The feds got more than they anticipated when they busted four Genovese crime family mobsters on racketeering conspiracy charges.
Among those arrested was Vincent Esposito the 50-year-old son of former Genovese family boss Vincent “The Chin” Gigante. Vincent is one of three kids Gigante had with his longtime mistress Olympia Esposito. According to the indictment, the mafia crew was part of a long-running racketeering scheme that included various crime including extortion dating all the way back to 2001 which was covered here in more detail in an earlier report. Esposito and fellow wiseguys Steven Arena and Vincent D’Acunto Jr. were charged with using threats of force and violence to collect annual payments from a union official from 2001-2015 in return for letting him keep his job. The New York Mafia continues to find a way to profit from union corruption even after the feds stepped up their efforts in recent years to bring it to an end.
“Vincent Esposito (left) with Vincent Gigante (right) in 1997”
(Photo Credit: TODD MAISEL/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
Prosecutor Jared Lenow described Esposito as “a person of influence” within the organized crime family although they did not specify an actual rank. Lenow said “money was kicked up to him,” with “at least several layers of lower-level workers” under the mob scion according to the NYPost report. The feds claim to have approx six months or secretly recorded conversations from a cooperating witness which they say include numerous references to Esposito’s high-level position and underlings doing his bidding. The cooperating witness set to take the stand and testify against him is said to be someone very close who’s part of his family. The court ordered the defendant to be held on $6 million dollars bond with release conditions including house arrest with an electronic monitor.
During the search of a $12 million dollar townhouse owned by Esposito, his mom, and two sisters the feds found more than $1 million dollars in cash, two unlicensed firearms, some brass knuckles, and something they weren’t expecting. According to prosecutors a list of made members of Cosa Nostra was found in the basement of the townhouse. The exact contents and extent of the list are unclear but if it’s a list of current members of the Genovese family then it could be an extremely helpful piece of evidence for the feds and an old-school mafia no-no. The Genovese family has been one of the more secretive of the Five Families in NY over the years.
The Chin was dubbed the Oddfather for his wacky behavior and claims of mental illness a scam that helped him evade law enforcement for years. But the NY Mafia godfather was eventually convicted of murder conspiracy in 1997 and died in prison back in 2005. If convicted Esposito could face up to 40 years behind bars.
