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.
Wow well this is going to be one hell of a hit to the Lucchese family who seemed to be rebounding and start to regain some of its lost traction. Now have to wonder who is left to take up the slack left by this big of a hit.
I think that they had already rebounded. They hadn’t been doing so well since the days of Tony Ducks.
Madonna and Crea were by all accounts very competent leaders and def had that much needed old school approach to running things not sure the guys waiting in the wings are going to be in that same mold and that family could def be in for another extended rough patch if this indictment sticks across the board.
17 year pattern they must have been under heavy investigation for some time. looks like some heavy charges much worst then the east coast Cosa nostra case drug dealing,murder…
Definitely and this seems like it could really be a massive hit against the Lucchese family and with these kinds of charges would think the possibility exist of more guy flipping which could extend out to effect some of the other families as well.
aside from the top two (madonna & crea) is there any other senior members that were busted?
ahh dinapoli too they got the entire administration oh boy
this is who they took down and there roles according to the indictment
street boss:Matty Madonna
underboss: Steve Crea Sr
consigliere: Joey DiNapoli
capo: Steve Crea junior
capo:John Castelucci
capo:Dominic Truscello
capo:Tindaro Corso
soldier:Joseph venice
soldier:James Maffucci
soldier:Joseph Datello
soldier:Paul Cassano
soldier: Chris Londino
I’d say that’s gotta sting. Aren’t the Luchese’s one of the smaller families anyway? Having that many Capos and Soldiers rolled up is a huge blow to the family..anyone one here have current information on the size and strength of the Family? Im just curious to see whats left after this round up.
it is a blow will leave a bruise no doubt wont destroy them though this has happened to this family in the 90s and in early 2000s the entire administrations taken down both times a new faction moved in and took over.
As for how big the family is no one knows for sure there has been a lot of different numbers some saying upto 120 others saying around 80 what the FBI said in 2013 if my memory is correct there is around 100-120made guys in that family they are small compared to the other familys only family they are larger than is the Colombos . Now about 20 of those guys are in prison so there is probably around 80 90 guys on the streets.
So this bust will not destroy them there is now a power vacuum guys like joey giampa blue eyes santorelli DiBenedtto also the Brooklyn faction was not caught up in this case they have been out of power since 2002 they could take over the family with the Bronx faction in disarray who knows whats going to happen.
If no one flips then there will be bruises left if some major guys like Creas son flips then the damage will be a lot worse look at how badly the Bonannos got hit in the early 2000s when sal vitale and others flipped but that family still survived. This should not be a surprise to anyone this has happened to the Genovese and Bonanno familys last two years have been hit hard familys time was coming. The Gambinos or Colombos will get hit hard soon they are next
have you heard any reports of any guys talking to the feds, are wearing a wire, anything of that nature?
Exactly. As usual what the feds really want from cases like this are rats, rats, and more rats. Because at the end of the day that’s what really brings down a Mafia family.
they are in trouble john this is only going to end badly for these guys they are done especially crea junior he is in big trouble
would not surprise me if the Brooklyn faction take over now there is now a power vacuum
I think you may be right on there and the future of the family and esp the following acting administration may very well be from that Brooklyn faction. It is definitely a major major blow no doubt about it and will be very interesting to see how they move forward now that those guys are all but gone.
Crea had a nice run, madonna has been in prison virtually entire life.
looks like the guy the creas ordered Datello to kill was sean Richard. He was john riggis son in law wore a wire and testified against Crea and others back in 2000. That’s what been reported anyway could be wrong.
Would not surprise me if the Brooklyn faction take over now there is a power vacuum these things always repeat each other. These guys are done though steve and his son they are both screwed
I am going to make a predication Gambinos or Colombos are next to get hit
Corporations can make billions destroying the planet and exploiting cheap slave labor without raising any eyebrows but watch how these guys are made out to be the ultimate evil.
