The Jersey crew
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The Jersey Crew
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In
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Founded
by
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Years
active
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1920s–present
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Territory
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Northern New Jersey counties of Essex, Morris, Passaic, Union, Monmouth, Bergen and Sussex County [1]
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Ethnicity
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Membership
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Criminal
activities
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Allies
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Gambino, Genovese's (Jersey
faction), Bonanno, Colombo, DeCavalcante and Philadelphia crime families.
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Rivals
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The Jersey Crew is a powerful faction of the Lucchese crime family, that operates and controls illegal activities like drug
trafficking, labor racketeering, loansharking,
extortion, illegal
gambling, money
laundering, and murder, in the Northern
New Jersey area.
Early
history
Prohibition
era
The Jersey Crew was allegedly being
recognized as a criminal organization upon the foundation of the Commission
in 1931, after the murders of the two most powerful mob
bosses in New
York City, Giuseppe
"Joe the Boss" Masseria
and Salvatore Maranzano.
The crew were recognized as bootleggers under Gaetano
"Tom" Reina in the early 1920s, as they worked
throughout the Prohibition
with smuggling of alcohol
into New York City. After the meeting in Atlantic
City in 1931, when Thomas
Gagliano and Tommy
Lucchese were chosen as bosses of the old Reina crime family,
the New Jersey Crew came under the wings of the Bronx faction leaders.
Expanding
the crew
Toward the 1940s and early 1950s,
the New Jersey Crew expanded their operations through their legitimate
businesses. The crew had since 1931 been under the control of Gaetano
"Tommy" Lucchese, the Underboss of the Gagliano crime family, and the crew kept operating from Bergen County through Essex, Morris, Passaic and Union counties, all the way to Sussex County. Upon the death of longtime Boss Thomas
Gagliano, Tommy Lucchese was soon installed
as boss of the family, which was renamed the Lucchese crime family. The crew were then headed by several of their high-ranking
members, like prominent New Jersey mobsters Settimo
Accardi, Anthony
"Ham" Delasco, and Joseph
Abate from Newark.
As the time of the Joseph Abate
regime as leader was ending Anthony
"Tumac" Accetturo, who was
chosen to become the new leader to the crew. Accetturo had a good friendship
with Lucchese caporegime Anthony
"Tony Ducks" Corallo
and was put in charge of the crews entire illegal
gambling and loansharking operation in Newark, the crew had a new unofficial leader.
Accetturo
in charge
Toward the 1970s, the crew were
unofficially headed by Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo, because Accetturo
wasn't yet inducted into the Lucchese crime family, due to "closed
books". The leader of the crew was still Joseph Abate, while Anthony
Accetturo was his protégé waiting to take over the crew.[2] The Jersey Crew then came to control the entire Newark
area, with loansharking,
illegal gambling,
narcotics, money
laundering and extortion operations. Reportedly, with Accetturo in charge of the
crew, they handed something between $70,000 and $80,000 a year to Tommy
Lucchese. Upon Lucchese's death in 1967, and several years of different
"acting bosses" as Carmine
"Mr. Gribbs" Tramunti
and Ettore "Eddie" Coco, until the year of 1973, when Anthony
Corallo was released from prison, and
quickly installed as boss. Corallo, a longtime friend of Accetturo, quickly inducted Accetturo and his second in commands Michael
"Mad Dog" Taccetta
and Martin Taccetta
into the Lucchese crime family, so they could officially control the entire New
Jersey area.
Accetturo
and Taccetta
During the early 1970s, Accetturo
relocated to Miami to avoid prosecution for his illegal gambling and
loansharking business in Newark, and Michael Taccetta was soon promoted by
Accetturo to run the day-to-day activities. Accetturo even created illegal
operations in Florida
where he could lie low from law enforcement. Taccetta soon expanded Accetturo's
former operations in New Jersey, as the crew grew stronger, and several members
of the Lucchese crime family in New York were sent to aid the moneymakers over
the bridge, as Taccetta developed an operation that soon controlled the entire
New Jersey area. From arson
and burglary, to loansharking and extortion, to illegal gambling and
drug trafficking, the Jersey Crew soon made millions of dollars in profit, and
sent hundreds of thousands of dollars back to Anthony Corallo in New York City
for years. Both Accetturo and Taccetta soon became the most powerful mobsters
in New Jersey. Accetturo would then suffer from several indictments, following
the State of New Jersey's try to extradite Accetturo, but failed due to his
poor health. Accetturo later relocated his business interests to Miami and Hollywood, Florida,
but still remained the official boss of New Jersey. Michael Taccetta was chosen
once again to run the Northern New Jersey faction of the Lucchese crime family,
during the mid 1970s. Toward the late 1970s, the crew allegedly earned
something between $700,000 and $800,000 in profit every year.
