Home New York Press Releases 2011 Last of 14 Gambino Crime Family Members and Associates Plead Guilty to Racketeering, Murder Conspiracy, Extortion, Sex...
Info
This is archived material from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function.

Last of 14 Gambino Crime Family Members and Associates Plead Guilty to Racketeering, Murder Conspiracy, Extortion, Sex Trafficking, and Other Crimes

U.S. Attorney's Office January 10, 2011
  • Southern District of New York (212) 637-2600

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and JANICE K. FEDARCYK, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the guilty pleas of all 14 members and associates of the Gambino Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Gambino Family”) who were charged in Manhattan federal court in April 2010 with crimes including racketeering, murder, sex trafficking, extortion, and wire fraud. The final two of the 14 defendants—THOMAS OREFICE and DOMINICK DIFIORE—pled guilty today to various federal charges. The other 12 defendants pled guilty over the past several months. They are:

(1) DANIEL MARINO; (2) ONOFRIO MODICA; (3)ANTHONY MANZELLA;(4) MICHAEL SCOTTO; (5) MICHAEL SCARPACI; (6) THOMAS SCARPACI; (7) DAVID EISLER; (8) SALVATORE BORGIA; (9) STEVE MAIURRO; (10) KEITH DELLITALIA; (11) SUZANNE PORCELLI; and (12) ANTHONY VECCHIONE.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA said: “The Gambino Family and their associates continue to use violence, threats, and intimidation to wield power and profit illegally off the backs of their many victims. But the convictions of all 14 individuals charged by this office just nine months ago has dealt the Gambinos a significant blow. As the result of our prosecution, one of the Mafia’s preeminent leaders and many of its rising stars will now serve significant prison sentences. We are, however, far from finished with the Gambino Family and will continue working with our law enforcement partners to put their members and associates out of business and behind bars.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge JANICE K. FEDARCYK said: “The guilty pleas by Orefice and Difiore effectively mark the successful end of the prosecution of this case against a portion of the Gambino Family. The 14 defendants admitted their roles in crimes that include sex trafficking, extortion, violent assaults, and murders, putting to lie the notion that today’s mob is somehow less violent or craven than in the past. While this case is effectively over, the FBI’s commitment to policing the Gambino Family and La Cosa Nostra is far from over.”

According to the indictment previously filed in Manhattan federal court, the guilty plea proceedings, and the record of the case:

DANIEL MARINO, a longtime member of the Gambino Family, was a boss who presided over at least 200 fully inducted or “made” mafia members, as well as hundreds of associates who committed crimes on behalf of the family. THOMAS OREFICE and ONOFRIO MODICA were soldiers of the Gambino Family acting under MARINO’s supervision. OREFICE and MODICA each supervised crews that included DOMINICK DIFIORE, ANTHONY MANZELLA, MICHAEL SCOTTO, MICHAEL SCARPACI, THOMAS SCARPACI, DAVID EISLER, and SALVATORE BORGIA. The iIndictment also charges other individuals who committed crimes with and for the Gambino Family, including STEVE MAIURRO, KEITH DELLITALIA, SUZANNE PORCELLI, and ANTHONY VECCHIONE.

In addition to racketeering charges, the defendants were charged and have pled guilty to the following crimes:

Murder of Frank Hydell

In 1997, suspicion arose within the Gambino Family that FRANK HYDELL, MARINO’s nephew, was cooperating with law enforcement. He was. Based on these suspicions, various Gambino Family members and associates plotted to kill HYDELL and sought MARINO’s approval for the hit. In his guilty plea, MARINO admitted that he gave his co-conspirators the “green light” for the murder to proceed. Upon MARINO’s authorization to kill HYDELL, various Gambino Family members and associates lured him to a strip club in Staten Island where he was shot three times in the face and back. HYDELL died in the strip club’s parking lot. He was 31 years old.

Accessory to Murder of James DiGuglielmo and Richard Sbarra

On August 22, 1987, MODICA’s motorcycle was used in connection with the drive-by shooting of two individuals in Staten Island, JAMES DIGUGLIELMO and RICHARD SBARRA. After the murders occurred, MODICA made false statements to the police and helped to hide and destroy evidence in an effort to protect the individuals who killed DIGUGLIELMO and SBARRA from being arrested and convicted.

Sex Trafficking and Sex Trafficking of a Minor

From 2008 to 2009, numerous defendants, including OREFICE, DIFIORE, MANZELLA, SCOTTO, EISLER, MAIURRO, and PORCELLI, operated a prostitution business where young women and girls were exploited and sold for sex. The defendants first recruited various young women and girls to work as prostitutes. The defendants then advertised the prostitution business on Craigslist and other websites. The defendants drove the women to appointments in Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey, and Staten Island to have sex with clients. The defendants then took approximately 50 percent of the money paid to the young women. The defendants also made the women available for sex to gamblers at a weekly, high-stakes poker game.

Jury Tampering

In 1992, then-boss JOHN J. GOTTI was on trial for federal racketeering and murder charges in the Eastern District of New York. MODICA, along with various other Gambino Family members, took part in a plot to locate the anonymous, sequestered jurors sitting on that trial. MODICA and the others eventually penetrated various security measures, and located the jury at the hotel where it was sequestered. The plan to tamper with the jury was called off, however, when GOTTI came to believe that the jury would not convict him, even without outside interference.

