The mafia bust that dismantled the hierarchy of the Lucchese crime family last week exposed some of the organization’s more profitable rackets.
According to a NY Post report, the New York mafia family allegedly turned an expansion of the taxpayer-backed Bronx-Lebanon Hospital into a real money maker. In its heyday, the mafia made untold millions from its control of the construction industry in New York but its grip over the lucrative industry has weakened tremendously in recent years. But according to the recently unsealed racketeering indictment alleged Lucchese family underboss Steven “Wonder Boy” Crea Sr. continued to generate cash from construction for Cosa Nostra. The indictment shows that Crea Sr. was charged with mail and wire fraud connected to a major New York City hospital although no further specifics were included.
These charges are allegedly linked to the building of the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital’s new nine-story outpatient center according to the Post report. Bronx-based Sparrow Construction was in charge of building the $42 million dollar annex at the hospital a company which Crea has long-standing ties too. He worked for the company before he was busted in 2000 on state racketeering charges and was reportedly a regular visitor at the companies offices while construction was taking place at the hospital. Construction of the new outpatient center began in 2009 and was slated to take 19 months but it wasn’t finished until 2014 and was plagued by cost overruns. Building expenses ballooned by approx $5 million dollars much of which is believed to have made its way into the hands of the Lucchese family.
There have also been reports of an ongoing probe that is focused on hospital executives that may have also benefited from the scheme although no executives were named in the recent indictment. The alleged scheme purportedly used falsified invoices and change orders which were never questioned according to Post sources. Crea has long been linked to mafia controlled construction rackets and according to the feds took over as the head of the “Lucchese Construction Group” in the late 1990s while serving as the families underboss. The group included multiple family captains and brokered both mob tax and bribery payments from contractors including settling disputes over who would dominate certain construction projects and sites. The feds claim the group controlled over $40 million in construction contracts during its existence.
According to the feds, Crea had also formed an alliance with members of the Gambino crime family in 1999 to extort local officials of the New York City’s carpenters, laborers and bricklayers unions. Then in September of 2000 Crea along with the rest of the Lucchese Construction Groups run came to an end and they were indicted in New York on state enterprise corruption, labor racketeering, extortion, and bid-rigging charges. Crea would agree to a fairly sweet plea deal which sent him to prison for only 34 months for the state charges along with pleading guilty to similar federal charges which allowed him to serve both sentences concurrently. He was released from prison in 2006 and returned to the fold as a high-ranking member of the organized crime family.
Just another indication that even though the mafia in New York may not be the power house it once was these guys are still capable of generating a hell of a lot of cash from various scheme’s be it old school or new. This indictment looks to be a very solid one and will likely put a major pinch on things for a while as the Lucchese will have to regroup and we may likely see somewhat of a shift on the power inside of the family yet again.
my thoughts exactly
I think Crea was real power, I think Madonna was powerful as well, but he was clearly Amuso’s guy. Don’t know much about Crea jr.
how much power you think amuso actually had, id bet he did not call any shots, just lightning rod for the feds
Amuso had little power, but I think because of his history with Crea, it makes sense he would want Crea as boss
i think Amuso tried to have Madonna killed in the 90’s somebody did a drive buy shot up the place with a shot gun
I guess I didn’t know about that. I knew he tried to kill just about everyone though
my mistake it was Aniello Migliore i was thinking of
Yes i knew about that one
he is in no position to be calling the shots but he does still hold influence when his wife died in 2013 the entire luchese family were forced to turn up including steve crea that a show of respect and power that not many in that life have. Also back in 05 he chose nicky scarfo junior to be head of the Jeresy faction from prison he gave the order and it was respected.
Amuso was not calling the shots that is clear but he is in my opinion anyway more than a figure head people forget back in the 90s steve kicked upto amuso when he got made acting boss no reason to think that stopped they had an working relationship. For amuso it works well he does very little to nothing and still earns there is still guys in the Brooklyn faction who will always be loyal to him
what ever happen to anielo miglore was he nit on the three man panel with Madonna and dinopali?