Operating
in Philadelphia
In 1980, the longtime Don of the Philadelphia crime family, Angelo "Gentle Don" Bruno, was shot and killed on March 12, resulting in a huge power
vacuum between prominent Bruno members Philip
Testa and Nicodemo
Scarfo, both fighting for the total
control of the Bruno crime family. Accetturo and Taccetta, on the other hand, used their
situation to establish a new foothold in Philadelphia, as a part of the Jersey
Crew, with illegal gambling and loansharking operations. Unfortunately, because
of the bad relations between the two factions in Philadelphia's crime family,
as well as both Taccetta and Accetturo taking advantage of the situation, the
relationship between Philadelphia and the New
York Families, especially the Luccheses,
eventually turned worse after the murder of Angelo Bruno, which led to all
cooperation between the families being completely terminated. It was around
this time that prominent Bruno member Giacomo
"Jackie" DiNorscio,
and many others, defected to the New Jersey faction of the Lucchese crime
family to make more profit and to avoid being killed.
21
months in trial
During the early 1980s, US law
enforcement started an operation to determinate all organized
crime activities in the North Jersey
area, as a four-year-long investigation was finally announced, and indictments
were brought up toward 20 members of the Jersey Crew.[3] Accetturo was brought from Florida, the Taccetta brothers
were arrested in Newark, and 17 other known members were put on trial for 76 Racketeer
Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
(RICO) predicates, which included loansharking, extortion, racketeering,
illegal gambling, money laundering, drug trafficking, arson and thefts, as well
as murder and conspiracy
to commit murder. In late 1986 and early 1987, the trial first began. During
the trial, former member of the Philadelphia crime family Giacomo
"Jackie" DiNorscio
fired his lawyer and went on to represent himself during the entire trial.
Although not popular with Accetturo and Taccetta, DiNorscio is reported to have
charmed the jury, as the trial ended in 1988 with the acquittal of all 20
defendants. The prosecutors were stunned, as the Jersey Crew went right back
where they left off.[3]
The
Taccetta era
As the trial ended with all
defendants acquitted in 1988, the authorities eventually managed to split up
the Jersey Crew, as Michael Taccetta grew jealous on Anthony Accetturo, Jr.,
who was said to take over for Anthony Accetturo on his eventual retirement. The
Taccetta brothers reportedly claimed war on Accetturo, who had escaped to Miami
to avoid being killed. Although the war never got to a point of massive
shooting in the streets, the two factions were close to killing and destroying
each other completely in late 1988. But the crew had other problems, as the
Lucchese crime family was given new leadership, when Vittorio
"Vic" Amuso stepped up after Corallo.
New
York rivalry
Toward the year of 1989, the Jersey
Crew's war position had eventually declined, as the two factions were more
interested in making money than who was in charge. The new leaders were
reportedly Michael Taccetta and Martin Taccetta, who operated through their
legitimate business, Taccetta Group Enterprises, which was under control by the
Lucchese crime family. Through the company, the Jersey Crew were able to
launder money and pay their tribute to the heads of the Luccheses in New York,
but as Anthony Corallo was sentenced to life
imprisonment in 1987, and his protegé Anthony
"Buddy" Luongo was found murdered earlier, the new bosses Victor
Amuso and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, known for their brutal use of violence, questioned the
profit they received from the Jersey Crew. Apparently, both Accetturo and
Taccetta had skimmed off the profit and only sent a $50,000-a-year payment to
the new leaders from the Brooklyn
faction. When they demanded 50% of the crew's total profit, both Taccetta and
Accetturo reportedly refused, portraying themselves as hard-working money
machines that were only having a bad year. Amuso and Casso, on the other hand,
saw this as an act of weakness, and gave the order to "Whack Jersey",
meaning that the entire North Jersey faction should be eliminated. Summoned to
a meeting in Brooklyn with Victor Amuso and Anthony Casso, the entire North
Jersey faction, who were fearful of being massacred, went into hiding,
disrupting their illegal activities. Over the next 12 months, most of the New
Jersey crew members came back to the family. Amuso is to have portrayed
Accetturo as a distrustful servant who was betraying his boss, as Taccetta
reportedly is to have sent messages to Amuso in Brooklyn, asking for a contract
to be placed on Accetturo's life, so Taccetta could control the entire New
Jersey faction.
