Article on him in Gangland this week, can't read it as I don't subscribe. Something about his brother Joseph being owed 500k loan. Can anyone give me a summary?

Give us a minute tommy I will post it for u

This Week in Gang Land
By Jerry Capeci

Gambino Capo Gets A Free Pass On A Loansharking Rap

Gang Land Exclusive! Eight years ago today, Gambino capo Dominic (Big D) Cefalu sat in the Tomato & Basil Pizzeria in Merrick, L.I. talking to two bookmakers about $500,000 that a deadbeat gambler owed the bookies and Cefalu's brother Joseph. A bug installed by the Suffolk County District Attorney's office picked up every one of his unhappy words.

"I don't want to hear this 'few weeks' bullshit," said Cefalu, a first cousin of current Gambino boss, Domenico (Italian Dom) Cefalu. "I'm gonna tell him if we don't get our money right away … At some point, I'm gonna put him in a coma. I'm gonna go on vacation far away, go sit on a beach somewhere, put him in a fucking coma on a respirator."

During the same November 6, 2006 pizzeria conversation, when bookmakers Salvatore Gerrato and Frank Lonigro suggested that Cefalu might not want to "pressure" the deadbeat — a family friend of the Cefalus — because he might become "a rat," Cefalu summarily dismissed that notion.

"I'm gonna rip that kid a new asshole in three seconds," said Cefalu, adding, "I'm already thinking that, with money that we are all talking about, we're never gonna see it. I really feel strong about that."

Despite that tough talk, Cefalu, 57, caught a break from Central Islip Federal Judge Joanna Seybert when he came before her for sentencing last month. Thanks to a plea deal, he was looking at up to 33 months for loansharking. But the judge credited the wiseguy, who was convicted of heroin trafficking in 1981, with keeping his nose clean since his arrest three years ago, and gave him no time behind bars. As she pronounced sentence she wondered aloud though whether she might be making a mistake. "Maybe I've been fooled. I hope not," said Seybert.

In court papers, assistant U.S. attorney Amir Toossi had noted both Big D's close ties to the Gambino family hierarchy as well as the threats picked up on the tape back in 2006. Those words, the prosecutor asserted, clearly showed Cefalu's "willingness to use his position to threaten violence." He asked Seybert to impose a "guidelines" sentence, which was a lot less than the 20 years he would have faced if he'd been convicted at trial.

In court, Toossi expanded and expounded on the same theme.

But during the three hour long proceeding, it was Cefalu lawyer Eric Franz who had Seybert's ear, and who carried the day.

The attorney's main thrust, one he repeated several times, was that his client was "All talk and no action." Franz explained away his client's talk of putting the deadbeat debtor, whom all parties called John Doe, in a coma, as "verbal vomit venting."

"Dominic did not lend money to John Doe; his brother did," said Franz. "Dominic found out; Dominic was upset. Dominic wanted his brother to get his money back. And Dominic would have constant discussions" about that during that time frame. According to court papers, Cefalu's brother Joseph, a reputed mob associate, initially loaned Doe $50,000, then another $150,000. Doe also owed Gerrato and Lonigro $300,000 in gambling losses.

Franz conceded that the bookies, who were convicted of gambling charges in state court, were making tribute payments to Cefalu. "No doubt about it," the lawyer said. But Franz said his client did not tell either man to harm the debtor, or say that he would tell anyone else to harm John Doe, and challenged the government to find one conversation where his client had.

The clincher in his argument was another tape-recorded conversation between the two gamblers in which both men complained that Cefalu was "all talk and no action," and wasn't delivering what they were paying him for.

Franz read the relevant portion of the October 17, 2006 discussion aloud, and gave a copy to Seybert.

Sal: "I mean, you are kind of giving me the impression, he, Dominic, does a lot of talking and not a lot of action, bro."
Frank: "That's what I'm getting at, you finally get the picture (laughing). Ding, ding, ding, the bells just went off. You get it now?"

"This is where you would think they say, 'Dominic wants me to do this. He told me to do that. We'll crack this guy,'" said Franz. "There's none of that. These guys are lamenting. They are despondent. What are we going to do? I thought he would help us. He's not. These are the words."