he was on that panel at one point from what I have heard he has been retired for a few years now its not a surprise he is in his 80s and made enough over the years to be comfortable
he was I think on the panel at one point during the 2000s he is apparently retired now has been for some time he is an old man now
he was sentenced to 100 years in the late 80;s conviction got overturned. now he is retired unreal
first rat is out joseph foti a luchese associate who wore a wire on these guys no idea what he got on tape capeci said he started wearing a wire before the medlish murder in 2013 so he was an longtime informer. Turns out his younger brother is a made guy who has not flipped and is now in a very bad situation cant stand these rats who put there family in danger
wow guys brother is a made guy, might get his bro killed. i dont think its even possibe for the feds to make busts like this without the help of rats. this mob guys are too careful
Some gambinos should be worried because apparently he wore a wire on some of them because the FBI squad that Investigates the lucheses also investigates the gambinos.
agreed there is always rats involved in these cases There was other informers who have not been named yet and this guy does not seem to the be biggest rat but from what I have seen they also used wiretaps on a lot of these guys also some tapes from prison visits are also being used this case goes back 17 years these guys are in big trouble because from what I have seen so far it looks like there is a lot of evidence against them
Its hard this guy is 65 years old aswell he is no kid they have not confirmed what made him flipped but he probably got busted for something wearing a wire for a long time even if he was only associate anyone who is around the streets long enough will hear stuff plus who is brother is and his age probably got him enough respect where people said things to him. His brother is was living in the same area as steve crea in yonkers and according to capeci had a close relationship with the leadership who knows whats going to happen to this guy now I when gasper valenti flipped his kid a made guy immediately when to asaro and condemned his father even went to the trial to show his anger at his dad
imagine if Crea flipped it would be bigger than even when Massimo flipped I know its unlikely but after Massimo flipped anything is possible especially as the feds are going for the death penalty for him and his kid
my god if Crea ever flipped i think he has some much info the feds might get 100 convictions the family might go extinct
its not just the damage it would do with convictions its the psychological effect it has if guys on the streets see the boss of there family I remember when Massimo flipped the shock it caused no one could believe it this was the most powerful mobster at the time in the country. Now Massimo actually only testified three times that’s because he kept lying about his own involvement in certain things and that all the guys he could implicate were already under indictment or became a rat.
If Crea flipped he directly would not lead to 100s of convictions due to his position he would only be contact with certain number of guys but the knowledge he would be able to give to the feds about guys within his family and guys in the Genovese family and the amount of guys he could convince to flip he could indirectly help convict around that number I know mikey scars when he flipped in 02 has helped convict around 80
ya would be a disaster an old school guy like that. Massino maybe only testified 3 times but definitely has a lot of blood on his hands. he fingered Vito Rizzuto for the hit on the 3 capos in the early 80`s. this directly led to the montreal mob war and over 40 deaths…
true Massimo flipping had major consequences on the life Montreal especially i don’t know a lot about Montreal but what i do know is before he got taken down people were not getting whacked all the time who knows what things would like if he never went to prison . Vinny basancio aswell was acting boss and Massimo put him in prison for the rest of his life
I read up on Canada fairly often as there is always stuff going on up there. I never considered the fact that Massino is directly responsible for the state of affairs up there. Rizzuto had a unusual knack for keeping things in balance up there. That was no easy job considering all the various crime groups competing for a piece of the pie. He made that statement to the police while being led away that they would regret his absence was totally true. Normally that would just be bullshit arrogance but in his case it was prophetic. That whole scene is right out of mob central casting and yet it was all real. Anyway if Crea flipped that would be a devastating blow to the whole culture! Not to mention how far down the American Mob’s stock would plummet in the eyes of other crime groups.
After Joseph Massino flipped you would think that the Bonannos would have went extinct, yet they still survived. The Luccheses survived the disastrous rein of Vittorio Amuso and Anthony Casso, so I’m sure they will survive this. They will be definitely be hurting for a long time though.
The feds may be going for the death penalty, but that’s only a scare tactic to get these guys to flip. No way are these guys going to get the death penalty for killing a scumbag like Michael Meldish.
I think Crea was more or less the guy calling the shots as well regardless of what the “official/unofficial” ranks may have been. Madonna def carried plenty of influence but his legal problems definitely hampered him esp when came to day to day stuff.
steve probably had a lot of power and influence especially as you said Madonna last few years has been under indictment or in prison but Madonna was no figure head either he was a major power within the family
Hhmm… John Grant mentioned shift of power question is which borough? Will it be back in Brooklyn? Are those guys in Brooklyn even sophisticated enough? Everyone knows the lucheses are originally from Italian Harlem and the Bronx… This is where the power base is located.