Taccetta's
arrest and trial
Upon the murder-contract Taccetta
had put on his life, Accetturo had been placed under federal protection, as he
was extradited from North Carolina
to New Jersey. During this time, Accetturo had little power in the Jersey Crew,
as Amuso had reportedly stripped his rank and demoted him to soldier. The
Taccetta brothers also had problems, as their longtime rival Thomas Ricciardi
was ready to step up and take control over the North Jersey faction of the
Lucchese crime family in the early 1990s, but as everything looked to bring a
new war to the streets, Accetturo, the Taccetta brothers and Ricciardi were put
on trial for racketeering, loansharking, extortion, illegal gambling, drug
trafficking, murder and conspiracy to commit murder. As the entire crew's
administration was put on trial in 1992, Ricciardi decided to defect to the
government and turn state's evidence in the beginning of the trial, and
eventually testify against Martin and Michael Taccetta. Although Michael
Taccetta was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1993, his brother Martin was
acquitted on the murder charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison, as he can
be paroled in 2016. Ricciardi went into the Witness Protection Program, and revealed that the Racketeer
Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
(RICO) case in 1988 ended the way it did because the jury had been rigged.
2007
indictment
Chart of the 2007 "Operation
Heat" capos Joseph DiNapoli, Matthew Madonna, Ralph V. Perna and Nicodemo
Scarfo, Jr.
On December 18, 2007, New Jersey law
enforcement indicted and arrested 32 members and associates of the Lucchese
crime family. In a year-long investigation titled "Operation Heat"
law enforcement agencies uncovered a $2.2 billion dollar illegal gambling, money
laundering and racketeering ring from New Jersey to Costa
Rica.[4] Two members of the Lucchese family three man ruling panel
were indicted Joseph DiNapoli
and Matthew Madonna,
top New Jersey Faction capos Ralph V. Perna and Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr.. Others indicted included members Alphonse Cataldo, Martin
"Marty" Taccetta (brother
of Michael Taccetta), and associates Frank Cetta, Antonio Russo, Joseph M.
Perna and John G. Perna, Ralph M. Perna (all three are sons of Ralph Perna),[5] John Mangrella, Gary Medure, Samuel Juliano, Michael
Maffucci, Gianni Iacovo, Robert Romano, James Furfaro Jr., John Turi, George
Maiorano, Michael A. Cetta, Charles J. Bologna, Elliot Porco, Shptim Hani,
Blerim Ibriami, Michael Ramuno III and two female associates Roseanne Perna
(wife of Joseph Perna) and Vita Cetta.[6][7]
The investigation also uncovered
that Lucchese family members had aligned with members of a Bloods street gang
set "Nine Trey Gangsters" to smuggle heroin, cocaine, marijuana and
cell phones into East Jersey State Prison with corrupt prison guards. The prison corruption involved
Lucchese associates Joseph Perna and Michael Cetta with gang members Edwin
Spears, Dwayne Spears, Francine Higtower, Kristine Gilliam, and Michael
Bruinton.[8]
Current
position
Although the Jersey Crew is much
weakened due to increased law enforcement and internal rivalry, Michael
Taccetta, at age 60, is reported as the official boss of the New Jersey faction
of the Lucchese crime family, though he is serving a prison term without the
possibility of parole.
Upon his release, Martin Taccetta is reportedly ready to take over as the Boss
of North Jersey. The crew is estimated to have between 20 to 30 made members,
and twice as many associates. Still, after prosecution, the Jersey Crew remains
a strong faction of the Lucchese crime family, operating with illegal
activities mostly in Newark.
Historical
leadership of the Lucchese's New Jersey faction
A leading capo in the faction is
chosen as boss to supervise the other capos. However, this rank of boss
carries little power in New York as the family leadership still views him as
just a capo.[2]
·
1920s–1930 – Gaetano
"Tom" Reina (controlled the New Jersey Faction
from his Bronx base; involved in transporting bootleg alcohol and whiskey into
NYC; murdered on February 26, 1930 during the Castellammarese War by the
Masseria faction.)
