The United States Attorney's Office

An indictment was unsealed this morning in federal court in Brooklyn charging Genovese family soldier JOHN GIGLIO, Genovese family associates VINCENT CASALE GARCIA, RICHARD DACUNTO, JOHN LAFORTE, and ANTHONY STOCCO, and Gambino family associates EDWARD FISHER, RAYMOND SPITALE, and SALVATORE PALMIERI with racketeering conspiracy, including charges of loansharking, extortion, attempted obstruction of justice, arson, and murder. GIGLIO, FISHER, DACUNTO, GARCIA, LAFORTE, and STOCCO will be arraigned later today before United States Magistrate Judge James Orenstein, at the U.S. Courthouse, 225 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn, New York. PALMIERI and SPITALE will be arraigned on the charges at a later date. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge David G. Trager.

The charges were announced by Roslynn R. Mauskopf, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Mark J. Mershon, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, William G. McMahon, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, New York Field Division, and Raymond W. Kelly, Commissioner, New York City Police Department.

As alleged in the indictment and the government’s detention memorandum, FISHER and PALMIERI participated in the arson of My Deli & Grocery, located on Rhine Avenue in Staten Island, in the early morning of December 22, 2001. Prior to the arson, the owner of My Deli & Grocery was approached and threatened by members and associates of organized crime because he planned to open another deli that would rival a deli whose owner was allegedly protected by members and associates of La Cosa Nostra. FISHER provided PALMIERI with the destructive device to be used in the arson, and PALMIERI threw the device into My Deli & Grocery, while store employees were present, destroying the store.

PALMIERI is also charged with murdering Ronald Peteroy on September 27, 1990. Peteroy’s body, which had two gunshot wounds, was found near Emily’s Bar, located on Forest Avenue on Staten Island.

The defendants GIGLIO, FISHER, SPITALE, DACUNTO, GARCIA, PALMIERI, LAFORTE, and STOCCO are charged with a loansharking conspiracy, marked by violence and threats. GARCIA, for example, bragged to GIGLIO about threatening a debtor: “I went there . . . I smacked him right in front of all his f___n’ friends, 40 guys in the club . . . I smacked him and I dragged him out by the hair and put the thing to his face . . .”

If convicted of the racketeering conspiracy, GIGLIO, GARCIA, DACUNTO, SPITALE, LAFORTE, and STOCCO face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. If convicted of arson, arson conspiracy, and possession and use of a dangerous device, FISHER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in prison. PALMIERI, who is already serving a sentence on his prior conviction for conspiring to commit the My Deli &Grocery arson, faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to uproot the members and associates of organized crime who endanger our community by spreading violence and fear,” stated United States Attorney Mauskopf. “Today’s arrests are the result of outstanding cooperation among our federal and local law enforcement partners.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Mershon stated, “In the popular imagination, the mob is often thought to have evolved from crimes of violence to more sophisticated white collar schemes. That belief is mistaken, or at least grossly over-simplistic. The litany of charges against these defendants reads like the ABCs of traditional organized crime. The FBI will continue to police mobsters, whether their crimes are sophisticated or brutally unsophisticated.”

ATF Special Agent-in-Charge McMahon stated, “Five years ago today, cowards threw a fire bomb into an occupied grocery store and then ran away. For over three years, ATF Agents and NYPD Detectives doggedly pursued numerous investigative leads, which ultimately led to the apprehension of three subjects. These initial arrests and the investigation that followed led to the arrests made today and shows that acts of violence, threats and intimidation of law abiding citizens will not be tolerated. ATF, along with our partners, remain committed to protecting the public and reducing violent crime.”

New York City Police Commissioner Kelly stated, “I want to commend our detectives and federal partners for stopping the mob from returning to the old days of routinely bombing their competitors out of business. They tried here and were arrested.”

The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amy Busa.

The Defendants:

Name: JOHN GIGLIO

Alias:  “Little John,” “Johnny Bull,” “Fat John”

DOB:  4/11/1958

Name: EDWARD FISHER

Alias: “the Irishman”

DOB: 11/3/1952

Name: RAYMOND SPITALE

DOB: 7/6/1944

Name: VINCENT CASALE GARCIA

Alias: “Vinny Basille”

DOB: 9/7/1972

Name: RICHARD DACUNTO

DOB: 10/28/1962

Name: SALVATORE PALMIERI

DOB: 4/17/1955

Name: JOHN LAFORTE

Alias: “Hammer”

DOB:  2/13/1968

Name: ANTHONY STOCCO

Alias: “The Retard”

DOB: 10/18/1982