March 6, 2017 |
Keep Florida in mind, because today there is a void in Donald Straga's seat, so the hot and sticky state comes into play. How? In the sense that a Florida based big-wig with origins in the Gambino family assumed control over the Bellantonio organization. Carmine Navarra, in his 50s, has operated throughout Florida since the late 90s. His direct link to the Bellantonios is unclear, and it is questioned whether or not Navarra and Sarino have ever connected during Sarino's hiatus in the summer of 2015.
This drastic change became a necessity after Straga was murdered some months ago, and with alleged captain George Neri being away. As mentioned earlier, Louis Persico was the only old-timer around to help call the shots. Controlling a liquid enterprise such as the Bellantonio group requires more than one figurehead. For this reason Persico and Navarra closely coordinated the transition of power. This is not a common act in the mob scene, so journalists continue to monitor the situation closely, as are the feds.
Carmine Navarra (left) and Louis Persico (right) |
Just like every new year, this year the family had a period of high-profile murders in January. Alleged associates and hitters were being picked up by coroner units all over Los Santos.
Despite old habits, the family is no longer the underdog according to federal reports. As evident in the newspaper headlines and the noise on the streets, Bellantonio has the upper hand in the mob scene. According to experts this would be due to a combination of factors: The steady expansion over the past two years as well as the strategic rise and removal of key figures. Some might speculate that the death of The Snake contributed to a more stable environment, allowing sustainable growth. Others might say that it was due to New York's lack of influence in the city of Los Santos.
It is no news that tension between Bellantonio and the New York faction is still in the air. Most recently a sudden war that brought on dozens of casualties ended with law enforcement realizing who truly sits on the throne as of right now - and that is the Los Santos natives.
Change of Scenery & Adaptation
November 1, 2016 |
New York's hand has been slapped aside by law enforcement. A new wave of younger wiseguys has been recognized. It is also said that the "Snake" has been put down after years of deceit in the crime family with the most authentic roots to the city. Michael Sarino's body has not been found, although it is rumored that a joint effort by Donald Straga and George Neri restructured the organization with Joey Bellantonio in the big seat. The two up-and-comers must have had a dozen motives to get rid of Sarino. This move caused a butterfly effect that would ultimately bring an end to the dominant Frisco mob presence in the area and the death of one of the most flashy mobsters in the hierarchy, known as the "man with ice in his veins." Not to mention that the organization would finally adapt its ways to modern conditions in the underworld.
Last surveillance footage of Sarino, 2016 |
Verna outside of a Miami nightclub, 2012 |
Verna was of no comparison to the forces behind George Neri and Donald Straga at the time, who have been said to handle the situation swiftly by outsourcing the "labour" work. Verna was gunned down and was killed almost instantaneously, much like Dominic Rosato in 2015 but with ten times the bullets in his body. Neri would continue to take the reigns of the crew while Donald Straga would proceed to satisfy business interests in other locations, in this case being Florida.
George Neri before the move to Los Santos, 2002 |
Donald Straga on Pasadena Avenue, 2015 |
Both Neri and Straga have been known to be in the spotlight but the scenery is changing. The ones who are either dead or in prison were late to the party. Nobody wants to go back behind bars, especially if all it takes is the striking sound of a judge's gavel.
Much like the Philedalphia mob, the Bellantonio crime group may be revitalizing itself through legal means. Just like the wiseguys having to jump through more hoops, so will law enforcement. Who knows, maybe by the end of 2017 the family will be legit. With the current approach all it will take is time, although it is likely that the touch of crime will always be present. The leadership is in control, so hopefully a new breed of Verna-Sarino won't be produced in the criminal melting pot to cause mayhem.
Who's Running the Show Now?
January 1, 2016 |
But what about the Durante originals? A couple of them have been spotted back in the city. Jimmy “The Whale” Bruno and Mike Sarino have been making appearances in nightclubs this past month, reunited with Donald Straga, George Neri, Joseph Bellantonio and Nicholas Daniello. To the average reader of this column about organized crime, these names carry recognition of conspiracy and deceit as well as some newspaper headlines.
