Four Members And Two Associates Of The Genovese Organized Crime Family Charged With Racketeering

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Letitia James, New York State Attorney General, and Eric Gonzalez, Brooklyn District Attorney, announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging four members and two associates of the Genovese Organized Crime Family with racketeering. 

The Superseding Indictment charges NICHOLAS CALISI and RALPH BALSAMO, alleged Captains in the Family, MICHAEL MESSINA and JOHN CAMPANELLA, alleged Soldiers in the Family, and MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI, alleged associates of the Family, with racketeering conspiracy involving illegal gambling and extortion.

MESSINA was previously arrested and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang on April 12, 2022.  BALSAMO, CAMPANELLA, MICHAEL POLI, and THOMAS POLI were arrested today and will be presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger this afternoon.  CALISI was arrested in Boca Raton, Florida and presented before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Florida.  The case is assigned to United States District Judge John G. Koeltl.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “From extortion to illegal gambling, the Mafia continues to find ways to prey on others to fill its coffers.  Our office and our law enforcement partners remain committed to putting organized crime out of business.”

New York State Attorney General Letitia James said:  “For years, members of the Genovese crime family have terrorized New York communities with violence and illegal businesses. These individuals allegedly made their money through illegal gambling and loan sharking — saddling victims with incredible debt that they cannot repay. Today’s indictment makes clear that we will continue to root out organized crime wherever it exists, and I thank U.S. Attorney Damian Williams and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez for their partnership in taking down these criminal enterprises.”

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said:  “Organized crime, and the illegal conduct that flows from its activities, remain a problem in Brooklyn and beyond. My Office is committed to continue working together with our law enforcement partners to investigate these criminal organizations, as we’ve done in this case. I thank the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the New York State Office of the Attorney General for their partnership and cooperation.”

According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment, which was unsealed today[1]:

The Genovese Organized Crime Family is part of a nationwide criminal organization known by various names, including La Cosa Nostra (“LCN”) and the “Mafia,” which operates through entities known as “Families.” 

Like other LCN Families, the Genovese Organized Crime Family operates through groups of individuals known as “crews”.  Each “crew” has as its leader a person known as a “Captain” and consists of “made” members, known as “Soldiers.”  Soldiers are aided in their criminal endeavors by other trusted individuals, known as “associates,” who sometimes are referred to as “connected” or identified as “with” a Soldier or other member of the Family.  Associates participate in the various activities of the crew and its members.  In order for an associate to become a made member of the Family, the associate typically needs to demonstrate the ability to generate income for the Family, and/or that the associate is capable of committing acts of violence.

A Captain is responsible for supervising the criminal activities of his crew, resolving disputes between and among members of the Family, resolving disputes between members of the Family and members of other Families and other criminal organizations, and providing Soldiers and associates with support and protection.  In return, the Captain typically receives a share of the illegal earnings of each of his crew’s Soldiers and associates.

At times relevant to the charges in the Superseding Indictment, NICHOLAS CALISI and RALPH BALSAMO were Captains in the Genovese Family, MICHAEL MESSINA and JOHN CAMPANELLA were Soldiers in the Genovese Family, and MICHAEL POLI and THOMAS POLI were associates of the Genovese Family.

Members of the Genovese Family, including CALISI, BALSAMO, MESSINA, CAMPANELLA, MICHAEL POLLI, and THOMAS POLLI, engaged in or agreed that others would engage in certain crimes, including making extortionate extensions of credit, financing extortionate extensions of credit, collecting extensions of credit by extortion, extortion, operating illegal gambling businesses, and transmission of gambling information.

A chart containing the ages, residency information, and charges against the defendants, as well as the maximum penalties they face is attached.  The maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Office of the New York Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force and the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance in this investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Celia V. Cohen, Rushmi Bhaskaran, and Justin Rodriguez, as well as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Murray, are in charge of the prosecution.  The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.

