Gambino Crime Family Members From Huntington Arrested: USAO

Four Long Island residents are among seven members of the Bonanno and Gambino organized crime families who were arrested on Tuesday in connection to loan-sharking, illegal gambling and narcotics trafficking charges, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York announced.

The members and associates of the Gambino family of La Cosa Nostra and a member of the Bonanno family of La Cosa Nostra face a 13-count indictment that was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip on Tuesday. The charges are related to criminal activities that took place on Long Island, Brooklyn and elsewhere between January 2014 to December 2017, officials say.

“Today’s arrests represent a major disruption of La Costra Nostra’s activities on Long Island,” acting United States Attorney Bridget Rohde said in a statement. “As alleged, the defendants engaged in a wide range of illegal and violent conduct in furtherance of their criminal enterprise.”

Those charged in the indictment are:

• John “Johnny Boy” Ambrosio, 74, of Huntington, acting captain of the Gambino family
• Anthony Rodolico, 46, of Huntington, an associate of the Gambino family
• Anthony Saladino, 67, of Glen Cove, an associate of the Gambino family
• Joseph Durso, 26, of Glen Cove, an associate of the Gambino family
• Thomas Anzalone, 44, of Queens, an associate of the Gambino family
• Alessandro “Sandro” Damelio, 49, of Queens, an associate of the Gambino family
• Frank “Frankie Boy” Salerno, 43, of Queens, a soldier in the Bonanno family

These arrests come one month after the captain of the Bonanno crime family Damiano Zummo, 44, of Roslyn Heights, and Bonanno crime family associate Salvatore Russo, 45, of Bellmore, as well as two Gambino crime family associates were arrested in connection to narcotics trafficking, loan-sharking and firearms charges.

“From operating an illegitimate casino and an illegal loan shark operation to distributing cocaine and marijuana, the charges against these individuals are extensive,” said Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations New York (HSI).

Loan Sharking

According to officials, Ambrosio conducted a lucrative loan-sharking operation in which he, Anzalone, Rodolico, Saladino and others extended loans to, and collected loans from, numerous individuals, often charging high interest rates and employing violent and threatening collection methods.

In one instance, Saladino allegedly told Anzalone, in a conversation intercepted by authorities, that he would give a debtor “something to be scared about” and offered to “fix” another debtor, saying, “by the time we’re done…he’s not going to have an office to play anywhere."

Anzalone allegedly told a debtor, “I don’t know if you know who I am and where I come from, but I promise you, you will never walk again.”

Saladino and Anzalone also attempted to obstruct the federal grand jury proceeding into their criminal activities by intimidating a loan-shark victim into lying to authorities, officials say.

Illegal Gambling

Ambrosio also was involved with a variety of gambling operations, including illegal poker games, electronic gaming machines and internet sports betting, officials say. Damelio, Durso, Salerno and Saladino were allegedly responsible for many of the daily operations.

Ambrosio, in an intercepted call, said there was no need to travel to a casino since “you can play right here” and “save gas money,” officials say.

Narcotics Trafficking

Anzalone, Damelio, Durso, Saladino and Salerno distributed a variety of narcotics, including cocaine, marijuana and alprazolam (Xanax), officials say. Saladino and Salerno also distributed wholesale quantities of cocaine, including 12 separate sales to an undercover member of law enforcement that totaled over half a kilogram, officials say.

Ambrosio, Anzalone, Damelio, Durso and Rodolico face a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. Saladino and Salerno each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment for the cocaine conspiracy offenses.

Shutterstock image