The excerpt ends with Gerrato telling Lonigro that he wants "to have faith in people," but that he doesn't take Cefalu seriously, said Franz. He noted that Gerrato went on to mimic his client, saying, "Yeah, yeah, yeah," but then complain, "it just doesn't happen."

Franz sought probation, telling Seybert that there was no need to send Cefalu to prison since he was not suspected of committing any crimes since 2006. He also argued that to incarcerate him would be unduly harsh punishment to his client, his wife, and his family, and many workers for a Montreal-based architectural design company named Muraflex, whose CEO Fernando Petreccia, praised his client's work as extraordinary in a letter to the court.

Since hiring Cefalu, "the number one expert in the architectural wall industry" four years ago, Petreccia wrote that his company's gross sales had jumped from $3 million to $25 million a year and that Cefalu's incarceration would be "devastating to Muraflex," stating, "Many people would lose their jobs."

"Dominic Cefalu is the ultimate professional. He is our face in the U.S., meeting with company executives from the major architectural and construction firms. He travels to every major city in the U.S.," wrote Petreccia, adding that Cefalu is overseeing two large high-profile projects, one for Hundai Motors of America in Fountain Valley CA, and one for the Association of American Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C.

Frank Lonigro Toossi retorted that having a job does not make you a good guy. Cefalu, who has been involved in the construction industry for years, was gainfully employed when he committed crimes in 2006, and many Gambino mobsters have "legitimate" businesses for many reasons, mostly devious, said the prosecutor. Underboss Frank Cali "runs an import export business," said Toossi, and family boss Domenico Cefalu is often called "Dom The Baker" because "he's actually a baker" but he still "gets money from illegal activities."

The prosecutor also argued that the passage of years was no reason for Cefalu not to do the time for his crime, but Seybert told Toossi that despite Big D's likely mob status, and his admission of a "serious" crime, "the Court is not going to send him to jail," but give him "time served," meaning no time, since Cefalu had been free on bail since his arrest in December, 2011.

When Seybert imposed sentence, FBI case agent Jeffrey Tarkin packed his things, and quietly walked out of the courtroom without waiting to hear what the judge gave brother Joseph, whose guidelines were 18-to-24 months.

Toossi hung around to hear Seybert give 54-year-old Joseph Cefalu, who owns a jewelry store in Huntington, L.I. the same sentence she gave brother Dominic, of Morganville, N.J. — no time behind bars and three years of supervised release.

"The case was all about a loan between friends," Joseph's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told Gang Land. "Technically," the lawyer said, "my client committed a crime but I believe the judge accurately saw what the case was worth and sentenced my client accordingly."

When lawyer Franz told Seybert that his client had wanted to address the court before he was sentenced, the judge said she was "interested" in hearing what Cefalu had intended to say.

Big D thanked Seybert for allowing him to remain free so he could support his family and "solidify my position at Muraflex and throughout the architectural industry." He went on to apologize for taking "actions eight years ago" without giving much thought about their impact. He ended by returning to his lawyer's main theme.

"Actions speak louder than words and I hope that the way I have lived my life in recent years will attest to my sincerity," said Cefalu, prompting a final thought from the Judge.

"If you are involved in organized crime," said Seybert, "destroy the myth and get out, because you are not particularly effective, certainly in this situation, if that was the result."



Joe Colombo Jr., Whose Controversial Arrest In 1970 Triggered Noisy Protests Against The FBI, Dead At 67

Joseph Colombo Jr., whose arrest back on April 30, 1970 spurred his Mafia boss father to dramatically turn the tables on the FBI, picketing the agency's East Side offices and staging huge civil rights rallies, died last week after a long battle with Neurological Lyme Disease. He was 67.

The charges against Colombo Jr. were always controversial: In a novel case, he was charged with conspiring to melt down $200,000 of silver U.S. coins and convert them into more valuable silver ingots. His dad, the Bensonhurst-based boss of one of the city's five crime families, termed it harassment aimed at him.

