 917 on Long Island. The union represents about 1,900 workers in liquor, automotive, parking and other industries; members of the union local borrowed money and placed bets in the crew’s loan-sharking and gambling operations, the indictment says.

The crew also allegedly ran a multi-million-dollar online sports betting operation based in Costa Rica. And some of them were recorded making plans to sell hundreds of thousands of pills, for at least $5 each.

Nearly 30 guns were recovered as part of the operation, with some reports describing the crew as "well armed." Some of those guns obviously were the target of last week's news stories focused on claims made by Anthony "Skinny" Santoro -- who the Daily News can't believe uses foul language during personal conversations. Santoro said that guns he’s been charged with possessing were actually taken from the home of his neighbor.


Bunch of Bonannos hanging in Manhattan Supreme Court.
"The portly Bonanno bad boy was shacked up with a gal pal" -- gotta love that Daily News! -- on the second floor of a two-family house on Staten Island when the cops raided the place -- and found a haul of seven pistols.

Last November, Santora, 72, was looking forward to trading his orange jumpsuit for a velour jogging suit to enjoy, however briefly, some time in the world -- he had just finished 20 months in lockup on a federal extortion beef.

Only, Nicky Mouth didn't get probation, and has been sitting in jail ever since awaiting trial next week.

In all fairness: It's his own fault.

He was caught talking about crimes with other wiseguys on recorded jailhouse calls. That's right... despite all the years this gangster has notched in prison, he still doesn't know enough not to talk about "that kid with the .22 in Florida," among other assorted crimes and payoffs, when speaking into one of those jailhouse phones that are always tapped.

So instead of getting to post the $1 million bond or $500,000 cash that had been originally set up for his bail, he had to sit there and listen while a very pissed-off judge revoked his bail and sent him back to lockup.

Santora’s lawyer brought up the fact that Nicky has medical needs that might not be appropriately treated if he were in jail. The lawyer even mentioned that Santora somehow "had his head cracked open and had to go to the hospital as a result,” not explaining how that happened -- which does warrant our curiosity. How did Nicky bust his head open? Anyone out there care to comment?

Bottom line, Santora and company are facing a 158-page indictment that includes the sale of weapons.

Buona fortuna, guys.


From the Manhattan District Attorney's press release:

The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

ERNEST AIELLO, D.O.B. 6/8/79
Bronx, NY
Charges:
• Enterprise Corruption, a class B felony, 1 count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
• Criminal Usury in the First Degree, a class C felony, 1 count

VITO BADAMO, D.O.B. 8/1/62
Brooklyn, NY
Charges:
• Enterprise Corruption, a class B felony, 1 count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
• Criminal Usury in the First Degree, a class C felony, 1 count

NICHOLAS BERNHARD, D.O.B. 9/13/61
Congers, NY
Charges:
• Enterprise Corruption, a class B felony, 1 count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
• Criminal Usury in the First Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
• Perjury in the First Degree, a class D felony, 2 counts

SCOTT O’NEILL, D.O.B. 1/20/65
Howard Beach, NY
Charges:
• Enterprise Corruption, a class B felony, 1 count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
• Criminal Usury in the First Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
• Perjury in the First Degree, a class D felony, 1 count

NICHOLAS SANTORA, D.O.B. 6/21/42
Deer Park, NY
Charges:
• Enterprise Corruption, a class B felony, 1 count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
• Criminal Usury in the First Degree, a class C felony, 1 count

ANTHONY SANTORO, a/k/a “Skinny,” D.O.B. 7/28/63
Staten Island, NY
Charges:
• Enterprise Corruption, a class B felony, 1 count
• Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 1 count
• Criminal Usury in the First Degree, a class C felony, 1 count

DOMINICK SIANO, D.O.B. 4/25/90
Howard Beach, NY
Charge:
• Enterprise Corruption, a class B felony, 1 count

ANTHONY URBAN, D.O.B. 7/25/63
Staten Island, NY
Charge:
• Enterprise Corruption, a class B felony