·
1930–1953 – Gaetano
"Tommy" Lucchese
(Underboss he over saw the faction actives and operations he received profits
from the faction; Lucchese was promoted to Boss of the family in 1953 and moved
to Long Island)
·
1940s–1955 – Settimo
"Big Sam" Accardi (became
the leading member of the New Jersey faction operating from his Newark Crew;
promoted to Boss/Capo of the entire New Jersey faction after Lucchese
became the Boss in 1953; Accardi worked with rival Elizabeth, NJ family boss
Sefano Badami; in 1953 his citizenship was revoked; arrested on narcotics
charges in 1955 and fled the country)[2]
·
1955–1960s – Anthony
"Ham" Delasco (became
the Boss/Capo of the Jersey Faction; Anthony Accetturo became his
driver and protégé shaking down bookies and loan-sharks for Delasco; he died
sometime in 1960s)[2]
·
1960s-1979 - Joseph
Abate (became the Boss/Capo of the
Jersey Faction; took over the Newark crew after the death of Delasco;
semi-retired in 1979 leaving Accetturo in charge of the Crew; died naturally in
1994, age 92)[9][10][11]
·
1970s-1988 - Anthony
"Tumac" Accetturo
(allegedly in charge of a crew in his early 20s, while working with Anthony
Delasco as his driver and protégé; continued to work for the Jersey faction
under Joseph Abate he was finally inducted by 1976; took over as Acting Boss in
1979; relocated to Florida during the late 1970s early 1980s and set up rackets;
acquitted in the 21-month trial along with other Jersey faction members on
August 26, 1988; in 1987 was stripped of Capo his rank demoted to a soldier;
tension between Accetturo and Taccetta almost started a war; was threatened to
be murdered in 1993 Accetturo defected and became an informant)[12][13][14][15]
o
Acting 1980s-1988 - Michael
"Mad Dog" Taccetta
(Michael had his own hierarchy with Michael Perna as underboss and his brother
Martin Taccetta as Consigliere they controlled the entire Jersey Crew of the
Lucchese family)
·
1988–present – Michael
"Mad Dog" Taccetta
(served as the acting leader for Accetturo; acquitted in the 21-month trial
along with other Jersey faction members on August 26, 1988 and became the
official leader of the Jersey faction late 1988; almost started a war with
Accetturo; Michael set up some rackets in Philadelphia in the early 1990s; in
1993 was convicted to life in prison along with his brother Martin and Michael
Perna with help from testimony of Thomas Ricciardi and Anthony Accetturo;
Michael stayed the official leader of Jersey Faction).[13][14][16]
o
Acting 2005-2007 – Martin
"Marty" Taccetta (released
from prison in 2005 due to lack of evidence in his 1993 trial; took over again
with help from Ralph Perna; On July 30, 2009 the New Jersey Supreme Court
reversed lower court decision that granted him his release and reinstated his
life sentence for racketeering and extortion)[17][18]
o
Acting 2007–present - Ralph Vito Perna (the 63 year was released from prison in 2006; is serving
as Acting Boss/Capo on behalf of Michael Taccetta)[19][20][21]
Current
faction leaders
The Lucchese family's New Jersey
faction operates in Newark's
Down
Neck section and Northern
Jersey counties of Essex, Union, Morris, Monmouth, Bergen, Passaic and Sussex.[1][2] In the faction also has rackets in Florida, South Jersey
and Philadelphia.
·
Boss/Capo Michael
"Mad Dog" Taccetta
- Capo of the Jersey crew and boss of the entire New Jersey faction of the
Lucchese family. Longtime rival of Victor Amuso. Currently serving life in
prison for conspiracy charges and drug trafficking.[22][23][24] His younger brother Martin Taccetta was reportedly the
acting boss of the Jersey Crew until he was sent back to prison.