Agreed
Curious to see if the Feds will have a proper airtight case like they used to have more often in the past. They better hope so considering all the times they have stepped on their own dicks in recent cases. They have already lost a considerable amount of credibility with the public lately. I honestly believe a lot of jurors are finding it hard to believe the testimony of stone killers and thugs. You got guys been in Witsec for years and now being recharged for crimes they never admitted to when they flipped…The whole system is getting silly!
i had a feeling there was going to be a major RICO case when they let Madonna walk on those murder charges. its been over a decade no major criminal case against the lucchese. i figure there time was due. they hit the whole administration its look pretty tight i guess will tell
it was coming back in 2013 I remember capeci reported steve was a top FBI target and had been for a long time Madonna aswell. This was coming eventually these guys steve especially have had a good few years on the streets.
Will be interesting to see who takes over some of those Brooklyn guys could see this as there opportunity to take the family back there is now a power vacuum. I have a feeling its going to be either gambinos or Colombos next
Frank Cali has been free for nine years, it’s ripe for an indictment
I can’t even imagine who would want the top spot these days. Even with the FBI spending more energy and resources on Terrorists these days its still a giant target on the back of whoever is administration of a family. Its just almost guaranteed that the Feds will at least try to come after you especially if in a leadership position…. Of course the Feds have done a fair bit of f*****g up cases lately but that probably only makes them that much more desperate for convictions. Then you got Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs literally advertising who they are and what they’re about. I guess I’m not surprised that the first attempt at using the RICO laws were to go after some Hells Angels. If I remember correctly the case was a big nothing but not for a lack of trying on the part of the Feds!
they want it to satisfy there egos that’s the biggest reason its the thing all kids on the streets dream of they work there whole life when the opportunity arises they want it they don’t care they are going to end up in prison they want the position the respect, power and money it brings ridiculous really. The really smart guys will stay in the shadows there whole life and make there money the lucky guys are the ones who can retire a lot of these older guys today because of there lifestyles go broke why your seeing all these guys in there 70s and 80s doing scams and still very active when they should be retired. Of course others just don’t want to retire lol they just love the life
That’s a great point a lot of them don’t want to retire it’s an addiction. Just because they are still active in their senior years doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re broke.
Yeah I can definitely see many of the older guys having money issues. They ve spent a life of living fast and spending freely. Even the ones who are “retired” I’m sure still hang out at social clubs, restaraunt said, etc with many of the active members. These people have been their social circle their entire lives. Just being around it eventually they ll hear something that ll spark their primal urge of making a quick buck.
The feds are dirtier than the Mafia, fighting on the behalf of a corrupt system in the name of “justice.” In reality all they care about in these cases are winning. It hurts their fragile egos big time when they lose which is why they go to any length to win.
Also a lot of the FBI’s more shady and cutthroat practices from the past have been made public. Their questionable dealings with Top Echelon Informants i.e. Whitey Bulger, Flemmi, Scarpa etc…They dont have quite the squeaky clean image they once did. The whole “Get a conviction by any means necessary ” policy has not helped there public image at all. People are tired of all that shit and seem to be less inclined to take them at their word anymore. Fair enough!!
Only issue with that is the only reason their image matters, is in cases of upper level Feds with political aspirations. Other than that it’s not like criminals can decide to take their business elsewhere. Basically they re in the same boat as the IRS or any other branch of government. Rarely do they function well or efficiently yet by and large are rarely held accountable. Feds botch a case and many times the D.A. takes the heat. Countless branches of government piss away money and can’t balance a budget yet we re stuck with them til at the earliest the next election.
I agree with you totally. The only area where it can hurt them is with juries. If the general public starts to resent the behavior of the government then they are less inclined to take their word at face value. The government keeps displaying questionable tactics in how they go after some of these guys. I think people are especially weary of believing some of these informants now. It makes no sense when they keep using informants who are have far worse crimes then the defendants in a case. I understand the whole concept of chopping off the head of an organization but it has to br within reason.