And a jury agreed. Less than a year later, on February 26, 1971, after just four hours of deliberations, a panel of jurors in Brooklyn Federal Court acquitted the defendant, prompting tears of joy to flow down the cheeks of the elder Colombo — a daily spectator at his son's eight day trial.

"My son was innocent," the usually hot tempered Mafia boss said as he wiped the tears away, the New York Times reported. "I feel that we fought all the way."

"The only good that came out of all this is the birth of the Italian American Civil Rights League," the outspoken Mafia boss told The Daily News.

The hard-fought verdict came after a mistrial, and months of noisy demonstrations outside FBI headquarters and a boisterous Italian American Civil Rights League rally of an estimated 50,000 people which included many elected officials at Columbus Circle. The rally, coupled with Colombo's claims of discrimination by the FBI against Italian-Americans propelled Colombo to the cover of Time Magazine and a guest spot on the Dick Cavett show.

The huge and popular rallies initially succeeded beyond anyone's expectations: The U.S. Department of Justice agreed to stop using the words "Mafia" and "La Cosa Nostra" in its organized crime cases. An even bigger coup was achieved when Colombo Sr. prevailed upon producer Al Ruddy to also delete the word "Mafia" from The Godfather.

But the era of good feeling was short-lived. Four months later, at the second Civil Rights League rally, Colombo was shot by a lone gunman and mortally wounded, remaining in a coma until he finally succumbed to his wounds seven years later.

Like his three brothers, Colombo Jr. was never inducted into the crime family that still bears his father's name. In 1985, though, he was indicted along with brothers Vincent and Anthony on racketeering charges of bookmaking and bribery. He pleaded guilty, was sentenced to five years, and was never implicated in any wrongdoing following his release from prison in 1990.

Chris Colombo"He was sick a long time, at least he's not suffering any longer," said his brother Christopher, sadly. "He was unique person, very charismatic — like my father. Everybody loved him. He was a great father, a fantastic grand-father. He had a way of touching people, and everyone he touched loved him. He will be missed by the entire family, and everyone who knew him."

In addition to his brother Chris, he is survived by Diane, his wife of 45 years, daughters Dina and Denise, and his son Joseph III; his brothers Anthony and Vincent; his sister Catherine; five grandchildren, John, Jenna, Joey, Laini, and Emily, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Following a one day viewing at the Brooks Funeral Home in Newburgh, and a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary's Church in Newburgh, Colombo was laid to rest Tuesday at Calvary Cemetery in New Windsor.

Meanwhile, back in Joe Colombo's old haunts in Brooklyn, Michael Persico, the son of the crime family's current boss is now scheduled to be sentenced next year. Last week, Federal Judge Sandra Townes rejected his motion to take back his guilty plea. He faces a maximum of five years behind bars, but his plea agreement recommends a sentence between 37 and 46 months.



First Bonanno Wiseguy To Break Mafia Vow Of Omerta Gets Reward Today

Bonanno capo Frank Coppa, who became the first member of his crime family to publicly break the vow of omerta, returns to the scene of his betrayal today to receive his reward — a likely sentence of time served.

Coppa's decision to flip in 2002 after he was hit with his third racketeering indictment in two years, has long been regarded as a seminal moment in the government's successes in decimating the Bonanno family in the last decade. Coppa's turnaround induced many others in his crime family to follow, helping the feds to bring down its powerful boss and dozens of other mobsters.

Coppa, 73, testified only once — at the 2004 racketeering and murder trial of then-boss Joseph Massino. He has been awaiting sentence since he was released on bail in November of 2004.

"His decision to join Team America was huge," said one law enforcement official. "After 40 years of zeroes, we soon had seven made guys playing for the good guys, including the underboss and a capo, and the results were staggering," the official added.

As the "first made member of the Bonanno family to agree to testify for the government, Coppa was in a unique position to detail the inner workings and specific history of the Bonanno family," prosecutors said this week in filings with Brooklyn Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis.

In his debriefings, prosecutors wrote, Coppa provided "a firsthand account of events ranging from his induction into the Bonanno family and his later elevation to positions of authority in the Bonanno family to the commission of various murders by the Bonanno family."

