Member of Bonanno Crime Family Convicted of Extortion of a Witness

 

Defendant Ordered the Victim to Strip Naked to Show He Was Not Wearing a Wire

A federal jury in Brooklyn convicted John Ragano, also known as “Bazoo,” a member of the Bonanno organized crime family, for the extortionate collection of credit from a victim.  The verdict followed a four-day trial before United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez. When sentenced, Ragano faces up to 20 years in prison. The defendant was acquitted of extortionate collection of credit conspiracy, witness harassment and witness tampering.

Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.

“The defendant’s extortion of a victim while on pre-trial release, carried out even in the sanctity of the federal courthouse, is an affront to the criminal justice system and a glaring example of this Bonanno mobster’s flagrant disrespect for the law,” stated United States Attorney Peace.  “With today’s verdict, the jury has delivered a clear message that the rule of law will prevail over extortionate threats.”

“Despite previous arrests and detention, John Ragano tormented his victim to make weekly exorbitant loan payments and enforced humiliating methods when faced with resistance,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.  “His actions reflected his apathy to the criminal justice system as he repeatedly attempted to extort his victims in the midst of active legal proceedings.  This verdict emphasizes the FBI’s intolerance of the mob’s historical inclination to utilize coercive and threatening tactics to fulfill their greedy demands.”

In early 2021, John Doe (“the victim”) borrowed $150,000 from Ragano and made interest payments of approximately $1,800 a week to him.  On September 14, 2021, Ragano was arrested in connection with the extortionate loan to the victim, as well as separate schemes to traffic marijuana and commit fraud. While Ragano was on pre-trial detention in that case, and after he was released on bond from the Metropolitan Detention Center in December 2021, he continued to try to collect the 2021 loan from the victim. On November 28, 2022, Ragano pleaded guilty in connection with his loan to the victim.  In 2022 and 2023, despite Ragano’s arrest, court supervision, guilty plea and sentence of 57 months’ imprisonment, he continued to extort the victim on the 2021 loan, including at status conferences held at the federal courthouse. 

On March 25, 2023, the victim recorded a meeting with Co-Conspirator #1 who explained that Ragano wanted the entire amount of the loan repaid and that “nobody’s looking for anybody to get hurt.”  On July 5, 2023, the victim went to a used auto parts yard where Ragano worked to discuss the loan and recorded the meeting.  The victim told Ragano that he was going to stop repaying the loan.  Ragano accused the victim of cooperating with the government and demanded that he remove all his clothes.  Ragano stated: “Okay, well then take off your f-----g s—t right now my man.  Take off your f-----g pants right now, lemme see, I want to see.”  At Ragano’s insistence, the victim complied and took off all his clothing.  At that point, two men at the business walked up behind Ragano, one of whom was holding metal tools.  Ragano then demanded the victim pay the money the defendant believed he was owed.  Despite being forced to strip naked, the victim was still able to record the confrontation.