Think it def is an opening for the Brooklyn faction to step back in and take control once again at least to a bigger extent than they had in the last administration. They may not be as sophisticated but after this indictment they are certainly in much better shape and they are capable enough to fill the void it would seem.
Brooklyn faction ran that family in the late 80s and 90s a lot of those guys have just got out of prison after doing 25 30 years plus the new era of guys from that faction they have not held power that faction since daidone was convicted in 2002 there is now a power vacuum it would not surprise me if they eventually took over the family it is possible
Look at what happened to the Bonannos during the early 2000s after Massimo and his guys were all busted the next line of bosses vinny basancio,manucso and Sal Montagna took over they were all Bronx guys that faction had never held power and was the smallest faction in the entire family but because they were not really hurt at the beginning by any of the indictments they were able to fill the power vacuum the Bronx faction is in disarray in the luchese family at the moment and we will see a power vacuum emerge especially if one of the guys under indictment flip
I’ve always found the Luccheses to be the most interesting LCN family.
Long live the Italian Marfia
The Mafia is crippled and has more rats than stand up guys these days. Don’t believe what you read in the paper or on the internet.
we have been over this discussion so many times on this forum im not even in the mood to answer ….
And just what does the Internet say? I don’t recall anyone on the Internet saying that the Mafia is full of stand up guys. That being said, the Mafia isn’t in as bad a shape as the INTERNET will lead you to believe. There are a lot of LCN families that went extinct but as I said many times before I don’t think it’s due to law enforcement efforts, but rather they just died out on their own. You gotta remember most LCN families were very small anyway and weren’t allowed to make new members without permission from New York or Chicago. So that combined with aggressive prosecutions and no one to replace jailed and dying members of course it’s enough to wipe out a tiny Mafia family. But honestly in the cities where the Mafia have always been strong they are probably in the best shape than they’ve been in since the good old days.
They aren’t in anywhere near as good of shape as their heyday and never will be. That’s just the reality of it. With technology today life of a criminal is a very hard life as it’s much harder to get away with any crime. As far as having more rats that stand up guys is obviously a foolish statement.
If the Mafia truly wants to become more stable they need to stop “having guys Made”. People in neighborhoods where they operate has a pretty god idea of who not to mess with. All it does nowadays is clearly state that someone is a target to law enforcement.
I didn’t say that they are as good a shape as their heyday, I’m saying that they are in the best shape that they could possibly be in since their heyday. You say that the life of a criminal is very hard, hmm ask politicians and bankers about that one. Anyway, I think they are more stable today than they were in the 90s. It’s becoming harder for law enforcement to even pinpoint who’s boss anymore, instead they speculate. That right there tells you that the days of John Gotti are over and they are retreating back to the shadows. People have been talking about the death of the Mafia since they first came into existence. They didn’t die then and they’re not going to die now.
They would know who was a member of their crime family. Much like they know what family non Italian associates are affiliated with. They’d still exist just without the mystique for the press to write about a “made guy” getting busted. It’s basically just a ceremonious label that makes them easier to identify and place a bigger target on their backs. Almost like outlaw bikers riding around with a giant patch. Why bring anymore unwanted attention.
There there is no mafia without getting made it’s hard to explain the importance of it. The power and respect people get once you become a made guy is why these guys join the life to begin with it allows them to feel above everyone else these guys a lot of them its about ego. It allows them to belong to something a family no induction no mafia what’s then the point of only recruiting Italians before you know it you will have crews of Russians and Albanies. The concept of made guys is what has made them so successful to begin with that will never change.
But I do agree that the Mafia is a shadow of itself the old Mafia is dead
I’m curious if there were ever exceptions made? There has been some talk and a few articles regarding a select few non Italians being made. There was some talk about Joe Watts having special status in the Gambino Family. More then just a trusted associate. Also that whole incident with Juan Fernandez (Joe Bravo) claiming that he had been made by Vito Rizzuto. Lots of talk but no real confirmation that I’m aware of anyway? Places like Chicago always had a few high ranking non Italians basically in administrative positions. Technically not made but pretty much untouchable for the most part. I doubt anyone would have talked any shit to Gussy Alex or Murray Humphries without the full wrath of Tony Accardo. I realize those last two were not actually made members but I’m very curious about the first two guys. Was it just talk or is there any merrit to those claims. If anyone out there has knowledge on this please elaborate.
