A Bonanno crime family soldier called “Maniac” forces one of his loan shark victims to strip naked to see if he's wearing a wire, then barks, “Take your pants off now!” I did. Prosecutors announced this on Tuesday.
On July 5, 2023, just five days before Lagano was sent to prison, John Lagano, 62, allegedly threatened to “slap” his colleague Vincent Maru if he wired federal agents during a meeting. He allegedly made Mr. Tino strip. Sent to prison in Brooklyn federal racketeering case.
“Okay, take your pants off now, dude. “Take off your pants right now, look, I want to see,” Ragano said, enraged when his subordinate denied being called. is said to have instructed Martino in his office.
Mr. Martino, who appeared to have wire wrapped around his clothing, followed Mr. Lagano's instructions and stood naked while two other men held a crowbar and another held a tire iron behind him. somehow managed to secretly record the entire meeting, even though he was standing there. the prosecutor said.
At the beginning of Ragano's trial in Brooklyn federal court, federal prosecutor Andrew Reich said, “John Ragano forced a man he owed money to strip naked in a garage in Queens and threatened to punish him.'' said.
Another mob associate, Broadway showtune singer-turned-criminal Andrew Kosloski, 66, testified that he collected loan payments from Mr. Martino to Mr. Lagano.
“He made it clear he didn't want people to cross him,” Koslosky said.
During Mr. Kolosky's testimony, jurors were shown a photo of Mr. Kolosky recording a payment in an envelope labeled “Italian,” while another photo showed a $6,200 payment made by Mr. Martino in April 2021. It showed a pile of cash worth US dollars.
“When he put his fist on the desk, the whole room shook,” Koslosky said of Ragano, who is charged with witness harassment and witness tampering.
Prosecutors say Martino, who entered the marijuana trafficking business with Lagano, took out a $150,000 loan from Lagano in February 2021 and was required to pay $2,050 in interest every week until the loan was repaid in full in cash. He said he agreed.
But Martino stopped paying at some point and began working with the Fed in March 2023, when he agreed to begin recording his conversations with Ragano and debt collectors, Reich said. Ta.
After cooperating with federal authorities, Martino continued to make hefty $1,000 payments, but in June 2023, one of Lagano's subordinates told him that the Mafia was trying to directly discuss “issues” with the loan. The prosecutor claimed that he was.
Mr. Martino then met with Mr. Lagano on July 5 and informed Mr. Lagano that he wanted to stop making loan payments.
According to court documents, both accused the other of working for federal authorities until Mr. Ragano took off his clothes.
The alleged shakedown took place just five days before Lagano was scheduled to plead guilty to racketeering charges in November 2022 and be sentenced to nearly five years in prison.
Martino said late Tuesday that he turned to “street loans” (a slang term for extracting cash from the mafia) during the 2020 pandemic after his construction company went under in 2018 and fell on hard times. I testified.
Mr. Martino testified that after racking up $125,000 in debt from the Colombo crime family, he asked the Bonanos for an additional $150,000 because he was late in paying the debt.
Prosecutors say Martino ultimately owed the mob $275,000.
Both Ragano and Martino were named in a massive extortion case that brought down the Colombo family (including boss Andrew “Mash” Russo) in 2021 in connection with infiltrating a labor union in Queens. Ta.
Martino pleaded guilty in December 2022 to conspiracy to distribute marijuana in the same case.
Ragano, also known as “Bazoo,” was convicted of kidnapping in state court in 1999 and served a 10-year prison sentence.
Mr. Martino is expected to continue testifying Wednesday, detailing how he tipped off Mr. Ragano.
Mr. Lagano's attorney, Ken Womble, told jurors that Mr. Lagano was a member of the Mafia, but downplayed the intimidation tactics that prosecutors alleged in opening statements.
“This is a case about money between gangs. That's what this case is all about,” Womble said, adding: “It's not a crime at all to ask for loan repayments.
