Daniel Pagano who prosecutors say hold the rank of captain in the Genovese crime family has been arrested on racketeering conspiracy charges. The son of Joseph Pagano the late Hudson Valley mafia boss was arrested at his home in Ramapo b y detectives from the Rockland District Attorney’s Office along with members of the FBI. Prosecutors claim that Pagano ran a crew for the Genovese family and kicked up money made from illegal gambling and other operations to mob family leaders. The indictment claims that he and mob associate Michael Palazzolo participated in a conspiracy involving both illegal gambling and extortion to collect gambling debts.
“Daniel Pagano”
Pagano has had run ins with law enforcement in the past including a 1998 conviction for leading a tax scam related to the illegal gasoline sales in connection with the Russian mafia. He ran the scam on behalf of multiple New York mafia families interests including the Gambino, Lucchese, Colombo, and Genovese families. He served nine years in prison for that conviction and three years from 1990-1993 for loan sharking and illegal gambling charges.
He was also accused back in 1983 of being involved with Al Sharpton on a drug dealing business. He was also accused of using a bank account to launder money that belonged to the National Youth Movement of Al Sharpton. Sharpton has repeatedly even to this day denied all of these allegations.
Murray Richmond attorney for Pagano says his client is pleading not guilty and will request bail and is willing to put up his Christmas Hill Road home up for collateral.