Yeah I think it’s got out of hand as well. I can see why they offered the deals in the 80’s to discourage ambition and show that aspirations of leadership come with a bullseye. Nowadays though crime families using deception to hide leadership. So not only do they have government wasting extra money chasing less relevant targets they also as you pointed out cut deals with far worse criminals.
a 17 year stretch their going back, I think this is going to be a sore one for the lucchese’s, who is going to be left on the streets if the worst happens
ya on top of that they got some capos. this looks like a disater
this could see the rise of the Brooklyn faction again there is now a power vacuum the Bronx faction has been hit hard
These guys ARE the ultimate evil. And has been so for over a century. But we romanticize them and make movies about them. These guys ARE responsible for the illegal drug trade, the high costs in construction, trucking industry, fur coat I dusty, fake credit card scams, etc. etc. etc.
The ones who are responsible for the illegal drug trade are those who want to keep drugs illegal and continue the bogus War on Drugs. I’m not denying that they are bad guys who do bad things but to call them the ultimate evil is a bit of a stretch.
Not a stretch at all. Look at all the murders, they constantly engage in fraud that raises prices in ALL aspects of Americans lives. When Sammy gravano turned he ad.ityed that ” not a window can be set in place without the mob getting paid”. And so on. They have raised costs in every industry. And they will never change. But we don’t hold them to any form of decency, infect we make movies of them like their some sort if hero’s. It’s disgusting.
well i think the last sanctioned murder was 2013, the murder these guys are being charged with, but yes your right these are not good people there 100% devoted to robbing and stealing theirs not an honest bone in there body. as far as romanticizing i think the mob in the past was definitely glamorized nowadays not so much.
So then we know who they are and what they do. So why are they still walking around? While others are shot multiple times while unarmed? And murder is still murder even while the people are ” missing”.
who is shot multiple times unnarmed? and who is missing? not sure wtf your talking about.
we have something called laws, we need to have evidence and proof before we look people up… as you can see from the article above there still actively being investigated the whole leadership of a family has been taking down
This year alone there has been a few American citizens while unarmed shot down by the police. And there were/Are many missing amongst associate members of the ny mob. Check out the interviews if known members such as Sammy gravano, and others. They are well documented. These guys ARE the major problems yet are allowed their freedom.
what does americaN citizens shot down by the cops have to do with the MOB did i miss something? you should really do your homework Sammy Gravano was active in the early 80-90`s 30 years ago, he is now serving 19 to life.
as for missing people ya im sure there are alot, my point in the original post was the last sanctioned murder was 2013. in the 00 the mob put a moratorium on sanctioned murders. yes the mob is still a dangerous criminal organisation. but its not the same mob as the 80`s. there dont kill as much
So, they dont kill as much, lol. Let’s send them all y.m.c.a. membership cards then. They are the reason for high prices sanitation, construction, trucking, clothing, etc. etc. etc. Nothing has changed. Sanctioned murders???? Are you kidding me??? I’m from n.y. , please don’t try to convince me there’s no mob.
Lol, sounds like you are obsessing over the mafia. Irony?
A little Bi-polar maybe?
Troll
Yes, Amelia Earhart is still missing, as is Bigfoot, lochness monster. Maybe the mob is responsible.
I think we all agree that these dudes are not model citizens haha. My question is what the hell has that got to do with police shootings and people disappearing??? Just because some of us enjoy reading and talking about organized crime does not mean we are glorifying them!!! This dude is just jumping on the police murdering unarmed citizens bandwagon. Everyone knows that there are a handful of questionable police shootings. All this current stuff is just media hype though. This just seems like an unusual choice of forum for that dude to start in on his soapbox about the police???
Cool, don’t visit this forum and spare yourself from our glorification.
I’ll visit any forum I want to. You can say what ever you want . And if you’re making fun of those that are missing, that’s very sad and cowardly. And anyone that’s from n.y. that supports and make excuses for the mob is part of the problem. But it’s telling that they don’t give the same support to others that commit crimes and those that are shot by cops and have NOT committed a crime.
