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Gambino Soldier who Protected Sicilian Mafia Activities in U.S. Arrested in Coordinated U.S. - Italian Law Enforcement Operation

U.S. Attorney’s Office March 10, 2010
  • Eastern District of New York (718) 254-7000

A nine-count indictment was unsealed this morning in Brooklyn federal court charging three defendants variously with obstruction of justice, extortion, and concealment of assets in bankruptcy.1 The defendants—Gaetano Napoli, Sr., Thomas Napoli, and Gaetano Napoli, Jr.—were arrested earlier today in North Carolina and New York. Gaetano Napoli, Sr. and Gaetano Napoli, Jr. are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow before United States Magistrate Judge William A. Webb, at the United States Courthouse, 310 New Berne Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Thomas Napoli is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold, at the United States Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge John Gleeson.

The charges were announced by Benton J. Campbell, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Director-in-Charge Joseph M. Demarest, Jr., Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); James T. Hayes, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, New York (ICE); and Patricia J. Haynes, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS).

As detailed in the detention letter filed today by the government, Gaetano Napoli, Sr. is a soldier in the Gambino crime family of La Cosa Nostra. Through wiretap interceptions, physical surveillance, consensual recordings, and other investigative techniques, the government uncovered numerous forms of criminal activity engaged in by Napoli and his co-defendants. The criminal charges filed against Napoli, Sr. include his threatening an extortion victim and obstruction of the government’s grand jury investigation of Napoli’s criminal activities. In one instance, Napoli admitted during a consensual recording that he had “schooled” a grand jury witness to influence the witness’ testimony. Napoli, Sr. is also charged with committing fraud and concealing assets in regard to federal bankruptcy proceedings for one of his companies, Napoli & Sons Meats & Provisions, Inc. Wiretap intercepts and visual surveillance revealed that, at the same time Napoli was claiming in the bankruptcy proceeding not to have assets, he and his co-defendants were secretly hiding some assets and conveying others to third parties.

The government’s investigation also revealed that Napoli, Sr., using his position in the Gambino crime family, provided protection for Roberto Settineri, a Sicilian mafia associate operating in the United States. In a coordinated action, the FBI arrested Settineri today in Florida on federal charges of money laundering and obstruction of justice filed in the Southern District of Florida, hours before he was scheduled to fly from Miami to Italy. Simultaneously, prosecutors in Palermo, Italy, charged Settineri and numerous others in Sicily variously with mafia association, extortion, drug trafficking, attempted homicide, and other crimes arising from their affiliation with Santa Maria di Gesù, a Sicilian mafia family. Italian authorities executed 20 arrests on those charges in and around Palermo earlier this morning.

Wiretap intercepts of Napoli, Sr. and Settineri revealed that in 2009, Napoli, Sr. “sat down” on behalf of Settineri when Settineri had a dispute with members of the Colombo crime family of La Cosa Nostra operating in the Miami area. In those interceptions Settineri referenced his Sicilian mafia affiliation. Because La Cosa Nostra protocol required Settineri to be represented by a member of La Cosa Nostra as to U.S.-based matters, Settineri turned to Napoli, a Gambino crime family representative, for assistance.

“The criminal dominion of La Cosa Nostra and the Sicilian mafia is international,” stated United States Attorney Campbell. “But, thanks to the vigilance and sustained cooperation of the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners in the United States and Italy, both countries’ efforts to push back the tide of international organized crime have achieved success.” Mr. Campbell praised the outstanding investigative efforts by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Italian Ministries of the Interior and Justice, and the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Demarest stated, “This investigation not only exposed an alleged scheme to commit bankruptcy fraud—wiretapped conversations also established that Gaetano Napoli and the Gambino family protected Roberto Settineri in the U.S. and captured Settineri admitting his association with the Sicilian mafia. However, while the Gambino crime family may have direct ties to Mafia families in Sicily, the FBI has even stronger ties to anti-Mafia investigators and prosecutors in Italy.”

ICE Special Agent-in-Charge Hayes stated, “This investigation is a culmination of an extensive joint law enforcement effort to dismantle criminal enterprises that threaten our local communities. ICE will continue to use its unique immigration and customs authority to assist our federal and international law enforcement partners to prevent and deter criminal organizations from breaking the law.”

IRS Special Agent-in-Charge Haynes stated, “The prosecution of individuals who charged with intentionally concealing income and evading taxes is a vital element in maintaining public confidence in our tax system. We should not expect the honest taxpayer to foot the bill for those who would hide income from the IRS.”

If convicted of the most serious offenses, Gaetano Napoli, Sr. and Gaetano Napoli, Jr. face a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, and Thomas Napoli faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Busa, Cristina Posa, and Karen Hennigan.

The Defendants:

GAETANO NAPOLI, SR. , also known as “Thomas Napoli,”
Age: 71

THOMAS NAPOLI, also known as “Thomas Napoli, Jr.”
Age: 31

GAETANO NAPOLI, JR., also known as “Guy”
Age: 44

1 The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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