Lucchese Family

Feds: Mafia Affiliates Took Over, Looted $12 Million From Texas Mortgage Company

Ryan J. Reilly | November 1, 2011, 2:55PM

Federal authorities charged Tuesday that affiliates of the La Cosa Nostra and Lucchese organized crime families gave a "new meaning" to the term "corporate takeover" when they looted a publicly traded mortgage company, with one member threatening that if someone were to "rat," their "wives will be f**ked... and your kids will be sold off as prostitutes."

Law enforcement officials charged 13 people -- including an alleged member and another associate of the Lucchese family -- on racketeering and related offenses in an alleged scheme to take over and loot the Texas-based FirstPlus Financial Group Inc. (FPFG) through extortion. Ten defendants are already in custody, one is expected to surrender and two are still at large.

Federal officials allege that Nicodemo S. Scarfo Jr. -- also known as "Nick Promo," "Mr. Apple" and Mr. Macintosh" -- became a "made" member of the Lucchese family after an attempt on his life in 1989. They say Lucchese family boss Vittorio Amuso, while in federal prison in Atlanta, arranged for Scarfo to become a member of the Lucchese family as a favor to former Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra boss Nicodemo D. Scarfo Sr. Both Amuso and Scarfo are named as unindicted co-conspirators in the case.

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Topics: Justice Department, La Cosa Nostra, Lucchese Family, Mafia, New Jersey, Securities and Exchange Commission

Scott Rothstein

Report: FL Ponzi Schemer Wore Wire To Snag Alleged Mobster

Justin Elliott | March 16, 2010, 1:01PM

With his $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme crumbling last fall, a desperate Scott Rothstein agreed to cooperate with the Feds in a sting operation that helped bring down an alleged Sicilian mafioso, according to a remarkable new story in the Miami Herald.

Roberto Settineri was arrested in Florida last week on money laundering charges. On the same day, he was charged in Italy with "extortion, drug trafficking, attempted homicide, and other crimes arising from their alleged affiliation with Santa Maria di Gesù, a Sicilian mafia family," according to the FBI.

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Topics: Florida, Mafia, Ponzi Scheme, Roberto Settineri, Santa Maria di Gesù, Scott Rothstein