Anthony Baratta
Encyclopedia
Anthony "Bowat" Baratta is a New York City mobster and former capo in the Lucchese crime family
.
in the Lucchese crime family operating under the family's Bronx faction. In the early 1980s, Anthony Baratta was promoted Caporegime
(or Capo) of the "Harlem Crew", controlling the Pleasant Avenue narcotics ring in East Harlem
and other rackets in the Bronx and Long Island. Baratta placed soldier Joseph "Joey Bang Bang" Massaro in charge of running his Long Island topless bars operations. In 1980, Massaro started a feud with the Bonanno crime family
, when he began taking over their topless bars. FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone
, who was working undercover in the Bonanno family as "Donnie Brasco", heard of the two families having a sitdown over Long Island topless bars.
and underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
were indicted on labor racketeering, extortion, drug trafficking and murder, they went into hiding, leaving Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco
as Acting Boss.
In 1991, Baratta serving as Acting Underboss viewed a Genovese family
list of proposed new members, he commented to D'Arco, after seeing the name Ralph Desimone "He is a rat.". A sitdown was arranged between the two family's. The Genovese family Acting Boss Liborio Bellomo
, Acting Underboss Michael Generoso and Consigliere James Ida
attended the meeting to discuss "Ralph Desimone" with Lucchese family Acting Boss Alphonse D'Arco and Baratta as Acting Underboss. The Genovese leaders asked Baratta about Desimone he said "Desimone had been a government witness", the Genovese leaders leave saying "will take care of it". On June 13, 1991 Desimone's dead body was found in a truck of a car at LaGuardia Airport
.
On July 29, 1991, the FBI captured boss Vic Amuso in Scranton, Pennsylvania
. In early September 1991, Amuso demoted D'Arco and created a "Ruling panel" to run the family, Baratta became a member along with Salvatore "Sal" Avellino
, Frank Lastorino
and Alpnonse D'Arco. On September 18, 1991, Baratta along with capo Frank Lastorino and soldier Mike DeSantis conspired to kill Alphonse D'Arco in the Kimberly Hotel in Manhattan but failed, D'Arco defected on September 21, 1991 and became a government witness. The ruling panel contiuned to control the family in October 1991, they inducted (made
) Thomas D'Ambrosia, Joseph Tortorello, Jr., Frank Gioia, Jr., Gregory Cappello and Jody Calabrese into the Lucchese family. In June 1992, Baratta was jailed on murder and racketeering charges.
In September 1996, Baratta was imprisoned in the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution
. He began working with DeCavalcante crime family
associates in trafficking Asian heroin. On September 23, 1997, Baratta along with Albert Puco and twelve others were arrested and charged with conspiracy
to sell narcotics. Baratta was sentenced to eight years in prison.
As of March 2011, Baratta is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution Loretto, a low security facility in Central Pennsylvania
with a projected release date of September 25, 2012.
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
.
Capo of the "Harlem Crew"
In 1978, Baratta became a made manMade man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
in the Lucchese crime family operating under the family's Bronx faction. In the early 1980s, Anthony Baratta was promoted Caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
(or Capo) of the "Harlem Crew", controlling the Pleasant Avenue narcotics ring in East Harlem
Italian Harlem
Italian Harlem was the name that was given to East Harlem in the New York City borough of Manhattan, when it was largely inhabited by an Italian American population....
and other rackets in the Bronx and Long Island. Baratta placed soldier Joseph "Joey Bang Bang" Massaro in charge of running his Long Island topless bars operations. In 1980, Massaro started a feud with the Bonanno crime family
Bonanno crime family
The Bonanno crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
, when he began taking over their topless bars. FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone
Joseph D. Pistone
Joseph Dominick Pistone, alias Donnie Brasco, , is a former FBI agent who worked undercover for six years infiltrating the Bonanno crime family and to a lesser extent the Colombo crime family, two of the Five Families of the Mafia in New York City...
, who was working undercover in the Bonanno family as "Donnie Brasco", heard of the two families having a sitdown over Long Island topless bars.