The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

United States v. Michael Messina, et al., S1 22 Cr. 212 (JGK)

DEFENDANT	AGE	CITY OF RESIDENCE	CHARGES	MAX SENT.
Messina, Michael	69	New Fairfield, CT	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Calisi, Nicholas	63	Boca Raton, FL	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Balsamo, Ralph	51	Tuckahoe, NY	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Campanella, John	47	Bronx, NY	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Poli, Michael	37	Hawthorne, NY	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years
Poli, Thomas	64	Bronx, NY	18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)	20 years

 

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. 

Attorney General James Sues Long Island Lawyers for Paying Themselves More Than $1 Million Intended for Deceased Client’s Charity

 

Paul P. Marchese and Robin S. Maynard Diverted Funds from a Client’s Trust That Was Intended for Charity

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today filed a civil complaint against two Long Island lawyers, Paul P. Marchese and Robin S. Maynard, of Manhasset, New York, who allegedly paid themselves more than $1 million in funds that were supposed to go to a charitable foundation created by their deceased client. The client established a trust for her assets, and when she died, those assets were supposed to be transferred to a foundation she created to support education, cultural activities, and provide food and shelter for people in need. The lawsuit alleges that after she died, Mr. Marchese — as the sole administrator of her trust — directed the trust to pay their law firm nearly $600,000 in fees, and both Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard — acting as the sole directors of the foundation — directed the charity to pay them more than $750,000 in salaries. Attorney General James’ suit seeks a court order to force Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard to repay the funds, along with interests and penalties.

“Acting in their own interests, these lawyers allegedly failed to grant their client’s dying wish and hurt a charitable cause in the process,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers must have trust in the individuals tasked with overseeing their affairs when they are no longer able to do so themselves. My office will continue to uphold the laws designed to protect the interests of our charitable organizations and hold accountable those who attempt to shirk their duties in order to line their pockets.”

An inquiry by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard abused their positions to enrich themselves and their law firm, Marchese & Maynard LLP.  Mr. Marchese helped the client set up her foundation and a trust holding all of her assets — worth $2 million — the remainder of which would go to her foundation upon her death. She appointed Mr. Marchese to act as trustee upon her death and tasked him with transferring the funds to the foundation. Following the client’s death in 2008, Mr. Marchese directed the trust to pay the law firm $598,931.42. The lawyers could provide no records showing that the client owed them any legal fees.

Attorney General James also alleges that Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard, acting as sole directors of their client’s foundation, paid themselves salaries totaling $758,334. The governance of not-for-profit corporations must be overseen by a board with no fewer than three directors under New York law, and any compensation of directors must be approved by directors who have no conflicts of interest.

The complaint filed today also alleges that Mr. Marchese concealed the transfers from OAG by hiding the existence of the trust. Under New York law, fiduciaries of a trust holding charitable interests must register the trust with OAG’s Charities Bureau, and provide the office with a report of funds transferred out of the trust. Mr. Marchese never registered the trust with OAG and did not provide a report until 2019, after OAG had begun its inquiry, had learned there was a trust, and asked for an accounting.

Attorney General James’ action today seeks a court order directing Mr. Marchese and Ms. Maynard to repay the funds they received from their client’s estate and foundation, plus interest and financial penalties. Attorney General James also seeks to bar Mr. Marchese from serving as a fiduciary of an estate or a trust holding a charitable interest for a period of five years, and bar both individuals from serving as an officer, director, or trustee of a charitable organization for five years.

Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez - Thank you!

 

Thank you

After collecting almost a thousand votes, I am excited to be able to announce the Inaugural Participatory Budgeting Results!

Hundreds of you voted to add: Water Fountains to Pelham Parkway!

As the Council Member who represents the largest park in New York City and so many incredible outdoor areas, I am excited so many of you want to invest in our parks space.

While voting for this fiscal year has ended, we are very excited to restart the process this Fall. For more information on Participatory Budgeting, visit the BudgetPeople’s and keep an eye out for future emails about submitting your community project ideas.

