the bonanno case the one which took down massimo and vitale all of them orginally started as an IRS investigation by the feds targeting Barry Weinberg and Augustino Scozzari both flipped wore a wire on richie cantella and frank coppa both flipped and then massimo and vitale got indicted then vitale flipped
so you could say the IRS investigation into barry Weinberg took down the entire Bonanno family hierarchy
I recently finished a book on Massino...I dont recall those two names being the start of the investigation into Merlino though...it was another guy that he had depositing money for him or laundering or something...and that led them into Massino...but the point of getting the guy was to get Merlino..I dont recall it being these two other guys then they went after Merlino
They brought those two forensic accountants on specifically to target Massino since he was too smart with his counter surveliance
These guys had nothing to with merlino i was talking about Massimo
Feds brought in two forensic accountants took look into money laundering in the Bonanno famil because the FBI were struggling and did not know how to make a case against massimo. They noticed Vitale and Cantarella were partners in several parking lots owned by Barry Weinberg so barry was put under surveillance.Weinberg hadn't filed tax returns in over a decade not paying $1 million in taxes feds told him he was going to prison if he did not flip. He flipped. Then Augustino Scozzari flipped after feds found he was laundering richie cantellas money through the restaurant.
The tapes Scozzari and Weinberg made on richie cantella and frank coppa buried them which led them to flip.
I know that...I accidentally typed Merlino instead of fat rat Massino...
Maybe it was Weinberg I cant recall...But in your other post you made it seem like they stumbled into Massino rather than the feds following his money to get him because all other efforts were exhausted
Anyway,,, back to the other Joey
The suave, smooth talking, ridiculously handsome...oh and did I mention suave? Joey Merlino!
lol