Ruling Panel
In May 1990, after Lucchese crime family boss Vittorio "Vic" AmusoVictor Amuso
Vittorio "Little Vic" Amuso is a New York mobster and, as of 2011, the reputed Boss of the Lucchese crime family. Amuso is currently serving life at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas on murder and racketeering charges....
and underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
Anthony Casso
Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso is a former New York City mobster who served as underboss and acting boss of the Lucchese crime family until he was arrested in 1993, becoming a cooperating witness for the Federal Government...
were indicted on labor racketeering, extortion, drug trafficking and murder, they went into hiding, leaving Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco
Alphonse D'Arco
Alphonse "Little Al" D'Arco , also known as "The Professor", is a New York mobster who became the acting boss of Lucchese crime family. He was the first boss, acting or otherwise, of a New York crime family to become a government witness....
as Acting Boss.
In 1991, Baratta serving as Acting Underboss viewed a Genovese family
Genovese crime family
The Genovese crime family , is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
list of proposed new members, he commented to D'Arco, after seeing the name Ralph Desimone "He is a rat.". A sitdown was arranged between the two family's. The Genovese family Acting Boss Liborio Bellomo
Liborio Bellomo
Liborio Salvatore Bellomo , known as Barney and Big Barney, is a high ranking caporegime and street boss of the Genovese crime family in New York City. Bellomo is one of the fastest rising Mafia members in the United States today, becoming a capo in his mid-twenties...
, Acting Underboss Michael Generoso and Consigliere James Ida
James Ida
James Ida also known as "Little Guy" is a New York mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family.James was born to first generation immigrants from Lombardy, Italy. Growing up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, Ida was inducted into the Genovese crime family in...
attended the meeting to discuss "Ralph Desimone" with Lucchese family Acting Boss Alphonse D'Arco and Baratta as Acting Underboss. The Genovese leaders asked Baratta about Desimone he said "Desimone had been a government witness", the Genovese leaders leave saying "will take care of it". On June 13, 1991 Desimone's dead body was found in a truck of a car at LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
.
On July 29, 1991, the FBI captured boss Vic Amuso in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
. In early September 1991, Amuso demoted D'Arco and created a "Ruling panel" to run the family, Baratta became a member along with Salvatore "Sal" Avellino
Salvatore Avellino
Salvatore "Sal" Avellino is a mobster and caporegime in the Lucchese crime family who was involved in labor racketering in the garbage and waste management industry in Long Island, New York...
, Frank Lastorino
Frank Lastorino
Frank "Big Frank" Lastorino is a New York City mobster and former Consigliere of the Lucchese crime family.-Lucchese hitman:Raised in Canarsie, Brooklyn, Lastorino soon joined the Lucchese crime family under Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo in extortion, loansharking and illegal gambling operations...
and Alpnonse D'Arco. On September 18, 1991, Baratta along with capo Frank Lastorino and soldier Mike DeSantis conspired to kill Alphonse D'Arco in the Kimberly Hotel in Manhattan but failed, D'Arco defected on September 21, 1991 and became a government witness. The ruling panel contiuned to control the family in October 1991, they inducted (made
Made man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
) Thomas D'Ambrosia, Joseph Tortorello, Jr., Frank Gioia, Jr., Gregory Cappello and Jody Calabrese into the Lucchese family. In June 1992, Baratta was jailed on murder and racketeering charges.
Prison and more indictments
In November 1993, Baratta took a plea deal and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. In January 1995, Baratta was indicted along with Carmine Avellino, Frank Federico and Rocco Vitulli on the August 1989, murders of Robert M. Kubecka and Donald Barstow two executives of a Long Island trash-collection company.In September 1996, Baratta was imprisoned in the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution
Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville
The Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville is located in Orange County, New York, USA. The federal prison, which opened in 1977, is a medium security facility, located in the Town of Mount Hope a quarter mile from the Otisville Correctional Facility, a New York medium security prison, thus...
. He began working with DeCavalcante crime family
DeCavalcante crime family
The DeCavalcante crime family is an organized crime family that controls organized crime activities in Elizabeth, New Jersey and surrounding areas in the state, despite operating on the other side of the Hudson River in New York, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia...
associates in trafficking Asian heroin. On September 23, 1997, Baratta along with Albert Puco and twelve others were arrested and charged with conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to sell narcotics. Baratta was sentenced to eight years in prison.
As of March 2011, Baratta is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution Loretto, a low security facility in Central Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
with a projected release date of September 25, 2012.