Extortions and Assaults

Between 2005 and 2009, OREFICE, DIFIORE, MANZELLA, SCOTTO, THOMAS SCARPACI, DELLITALIA, EISLER, and VECCHIONE extorted payments from various businesses and individuals through the use of violence and threats. The defendants targeted businesses in the construction, home heating oil, and financial services industries, as well as various individuals in and around New York City.

Several of the extortions resulted in serious beatings. For example:

  • In December 2005, after an extortion victim failed to make a payment, OREFICE, DIFIORE, and DELLITALIA punched and used a baseball bat to beat the victim, causing the victim’s hospitalization.
  • In 2008, OREFICE and DIFIORE tracked down another extortion victim who failed to make a payment, beat him viciously, and left him on the street. The victim was hospitalized and received emergency surgery.
  • In the summer of 2009, OREFICE, DIFIORE, MANZELLA, THOMAS SCARPACI, and VECCHIONE plotted to extort the owner of a financial services business in Staten Island. Members of OREFICE’s crew went to the victim’s office in an attempt to shake him down, demanded to see the victim, and, ultimately, threatened the victim’s office staff.

In the summer of 2009, SCOTTO assaulted an individual to collect an extortion payment for DIFIORE, leaving the individual unconscious.

Wire Fraud

OREFICE and MANZELLA defrauded various high-end restaurants in New York City by inflating invoices for meat orders placed with MANZELLA’s company and paying kickbacks to the chefs responsible for ordering the meat. The invoices were sometimes inflated by as much as 40 percent of actual costs. To ensure that the chefs at the restaurants would continue ordering meat from MANZELLA’s company, and to encourage them to turn a blind eye to the scam, MANZELLA kicked back about five percent of the proceeds to them.

Narcotics Trafficking

DIFIORE and BORGIA trafficked in narcotics—including cocaine and oxycodone—for and on behalf of the Gambino Family.

Gambling

OREFICE, MODICA, DIFIORE, MANZELLA, MICHAEL SCARPACI, THOMAS SCARPACI, EISLER, BORGIA, and DELLITALIA ran various illegal gambling operations for the Gambino Family. These operations included an Internet-based sports betting, or “bookmaking,” operation, and a regular, high-stakes card game.

The charges contained in the Indictment against each defendant, the corresponding maximum potential penalties, and the scheduled sentencing dates are contained in charts attached to this press release.

Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the FBI.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys ELIE HONIG, NATALIE LAMARQUE, DANIEL CHUNG, and JASON HERNANDEZ are in charge of the prosecution.

United States v. Daniel Marino et al.

Defendant Charges of Conviction Maximum Prison Term Sentencing Date
DANIEL MARINO Conspiracy to murder Frank Hydell 5 years January 25, 2011
THOMAS OREFICE Racketeering conspiracy, with objects including extortion, sex trafficking, loansharking, gambling 30 years April 22, 2011
ONOFRIO MODICA Racketeering conspiracy, with objects including accessory to murder, jury tampering, extortion, gambling 20 years April 22, 2011
DOMINICK DIFIORE Extortion conspiracy, narcotics distribution 10 years April 22, 2011
ANTHONY MANZELLA Racketeering conspiracy, with objects including extortion, mail fraud, sex trafficking, gambling 20 years April 22, 2011
MICHAEL SCOTTO Racketeering, with underlying acts including extortion and gambling 20 years April 22, 2011
MICHAEL SCARPACI Racketeering, with underlying acts including gambling 20 years April 22, 2011
DAVID EISLER Racketeering, with underlying acts including sex trafficking, extortion,and gambling 20 years April 22, 2011
THOMAS SCARPACI Racketeering, with underlying acts including 20 years March 2, 2011
SALVATORE BORGIA underlying acts including narcotics distribution and gambling 20 years April 22, 2011
STEVE MAIURRO Sex trafficking 20 years January 14, 2011
KEITH DELLITALIA Extortion 20 years April 22, 2011
SUZANNE PORCELLI Sex trafficking 10 years January 21, 2011
ANTHONY VECCHIONE Extortion 20 years Sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment

 

Defendant Residence Age
DANIEL MARINO Brooklyn, New York 70
THOMAS OREFICE Staten Island, New York 34
ONOFRIO MODICA Manalapan, New Jersey 47
DOMINICK DIFIORE Staten Island, New York 31
ANTHONY MANZELLA Staten Island, New York 32
MICHAEL SCOTTO Staten Island, New York 25
MICHAEL SCARPACI Staten Island, New York 35
DAVID EISLER Brooklyn, New York 24
THOMAS SCARPACI Staten Island, New York 36
SALVATORE BORGIA Brooklyn, New York 32
STEVE MAIURRO Staten Island, New York 32
KEITH DELLITALIA Staten Island, New York 34
SUZANNE PORCELLI Brooklyn, New York 44
ANTHONY VECCHIONE Staten Island, New York 41


Last of 14 Gambino Crime Family Members and Associates Plead Guilty to Racketeering, Murder Conspiracy, Extortion, Sex Trafficking, and Other Crimes

This content has been reproduced from its original source.