The U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York
released the below information:
Audrey Strauss, the Acting
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that
MATTHEW MADONNA, the Acting Boss of the Luchese Family, CHRISTOPHER LONDONIO, a
soldier in the Luchese Family, and TERRENCE CALDWELL, an associate of the
Luchese Family, were sentenced today to life in prison following their
conviction for the 2013 murder of Michael Meldish, conspiracy to commit
racketeering, and other felonies. A jury convicted MADONNA, LONDONIO,
CALDWELL, and Steven L. Crea, the Underboss of the Luchese Family, on November
15, 2019, following a six-week trial before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel,
who also imposed today’s sentences. CREA will be sentenced at a later
date.[1]
Acting
U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Matty Madonna, Christopher Londonio,
and Terrence Caldwell – respectively, the Acting Boss, a soldier, and an
associate of the Luchese Family – were responsible for the execution-style
murder of Michael Meldish seven years ago. Madonna ordered it, Londonio
set it up, and Caldwell pulled the trigger. Now all three have been
sentenced to serve the rest of their lives in federal prison. Thanks to
the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and NYPD, we continue our
commitment to render La Cosa Nostra a thing of the past.”
According
to the evidence presented at trial, and other court documents:
Until
his arrest in this case, MADONNA was the Acting Boss of the Luchese Family of
La Cosa Nostra, one of the “Five Families” that constitute the Mafia in the New
York City area. In 2013, MADONNA became displeased with Michael Meldish,
a longtime organized crime associate who had refused to collect debts owed to
MADONNA. MADONNA ordered Meldish killed. Acting under the orders of
MADONNA and Crea, LONDONIO helped set up Meldish – a personal friend of
LONDONIO’s – to be killed, and acted as the getaway driver for the
murder. CALDWELL carried out MADONNA’s and Crea’s orders to kill
Meldish. CALDWELL met Meldish and drove with him to a Bronx neighborhood
to meet LONDONIO. As Meldish got out of his car, CALDWELL shot him once
in the head, killing him instantly. CALDWELL then drove off with
LONDONIO. For their participation in the Meldish murder, MADONNA, LONDONIO,
and CALDWELL were each convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit murder in aid
of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, and use of a firearm in
furtherance of murder in aid of racketeering.
In
addition, MADONNA, 84, of the Bronx, New York, LONDONIO, 45, of Hartsdale, New
York, and CALDWELL, 61, of New York, New York, were also convicted of
racketeering conspiracy; CALDWELL was convicted of attempted murder in aid of
racketeering and discharging a firearm in furtherance of attempted murder in
aid of racketeering arising out of his May 29, 2013, ambush of a member of the
rival Bonanno Family in Manhattan; and LONDONIO was convicted of conspiracy to
distribute narcotics.
Ms.
Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the New York City Police Department, Homeland Security
Investigations, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, and the U.S.
Bureau of Prisons.
The
case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant
United States Attorneys Hagan Scotten, Celia V. Cohen, and Alexandra N.
Rothman, were in charge of the trial and sentencings.
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