- Ten alleged Gambino crime family mobsters were federally charged on Wednesday.
- Prosecutors said the wise guys face racketeering conspiracy and other charges.
- They were accused of violent extortions, including one that involved a hammer attack.
Ten alleged mobsters of the Gambino crime family — including men with the nicknames "Vinny Slick," "Uncle Ciccio" and "Joe Brooklyn" — are now facing racketeering conspiracy and other charges in a mafia takedown by the feds.
The alleged wise guys from New York's Staten Island, Manhattan, the Bronx, Long Island, and New Jersey were charged in a 16-count indictment revealed on Wednesday.
Prosecutors accused the men of violent extortion, including an attack with a hammer, setting the steps of a home on fire, and threatening someone with a baseball bat.
The feds say that the alleged Gambino members and associates used threats, fraud, theft, and embezzlement schemes to muscle in on New York City's carting and demolition industries to enrich themselves and the Gambino crime family.
"As alleged, for years, the defendants committed violent extortions, assaults, arson, witness retaliation, and other crimes in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries," Breon Peace, the US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement.
Italian law enforcement on Wednesday also arrested six organized crime members and associates in a coordinated operation, according to officials.
The defendants charged in New York include:
-
Joseph Lanni, also known as "Joe Brooklyn" and "Mommino"
-
Diego "Danny" Tantillo
-
Angelo Gradilone, also known as "Fifi"
-
James "Jimmy" LaForte
-
Vincent Minsquero, also known as "Vinny Slick."
-
Francesco Vicari, also known as "Uncle Ciccio"
-
Kyle Johnson, also known as "Twin,"
-
Vito "Vi" Rappa
-
Salvatore DiLorenzo
-
and Robert Brooke.
Nine of the men — all but Laforte — pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the US attorney's office. Laforte wasn't arraigned because he was in jail in Pennsylvania and will be arraigned at a later date, the spokesperson said.
Lanni, Johnson, Tantillo, and Gradilone were all detained, while Dilorenzo was released on a $500,000 bond and Brooke, Rappa, Vicari, and Minsquero were released on a $1 million bond, the spokesperson added. Prosecutors have 24 hours to potentially appeal before the defendants are released.
Lanni's lawyer, Frederick L. Sosinsky, said in response to the allegations: "Joe Lanni did not commit any crime charged in this indictment nor any uncharged act to which the Government makes reference. Until now, he has never even been accused of any act of violence. We look forward to getting Joe released on a bond and to a vigorous challenge to the charges."
Lawyers for Johnson, Gradilone, and Tantillo did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Insider on Wednesday and attorney information for the other defendants wasn't immediately available.