John Capra

John "Johnny Hooks" Capra (b. April 6, 1940) is a New York mobster and a recognized member of the Lucchese crime family, reputedly holding the rank of Capo or Captain, under Vittorio "Vic" Amuso.

He was born in The Bronx to first generation immigrants from Vicenza, Italy. The government alleges that Capra has operated as part of the Bronx faction of the Lucchese crime family since the late 1980s. Capra was reportedly promoted to the rank of Caporegime, and is accused of leading a faction that operates with large illegal gambling activities, as well as extortion, loansharking and fraud operations, in Manhattan and the Bronx. He is alleged to have participated in racketeering activities with acting boss Stephen "Wonderboy" Crea. [http://www.thelaborers.net/DOJ/doj_pr_squitieri_gambino_indictments.htm]

On March 9, 2005, a massive 53-count racketeering-indictment was put on dozens of members of the Gambino crime family, including then-current acting boss and Underboss, Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri and his captain Gregory DePalma. Among other things, they were charged with operating and managing an illegal gambling operation with Capra that earned more than $20 million dollars every year. US law enforcement also charged the entire Bronx faction of the Lucchese crime family on extortion, racketeering and illegal gambling charges. Capra, who was recognized as a prominent Caporegime of the Lucchese crime family, was charged with two counts of Extortion Collection of Credit, which also included fraud charges and the $20 million-dollar-a-year illegal gambling operation which he managed with Squitieri and the Gambino crime family. [http://www.thelaborers.net/DOJ/doj_pr_squitieri_gambino_indictments.htm]

Capra pled guilty to the gambling charges and was sentenced to just over seven years in prison along with his crew members Alphonse Alvarez and Mark DeNuzio, plus Gambino crime family Underbosses Squitieri and DePalma. As of April 2008, John Capra is serving his sentence at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Devens in Massachusetts. His projected release-date is September 10, 2008. [http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&LastName=Capra&Middle=&FirstName=John&Race=W&Sex=M&Age=&x=0&y=0]

External links

* [http://www.thelaborers.net/DOJ/doj_pr_squitieri_gambino_indictments.htm U.S Attorneys Office Press Release: U.S. CHARGES ACTING BOSS, ACTING UNDERBOSS AND TOP LEADERS OF GAMBINO CRIME FAMILY WITH RACKETEERING AND OTHER CRIMES]
* [http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&LastName=Capra&Middle=&FirstName=John&Race=W&Sex=M&Age=&x=0&y=0US Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator]