Drug trafficker who owned mansion tells all about his criminal rise and how it suddenly fell apart
From the Complete coverage: The case of ex-DEA agent Joseph Bongiovanni series
Patrick Lakamp

With money pouring in from his marijuana and cocaine trafficking, Ronald Serio got a meeting in Canada with Frank J. “Butch” BiFulco, once viewed by federal authorities as a longtime leader in the local Mafia.

Ronald C. Serio is awaiting sentencing on felony drug and weapons charges stemming from a 2017 raid at his former Lebrun Road mansion in Amherst. The case against Serio is part of a federal investigation into organized crime in Buffalo. Serio pleaded guilty to the charges.

Serio, 47, testified Monday that he sought the 2014 meeting with “Butchie BiFocals," arranged by Serio's drug-trafficking partner Michael Masecchia, because he was looking for more marijuana suppliers in an attempt to control the market in Western New York.

BiFulco, who died in 2020, was not the only person who Serio identified in his testimony against former Drug Enforcement Administration agent Joseph Bongiovanni. Serio said he paid at least $250,000 in bribes to Bongiovanni between 2010 and 2017 as a way to get names of anyone informing law enforcement officials about his drug-trafficking organization. On Monday, the 13th day of testimony in Bongiovanni's bribery and corruption trial, Serio emerged as a pivotal witness naming names. Serio identified or confirmed the roles of more than two dozen people who he said helped him grow, buy, sell or transport illegal drugs.

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Serio became the second government witness to talk about organized crime connections in the case, with Masecchia figuring in both accounts.

Earlier in the trial, Selva, who said he negotiated the bribe payments with Bongiovanni, said he once asked Masecchia, "Are you connected? Are you a made guy?”

Selva recounted that Masecchia said yes.

Serio said he asked Masecchia what it took "to be a made guy."

"He told me to shut up and keep making money," Serio said.

Serio said BiFulco was Masecchia's "godfather," enabling Masecchia to arrange the meeting.

Masecchia, who was sentenced to prison in May 2022 on felony drug charges, admitted getting law enforcement sensitive information from Bongiovanni. But Masecchia made no admission of being a member of the Mafia in his plea agreement.

After Serio's arrest in April 2017, Serio hesitated to tell law enforcement officials what he knew about local people involved in his drug-trafficking operation, partly because he didn't want to inform on his friends but also because he was scared of Masecchia.

"It got to the point I had to come clean," he said.

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Mark Falzone, 46, of North Buffalo, who called himself Serio's friend, testified last week that he was struggling financially when he became involved in Serio's drug-trafficking organization.

"I was complaining about my house being in foreclosure and he said he could help if I helped unload packagers," Falzone said.

Falzone helped unload three shipments of marijuana for $500 a load. He unloaded at his home 100 pounds of marijuana that came in packages hidden in wood pellets. He unloaded another 100 pounds hidden in mulch delivered to Serio's warehouse at Sycamore Street and Michigan Avenue. The third shipment was unloaded at Serio's mansion, also hidden in mulch, Falzone said. He spread the mulch around Serio's yard.

Falzone said he was also once paid $1,000 to drive to and from New York City, following behind Serio's car. If a police vehicle started following Serio, Falzone was instructed to drive erratically, acting as decoy, to distract the police officer from Serio's car.

Then came Serio's arrest in April 2017.

Falzone said he met shortly afterward with Masecchia, who was surprised by the arrest.

"I talked to my guy and Ron wasn't on any radars," Falzone said Masecchia told him.

There was a reason for that. The Erie County Sheriff's Office and FBI made the arrest, without informing the DEA. So Bongiovanni knew nothing of it.

For the whole article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/...a4f7b18-dff4-11ee-8373-5774b2dc2f77.html