Sarino spent his summer with Bruno, Straga and Neri in Florida, Miami. His return to Los Santos stringed along a number of fresh enforcers with him, some probably from brushing up against local O.C. in the nightlife of Miami Beach. One known addition to the organization is Robert Germano. Little is yet known about Germano, but his involvement with this group shows that he has proven to be a capable money-maker. Another figure worth mentioning would be Jake Malavazzi. Nephew to "The Butcher," Malavazzi was inducted into the Valenti crime family in 2003 and was said to have been in charge of his own crew at the time.
There are suspicions that this reappearance to Los Santos may not be temporary. It is said that the relocation of the key figures in the defunct Sarino crime family, after Dominic Rosato’s shooting in June, was a planned cool-down to be followed by a stable restructuring. New faces have also gained influence in this circle. So who’s in charge now?
(Third from right) Bellantonio, 2008 |
Journalists and other experts in organized crime are not sure how this group will go about securing their positions in the city. Therefore, it is not yet known how violent 2016 will be. It all comes down to the one pulling the strings, but who does the real pulling in Los Santos is yet to be determined.
Indictments Cripple the Sarinos
June 18, 2015 |
The past two months have not gone well for “The Snake.” Some may say Michael Sarino had this coming. The once loyal foot-soldier who betrayed the ones close to him for power in the underworld is now a pawn again. Or at least that is what the feds have said in a recent press release.
Even with the allegations being accepted as factual by many, Michael Sarino insists that he is a simple store manager. He expressed interest in the clubbing scenery in Miami Beach, stating last week that he will soon relocate. Sarino once had a reputation for being a regular at numerous nightclubs, and was often one to take part in brawls, both inside and outside of establishments. He went on to say, “I’ve been to most clubs in Los Santos and I think I could bring a thing or two to the table down there. I’ve always had a thing for Miami Beach, so why not move there?”
So what brought on the apparent downfall, causing Sarino to move to hot and sticky Florida? Experts would agree that his approval of violent and loud ways concluded with excessive disagreements within the organization, leading to serious attention from law enforcement. Considering that Sarino dodged almost a lifetime in prison seven months ago, it would have made more sense if he promoted caution and secrecy. Although, evidently, some wiseguys foolishly underestimate the danger of treating 2015 like it’s 1990.
It all started going downhill a while ago. The group prospered after the unexplained disappearance of loud-mouthed Frisco button-man Phil Cefalu, but shortly afterwards Jimmy “The Whale” Bruno was hospitalized for heart trouble. Bruno was said to have been in charge of a crew that later self-destructed after a heated fight for control. Bruno was put on the shelf, leaving behind his rising earner Dominic Rosato to oppose the family’s feared hitter, Nicky Daniello. While that was brewing, the entire Pasadena Boulverad crew comprised of primarily Fog City mobsters vanished off the map. Indictments and internal fallouts were the reasons for their eradication. The tipping point of it all was the death of Dominic Rosato.
Rosato seen leaving court, late 2014 |
Sarino’s actions demonstrated that out of the many things he values, friendship and loyalty are not included. He refused to discuss anything about Rosato, or any of his acquaintances when he was seen in the airport preparing to catch his one-way flight to Miami. It is clear that Sarino does not want the scheming to catch up to him, because a tragic ending may be overdue.
Frisco Bringing out the Mattresses
January 30, 2015 |
Alfani was a notable affiliate of Anthony Gatti, the successor of Patrick Durante. Gatti became the reputed acting captain of Durante’s Frisco crew between the years 2012-2014. Durante’s death last year solidified Gatti’s position as boss of Fog City. Local law enforcement claims that organized crime in S.F. has taken a turn since the beginning of Gatti’s reign.
Left to right: Philip Cefalu, Nicholas Daniello, Michael Sarino |
The involvement of the two calculating criminals has not been explained in the press release, but further investigation by the DoJ has revealed the rest of the plot. Philip Cefalu is amongst those in the list of suspects. The forty-year-old already had an extensive rap sheet by twenty-five. In 2012 he was inducted into the San Fran crew. Surveillance has shown that Gatti and Sarino have been meeting regularly, about a month after Sarino’s release in November of last year. Within roughly two weeks of their first sit-down, Gatti’s crew headed by Cefalu made a move to Los Santos to join forces with Sarino.
