Members of a Springfield, Massachusetts based mafia crew controlled by the Genovese crime family are agreeing to plead guilty after being taken down by authorities.
According to the feds, Longmeadow resident Ralph Santaniello was the ringleader of the New York mafia controlled crew that also included Giovanni “Johnny Cal” Calabrese, Francesco “Frank” Depergola, Richard Valentini, and Gerald Daniele. They are accused of working with the NY Mafia family in various organized crime-related activities including loan sharking, extortion, and illegal gambling. Calabrese is the latest member of the Cosa Nostra crew to agree to a plea deal following previous agreements from his co-defendants Santaniello and Depergola. The terms of the plea deals for the three alleged mobsters have not yet been made public.
“Ralph Santaniello”
According to court records unsealed last year after being arrested four of five defendants conspired to shake down a local tow company owner for thousands of dollars back in 2013. According to authorities Santaniello and Calabrese threatened to cut off the head of Craig Morel the founder of C.J.’s Towing and bury his body in the backyard if he didn’t kick up to the mafia. Morel went to authorities and at the behest of the state police, he filmed and recorded a series of meeting between him and the defendants where he made payments totaling approx $20,000. Danielle the only man uncharged in that case was later accused of joining the other four defendants in shaking down a loansharking debtor.
Depergola and Santaniello have also been charged in an indictment out of New York City in connection to the East Coast LCN Enterprise case. According to the indictment, the defendants were involved in a profit-sharing loansharking deal with Genovese family captain Eugene “Rooster” O’Nofrio in 2014. Both defendants have also agreed to plead guilty to the charges in that state as well. Santaniello has been behind bars since his 2016 arrest after being the only defendant denied bail. A judge refused to release Santaniello because he said he exhibited a casual brutality toward a victim along with his alleged leadership role in the crime faction. This latest version of the Springfield mafia is going to be behind bars for a while.
things have pretty much been a mess there since Bruno was whacked and that crew won’t ever be the same even if it does remain in existence after this latest debacle.
The funny thing is that the article mentions “attempted extortion,” but how is it attempted extortion when they actually got 20 grand from the guy?
It probably wasn’t even his 20 grand! I’m sure State police gave it to him to set these guys up.
I think usually in a situation like that the news will say so. But who knows.
The greatest glory days in Springfield. Was …Sky Ball Scibelli and his crew of the Turk Scibelli and Baba Scibelli….Am Bruno was schooled by these guys….Patriarch family street Boss Billy wild guy Grasso was whacked on the way to a meeting from New Haven Connecticut to Springfield Mass…to allegedly meet Sky ball and have sit down…This current Springfield crew has very little intelligence and power compared to Sky ball days and then AL Bruno days
It seems like these days in the American Mafia the leadership goes from the hands of winners to the hands of losers. We’ve seen it in Springfield like you just mentioned, we’ve seen it in the Philadelphia Mafia from Angelo Bruno going to Nicodemo Scarfo, in the Lucchese family from Anthony Corallo to Vittorio Amuso/Anthony Casso, in the Colombo family from Joseph Colombo to Carmine Persico, in the Gambino family from Paul Castellano to John Gotti, the list goes on and on. There have been few exceptions. Joseph Massino reversed the fortunes of the Bonanno family, and Steven Crea/Matthew Madonna turned things around for the Lucchese family. But for the most part holy fuck! It seems like a trend.
Does seem like a trend. Literally just back and forth. Crea and Maidonna seemed to just barely have enough time to undo the damage done by Casso/Amusso/D’Arco and bam they are hit with heavy indictments!!!! I would almost say the Colombos have been on a steady downward spiral ever since the Gallos started beefing with Profaci. Its like they have always had some level of internal strife since then. Certain times worse then others but still constant internal problems. Even Joe Colombo was under the thumb of Carlo Gambino. More of a puppet Boss and as soon as he actually tried to flex a little he gets taken out. This other new news about Bonannos having an Induction Ceremony recorded isnt good for them. They just cant seem to stop leeking like a siv!!!