Aging Colombo crime family capo Luca DiMatteo has been sentenced to 33 months behind bars for extortion.
DiMatteo plead guilty to extorting a local business owner for over 10 years with help of his nephew a Colombo family associate. The 71-year-old mafia capo is said to be suffering from cancer and congestive heart failure and according to his physician has less than a year to live. Federal Judge Leo Glasser showed little mercy saying “Sometimes the exercise of mercy ends up cheating justice,” Glasser continued. “I have an obligation to society that put me here, as well.” The New York mafia capo was hoping his medical problems would enable him to receive a reduced sentence.
“Luca DiMatteo”
Allon Lifshitz contested the Cosa Nostra captains health issues noting that he was collecting shakedown payments right after getting his cancer treatments. DiMatteo spent 57 months in prison for racketeering getting released in 2004 and went right back to his mafia life of extortion, illegal gambling, and loansharking said judge Glasser. The judge told DiMatteo “I know what the (mafia) life is and what hold it has on the people that are members of it,” Glasser said, adding that he has previously sentenced the bosses of the Gambino (Gotti), Genovese (Vincent the Chin Gigante), and DeCavalcante (John Riggi) mafia families.
Judge Glasser agreed to allow DiMatteo to be temporarily released on $1 Million dollar bail and under home confinement so he could seek medical attention. He is scheduled to surrender himself into the prison hospital at a later date.
So many of these aging mobsters have played the health card over the years to wiggle into some lesser sentences that it now isn’t nearly as effective as it used to be. If DiMatteo is in as bad a shape as the report the 33 months is likely a death sentence.
What shape are the Colombos in these days? Have they stabilised?