The New York Times reports:
The latest indictment to hit the New York City Buildings Department taps into the usual themes of bribery, corruption and compromised inspections. But it also introduces a new criminal element into the agency: the mob.
Manhattan prosecutors on Thursday accused the Luchese crime family of infiltrating the Buildings Department, saying that three of the family’s associates found jobs as building inspectors and that others in the family, including top bosses, committed a wide range of crimes.
In all, six building inspectors were accused of taking bribes to grant building permits, expedite inspections and overlook building violations. The three inspectors said to be Luchese associates were also accused of more traditional mob-related offenses, including bribery, gambling, drug trafficking, extortion and loan sharking.
Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney, said 27 of the 29 people named in the indictment had been arrested; the other two remain at large. Those indicted include bosses and associates of the Luchese family, officials of four corporations, real estate officials and the six building inspectors.
Here's the
DOJ press release:
Twelve of the nineteen defendants -- ANDREW DISIMONE,
DOMINICK CAPELLI, JOHN ALEVIS, PETER VELTRI, TOMISLAV DOBRILOVIC,
SETH TRUSTMAN, STEVEN MAYER, CLEMENTE CASTRACUCCO, EDGAR
CONCEPCION, PAUL CUZZO, ERNEST CUZZO, ANTHONY CUZZO -- are
charged in the Indictment as members, associates, and coconspirators
of the Luchese Organized Crime Family of La Cosa
Nostra. All of these defendants are charged with conspiring to
conduct and participate in the racketeering activities of the
Luchese Organized Crime Family.
Here's the
AFP take on the story. In Chicago ,
this "high ranking
made member" of the Chicago Mob was Chairman of the Chicago's City Council's Building
Committee. As you can imagine, the mob looks forward to the government takeover of health care: the scams will be endless.