From my understanding, Chicago is only family to truly admit non Italian members. Even dating back to Seigel and Lansky, they were never full members. That being said, it’s also evident non Italian members can sometimes carry more influence than made guys. Jimmy Burke is great example. He was untouchable and very valuable to family. Same thing with Sam Rothstein. It’s all about money. If you are earner, they will not make you but certainly protect you like a member.
Exactly, and everyone knew who Burke was and not to f&@k with him. So essentially their doing it more for ceremonious purposes. Just seems foolish, just being made is a huge strike against them in front of a jury.
No doubt guys like Watts and Burke were stone killers as well as big earners and just all around tough guys. Makes sense that they would have special status though not technically made members. I guess it all depends on the Boss of the particular Family and what level of power, respect, and fear they project. The one I’m most curious about is the claims made by Joe Bravo which were even recorded on the wiretap. He was telling these guys in Sicily that Vito Rizzuto had made him and Reynald Desjardins officially inducted members of that family. The Italian guys seem quite baffled by that claim. I wonder did that in fact happen and if it did would they be recognized by the Commission there in Italy as made guys? I know that Rizzuto was not your average gangster. He definitely wielded a lot of power and influence in Canada as well as in Sicily but did he actually have that level of power where he could literally make exceptions to a Commission rule and induct non-Italians. Of course we cannot get any answers out of those dudes on account of them all being dead or in prison. Definitely made for a very interesting story though. If Vito actually made those guys then I guess thats a good example of real power!!! Not to mention keeping that f*****g Powder Keg up there stable for all those years. Not an easy balancing act I would think.
there has been exceptions guys who are half italien getting made like junior gotti. Chicago is an exception I am talking about the east coast now. There has been guys who are not Italian who are treated with the same respect and power as an made guy however they are always conscious they will nevrr become a made guy they know its not possible and because of that they will never rise to the top. Joe watts is one of the very few exceptions to that he has been at the top because of gotti who allowed them to reach it and become an insider but most of these non Italians may be treated with respect but they will struggle to ever rise to the top
Interesting comment about non Italians hanging out with the syndicate… Watts and the others..
Hey, if you can generate millions of dollars like the guys you just mentioned why not keep them around?… Killing people is easy… generating $$ requires talent.
Unfortunately a lot of these guys are Deadbeats..IMO.
I definitely see many pros to having guys made. I also think a lot of them are out dated, such as fear and intimidation through extortion. They re no longer centered around immigrant populaces who can’t or won’t go to the police. As far as the non Italians they already work with them and if one is deemed connected to a family he’s usually viewed untouchable almost in same way as an average soldier. It would by all means make the whole Mafia concept less “romanticized”. For longevity purposes I think it would do wonders to help insulate them a bit from law enforcement.
I see your point and your probably right it would be better for them as an organization but its never happening these guys love the idea of being a made guy the whole life the rules is what attracts these guys to the life in the first place its not happening imagine bellomo walked in and said he is no longer inducting guys and that everyone in the family is no longer made guys he would be dead in days the life is all these guys know they grow up with it believe in and most of them willing to do heavy sentences for it
For all of the “the mob isn’t what it once was” type of people, these things shouldn’t be happening. Yet here we are in 2017 and they are still making big bucks in the rackets. Eat crow.
The big bucks they make now are much easier to trace. It’s not about how big of a score they made that leads to a bust. It’s about continuos profit without being caught. Jimmy Burke once said Lufhtansa was his downfall, too much heat. Yes it’s more interesting to read about these large scams. They also draw way more attention from law enforcement.
Clint its nothing like it was in the 80s its not dead and still powerful but it is a shadow of what it was back then
Why the Mafia has became such a joke compared to their old days is mostly because of the southern Italians that are becoming more and more Americanized by the day that’s why the new generation of Italian immigrants can’t even speak their own language let alone feel connected to their old country they also don’t give a damn fuck about those old La Cosa Nostra traditions and rules about honor, omerta and respect etc which they used to had back in the 20s and 30s etc and what has kept them protected from the outside world but in these days they don’t really believe in that old LCN culture and it’s way of life those new generation mobsters only care about making money and getting rich that’s it but if they get caught they are the first ones to talk because LCN was never made for them in the first place and we all know how the world turned from a honorable and self respected etc society to a lost society full of honorless, disloyal and disrespectful scumbags… But i do believe that those elderly oldschool wiseguys out there still believe in everything of LCN from out their hearts.
ray argentina is coming home real soon. maybe he will step up to a leadership position