Lol you are hilarious
You know in the majority of the cases you speak of the person shot does not cooperate with police. Probably half if not more can easily be chalked up to “Darwinism”.
CIA sells drugs, why not these guys?
Hey Clinton this Mr. J.B dude is trying to stir the pot it seems. That’s meant to be your job. Dont let him steal your thunder like that!!! ( just messing with you dude).
looks like the guy the creas ordered Datello to kill was sean Richard. He was john riggis son in law wore a wire and testified against Crea and others back in 2000. That’s what been reported anyway could be wrong.
Good to see you on forums “the mafia”
https://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/u-s-v-matthew-madonna-et-al-indictment.pdf
here is the full indictment for anyone who is interested
Well I can’t argue the fact that they are not good people by and large. The rest of your accusations a little overboard. You make it sound as though that alone are responsible for illegal drug trade, higher cost of construction, etc. That’s just outright ignorant.
Also just knowing who they are doesn’t not mean they should be locked up. This is America and one of the principles of “the land of the free” is due process or “innocent until proven guilty”.
Do you really believe that?? The cops that murder unarmed civilians don’t say they shot them 10-41 times because the people didn’t do as commanded. They say the person’s hands went past their waistband, or they were in fear for their lives. While the mob members are mass murderers, THEY are the ones to be feared. To cbc hard kuklinski has admitted to killing over 100 people, he died in prison not on the streets. The average maid member and associates have many bodies, many. And far as having common sense to do what the police say is in itself an ignorant statement when there are many videos that show aggressive police officers that attack by hands or bullets WITHOUT provocation. On one such video a cop had a citizen pulled over when another cop showed up and went to the drivers window and punched the citizen in the face, unprovoked. It I’ll bet people like you will find a way to blame the driver . I’ve been kill over by the police and had them say things they and I know they wouldn’t say to my face WITHOUT that badge and gun. But anyway, you believe what you will it doesn’t matter to me.
Kuklinski claimed to kill over 100 people after already being sentenced to life. They say it’s likely way overstated and that he without a doubt craved attention and notoriety.
Police attacking with zero provocation whatsoever? Just coming up to the car singing? Maybe some freak occurrence this has happened but by no means the norm. Do I think they say things or act cocky, yes without a doubt. But I have both common sense and thick skin.
Do you realize that cops in general do not deal primarily with average law abiding citizens. The bulk of their interactions are with f@&k ups, criminals, and people with mental health issues. Many of those people have also had countless interactions with the police. So obviously they re apprehensive and tensions are high. You like to bring up videos, have you seen the videos where people like you are put in police situations on a gun range? Nearly all have the person showing he found empathy for the jobs they do as well as screw ups where they would be shot civilians.
I’m gonna assume you have no idea the uneasy feeling of having your life and very existence in jeopardy. I ve been deployed three times to Iraq and Afghanistan, I can assure you when you ve had your life endanger you would view it from a whole different angle. Sad part is we had to go over there and protect the liberties of everyone even people like yourself who obviously don’t appreciate what it takes to ensure those freedoms. In a perfect world(like one you think we should magically have) idiots like you should have to go through a deployment and earn your freedom and liberties.
im still confused with this goof ball mr JB i dont understand his point with the cops what does that have to do with the mob. as for kuklinsky the guy was a serial killer doing hits not only for the mob but other groups. and it has been proven the guy was also a serial liar.
He obviously is one of those people who can not man up and take accountability for his own actions. Everything is always someone else’s fault. One thing I ll give mobsters is besides like the old days going out in a hail of bullets, they for the most part seem to turn themselves over pretty easy. Never understood what the point of being a total dick is when you are already busted. It’s not like you are gonna hurt their feelings and be uncuffed. Resisting or obstructing is flat out a losing proposition.