His cooperation enabled the feds to obtain guilty pleas from five Massino codefendants and 21 other Bonanno mobsters and associates who were indicted on murder and other charges in a separate case, prosecutors wrote. He also provided info that helped the feds convict three others of murders at trial, including mobster Baldassare (Baldo) Amato, who was involved in the storied gangland-style slaying of Carmine (Lilo) Galante in 1979.

Coppa was also the first Bonanno turncoat to supply insight about the successful plot by Massino and the family's Sicilian faction to whack three rival capos in May of 1981, as well as the murder of capo Dominick (Sonny Black) Napolitano three months later for enabling FBI agent Joe Pistone to infiltrate the crime family posing as jewel thief named Donnie Brasco.

All told, prosecutors wrote, Coppa, who admitted a role in the murder of Sonny Black, gave the feds information about 14 separate gangland slayings, including the 1983 murder of city Marine and Aviation Department deputy commissioner Enrico Mazzeo and the 1992 slaying of New York Post circulation department supervisor Robert Perrino.

Coppa, whose rap sheet includes murder conspiracies, drug dealing, stock fraud, loansharking extortion and tax fraud going back to 1963, was inducted into the crime family in 1977. He served as an acting capo, a full captain, and was a member of the family's Administration during the late 1990s, when he and Massino grew close and vacationed together with their wives.

In seeking a much more lenient prison term for Coppa than the life sentence he technically faces, prosecutors wrote that his "truly historic" decision as the first Bonanno to flip "led to the cooperation of other organized crime members, who, in turn, provided further substantial assistance in numerous investigations and prosecutions."

Coppa And Massino Surround Fiat They detail those events in a sealed submission, but according to court records, after Coppa decided to cooperate in mid-November of 2002, capo Richard (Shellackhead) Cantarella, and his mobster son Paul, flipped six weeks later, as Gang Land first reported in January of 2003. Underboss Salvatore Vitale followed suit in March.

By the time Massino went to trial in 2004, they were joined by capo James (Big Louie) Tartaglione, and solders Frank (Curly) Lino and James D'Amico. All but Paul Cantarella took the stand against Massino, who became the first New York mafia boss to cooperate after he was convicted.

Coppa wasn't the best on the witness stand, and he didn't provide as much nitty gritty detail that Vitale, Lino and Tartaglione provided about the bloody slaying of three rival capos. But, as one law enforcement official said, "He started the ball rolling and it hasn't stopped yet."

'Maybe I've been fooled, I hope not' The judge said..the guys a capo!

Nice one Dom!

I wonder if the jump from $3 million to $25 million in sales has anything to do with cousin Domenico Cefalu becoming the acknowledged head of the Gambino's?

Also, perhaps Muraflex has ties to the Rizzuto's, considering that Muraflex is based in Montreal

Didnt know this guy was a capo,what crew is that?Those gambino guys got a stranglhold on SI,do they?

Not really. Sure, they're strong there. But the Westside has Baby Shades based in Staten Island. So I'd say that those two families are comparable there. Besides, Staten Island is very residential with loads of wiseguys living there. So it's all relative.

It appears he may have taken over Dom Cefalu's crew once his cousin became boss.

Yeah that's the logical thing.Is that the one with all the zips?Conte's crew?

Yeah tons of Bannanos live in SI

That was my point. There are so many wiseguys living on Staten Island that the lines get blurred. Who lives there, who's based there, who owns a restaurant there, etc. It's not like the other boroughs where you can clearly say that one or two families have the entire area locked down.

Good question DC, I wondered the same thing.

Both families have strong sicilian ties, moreso than any other north american based family.
I'd love to see where the majority of work was done by 'Muraflex' as the local and provincial Quebec governments are rife with corruption regarding the construction industry including government contracts.
Be very interesting to see who's behind 'Muraflex' and if it is OC controlled what the implication of the movement from the Bonanno's to the Gambino's by the 'Rizzuto's' means.

Food for thought.

Care to elaborate ?

Hey PB, check your inbox from a couple weeks ago; not sure if you saw my message.

Thanks