THE BUFFALO NEWS

WORLD DRUG RING TIED TO BUFFALO 12 FROM WNY AMONG TARGETS OF U.S. PROBE
By Dan Herbeck | Published November 30, 1988

Federal agents today began arresting more than 200 international drug-trafficking suspects implicated in a widespread, three-year investigation that started in Buffalo and apparently cracked an organized-crime heroin and cocaine ring.

The Buffalo case was initially designed to concentrate on drug-trafficking rings in Western New York and was code-named "Busico," which stands for "Buffalo-Sicilian Connection," officials in Washington said.

"This was no simple 'buy-bust' case," FBI Director William Sessions told a news conference in Washington. "Instead, the FBI used its expertise to develop the kind of long-term, undercover operation that builds strong cases against top leaders."

An import-export business run by undercover FBI agents in Hamburg served as the headquarters for the operation aimed at drug connections linking the Sicilian Mafia with organized-crime families in Buffalo, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco, federal officials said today.

The arrests -- including 12 in Western New York -- were announced today. By noon, officials said, 52 suspects had been arrested in the United States and at least 22 had been apprehended in Italy.

A prominent funeral home owner who was the Lackawanna Chamber of Commerce's Man of the Year in 1987 and an official of Laborers Local 210 who also is facing racketeering charges were among the suspects in a case that also involved importing counterfeit watches.

In a noon news conference at the Buffalo FBI office, U.S. Attorney Dennis C. Vacco and FBI Special Agent G. Robert Langford called the probe a major strike at a large-scale drug operation.

"Numerous purchases of heroin and cocaine were made by Buffalo undercover agents throughout the United States," Vacco said.

Langford estimated the street-sale value of drugs purchased by the Buffalo agents at almost $5 million.

FBI spokesman Harry Mount said in Washington the investigation focused on Sicilians as one of three major groups the FBI believes dominate the world drug trade.

The probe identified "numerous family-type operations," Mount said. "I don't mean in a traditional, Mafia-type family. I mean literally families.”

Ten of the 12 local suspects were initially charged with narcotics trafficking, pending their arraignments.

Langford said the investigation was a spin-off of the 1983 drug probe that led to the arrest and conviction of Andy Aiello, a North Buffalo bathroom tile dealer, who was accused of possessing more than 50 pounds of heroin.

As a result of that investigation, the FBI learned that Sicilian organized crime leaders wanted to establish a drug connection using an import-export business in the United States.

The original plan called for Italian drug exporters to put the drugs in plastic bags and hide them inside cans of tomato paste and olive oil.

This led the FBI and the U.S. Customs Service to set up the BSC Partake Wholesale Inc. operation, which was housed on Southwestern Boulevard in Hamburg. Lang ford said the acronym "BSC" was chosen because it stood for Buffalo-Sicilian Connection.

Law enforcement officials said the local suspects were not directly involved in the international end of the case.

Italian cities involved in the case were Milan, Florence, Rome and Palermo, Sicily. Drugs apparently were moved between Buffalo and London; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle, and Los Angeles.

"Buffalo is where it started," said local FBI spokesman Steve Naum.

All those arrested in Italy allegedly belonged to the Spatola, Gambino and Inzerillo Mafia families and were involved in multimillion-dollar narcotics traffic in Sicily and the United States, authorities said.

The Buffalo "sting" investigation was centered on BSC Wholesale, authorities said. The import-export business was actually a cover for undercover agents from the FBI who traveled through the United States and Italy setting up drug connections.

"People who thought they were dealing with some shady import-export guys who dabbled in drug-dealing were actually dealing with the FBI," Vacco said.

The import-export business bought and sold olive oil and other food products, the Buffalo prosecutor added.

FBI officials in Washington said 75 of the suspects are being taken into custody in the United States, with the remainder in Italy.

The Buffalo-area roundup began late Wednesday night and was continuing this afternoon. Identified as suspects were:

Joseph P. Lombardo, 32, president of the Lackawanna Chamber of Commerce and a funeral director who runs funeral parlors in Hamburg, Buffalo and Amherst and listed the homes as his addresses. Lombardo has long been active with the Lackawanna Chamber, which named him its Man of the Year in 1987, and other civic groups.

John R. Catanzaro, 46, of 25 Wellington Road, Buffalo, a Local 210 steward. He is already facing labor racketeering charges filed last year. Catanzaro and another suspect were arrested on charges relating to counterfeit Rolex watches, and not drug charges.

Catanzaro, a convicted burglar, was ordered by a federal judge to appear in a 1980 police lineup in connection with the killing of William B. Sciolino, a Local 210 steward. A witness who saw three men abandon an apparent getaway car shortly after the Sciolino slaying made no identification. That killing remains unsolved.
Catanzaro was one of two Laborers Local 210 officials indicted by a federal grand jury in April as part of a probe of no-show jobs on Western New York construction sites.

Catanzaro, an auditor for Local 210, was charged with demanding and receiving $35,000 in wages to guarantee labor peace as a no-show union steward on the construction of a brine pipeline between Wyoming County and Niagara Falls.

Frank Grisanti, 46, of 23 Losson Garden Drive, Cheektowaga, a union steward, Local 210.
Ronald H. Chimera, 37, of 221 Lexington Ave., an employee of J&M Distributors.

Frank J. Mahiques, 32, of 1306 Gowan Road, Angola, a remodeling contractor.

Fred M. Saia, 54, of 253 Highland Ave. No occupation listed. He, too, faces watch counterfeiting charges, not drug charges.

Gary L. Carter, 32, manager of Sunshine Motors, a South Buffalo car dealership.

Also, Paul Catania, no age or occupation listed; Francis S. Catania, 63, a laborer; and Victor F. Catania, 33, an aerial advertiser who flew planes over Rich Stadium trailing banners. All listed 219 Lexington Ave. as their home address. Francis Catania is the father of Victor and Paul.

Paul J. Palladino, 61, of 2106 Delaware Ave., a truck driver.

Angelo P. Rizzo, 71, of 12 Brauton St. No occupation listed.
Some suspects are still at large, the U.S. attorney added.

The Buffalo News learned that two senior officers of the Justice Department's Immigration and Naturalization Service, stationed at JFK International Airport in New York, may be involved in the scandal.

Staff Reporters Gene Warner and Michael Beebe contributed to this report.