First, you don’t know me. You have NO idea of my experiences. I have in fact been in situations that the a stage cop won’t do. I was a n.j. state corrections officer. I was locked in with 40 on average, murderers, rapists, gang members, and other hardened criminals. And with NO weapon. No batton, no gun, no nothing, except a small plastic box the size of a small cell phone with a button that we could push in case of an e.ergency. And if you’re lucky you still are alive when the s.o.g. officers get to you. And I STILL never abused ANY inmate. But SOME officers did, and they enjoyed it. Cops go into areas they never went into as civilians. They neither like nor respect those residing in the neighborhoods. So to thesr cops EVERYONE they come into are potentiall criminals to them. That, is why they shoot first, 10-41 times. I know people like you will NEVER EVER accept these facts. Believe what you will. There is no further need for any futire correspondence between us. Have a wonderful day.
Wow, I bet many of your colleagues were maimed by IEDs on a regular basis. ” and if you re lucky you still are alive” How many corrections officers have been killed in New Jersey. Get the F&@k out of here you pxssy. You were a step above a security guard and you wanna compare that to fighting in war or the perils of an average cop. Go back to your moms basement you fxckxng troll.
New here, do you guys think this will seriously put a dent in the lucchese family? Or do you think they still have a shot at running things on the street? On that note I haven’t heard anything about the Colombo family in a while, I feel like the feds have wiped them completely out for the most part, do you think they still have any more sway or even a hierarchy like the other 4 families?
welcome to the site! I hope this answers your question
It will hurt the luchese family but it wont be a serious dent there is nearly 100 made guys on the streets according to the feds in that family like what happened in the 90s there will be a power vacuum and another faction will take over. There is still guys on the streets who could take over joey giampa, blue eyes Santoerllis, DiBenedtto and others plus the Brooklyn faction which has been out of power for a long time was not effected by this bust It would not surprise me if someone from that crew takes over these things always repeat each other. No family has ever ran the streets especially lucheses they are smaller than the gambinos and westside but there is enough of them still on the streets to stay active. People forget how big these familys are.
As for the Colombo family they do have an active hierarchy and still have according to the feds upto 80 made guys. They have a number of younger guys in the family plus a lot of big players getting out they are in the strongest position since the Colombo war. They are the weakest family out of the five that is true but you have to understand how LCN works all these guys work together now more than ever you see colombos working with Genovese members on scams if your a made guy LCN rules dictate which family you belong to does not mean the rules change. The Colombo family has sway still I remember a few years ago they beat the westside in a sitdown. When a Gambino member stabbed a Colombo soldier back in 2011 the gambinos were forced by anthony russo to pay his medical bills which were upto 300k andy russo the then boss of the Colombo family was angry they did not kill the Gambino member. If they were even considering killing a Gambino member that shows they still have sway. The guy to watch in the Colombo family is billy russo
Welcome! And clearly the mafia (one of the most knowledgeable here) has already answered you.
I’m still somewhat surprised Madonna was street boss over Crea. They hid that pretty well I’d say.
I was surprised aswell everyone seemed to think he was the boss Madonna I knew had risen fast and was one of the top guys on the streets now looking back it should not have been a surprise Crea did not get out of prison till 2006 and was under parole till 2009 meaning he kept a very low profile. Madonna by 2007 was on the ruling panel of the entire family he had been in a high ranking position for awhile meaning he gained power and respect after tino died he probably became the most powerful on the streets.
I knew joey DiNapoli was his number 3 that was no surprise I remember saying either him or hooks had that position they had been close with steve for a long time and been on the streets for awhile. Whats going to be interesting is if anyone flips one to watch his steves son he is a young guy early 40s never done time before now he is looking at a life sentence would not surprise me if the kid does a leonetti.
one thing we can confirm is these guys were making a killing look at this scam the Creas had going on in that construction of that hospital
http://nypost.com/2017/06/04/lucchese-crime-family-funneled-millions-from-hospital-project/
Thank you for the response. I find this stuff so fascinating and can’t believe it’s still powerful after all these years.