PROVIDENCE RI—Luigi “Louie” Manocchio,
an admitted former boss and underboss of the New England La Cosa Nostra
(NELCN), was sentenced today to 66 months in federal prison for his leadership
of and participation in a racketeering and extortion conspiracy that demanded
and received between $800,000 and $1.5 million in “protection” payments from
several adult entertainment businesses in Rhode Island from 1995 to2009.
Raymond R. “Scarface” Jenkins, an
admitted associate of the NELCN, was also sentenced today to 37 months in
prison for his admitted participation in a conspiracy to extort $25,000 from a
Rhode Island individual and his wife by using implied threats of violence,
including a visit to the individual’s residence.
The sentences were announced by Peter F.
Neronha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island; Assistant Attorney
General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Richard
DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office; Colonel
Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; and
Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Pare.
Manocchio and Jenkins were sentenced by
U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith in the District of Rhode Island.
Manocchio, 84, was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release
following his prison sentence. Jenkins, 47, was sentenced to serve three years
of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Manocchio pleaded guilty on February 22,
2012 to one count of racketeering conspiracy and Jenkins pleaded guilty on
February 23, 2012 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Hobbs Act by
participating in an extortion.
Manocchio and Jenkins are among eight
Rhode Island men charged in a second superseding indictment returned on
September 22, 2011 for crimes involving racketeering and extortion. Edward
“Eddy” Lato, an admitted NELCN leader; admitted NELCN member Alfred “Chippy”
Scivola; and admitted NELCN associates Albino “Albie” Folcarelli, Thomas
Iafrate, and Richard Bonafiglia pleaded guilty to participating in racketeering
and extortion activities. Iafrate was sentenced on December 12, 2011 to 30
months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The
remaining defendants are awaiting sentencing.
An eighth defendant named in the second
superseding indictment, Theodore Cardillo, pleaded not guilty to three counts
of RICO conspiracy and three counts of extortion conspiracy. He is awaiting
trial.
A third superseding indictment was
returned in this matter on April 24, 2012, which charges Anthony L. Dinunzio,
53, of East Boston, Massachusetts, the alleged acting leader of the NELCN, with
one count each of racketeering and extortion and five counts of travel in aid
of racketeering. He entered a plea of not guilty on April 25, 2012 and was
ordered detained while awaiting trial.
The cases are being prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Ferland for the District of Rhode Island and
Trial Attorney Sam Nazzaro of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang
Section. The matter was investigated by the FBI, Rhode Island State Police,
Providence Police, and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
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