Genovese Crime Family Captain and 6 Associates Indicted on Multiple Charges
Jim Kouri, CPP
July 07, 2006
A Fort Lauderdale federal grand jury returned a six count indictment charging Genovese Crime Family members and associates Renaldi “Ray” Ruggiero, Albert “Chinky” Facchiano, Joseph Dennis Colasacco, Mitchell Weissman, Francis J. O’Donnell, Clement Santoro, and Charles Steinberg with conspiracy to commit extortion, robbery, money laundering, and loan sharking. .
According to the indictment, from around 1994 through June 30, 2006, the defendants were employed by, or associated with, the Genovese Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra, one of New York City's five crime families.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity that included extortion, robbery, money laundering, making of extortionate extensions of credit, collection of extensions of credit by extortionate means (loan sharking), travel in aid of racketeering, possession of stolen property, and bank fraud.
The indictment alleges that defendant Ruggiero is a captain in the Genovese Crime Family, in charge of its South Florida operations. Ruggiero is claimed to have supervised and directed the activities of La Cosa Nostra members and associates in South Florida, including authorizing acts of violence, such as beatings, to intimidate persons whom he believed were interfering with LCN criminal activities.
Through direct and indirect threats and violence, Ruggiero and his co-defendants acquired and maintained interests in various legitimate business entities.
The indictment also charges the defendants with money laundering. In May 2003, a Miami- Dade detective working undercover with the FBI was purporting to be a drug dealer and money launderer.
The undercover was asked by defendants Ruggiero, Colasacco, O’Donnell, and Weissman if they could launder their drug proceeds through one of O’Donnell’s companies, Coach Industries Group, Inc. (CIGI), in exchange for a fee. Ruggiero, Colasacco, O’Donnell, and Weissman laundered approximately $280,000 through companies owned by defendant O’Donnell or his employees.
The prosecutor, United States Attorney Acosta, stated, “The criminal activities of La Cosa Nostra are not just the stuff of movies and TV. The Genovese Crime Family, its members and associates, ran their South Florida operations through fear, violence, and intimidation. These criminal activities ranged from extortion, robbery, money laundering, loan sharking, to bank fraud. This prosecution reflects our continued efforts to rid South Florida of violent criminal elements.”
Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, said, “The arrests of these seven individuals demonstrate the FBI’s continuous commitment to combating organized crime. The FBI has a long and successful history of investigating and bringing to justice members of organized criminal groups, such as La Cosa Nostra. Working with our law enforcement partners, we have dismantled a major organized criminal group based in South Florida.”
According to court papers, if convicted, Ruggiero faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 120 years and fines of up to $1,750,000; Facchiano faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 60 years and fines of up to $750,000; Colasacco faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 100 years imprisonment and fines of up to $1,500,000; Weissman faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 100 years and fines of up to $1,500,000; O’Donnell faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 60 years and fines of up to $1,000,000; Santoro faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years and fines of up to $500,000; and Steinberg faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 80 years and fines of up to $1,000,000.
According to the indictment, from around 1994 through June 30, 2006, the defendants were employed by, or associated with, the Genovese Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra, one of New York City's five crime families.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity that included extortion, robbery, money laundering, making of extortionate extensions of credit, collection of extensions of credit by extortionate means (loan sharking), travel in aid of racketeering, possession of stolen property, and bank fraud.
The indictment alleges that defendant Ruggiero is a captain in the Genovese Crime Family, in charge of its South Florida operations. Ruggiero is claimed to have supervised and directed the activities of La Cosa Nostra members and associates in South Florida, including authorizing acts of violence, such as beatings, to intimidate persons whom he believed were interfering with LCN criminal activities.
Through direct and indirect threats and violence, Ruggiero and his co-defendants acquired and maintained interests in various legitimate business entities.
The indictment also charges the defendants with money laundering. In May 2003, a Miami- Dade detective working undercover with the FBI was purporting to be a drug dealer and money launderer.
The undercover was asked by defendants Ruggiero, Colasacco, O’Donnell, and Weissman if they could launder their drug proceeds through one of O’Donnell’s companies, Coach Industries Group, Inc. (CIGI), in exchange for a fee. Ruggiero, Colasacco, O’Donnell, and Weissman laundered approximately $280,000 through companies owned by defendant O’Donnell or his employees.
The prosecutor, United States Attorney Acosta, stated, “The criminal activities of La Cosa Nostra are not just the stuff of movies and TV. The Genovese Crime Family, its members and associates, ran their South Florida operations through fear, violence, and intimidation. These criminal activities ranged from extortion, robbery, money laundering, loan sharking, to bank fraud. This prosecution reflects our continued efforts to rid South Florida of violent criminal elements.”
Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, said, “The arrests of these seven individuals demonstrate the FBI’s continuous commitment to combating organized crime. The FBI has a long and successful history of investigating and bringing to justice members of organized criminal groups, such as La Cosa Nostra. Working with our law enforcement partners, we have dismantled a major organized criminal group based in South Florida.”
According to court papers, if convicted, Ruggiero faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 120 years and fines of up to $1,750,000; Facchiano faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 60 years and fines of up to $750,000; Colasacco faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 100 years imprisonment and fines of up to $1,500,000; Weissman faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 100 years and fines of up to $1,500,000; O’Donnell faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 60 years and fines of up to $1,000,000; Santoro faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years and fines of up to $500,000; and Steinberg faces a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 80 years and fines of up to $1,000,000.
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