The U.S. Justice Department released the below information:
Yesterday,
at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Carmelo Polito, also known as “Carmine
Polito,” a former acting captain and soldier in the Genovese organized crime
family, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by United States District Judge
Eric N. Vitaliano for racketeering in connection with operating an illegal
gambling business at the Gran Caffé in Lynbrook, Long Island, and attempting to
extort an individual who owed him money stemming from a separate online sports
betting business.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of
New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County
District Attorney, announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence makes clear to the defendant that the outcome
for participating in illegal gambling and making extortionate threats is the
loss of something very valuable — your freedom,” stated United States Attorney
Peace. “Thanks to the outstanding work of prosecutors in my Office and
law enforcement, the alliance of the Genovese and Bonanno organized crime
families’ rackets was a bust.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police
Department and the Nassau County Police Department for their invaluable
assistance in the
investigation.
“The cards did not favor Carmelo Polito's illicit gambling
parlor or his extortionate methods,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge
Dennehy. “His illegitimate business and death threats financed the
operations of two crime families. May today’s sentencing reaffirm the
FBI’s commitment to doubling down on all organized crime activity plaguing our
communities.
“This defendant, along with other associates of the Genovese
family, operated illegal gambling businesses in Nassau County that funneled
money straight into organized crime,” stated District Attorney Donnelly.
“Extortion, threats, and violence have no place in Nassau County. I thank our
partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their collaboration in
dismantling this illicit operation and working to rid organized crime from our
communities.”
Polito is a longtime, inducted member of the Genovese organized
crime family. As detailed in earlier court filings, for years, numerous members
and associates of the Genovese and Bonanno organized crime families operated
several illegal gambling operations in the Eastern District of New York.
Beginning in at least May 2012, the Genovese and Bonanno families jointly
operated a lucrative illegal gambling parlor concealed inside a coffee shop
called the Gran Caffé in Lynbrook. Polito and co-defendant Joseph Macario,
also known as “Joe Fish,” on behalf of the Genovese crime family, and Anthony
Pipitone, also known as “Little Anthony,” on behalf of Bonanno crime family,
successfully negotiated a profit split for the gambling location, which ensured
that each crime family benefited from the illegal gambling operation. In
addition to the Gran Caffé, the Genovese crime family—through Polito, Macario,
Joseph Rutigliano, also known as “Joe Box,” Salvatore Rubino, also known as
“Sal the Shoemaker,” and others—operated illegal gambling parlors at
establishments called Sal’s Shoe Repair and the Centro Calcio Italiano
Club. Rutigliano and Rubino collected the proceeds for the Genovese crime
family and distributed them up to higher ranking members, including Polito and
Macario. Polito was surveilled distributing proceeds to higher ranking
members on numerous occasions.
Polito and co-defendant Mark Feuer also operated an illegal
online gambling scheme in which bets were placed on sporting events through a
website called “PGWLines.” In connection with his operation of PGWLines,
Polito attempted to extort an individual who lost several thousand dollars in
bets using death threats and other threats of violence. For example,
during a September 2019 call concerning the debtor, Polito instructed another
individual to tell the debtor that Polito would “break” the debtor’s “face.” When
the debtor still did not pay Polito, Polito instructed the same individual to
relay a new message to the debtor: “Tell him I’m going to put him under the
f------g bridge.”
Polito is the first defendant sentenced in this case and a
related case against four members and associates of the Bonanno organized crime
family of La Cosa Nostra. Macario, Rutigliano, Rubino and Feuer are
awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized
Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Hajjar,
Drew Rolle, Anna Karamigios and Sean M. Sherman are in charge of the
prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Eleanor
Jaffe-Pachuilo.
The Defendants:
CARMELO POLITO (also known as “Carmine Polito”)
Age: 64
Whitestone, Queens
Defendants Awaiting Sentencing:
JOSEPH MACARIO (also known as “Joe Fish”)
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