Bonanno family captain Ronald Giallanzo has been sentenced to 14 years behind bars.
According to prosecutors, the 48-year-old New York Mafia captain ran an illegal gambling and extortion racket from 1998 to 2017. He plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy back in March. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended Giallanzo also known as “Ronnie G” be sentenced to just over seven years the judge wasn’t so lenient. He was hit with 12 years for the extortion scheme and 2 more years for violating his supervised release. His long rap sheet and multiple stints behind bars seemingly played a part in the judge’s decision.
“Ronald (Ronnie G) Giallanzo”
He will also be forced to forfeit $1.25 million dollars and sell his mansion in Howard Beach because it was built by ill-gotten gains. He will also have to pay restitution to five loansharking victims in the amount of $268,000 according to the NY Post report. The feds were fixated on making sure that the Bonanno crime family wiseguy would lose the luxurious home he had renovated with the cash he made from his mafia status.
(Giallanzo Howard Beach Mansion)
Giallanzo is the nephew of Bonanno family captain Vincent Asaro who has been tied for years to the infamous Lufthansa heist. Asaro was able to beat the rap on the Lufthansa charges at trial but was sent to prison last year for an arson attack. Judge Dora Irizarry told Giallanzo before sentencing “You threatened to have people beaten with bats, you had them beaten with pipes, it’s like in the movies. But this isn’t a movie.”
Prosecutor Lindsay Gerdes called the Cosa Nostra mobster a “puppeteer,” who despite prison time hadn’t learned his lesson. After being hit with such a stiff sentence perhaps this time will do the trick although it seems highly unlikely! The old saying a leopard never changes its spots seems to fit often fit when it comes to mobsters.
