Member of Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Sentenced to 55 Months in Prison on Racketeering Conspiracy Charges

PHILADELPHIA—Louis Fazzini, 46, of Caldwell, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 55 months in prison for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy involving illegal gambling and theft from an employee benefit plan. U.S. District Court Judge Eduardo C. Robreno also ordered Fazzini to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

On October 5, 2012, Fazzini pleaded guilty to conspiring to conduct and participate in the affairs of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra (LCN) family through a pattern of racketeering activity. At the time of the plea colloquy, he admitted that, as a “made” member of the North Jersey crew of the Philadelphia LCN family, he operated a sports bookmaking business and devised a fraudulent scheme to obtain health benefits through a “no show” job controlled by the LCN in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy. As a “no show” employee, he would perform no work or productive services while still receiving health benefits.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, and the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration. Additional assistance was provided by the New Jersey Department of Corrections.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney John S. Han of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank A. Labor, III and Suzanne B. Ercole of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Valuable prosecutorial assistance was provided by the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.