Two alleged associates of the New York mafia based Genovese crime family have plead guilty to extortion-related charges in Massachusetts.
Francesco “Frank” Depergola and Gerald Daniele were part of the Springfield crew of the Genovese family according to the feds and both have pleaded guilty to making extortionate loans to debtors while Depergola also plead guilty to extortion and conspiracy. Their pleas come just a month after co-defendants Ralph Santaniello and Giovanni “Johnny Cal” Calabrese agreed to plea deals. The members of the mafia crew were arrested along with 46 other suspects during a massive mafia sweep back in 2016. According to prosecutors, the 50-year-old Santaniello was the leader of the organized crime crew and reported directly to high ranking members of the NY mafia.
“Frank Depergola during August 2016 arrest”
According to the indictment, the mob crew was part of a syndicate the feds labeled as the East Coast La Cosa Nostra Enterprise that operated in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Florida. The various defendants in the case were accused of extortion, loansharking, drug dealing, money laundering, casino-style gambling, sports gambling, credit card fraud and health care fraud. According to the indictment, the Springfield crew were involved in various criminal activities including extorting legitimate and illegitimate businesses and used implied threats of violence and their connections to the mafia to instill fear in their victims. The East Coast LCN Enterprise bust snared some high ranking mobsters including Joseph Merlino the alleged boss of the Philly mafia and Genovese family capos Pasquale “Patsy” Parrello and Eugene O’Nofrio.
Santaniello and Calabrese are scheduled to be sentenced in January while Depergola and Daniele will have to wait until March.
