Matthew Madonna
Encyclopedia
Matthew Madonna is a caporegime
with the Lucchese crime family
who was heavily involved in narcotics trafficking and bribery of government officials.
in Upstate New York
, Madonna became acquainted with Nicky Barnes, a young drug dealer from Harlem
. After their release from prison, Madonna started supplying large quantities of heroin to Barnes. Madonna would drop off a car with a trunk full of heroin at a Manhattan
parking lot. Barnes would arrive later and exchange the heroin for cash. A few days later, Madonna would return to pick up the car with the cash. Madonna and Barnes continued this arrangement until 1975, when Madonna was arrested for drug trafficking. That same year, Madonna was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In December 1981, while still in prison, Madonna received a summons to testify before a grand jury
about narcotics activity in the New York area. In two appearances before the grand jury, Madonna refused to testify, even after being granted immunity from self-incrimination
. The judge finally held Madonna in contempt of court
. Madonna received an extra 528 days added to his sentence.
. Around 1998, Madonna was inducted into the Lucchese crime family as a reward for his silence and to assist his return to earning money for the family. Shortly thereafter, Madonna became a capo. Madonna was sent to prison again, but released in September 2003.
After the convictions of family leaders Steven Crea
, Louis Daidone
, Dominic Truscello and the cooperation of former acting boss Joseph DeFede
, the Luccheses established a three-man ruling panel to govern the family. Madonna, along with Aniello Migliore
and Joseph DiNapoli
head the panel. Many investigators believe that with the release of Crea from prison, the panel may soon be disbanded so that Crea can take over the family.
, football
, greyhound
races and the lottery. The mob collected bets over the Internet
and by phone from a location in Costa Rica
. Along with Madonna ruling panel member Joseph DiNapoli
and top New Jersey Faction
capos Ralph V. Perna and Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr.
were indicted.
In 2008, the Village Voice reported that Madonna was an employee of Big Geyser, Inc, New York's largest distributor of healthy and cutting-edge beverages. It was speculated that this was a "no show" position for Madonna.
On October 1, 2009 Madonna was indicted along with Joseph DiNapoli
and 27 others in a large racketeering scheme. The indictment stated that Madonna was a key player in a vast operation that grossed approximately $400 million from illegal gambling, loansharking, gun trafficking and extortion
. A second part of the indictment charged that Madonna and other Lucchese mobsters ran a bribery scheme among New York City building inspector
s. On June 28, 2010, Madonna and the other defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges.
As of August 2011, Madonna is on trial for both the 2007 and 2009 indictment
s. He is free on bail.
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...
with the Lucchese crime family
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...
who was heavily involved in narcotics trafficking and bribery of government officials.
Narcotics trafficking
In 1959, while serving a sentence at the Green Haven Correctional FacilityGreen Haven Correctional Facility
Green Haven Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison in New York, United States. The prison is located in the Town of Beekman in Dutchess County. The New York State Department of Correctional Services lists the address as Route 216, Stormville, NY 12582...
in Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, Madonna became acquainted with Nicky Barnes, a young drug dealer from Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. After their release from prison, Madonna started supplying large quantities of heroin to Barnes. Madonna would drop off a car with a trunk full of heroin at a Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
parking lot. Barnes would arrive later and exchange the heroin for cash. A few days later, Madonna would return to pick up the car with the cash. Madonna and Barnes continued this arrangement until 1975, when Madonna was arrested for drug trafficking. That same year, Madonna was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In December 1981, while still in prison, Madonna received a summons to testify before a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
about narcotics activity in the New York area. In two appearances before the grand jury, Madonna refused to testify, even after being granted immunity from self-incrimination
Self-incrimination
Self-incrimination is the act of accusing oneself of a crime for which a person can then be prosecuted. Self-incrimination can occur either directly or indirectly: directly, by means of interrogation where information of a self-incriminatory nature is disclosed; indirectly, when information of a...
. The judge finally held Madonna in contempt of court
Contempt of court
Contempt of court is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court's authority...
. Madonna received an extra 528 days added to his sentence.
Release and promotion
In 1995, after serving 20 years in prison, Madonna was released from Lewisburg Federal PenitentiaryLewisburg Federal Penitentiary
The United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg is a male inmate high security federal penitentiary and satellite minimum security prison camp housing some 1,000 and 500 respectively, just outside Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The Lewisburg Penitentiary was opened in 1932...
. Around 1998, Madonna was inducted into the Lucchese crime family as a reward for his silence and to assist his return to earning money for the family. Shortly thereafter, Madonna became a capo. Madonna was sent to prison again, but released in September 2003.
After the convictions of family leaders Steven Crea
Steven Crea
Steven L. Crea , also known as "Wonderboy", or "Herbie", is a New York mobster heavily involved in labor racketeering who eventually became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Rise to power:...
, Louis Daidone
Louis Daidone
Louis "Louie Bagels" