- 1996 in organized crime
"See also:"
1995 in organized crime ,
other events of 1996,1997 in organized crime and the
list of 'years in Organized Crime'.----
Events
*
March 8 - FormerChicago Outfit top boss Samuel "Sam," "Wings" Carlisi was sentenced to 12 ½ years inprison for supervising aloansharking andextortion operation.
*March 13 -Detroit crime family bossJack William Tocco was indicted at his vacation home in West Palm Beach, Florida. Tocco and his two brothers Anthony and Paul, andAnthony J. Zerilli , were charged with racketeering and extortion. All men would later be convicted and sentenced to prison. Jack Tocco’s only previous conviction was on charges of operating an illegal ock fight.
*May 20 -Giovanni Brusca , Sicilianmafioso andhitman , arrested nearAgrigento on a pending "in absentia " conviction for the murder ofGiovanni Falcone andPaolo Borsellino . After his arrest Brusca started to collaborate. However, he was not granted the status of full collaborator until February 1999, despite having confessed numerous murders and other criminal activities. Although many of his evidence was judged to be credible, suspicions remained that his collaboration was part of a strategy to emasculate other pentiti and subvert the course of justice.
*May 20 -Colombo crime family acting bossAndrew Russo was photographed meeting with acting consigliereJoel Cacace at theDoral Inn in Manhattan. The meeting landed Russo in jail for violating the terms of his probation. [Alphonse "Allie yjcgh, including the office of PresidentFrederick Devine , aColombo crime family associate. The national union’s new PresidentDouglas J. McCarron dismissed Devine and three union vice-presidents,William Reardon ,William Hanley , andRobert Cavanaugh , from their posts, citing longstanding corruption and illegal activity, including extensive ties to members of the Colombo, Gambino and Genovese families.
*August 13 - IBT PresidentRon Carey placed Local 107 of Philadelphia under federal trusteeship for corruption and ties to organized crime, including its President Thomas Ryan, who had been accused of financial misdealings with Philadelphia family underbossJoseph Merlino . Carey received some criticism for the move by his election opponentJames P. Hoffa because Ryan’s Local had supported Hoffa’s candidacy, and he would lose that vote.
*September 6 -Queens District Attorney 's office indicted a Queens Irish gang, known as the "New Westies", for operating a massive $17+ million per year cocaine and drug trafficking operation, and committing murders, including that of Patrick Delace whose body was chopped into pieces in a Queens bar. The gang was led byEdward O'Boyle , his younger brother Daniel, andJohn McDonnell , and had ties to the Genovese and Gambino crime families.
*October 15 -Colombo crime family associate and IBT Local 707 PresidentJames McNeil pleaded guilty to helping acting bossVictor Orena hide payments he received in connection with the $3.65 million purchase of the union’s headquarters in Long Island.
*December -Lucchese crime family soldier Frank "Spaghetti Man" Gioia, Jr. pleaded guilty to his role in a massive drug trafficking operation that was based in Manhattan and Boston. While serving his sentence Gioia would become a cooperating witness after learning that captainFrank "Frankie Bones" Papagni was planning to kill Gioia's father,Frank Gioia, Sr. , a Lucchese soldier. Gioia played a major role in trials that resulted in the convictions of over 60 family members, includingPapagni ,Ralph Cuomo ,George "Georgie Neck" Zappola ,Louis Daidone ,Joseph DeFede , as well asGambino crime family acting bossJohn Gotti, Jr. andColombo crime family consigliereJoel Cacace .
*December 7 -Philadelphia crime family captainJoseph Sodano , based out of Newark, New Jersey, was shot to death for hiding money from the administration and reducing his monthly tribute from $4,000 to $1,500 after Nicodemo Scarfo was sent to prison.
*December 9 -Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes announced the indictment of 29 men involved in a massive gambling operation which stretched from New York City to Las Vegas and was linked to the Bonanno and Genovese crime families, which totalled around $400 million per year. The operation was headed by two groups, one led byFrank Tramontano , and the other known asThe James Gang , led byJames Rossi andHoward Lederer .Arts and literature
*"The Funeral" (film) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116378/] starring
Christopher Walken ,Chris Penn ,Vincent Gallo ,Benicio del Toro andJohn Ventimiglia .
*"Gotti " (film) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116441/] starringArmand Assante ,William Forsythe ,Frank Vincent ,Dominic Chianese ,Vincent Pastore andTony Sirico .
*"The Last Don " (novel) byMario Puzo .
*"Last Man Standing" (film) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116830/] starringBruce Willis ,Christopher Walken andMichael Imperioli .
*"Last Man Standing" (film) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116831/] .
*"Mad Dog Time " (film) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116953/] starringGabriel Byrne ,Richard Dreyfuss ,Jeff Goldblum ,Burt Reynolds andBilly Drago .Births
Deaths
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