Bonanno crime family mobster Anthony “Skinny” Santoro claims he is being charged for a cache of guns found by authorities that aren’t even his. In February of 2012 authorities raided the upper level of a two family home where Santoro and a gal pal were living and found seven guns. Santoro’s attorney says his client was living in the upper level apartment and the weapons were found in the lower apartment that belonged to a deceased elderly female neighbor. They even claim authorities search warrant was defective because the building contained two separate apartments and the warrant failed to identify which one of the units they were allowed to search. This leaves prosecutors no basis to charge the portly wiseguy with weapons charges of any kind for guns found that have no connection to him other then fact they were found by authorities conducting an illegal search of the neighboring apartment.
“Anthony Santoro”
Santoro was busted in July as part of a 158-page indictment extortion and corruption case which also included charges of grand larceny, perjury, enterprise corruption, and criminal usury. The foul mouth mobster was caught on secretly recorded phone conversations making multiple threats including flying off handle during one saying “Im gonna split his f—ing head with a hatchet, to be honest with you”. He was indicted along with aging Bonanno family leader Nicky “Cigars” Santora and other reputed mobsters. The fifty year old Santoro is being held with out bail and is facing up to 25 years in prison of convicted.