·
Acting
Boss/Capo Ralph Vito Perna - longtime Jersey faction member, released from prison in
2006 [25] and took over as acting faction leader in 2007. Perna was
arrested in December 2007 with Joseph
DiNapoli, Matthew
Madonna two members of the family's ruling
committee. The Jersey crew was involved with running a gambling operation that
earned approximately $2.2 billion in a 15-month period. The crew also worked
with New Jersey correction officers and members of the Nine Trey Gangster, a
set in the Bloods gang. The crew would use gang members to smuggle drugs and
pre-paid cell phones into New Jersey state prisons.[4][21]
Capos
·
Robert "Bucky
the Boss" Caravaggio - Capo in
the Jersey Crew who oversees operations in the northern New Jersey, especially
Morris County. Caravaggio also worked with Carlo Taccetta.[1]
·
Joseph
"Joey" Giampa - Capo in
the Jersey Crew. Giampa has a stepson named Gennaro Vittorio, a.k.a. Gerry
Giampa who is also involved in organized crime.[26][27]
·
Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr. - Capo operating in the South
Jersey-Philadelphia area,[28]
he is the son of former Philadelphia family boss Nicodemo
Scarfo. He was a soldier in the Scarfo
family, until his fathers arrest in the mid-1990s, he then joined the Lucchese
family with his fathers help. There are rumors that Scarfo is trying to
take over the Philadelphia family.[29][30]
Soldiers
·
Alfonso
T. "Tic" Cataldo - a
soldier in the Lucchese family running illegal gambling operations in northern
New Jersey. He is working with Eurasian organized crime groups. Cataldo was
arrested in December 2007 on charges of promoting gambling, money laundering
and racketeering charges along with two members of the Lucchese ruling panel Joseph
DiNapoli and Matthew
Madonna.[8][31]
·
(In prison) Michael J. Perna - soldier and former Capo in the Jersey faction; he
began working for the Lucchese families Jersey faction sometime in 1976; by the
1980s was serving as the Underboss of the Jersey Faction for Michael Taccetta;
acquitted in the 21 month trail along with other Jersey faction members on
August 26, 1988; in 1993 was convicted of gambling and extortion along with
Michael and Martin Taccetta with the testimony of Thomas Ricciardi and Anthony
Accetturo; relatives include his father
Joseph Perna, younger brother Ralph; The 67 year-old is currently imprisoned at
the Federal Correction Institution at Fairton, New Jersey his projected release
date is August 2, 2015.[32][33][34][35][36]
·
(In prison) Martin
Taccetta - soldier and former Capo in the Jersey
Crew was released from prison in 2005 due to lack of evidence in his trial,
and wrongfully being accused of murder charges in his older brother Michael
Taccetta's trial in 1993. On July 30, 2009 the New Jersey Supreme Court
reversed lower court decision that granted Taccetta release and reinstated
Martin life sentence for racketeering and extortion.[18][37]
Sub-groups
The Jersey Faction have several sub-groups
Former
Jersey crew members
·
Giacomo
"Jackie" DiNorscio
(former Philadelphia crime family member changed to join Lucchese crime family in 1980's)
Popular
culture
·
The 2006 Sidney
Lumet film Find
Me Guilty chronicles the 2-year trial of
Accetturo, the Taccetta brothers and the other family members. Vin
Diesel stars as Giacomo
"Jackie" DiNorscio
who defends himself.
·
According to the Crime
Library website, the Jersey Crew is the
main inspiration of the DiMeo crime family
in the HBO TV-show The
Sopranos. Michael Taccetta is probably the
inspiration to the leading role of Tony
Soprano, as other real-life Jersey crew
members can be recognized on the screen.[39]
References
1. ^
a
b
c
d
The Changing Face of
Organized Crime in New Jersey - A Status Report(May
2004)State of New Jersey Commission of Investigation
2. ^
a
b
c
d
e
DeVico, Peter J. The Mafia Made Easy: The Anatomy and Culture of La Cosa
Nostra. Tate Publishing, 2007. ISBN 1-60247-254-8
(pg.161-162)
5. ^
New York Times:
'Alarming Alliance' of Mafia and Street Gang Is Broken Up
by David W. Chen and David Kocieniewski (December 19, 2007) New York Times
6. ^
http://mafiatoday.com/lucchese-family/n-j-authorities-indict-34-in-lucchese-crime-family-bust-from-operation-heat/
11. ^
"Candidate
Drops Denial That Father Was in Mafia" By ADAM
NAGOURNEY New York Times April 30, 1998
15. ^
"Opportunity
knocks, and he answers" BY GUY STERLING, ROBERT RUDOLPH AND
MARK MUELLER Star-Ledger July 23, 2003
16. ^
"2 Top New
Jersey Crime Figures Admit Juror Bribery in U.S. Trials"
By CHARLES STRUM New York Times September 21, 1993
17. ^
"Reputed crime
family underboss summoned to court in Newark"
BY PETER J. SAMPSON The Record Thursday, December 10, 2009
19. ^
"Names of those
charged in $2.2B gambling ring" by Claire Heininger Tuesday,
December 18, 2007
29. ^
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20090830_Nearly__5_million_mob-linked_fraud_cited.html?page=1&c=y
30. ^
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20100111_Scarfo_pal_s_conviction_offers_glimpse_into_mob.html
32. ^
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/27/nyregion/all-20-acquitted-in-jersey-mob-case.html?scp=2&sq=Michael%20Perna&st=cse
35. ^
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/21/nyregion/2-top-new-jersey-crime-figures-admit-juror-bribery-in-us-trials.html?pagewanted=1
36. ^
http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=Michael&Middle=&LastName=Perna&Race=W&Sex=M&Age=&x=0&y=0
37. ^
http://www.northjersey.com/news/crime_courts/121009_Reputed_crime_family_underboss_summoned_to_court_in_Newark.html
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