Charles Tuzzo
Encyclopedia
Charles "Chuckie" Tuzzo is a New York mobster who is a capo with the Genovese crime family
.
in the 1980s, Tuzzo's criminal activities were mostly white collar
crimes in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. In the early 1990s, Tuzzo, former acting boss Liborio "Barney" Bellomo
, and capo Ernest "Ernie" Muscarella participated in several lucrative pump-and-dump
stock schemes.
resigning, Muscarella became Genovese acting boss. His rise would also increase Tuzzo's influence in the Manhattan faction. In the late 1990s, Tuzzo, Muscarella and other members of the family dominated the International Longshoremen's Association
(ILA) and began extorting
companies such as Orex Gold Mines Corp. operating on the piers in the New York City and New Jersey
metropolitan area, and in Miami, Florida
. Tuzzo's other criminal activities included bid rigging, loansharking and racketeering.
and extortion charges. The Genovese family had gained control of International Longshoremen's Association
(ILA) locals in New York, New Jersey, and Miami, Florida. They used this power to extort money from shipping container
repair companies and other waterfront-related businesses. Additional charges against the defendants also brought in evidence of extorting the Laborer International Union of North America, Teamsters
Local 32B/J of the Building Services Workers Union and the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York. On April 7, 2003, Tuzzo pleaded guilty to extortion conspiracy. He was later sentenced to five years in prison. Tuzzo was released from prison on February 2, 2006. As part of his plea agreement, Tuzzo is prohibited from participating in the ILA or any waterfront-related business.
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...
.
Criminal career
A reputed captain in the Genovese crime family upon the takeover by Vincent "Chin" GiganteVincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
in the 1980s, Tuzzo's criminal activities were mostly white collar
White-collar crime
Within the field of criminology, white-collar crime has been defined by Edwin Sutherland as "a crime committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation" . Sutherland was a proponent of Symbolic Interactionism, and believed that criminal behavior was...
crimes in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. In the early 1990s, Tuzzo, former acting boss Liborio "Barney" 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...
, and capo Ernest "Ernie" Muscarella participated in several lucrative pump-and-dump
Pump and dump
"Pump and dump" is a form of microcap stock fraud that involves artificially inflating the price of an owned stock through false and misleading positive statements, in order to sell the cheaply purchased stock at a higher price....
stock schemes.
Controlling the ILA
In 1997, Gigante was convicted of federal racketeering charges and sentenced to 12 years in prison. With Bellomo incarcerated on similar charges and reputed Consigliere Dominick "Quiet Dom" CirilloDominick Cirillo
Dominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
resigning, Muscarella became Genovese acting boss. His rise would also increase Tuzzo's influence in the Manhattan faction. In the late 1990s, Tuzzo, Muscarella and other members of the family dominated the International Longshoremen's Association
International Longshoremen's Association
The International Longshoremen's Association is a labor union representing longshore workers along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and inland waterways...
(ILA) and began extorting
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
companies such as Orex Gold Mines Corp. operating on the piers in the New York City and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
metropolitan area, and in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Tuzzo's other criminal activities included bid rigging, loansharking and racketeering.
Indictments
In January 2002, Tuzzo, Muscarella, and Gigante were indicted on federal racketeering, conspiracyConspiracy (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...
and extortion charges. The Genovese family had gained control of International Longshoremen's Association
International Longshoremen's Association
The International Longshoremen's Association is a labor union representing longshore workers along the East Coast of the United States and Canada, the Gulf Coast, the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and inland waterways...
(ILA) locals in New York, New Jersey, and Miami, Florida. They used this power to extort money from shipping container
Shipping container
A shipping container is a container with strength suitable to withstand shipment, storage, and handling. Shipping containers range from large reusable steel boxes used for intermodal shipments to the ubiquitous corrugated boxes...
repair companies and other waterfront-related businesses. Additional charges against the defendants also brought in evidence of extorting the Laborer International Union of North America, Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
Local 32B/J of the Building Services Workers Union and the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York. On April 7, 2003, Tuzzo pleaded guilty to extortion conspiracy. He was later sentenced to five years in prison. Tuzzo was released from prison on February 2, 2006. As part of his plea agreement, Tuzzo is prohibited from participating in the ILA or any waterfront-related business.