To help clarify the situation, Detective Joe Dino agreed to meet with our team for an interview. “Gatti and Sarino had some sort of an agreement in which everyone somehow made a financial gain.” Dino then explained the confidentiality of the case, but when asked about Cefalu, he continued. “Phil made the move under Gatti’s order, but this must have been a temporary deal. Gatti would never leave his city or let his guys work for someone like Sarino. It never really made sense to anybody how Gatti and Sarino were even able to sit together in the same room. It’s no secret that Sarino played his part in bringing down Durante, who Gatti and the rest of the Fog City crew were most loyal to. This shows how loyalty gets trumped by riches, and that’s the reality of their world. But suppressed issues like these have been known to spark bloody mob wars almost overnight.” Dino then concluded, “for the Frisco gang, deep pockets talk. Cefalu let his hunger for wealth steer him.”
Cefalu and Sarino were spotted arriving and leaving San Fran the same night that Alfani’s body was found. Let your imagination run wild—a deceiving hoodlum and a money-cherishing hot-head come together. Cefalu would be making more money than he ever did if he was allowed to stay in Los Santos, and Sarino wouldn’t mind crossing another boss, allowing Cefalu to make his stay permanent.
Knowing which strings to pull, it is fair to assume that Sarino saw to it that Cefalu became a part of his organization. It is likely that Alfani’s death was collateral damage in Sarino’s recently developed scheme. Mike “The Snake” has writers beginning to wonder how much backstabbing the mafia will tolerate.
Michael Sarino Acquitted of Racketeering Charges
November 15, 2014 |
Sarino first appeared on the Los Santos mob scene in late March 2013 along with the rest of the John Lamentia crew, originally based out of Kansas City. Organized crime plagued Los Santos with the fall of the Valenti crime family earlier that month, leaving room for organizations across the country to establish footholds in the lucrative city. Lamentia was one of many who took such an opportunity. However, Lamentia’s power was short-lived. The gang crumbled and members were scattered across the city. Shortly thereafter, Sarino and his close acquaintance "Roid Rage" Ray Ferrante became closely affiliated with known San Francisco wiseguy Patrick Durante. Durante played a significant role in associating the two enforcers with a rising organization headed by Valenti inductee Nicholas Diopare. Sarino quickly cemented his reputation as a capable earner. In certain witness testimonies he was described as a “ruthless killer” inside Durante's Eastmoor crew. He was tied to several murders, though he was never convicted for them.
Illustration of Michael Sarino in court |
Following an internal power struggle that resulted in what the media referred to as the “New Year’s Day Massacre,” leadership was shifted to Anthony Sutera, a captain in Diopare's organization. Sutera was supported by the Durante crew—which Sarino was a part of. Nicholas Diopare, along with his brother Robert and several other loyalists were gunned down in public. Sutera remained in power for the next several months. There was relatively little to no bloodshed until Sarino was presumably inducted into the Sutera organized crime group circa March 2014. Sarino received recognition for his treacherous acts, such as the alleged murder of his close friend Ray Ferrante, which allowed his rise through the ranks.
Informants claimed that on the day of Sarino's promotion to captain, he orchestrated a coup d’état to dispose of Anthony Sutera. Sarino was nicknamed “The Snake” for having deceived his way to leadership. To avoid further casualties, whoever did not flee the city joined Sarino instead of challenging him for the position of boss. However, shortly after Sarino assumed control of the organization, he was taken into custody for racketeering charges. Given two options, Sarino had to either testify against others for a lighter sentence of five years with parole, or go to trial against a possible thirty year sentence. With a notable criminal record and well known involvement in organized crime, lawyers in prestigious firms around the city were skeptical of taking Sarino’s case, but Lawrence Heidelberg took it on and swiftly had the charges dropped. Throughout July and August of 2014, the organization was stripped of power after continuous indictments, causing many members to either skip town or resort to legal activities to avoid possible imprisonment.
Upon his departure from the courthouse on Tuesday this week, Sarino refused to make a statement. His lawyer, Heidelberg, commented, "My client Mister Sarino has been acquitted of all charges. Now the prosecutors will have time to go after someone of actual danger to our society." The return of Sarino to the streets could also mean his return to the underworld of Los Santos. Little is known of his time in Kansas City, but judging from what he has done in Los Santos over the past two years, one can assume that he may continue his criminal rampage—but with a touch of caution.