Arrest warrants were executed by the FBI’s Organized Crime Task Force and the NYPD against almost two dozen suspected members and associates of the Lucchese crime family of the New York Mafia.
According to reports alleged Lucchese family leaders Matthew Madonna, Steven Crea Sr., and Joseph DiNapoli were among those charged. The alleged Cosa Nostra members were charged with various crimes including murder, drug-dealing, extortion and gambling in the massive 30-page racketeering indictment. According to some reports, Madonna is the acting street boss for the Lucchese family with Crea Sr. serving as the organized crime families underboss and DiNapoli as consigliere.
“Matthew Madonna”
The massive federal indictment showed a 17-year long pattern of crimes the NY mafia family was involved in that included extortion, money laundering, murder, trafficking in contraband cigarettes, and drug trafficking. It contained charges against multiple mobsters for the murder of a longtime mob hitman and attempted murders of three others which included a hit Crea ordered on a Bonanno family associate who disrespected him. Madonna and Crea along with Steven Crea Jr. were all charged as co-conspirators in the 2013 murder of mafia hitman Michael Meldish. Among others charged in the hit on Meldish were Joseph Datello, Paul Cassano, and Terrence Caldwell.
Steven Jr. was identified in the indictment as a Lucchese family captain along with three of his co-defendants. According to the indictment, Caldwell was identified as the shooter in a failed East Harlem hit on a Bonanno family member back in 2013. It also claims that Cassano and Vincent Bruno were sent to exact revenge for Crea against the Bonanno family associate that showed him disrespect although the job was never completed. It also claims that Crea gave his blessing last October to Datello to head out to New Hampshire and track down a suspected mafia snitch.
All but two of the reputed mobsters are facing life in prison if convicted and are reportedly scheduled to appear in Federal Court in White Plains at some point today. This seems to be a massive strike against the organized crime family from top to bottom.