DEC ANNOUNCES $4.5 MILLION FOR NEW CENTER AT UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO TO FOCUS ON PLASTICS RECYCLING

 

Initiative Builds on Multiple Academic Partnerships Developing Solutions to Reduce Waste and Increase Recycling

Examining and Addressing Impacts of Plastics and Other Waste to Protect the Environment and Help Fight Climate Change 

 New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced $4.5 million is being awarded to the State University of New York’s University at Buffalo to create a new Center for Plastic Recycling Research and Innovation and support crucial work to reduce plastic waste. This expanded academic partnership will improve plastics recycling by researching the development of secondary recyclable markets to ease the financial burdens on municipal recycling programs and streamline the recycling process, especially with certain types of lower-grade plastics.

“The reduction of plastics and other waste is critical to creating a cleaner environment and achieving the goals of the New York’s ambitious Climate Act,” Commissioner Seggos said. “This State-funded investment will empower one of New York’s premier research universities, with their team of faculty and students, to advance creative solutions to bolster the State’s world-recognized authority in plastics recycling research and innovation.”

The creation of the New York State Center for Plastic Recycling Research and Innovation expands upon an existing State-funded academic partnership with the University at Buffalo to conduct plastics recycling research focused on improving source separation quality and marketability. Supported by the State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) this additional $4.5 million announced today will help address a range of contemporary issues related to plastics recycling with the goal of furthering plastics recycling in New York and beyond.

“The University at Buffalo is committed to addressing regional as well as global environmental challenges through multidisciplinary scholarship and innovation,” said Kemper Lewis, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. “By working with partners such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, we will advance the science and technology of plastics recycling while increasing our impact in promoting a healthier and more equitable environment in New York State and beyond.”

“Prudent investments such as this from DEC will ensure that New York State plays a leadership role to develop innovative strategies for plastics recycling and help make recycling initiatives more effective,” said the project’s principal investigator and the center director, Amit Goyal, SUNY Distinguished Professor in UB’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. “We are very grateful to DEC staff, Commissioner Seggos, and Governor Hochul’s office for their leadership and partnership with academia to enable a cleaner, greener Empire State for all. UB’s team is uniquely positioned to develop innovative solutions for the plastics recycling. We are excited to expand on our current project with DEC on assessing and improving plastic recycling as well as developing outreach and educational programs. We look forward to embarking on this new initiative on plastics recycling and innovation.”

A multidisciplinary team will conduct the Center’s work by integrating social sciences, economics, communication, engineering, plastics (polymers) and materials science. The Center will engage university professors, senior scientists, and other researchers, recycling industry experts, and DEC staff and focus on several tasks:

• Mapping the reverse supply for plastics in New York State and deep dive into the structure of the collection, disposal, and recycling industries;
• Improving the efficiency of businesses involved in collecting and processing plastics in New York State;
• Plastics in natural environments, including microplastics;
• Plastics in New York State agriculture/food and medical industries;
• Further understanding contemporary attitudes toward current recycling behaviors; and
• Advanced high-speed plastic sorting by molecular contract infrared imaging; and
• Fund several academic- and community-based projects. 

The funding for the Center comes from the EPF. Among the many environmental victories in the 2022-23 State Budget, Governor Hochul succeeded in enacting an increase in the EPF from $300 to $400 million, the highest-ever level of funding in the program's history. The EPF supports climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, improves agricultural resources to promote sustainable agriculture, protects our water sources, advances conservation efforts, and provides recreational opportunities for New Yorkers. 

The Commissioner held the announcement in advance of the New York State Climate Action Council’s public hearing on the draft scoping plan today at 3:30 p.m. at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library in the Damon Auditorium. For more information, go to https://climate.ny.gov/.  

