One of the things Steve has been working on for the past two years is a joint investigation between the FBI and the Italian National Police involving connections between the Sicilian Mafia and the Gambino family of New York and a common Mafia member in Miami. This past week Steve coordinated the arrests of 19 individuals in Palermo, 3 in New York and 4 in Miami. Steve was in Miami for the arrest of Roberto Settineri, one of the main contacts of Sicilian Mafia in the U.S.
03.01.2010
Italian State police and FBI take down Italian-American Mafia ring
In a joint police operation called 'Paesan Blues' 26 suspects were arrested, including 7 in the U.S. All of them were top members of Mafia clans
In an international police operation carried out yesterday by inter-agency investigative squads made up by staff from the Central Operations Service of the Italian Police, the Palermo police flying squad and F.B.I., 26 suspects were arrested, including 7 living the U.S. (Miami and New York).
The men arrested are top members of the storied 'Santa Maria di Gesù', Gambino and Colombo organized crime families. They were arrested on several charges: membership in a Mafia-type association, drug trafficking, extortion, crimes against persons and property, money laundring, trafficking in counterfeit bank-notes and other serious crimes.
The Palermitan Roberto Settineri, having been living in Miami for a certain period of time, is suspected to have acted as a ‘go-between’ between Italy and the U.S. He was arrested on charges contained in a two different indictments, including one count of criminal association in Italy and one count of money laundering in the U.S.
‘Paesan Blues’ joint operation is set forth by an investigation protocol called ‘Phanteon Project’ aimed at combating transnational crime in Italy and in the U.S., which was signed by the Central Anticrime Directorate and the F.B.I. Headquarters in 2005.
FBI claims key Mafia takedown in Miami Beach Federal authorities and their Italian counterparts took down an alleged Mafioso figure in South Florida as part of an international crackdown on organized crime.
An Italian man who allegedly served in a key supporting role for the Sicilian Mafia's criminal expansion into the United States was arrested at his Miami Beach home Wednesday morning on federal money laundering and other charges.
The FBI's arrest of Roberto Settineri capped a three-year international investigation into his alleged unlawful enterprises with the Cosa Nostra in Italy, the Gambino crime family in New York and three other suspects in South Florida, federal authorities said.
Now in custody in Miami, Settineri was also charged Wednesday in Italy along with 20 others belonging to the Palermo Mafia family, Santa Maria di Gesu. The Italian charges: extortion, drug-trafficking, attempted murder and other offenses.
A senior official with the Italian National Police said Settineri's arrest -- coupled with the apprehension of top figures in the Sicilian Mafia -- marked a twin blow to the crime family in Italy and its affiliates in the United States. The official noted that the collaborative crackdown has broken up the Palermo syndicate, severing its links to the United States.
``The Mafia in Italy could live through the work of Settineri in the United States,'' said Raffaele Grassi, the senior Italian official. ``That's why he was so dangerous.''
Settineri, 41, and Daniel Dromerhauser, 39, of Miami, were arrested Wednesday and charged with conspiracy, money laundering and obstruction of justice stemming from a recent undercover sting operation in South Florida. A third suspect named in the indictment, Enrique Ros, 33, of Pembroke Pines, remains at large.
In another local indictment, Settineri's associate, Antonio Tricamo, was charged with laundering more than $1 million in drug profits, trafficking in 250,000 contraband cigarettes and marriage fraud. Tricamo, 37, of Miami, was also arrested Wednesday.
In yet another case, filed in New York, FBI agents arrested three members of the Gambino crime family: Gaetano Napoli Sr., Gaetano Napoli Jr. and Thomas Napoli. They were charged with extortion, obstruction of justice and concealment of bankruptcy assets.
The U.S. attorney in Miami, Jeffrey Sloman, said N.Y. court records show Gaetano Napoli Sr. is a close associate of Settineri's.
Sloman declined comment about the Miami case and its possible links to the prosecutions in New York and Italy.
``Together, we can fight crime from different perspectives and hold accountable those accused of trying to pervert and obstruct our system of justice,'' said Sloman, who, speaking in Italian, thanked Italy's authorities.
He added that Settineri would be prosecuted in South Florida first before he is extradited to Italy.
The FBI's top agent in South Florida, John Gillies, also praised the cooperative efforts in the case, dubbed ``Paesan Blues,'' noting that it ``stretched from the streets of Miami to the shores of Italy.'
BRAVO Steve! Way to clean up the world one bad guy at a time! Or in this case: 26 at a time.
4 comments:
Way to crack down Steve! Your the man!
I READ THIS! I KNEW he was part of this! Nice Job Steve!
Say hello to my little friend. gugugugugugugug! If you need to lay low for a while from the mafia, I don't think they are doing too much in Idaho, plus you're probably sick of the mundane day to day. Congrats, Awesome.
That's the main reason we haven't gone to visit Morgan's mission in Miami, FL! :) Well done Steve!
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