Acting Capo of Genovese Organized Crime Family Pleads Guilty to Murder Conspiracy in Manhattan Federal Court

For Immediate Release

August 30, 2010 United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of New York

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTHONY PALUMBO, a/k/a "Tony D.," pled guilty today to a superseding Information (the "Information") that charges him with participating in a conspiracy to commit murder in aid of a racketeering enterprise, based on his involvement in the planned murder of an individual associated with Russian organized crime.

According to the superseding Information filed today in Manhattan federal court and other court documents in the case:

PALUMBO was a soldier and acting capo in the Genovese organized crime family, and operated crews in both Brooklyn, New York and New Jersey. During the time he served as an acting capo, he supervised racketeering crimes of his own “crew” of Genovese family members and associates. Both as a soldier and as an acting capo, PALUMBO was involved in overseeing various of the Genovese organized crime family’s rackets, including gambling, loansharking, and extortion activities.

In about 1990, DANIEL PAGANO, then a capo in the Genovese organized crime family, was imprisoned in connection with state charges. Subsequently, PALUMBO was placed in charge of overseeing the Genovese crime family’s interests in an illegal mob cartel. The cartel extorted petroleum companies affiliated with Russian organized crime that were engaged in a fraudulent motor fuel bootlegging scheme. Through this scheme, the petroleum companies evaded the payment of federal and state motor fuel excise taxes, and the Genovese and other organized crime families extorted a share of the illegal proceeds.

In about late 1992 or early 1993, during PALUMBO’s involvement in that scheme, a member of Russian organized crime asked PALUMBO and others to murder a hitman who worked for him. PALUMBO and his co-conspirators agreed to murder the Russian hitman, but higher-ups in the Genovese crime family would not authorize the murder, and the Russian hitman never was killed. During today’s plea proceeding, PALUMBO admitted that he agreed with others to commit the charged murder.

PALUMBO entered his guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge JAMES L. COTT. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge RICHARD J. HOLWELL on December 3, 2010. PALUMBO faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

Mr. BHARARA praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department in this investigation.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney PREET BHARARA stated: "Today, Anthony Palumbo acknowledged his role in plotting murder and will face the consequences. This office, along with our partners at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department, will continue to work to reduce the violent impact of organized crime in New York City."

This case is being handled by the Office's Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys AVI WEITZMAN, DANIEL GOLDMAN, and DAVID B. MASSEY are in charge of the prosecution.