Today’s announcement builds upon the State’s comprehensive waste management efforts to address the impacts of New York’s solid waste on climate change and the current burden on municipalities by reducing the amount of materials sent to landfills and combustors and significantly increasing waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

The most recent measures include newly adopted regulations to reduce electronic waste and the use of polystyrene foam. New York State also continues to engage in a range of partnerships with academic institutions to advance waste management efforts to benefit communities, the environment, and fight climate change, including close partnerships with State University of New York (SUNY) to help develop strategies to advance more sustainable material management practices. DEC has committed more than $20 million in funding for work to make New York more resilient to future market disruptions with UB, New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Stony Brook University, and the College of Environmental Science and Forestry. 

Additional information about these efforts and DEC’s ongoing waste reduction education efforts can be found at: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/294.html

Housing Lottery Launches For 225 Units At River Crest In South Bronx

 

River Crest at 1164 River Avenue in South Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

The affordable housing lottery has launched for River Crest, a 17-story mixed-use building at 1164 River Avenue in Cromwell-Jerome, The Bronx. Designed by Aufgang Architects and developed by Maddd Equities, the structure yields 500 residences, 83,650 square feet of commercial space, and 84 parking spaces. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 225 units for residents at 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $15,429 to $132,400.

River Crest at 1164 River Avenue in South Bronx via NYC Housing Connect

Apartments come with vinyl tile, Caesarstone countertops, white appliances, and free broadband internet. Tenants are responsible for electricity. Amenities include assigned parking spaces, a shared laundry room, outdoor areas, and a recreation room.

At 30 percent of the AMI, there are 38 units for incomes ranging from $15,429 to $49,650. At 40 percent of the AMI, there are 26 units for incomes ranging from $20,915 to $66,200. At 50 percent of the AMI, there are 25 units for incomes ranging from $26,435 to $82,750. At 60 percent of the AMI, there are 26 units for incomes ranging from $33,738 to $99,300. At 70 percent of the AMI, there are 48 units for incomes ranging from $39,600 to $115,850. At 80 percent of the AMI, there are 62 units for incomes ranging from $42,892 to $132,400.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than June 27, 2022.

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S RESPONSE TO THE MAYOR'S BUDGET PRESENTATION

 

"The budget framework that the mayor put forward today was encouraging — it seems to indicate broad agreement on some of the most urgent issues facing our city and in need of funding. There are points of disagreement on some specific approaches and allocations, there always are, and I will continue to highlight them. At the same, this proposal would make substantial investments toward many of the programs and initiatives our city desperately needs and that my office and I have long fought for.

"Public safety — not simply law enforcement but all it encompasses, including housing, healthcare, education, and economic justice — is clearly a priority in this budget, as well as for my office and for my colleagues in the City Council. I’m excited that many of the strategies and systems I’ve long advocated for are receiving the funds and focus they need. Additional funding for non-police responses to mental health crises, and for the community-based solutions to combat gun violence, are critical and welcome investments, and must be followed with a clear plan to better structuralize these systems and save lives. Substantially increasing youth services, both in school and over the summer through SYEP, is essential to not only meeting this moment for our city but for strengthening its future. I’m hopeful that as budget negotiations continue, as more details become known and clear, we can secure the resources needed to renew New York, building on strategies we know work and rejecting those that have failed New Yorkers for far too long. 

"Much of what I heard from the mayor today was indicative of who I’ve worked with and the work we’ve done together to advance our city over the last decade in office. Over the next two months I look forward to working with the administration and the Council to finalize the budget — partnering where we agree, pushing where we differ, and prioritizing justice, equity, and investment in progressive solutions to the challenges our city faces."

Statement from NYGOP Chairman Nick Langworthy on Legislation to Remove Brian Benjamin From the Ballot

 

“If Kathy Hochul’s co-conspirators in the legislature help her avoid accountability for picking a crook as lieutenant governor they will be directly responsible for aiding and abetting the cesspool of Albany corruption, and we will make sure every voter knows it.” 

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The State Senate has already gone on record saying that it will not be part of changing the Election Law so Brian Benjamin's name can be taken off the ballot.