Matthew Madonna

Matthew Madonna (November 2, 1935^[1] Selden, New York) is a caporegime with the Lucchese crime family who was heavily involved in narcotics trafficking and bribery of government officials.

Narcotics trafficking

In 1959, while serving a sentence at the Green Haven Correctional Facility in Upstate New York, Madonna became acquainted with Nicky Barnes, a young drug dealer from Harlem.^[2][3] After their release from prison, Madonna started supplying large quantities of heroin to Barnes. Madonna would drop off a car with a trunk full of heroin at a Manhattan parking lot. Barnes would arrive later and exchange the heroin for cash. A few days later, Madonna would return to pick up the car with the cash. Madonna and Barnes continued this arrangement until 1975, when Madonna was arrested for drug trafficking.^[4] That same year, Madonna was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

In December 1981, while still in prison, Madonna received a summons to testify before a grand jury about narcotics activity in the New York area. In two appearances before the grand jury, Madonna refused to testify, even after being granted immunity from self-incrimination. The judge finally held Madonna in contempt of court. Madonna received an extra 528 days added to his sentence.^[5]

Release and promotion

In 1995, after serving 20 years in prison, Madonna was released from Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary. Around 1998, Madonna was inducted into the Lucchese crime family as a reward for his silence and to assist his return to earning money for the family.^[6] Shortly thereafter, Madonna became a capo. Madonna was sent to prison again, but released in September 2003.^[7]

After the convictions of family leaders Steven Crea, Louis Daidone, Dominic Truscello and the cooperation of former acting boss Joseph DeFede, the Luccheses established a three-man ruling panel to govern the family. Madonna, along with Aniello Migliore and Joseph DiNapoli head the panel.^[6] Many investigators believe that with the release of Crea from prison, the panel may soon be disbanded so that Crea can take over the family.

Current position

On December 18, 2007, New Jersey law enforcement indicted and arrested Madonna and 32 other members and associates of the Lucchese family. In a year-long investigation titled "Operation Heat" law enforcement agencies uncovered a $2.2 billion dollar illegal gambling, money laundering and racketeering ring. The scheme involved collecting bets from of gamblers on basketball, football, greyhound races and the lottery. The mob collected bets over the Internet and by phone from a location in Costa Rica.^[8] Along with Madonna ruling panel member Joseph DiNapoli and top New Jersey Faction capos Ralph V. Perna and Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr. were indicted.^{[9][10][11][12]}

In 2008, the Village Voice reported that Madonna was an employee of Big Geyser, Inc, New York's largest distributor of healthy and cutting-edge beverages. It was speculated that this was a "no show" position for Madonna.^[13]

On October 1, 2009 Madonna was indicted along with Joseph DiNapoli and 27 others in a large racketeering scheme. The indictment stated that Madonna was a key player in a vast operation that grossed approximately $400 million from illegal gambling, loansharking, gun trafficking and extortion.^[14][15] A second part of the indictment charged that Madonna and other Lucchese mobsters ran a bribery scheme among New York City building inspectors.^[16][17][18] On June 28, 2010, Madonna and the other defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges.^[19]

As of August 2011, Madonna is on trial for both the 2007 and 2009 indictments. He is free on bail.

References

Notes

1. ^ New York County District Attorney Office (October 1, 2009)
2. ^ Gangsters of Harlem: the gritty underworld of New York City's most famous neighborhood by Ron Chepesiuk (2007) p.126
3. ^ Organized Crime by Howard Abadinsky p.196
4. ^ "Ex-Druglord is Free 'Nicky' Barnes said to be Changed Man" By Jerry Capeci (March 14, 1999) New York Daily News
5. ^ Matthew Madonna, Plaintiff-appellant, v. United States of America, Defendant-appellee United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. - 878 F.2d 62 Justia
6. ^ ^{a b} "What’s Left of the Mob" By Jerry Capeci New York Magazine May 21, 2005
7. ^ Federal Bureau of Prisons: Inmate Locator "Matthew Madonna" (Released September 22, 2003)
8. ^ "Attorney General Milgram Announces Arrests of Two Top Bosses of Lucchese New York Crime Family and Top New Jersey Capo On Gambling, Money Laundering And Racketeering Charges" New Jersey Office of the Attorney General Press Release December 18, 2007
9. ^ "N.J. authorities indict 34 in Lucchese crime family bust from ‘Operation Heat’" Mafia Today May 14, 2010
10. ^ "N.J. mob indictments handed to Lucchese crime family" New Jersey Newsroom.com 14 May 2010
11. ^ "Names of those charged in $2.2B gambling ring" NJ.com December 18, 2007
12. ^ New York Times: 'Alarming Alliance' of Mafia and Street Gang Is Broken Up by David W. Chen and David Kocieniewski (December 19, 2007) New York Times
13. ^ "Share A Slice of Mafia With Your Sparkling Water?" By Tom Robbins The Village Voice May 27, 2008
14. ^ "49 indicted for bribery, racketeering schemes on a crazy Lucchese mob day" BY Jose Martinez and Brian Kates New York Daily News October 2, 2009
15. ^ "Lucchese crime family members busted in mob raid". By Laura Italiano and Murray Weiss. New York Daily News. October 1, 2009
16. ^ "Three busted building inspectors - all with apparent ties to Lucchese family - had prior raps" BY Brian Kates and Greg B. Smith New York Daily News October 19, 2009
17. ^ "Luchese mob suspect Wayne Schumer, president of Ucon Corp., is missing, being hunted in bribe case". BY Brian Kates. New York Daily News. October 10, 2009
18. ^ "Department of Buildings bribe scheme may net Mob bigs". By Barbara Ross and Greg B. Smith. New York Daily News. September 30, 2009
19. ^ "More than 30 members of Lucchese crime family plead not guilty to N.J. racketeering, conspiracy" by Jim Lockwood The Star Ledger NJ.com June 28, 2010

Sources

• United States. Congress. House. Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control. Summary of Testimony and Findings and Conclusions Resulting from Hearings in New York on Drug Law Enforcement. 1977. (pg. 59)
• United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Illicit Traffic in Weapons and Drugs Across the United States-Mexican Border: Hearing Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Government Operations. 1977.
• Justice, Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations United States. Congress. House. Committee on appropriations. Subcommittee on Departments of State. Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations For Fiscal Year. 1979.

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Name	Madonna, Matthew
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Date of birth	November 2, 1935
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