John Barbato
Encyclopedia
John "Johnny Sausage" Barbato (born May 15, 1934 Jersey City, New Jersey
) is a New York City
mobster and reputed captain in the Genovese crime family
.
mob boss Frank Costello
and cousin to Genovese crime family
capo Willie Moretti
. In 1948, Willie Moretti arranged to have Frank Sinatra
, who worked under his record label at the time, to sing at the wedding of John's daughter. Reportedly, Barbato has been an associate of the Genovese crime family since the 1940s At the time, his criminal record included convictions of four counts of bookmaking in the 1950s and 1960s, plus a conviction for robbery in 1963. Sometime in the late 1970s, Barbato became the personal bodyguard and chauffeur for Genovese crime family Underboss and Brooklyn
faction leader Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano
. He is a distant relative by marriage to Frank Sinatra
by the marriage of his first wife, Nancy Barbato. He is an uncle to Nancy Sinatra
and Frank Sinatra Jr. and Christina Sinatra. He lives in the area of Wolfes Pond Park in Staten Island, New York. After being recognized as a "made member" or soldier since the 1970s, Barbato was officially excluded from the state of New Jersey
on August 11, 1987.
on federal racketeering charges and racketeering conspiracy
, which included murder conspiracy, extortion
, loansharking and witness tampering. U.S. law enforcement charged him with operating criminal activities in the Brooklyn section as well as associating with then-current family acting boss Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo
and fellow captains Lawrence "Little Larry" Dentico
and Anthony "Tico" Antico
. Federal and state authorities alleged that Barbato was a "capo" (or captain) in the Genovese crime family
. The indictment alleged that Barbato was included in a panel since the late 1990s of powerful family capos on how to corrupt labor and construction unions in New York and New Jersey through bribery
and extorting their locals in order to achieve influence with companies operating in those areas. Barbato, Cirillo and Antico were even charged with murder conspiracy, as they reputedly plotted to murder an important witness who had helped building the racketeering case against the defendants. Following the arrest of Barbato and three others, The New York Times
reported:
reported that Barbato and the others were "allegedly members of the Westside Crew, a ruling panel that runs the crime family in the absence of imprisoned Genovese boss Vincent (Chin) Gigante." Federal Bureau of Investigation
Acting Assistant Director John Klochan said at the time: "Our hope is that the indictment will serve as their retirement papers."
On October 18, 2005, Barbato entered a guilty plea, admitting to his participation in an organized crime family and two acts of extortion conspiracy. Although he admitted to membership in a crime family, he did not name the Genovese family or acknowledge being a capo. Observers of organized crime noted that there was little precedent for this type of admission, as it was contrary to the "rules" that Mafia
members had formerly lived by.
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
) is a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
mobster and reputed captain in the Genovese crime 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...
.
Career and NJ exclusion
John stands at 5'7 and weighs 170 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He is a distant cousin of Genovese crime familyGenovese 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...
mob boss Frank Costello
Frank Costello
Frank Costello was an Italian New York City gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence.Nicknamed the "Prime Minister of the Underworld", he became one of the most powerful and influential Mafia...
and cousin to Genovese crime 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...
capo Willie Moretti
Willie Moretti
Guarino "Willie" Moretti was an underboss of the Genovese crime family and a cousin of family boss Frank Costello.-Life:...
. In 1948, Willie Moretti arranged to have Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, who worked under his record label at the time, to sing at the wedding of John's daughter. Reportedly, Barbato has been an associate of the Genovese crime family since the 1940s At the time, his criminal record included convictions of four counts of bookmaking in the 1950s and 1960s, plus a conviction for robbery in 1963. Sometime in the late 1970s, Barbato became the personal bodyguard and chauffeur for Genovese crime family Underboss and Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
faction leader Venero "Benny Eggs" Mangano
Venero Mangano
Venero Frank "Benny Eggs" Mangano is the Underboss of the Genovese crime family. Since boss Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo was imprisoned in 2007, Mangano has been the family's senior leader outside prison. The nickname "Benny Eggs" came from his mother running an egg farm...
. He is a distant relative by marriage to Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
by the marriage of his first wife, Nancy Barbato. He is an uncle to Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
and Frank Sinatra Jr. and Christina Sinatra. He lives in the area of Wolfes Pond Park in Staten Island, New York. After being recognized as a "made member" or soldier since the 1970s, Barbato was officially excluded from the state of 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...
on August 11, 1987.
Indictments and guilty plea
In 2005, Barbato was indictedIndictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
on federal racketeering charges and racketeering 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...
, which included murder conspiracy, extortion
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...
, loansharking and witness tampering. U.S. law enforcement charged him with operating criminal activities in the Brooklyn section as well as associating with then-current family acting boss Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo
Dominick 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:...
and fellow captains Lawrence "Little Larry" Dentico
Lawrence Dentico
Lawrence Dentico , also known as "Larry Fab","Little Larry" and "The Little Guy", is a New Jersey mobster who is a former captain and consigliere for the Genovese crime family....
and Anthony "Tico" Antico
Anthony Antico
Anthony "Tico" Antico is a New York mobster and a reputed captain in the Genovese crime family.In 2005, Antico was indicted on federal racketeering charges and racketeering conspiracy, which included murder conspiracy, extortion, loansharking and witness tampering...
. Federal and state authorities alleged that Barbato was a "capo" (or captain) in the Genovese crime 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...
. The indictment alleged that Barbato was included in a panel since the late 1990s of powerful family capos on how to corrupt labor and construction unions in New York and New Jersey through bribery
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
and extorting their locals in order to achieve influence with companies operating in those areas. Barbato, Cirillo and Antico were even charged with murder conspiracy, as they reputedly plotted to murder an important witness who had helped building the racketeering case against the defendants. Following the arrest of Barbato and three others, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported:
"'With these arrests, law enforcement has effectively dismantled the present leadership of the Genovese family,' the United States attorney in Brooklyn, Roslynn R. Mauskopf, said in a statement announcing the indictments of the men. Prosecutors charged that the men took over the administration of the Genovese family business when their leader, Vincent GiganteThe New York Daily NewsVincent GiganteVincent 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...
, went to jail in 1997. The men, prosecutors said, continued the family's involvement 'in crimes designed to enrich its members,' including extortion, loan sharking and fraud."
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
reported that Barbato and the others were "allegedly members of the Westside Crew, a ruling panel that runs the crime family in the absence of imprisoned Genovese boss Vincent (Chin) Gigante." Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
Acting Assistant Director John Klochan said at the time: "Our hope is that the indictment will serve as their retirement papers."
On October 18, 2005, Barbato entered a guilty plea, admitting to his participation in an organized crime family and two acts of extortion conspiracy. Although he admitted to membership in a crime family, he did not name the Genovese family or acknowledge being a capo. Observers of organized crime noted that there was little precedent for this type of admission, as it was contrary to the "rules" that Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
members had formerly lived by.
Further reading
- United States. Congress. Senate. Appropriations Committee. Treasury and Post Office Departments Appropriations, 1954, Hearings Before the Subcommittee of the Committee of Appropriations. 1953. http://books.google.com/books?vid=0XcQDHOw9wOcd3zQLOWLcib&id=sGJp3XXJA60C&q=Lawrence+Dentico&dq=Lawrence+Dentico&pgis=1
External links
- Lawrence Dentico Indicted - US Attorney's Office: Fourteen Arrested with Unsealing of RICO Indictment Against Genovese Crime Family Members, Associates
- New York Times: Reputed Mob Chief Pleads Guilty
- 1010 WINS: Sentencing Day for Reputed North Jersey Mobsters
- Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator Website