September 05, 2019

Would you like some coke with your gelato?

A reputed associate of the Bonanno crime family copped a plea Thursday in a narcotics-trafficking scheme that involved the sale of $40,000 worth of cocaine in a Manhattan gelato shop.

Salvatore Russo, 46, faces a maximum 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to distributing more than 500 grams of the drug.

Under terms of a deal with Brooklyn federal prosecutors, Russo agreed to serve the mandatory minimum sentence of five years, but can appeal if he gets slapped with any more time.

The beefy wiseguy, a naturalized US citizen who spoke with a heavy Sicilian accent in court, also faces a fine of up to $5 million.

“He’s accepted his responsibility and hopes for the best,” defense lawyer Joseph Conway said outside court.

Russo, who remains free on $500,000 bond pending his unscheduled sentencing, was busted last year in what authorities said was a coordinated, cross-border crackdown on mobsters operating in both the US and Canada.

He was indicted as a co-defendant and accomplice of reputed acting Bonanno captain Damiano Zummo, who was allegedly caught on a secret recording while taking part in a Mafia induction ceremony in the Great White North during 2015.

“You only answer to the Bonanno family,” Zummo told the newly “made” mobster, according to prosecution court papers.

Zummo and Russo conspired to sell more than five kilograms of cocaine between July and October 2017, according to their indictment.

More than one kilo was sold inside an unidentified Manhattan store that sold gelato, or Italian-style ice cream, on Sept. 14, 2017, according to the Brooklyn US Attorney’s Office.

Zummo also pleaded guilty to a drug charge in December and is awaiting sentencing.

https://nypost.com/2019/09/05/reput...o-selling-40k-of-cocaine-in-gelato-shop/

Its ironic that the family that flooded the US with heroin now can't sell 5 kilos without being arrested.

A lot has changed, mob as a whole would kill at a drop of a dime, people would step up left and right when it was time to whack somebody so they could get in good standing, get made, move up the ladder, now nobody wants to step up, they have to get blacks to pull the trigger, 20 years from now or less there will be nothing left.

In other words; "You only answer to Michael Mancuso, if the commission orders you to clip him, you don't do it".

It sounds like Mancuso modified the words for the induction ceremony, slightly.

That’s what people said 20 years ago.
Some families are in a much better shape today than back then.

Agreed. Just look at the Gambino’s and all the captains they have on the street. After Gotti everyone said the mafia is dying in the 90s. Now that one singular family is as powerful as ever.

maybe not in better shape, but they remained stable, sure not dead or on progressive decline like several people thought... considering most criminal groups in the same period were wiped out with a single indictment

As powerful as ever? Either you are kidding or you are ignoring what they were as a family from the 30s through the 80s if not the 90s. They may be doing well now compared to other families but they are nothing like they were when they were at their peak, no family is.

Nah it's over, unless they're going to let blacks in, who do you think is going to replace all these old guys? Italian kids don't want to be wiseguys.

there is always somebody who joins it, especially in new york they still have a big recruitment pool, consider there are also hundreds of sicilian mafia members living there

Apart philly that in 1999 was more a street gang that a lcn family after stanfa-merlino war and that was rebuilted by Ligambi. In the 1999/2000 even the decavalcante was better that then.

I'm in NY, I grew up on 18th Ave, it's over son.