UNITED STATES: U.S. AUTHORITIES IN NEW YORK INDICT LEADERSHIP OF THE DECAVALCANTE ORGANIZED CRIME FAMILY FOR FIVE MURDERS AND OTHER CRIMES

Record ID: 338151

  • Title: UNITED STATES: U.S. AUTHORITIES IN NEW YORK INDICT LEADERSHIP OF THE DECAVALCANTE ORGANIZED CRIME FAMILY FOR FIVE MURDERS AND OTHER CRIMES
  • Date: 19th October 2000
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 19, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN UP: EXTERIOR OF FBI BUILDING 0.06 2. WIDE SHOT PRESS CONFERENCE 0.12 3. SV: PRESS 0.16 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARY JO WHITE, U.S. ATTORNEY SAYING: "This racketeering indictment charges 5 murders, conspiracies to murder an additional 8 individua
  • Embargoed: 3rd November 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA5JBO5LY90P2JD0YBUSD3JYEZ1
  • Story Text: U.S. authorities on Thursday(October 19) indicted
    virtually the entire leadership of what they called a "trigger
    happy" organized crime family for five murders and other
    crimes in New Jersey and New York dating back decades.



    U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White of Manhattan announced a
    string of indictments against 12 reputed members of the
    Decavalcante organized crime family at a press conference in
    New York on Thursday (October 19). Among the indictments were
    charges related to five murders, conspiracy to murder eight
    other people, securities fraud, loan sharking, gambling and
    extortion.

    Of the 12 charged, 10 were arrested Thursday morning in
    New Jersey and New York and one in Florida, officials said.

    One defendant was still at large.

    White said the three-year investigation and the resulting
    arrests will have a significant affect on the Decavalcante
    crime organization.

    "The Decavalcante crime family is one of the oldest and
    most entrenched crime families in the La Cosa Nostra. It's
    criminal grip has been felt primarily in New Jersey and here
    in New York City, but also in Florida and other parts of the
    country. That grip has been significantly loosened if not
    broken by today's charges and arrests," said White.

    Officials said the New Jersey-based family operated crews
    in New York and had grown in importance among the major
    organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra in New York since
    it began operations in the 1960s.

    Among those indicted were alleged Decavalcante boss
    Giovanni Riggi, who has been incarcerated since 1990.

    Officials alleged however, that Riggi has remained in charge
    and directed operations from his prison cell by sending
    messages to other members.

    Alleged "consigliere" or counsellor of the family, Stefano
    Vitabile, and three alleged members of the family's ruling
    panel were also named in the indictment and arrested.

    White said the alleged murders dated back to 1978 and
    included people suspected of cooperating with the government
    or being a risk to cooperate if arrested or some other act of
    misbehaviour or disloyalty as viewed by the family hierarchy.

    FBI assistant director Barry Mawn said at the same news
    conference that the range of the crimes committed also
    included securities fraud. Said Mawn, "The Decavalcante
    family plotted and committed killings on the streets of New
    York, while at the same time attempting to make a killing on
    Wall Street."
    But the indictment unsealed Thursday(October 19) showed
    that two members of the family made profits of a paltry
    $10,000 in an alleged conspiracy offering and selling
    securities through the mail.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register