Nicholas Corozzo

Nicholas Corozzo
Photograph taken in 2004.
Born	March 17, 1940 (1940-03-17) (age 71) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.A.

Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo (born March 17, 1940) is a New York mobster who is the reputed acting boss of the Gambino crime family.

Biography

Nicholas Corozzo was born in Canarsie, Brooklyn to first generation emigrants from Morozzo, Cuneo, in the Italian region of Piedmont. Nicholas is the older brother of reputed Gambino consigliere Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo as well as twin brothers Blaise Corozzo, a Gambino soldier, and Anthony Corozzo, a Gambino associate. Corozzo is the uncle of Joseph Corozzo Jr, a high-profile New York defense attorney. Nicholas' daughter, Bernadette, is married to Gambino associate Vincent Dragonetti.^[1] Prior to Corozzo's incarceration, he lived in Bellmore, Long Island. He stands at 5′5" tall and weighs approximately 170 pounds.

Rise to family boss

During the early 1980s, Nicholas Corozzo was a bitter rival of Gambino capo John Gotti. When Gotti became boss in 1985, he declined to promote Corozzo to capo. However, since Corozzo was such a good earner for the family, Gotti did not want to get rid of him. In turn, Corozzo professed loyalty to Gotti.^[2] It was only after Gotti went to prison in 1992 that Corozzo was finally promoted to Caporegime, along with Gambino soldier Leonard "Lenny" DiMaria. With Gotti in prison, Corozzo, DiMaria, and Nicholas' brother Joseph, now consigliere, formed a ruling panel that unofficially ran the Gambino family. In the mid 1990s, Corozzo was elevated to acting boss of the family.^[3]

In 1996, Corozzo ordered the murder of Lucchese crime family associate Robert Arena. Arena had allegedly murdered Anthony Placido, a member of Corozzo's crew, and had failed to return some stolen marijuana to a drug dealer.^[4] On June 26, 1996, the Gambino gunmen found Arena driving with Thomas Maranga, an Arena associate, in the Mill Basin section of Brooklyn. After forcing Arena to stop the car, the gunmen shot and killed both men.^[2][5]

Florida Arrest

In December, 1996, Corozzo was indicted in Miami, Florida on 20 racketeering charges that included attempted murder, arson, and loansharking. Corozzo was accused of running a loansharking business in Deerfield Beach, Florida that charged 260% yearly interest on loans.^[6] Federal agents arrested Corozzo as he emerged from the surf at a beach in Key Biscayne, Florida.^[7] In August 1997, Corozzo pled guilty to racketeering charges in Florida and was sentenced to five to ten years in prison. Later that year, Corrozo again pled guilty in Brooklyn to racketeering and bribing a jail guard.^[3]

While in federal prison, Corozzo shared a cell with Gambino associate Joseph Vollaro, who was serving a drug conviction. After his release, Vollaro started paying tribute to Corozzo's crew on a trucking company he started. However, facing another drug conviction in 2004, Vollaro agreed to become a government informant and record his conversations with Corozzo.^[8]

After Corozzo's release from prison on June 10, 2004, Corozzo was again expected to take over Gambino crime family. However, due to increased law enforcement attention, he initially kept a low profile. The Gambinos were reportedly led by John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico until 2005. Corozzo kept his position as a Caporegime, despite health concerns and tight parole restrictions. In 2006, a new report stated that Nicholas Corozzo and D'Amico were the new bosses of the Gambino family, with Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri as underboss and Joseph Corozzo as consigliere.

Indictment and flight

In February 2008, Corozzo was indicted twice, one for the federal Operation Old Bridge and the other for the state Operation Touchback. The federal indictment was for the 1996 Arena and Maranga murders and other racketeering charges, with Vollaro as their main witness. The state indictment, constructed and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Benjamin J. Mantell, was for enterprise corruption, specifically for a Queens-based gambling ring that grossed almost $10 million over two years from sports betting.^[9]

Before law enforcement could arrest Corozzo, his daughter Bernadette alerted him that agents were arresting Gambino members. Corozzo immediately went into hiding. The FBI searched intensively for Corozzo and the television program America's Most Wanted did a feature on him. On May 29, 2008, after four months as a fugitive, Corozzo surrendered to authorities with his lawyer by his side. Authorities said that Corozzo appeared exhausted and unable to handle the media publicity surrounding his disappearance.

Prison

In July 2008, Corozzo pleaded guilty to the state enterprise corruption charges. ADA Ben Mantell handled the plea bargain that Corozzo agreed to on the state level.^[10] On April 17, 2009, Corozzo was sentenced to 13½ years in federal prison for 1996 Arena and Maranga murders.^[5] On April 28, 2009, Corozzo was sentenced to 4½ to 13½ years on the state sports betting conviction. Corozzo will serve the state sentence at the same time as the federal sentence.

Corozzo is serving his two sentences at the United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth, a medium security facility in Leavenworth, Kansas. His projected release date is March 2, 2020.^[11]

References

1. ^ http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/02/21/2008-02-21_ill_steer_clear_of_wiseguyinlaw.html
2. ^ ^{a b} "Nicholas Corozzo: Gambino Capo Escapes Dragnet" AMV Case Files Fugitives
3. ^ ^{a b} "John Gotti - The Last Mafia Icon" Crime Library on truTV.com
4. ^ Gambino Capo Nicholas Corozzo Sentenced Friend of Ours April 18, 2009
5. ^ ^{a b} Gambino Capo Nicholas 'Little Nick' Corozzo 13 to 12 year Jail Sentence" New York Daily News April 18, 2009
6. ^ "Attorney for Corozzo Denies his Client has Ties to the Mob" Sarasota Herald-Tribute, December 20, 1996
7. ^ Reputed New Gambino Boss is Arrested" New York Times December 19, 1996
8. ^ "Accused Gambino Leaders Indicted in Sweep" New York Times February 8, 2008
9. ^ "Gambino Captain, Others Busted for Sports Gambling" North Country Gazette, February 7, 2008
10. ^ "DA: Reputed mobster Nicholas Corozzo guilty in Queens gambling case" New York Daily News July 30, 2008
11. ^ Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator

Further reading

• Capeci, Jerry. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864225-2
• Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
• United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi: Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs. 1988. [1]

External links

• Corozzo's profile on America's Most Wanted
• Wanted: One boss for notorious crime family by Tom Troncone
• The One that Got Away... Caught! - WCBS 880

Business positions
Preceded by John "Junior" Gotti	Gambino crime family Acting boss 1996–1997	Succeeded by John "Junior" Gotti
Preceded by Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri	Gambino crime family Acting boss 2005–2008	Unknown/Vacant

Persondata
Name	Corozzo, Nicholas
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 17, 1940
Place of birth	Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.A.
Date of death
Place of death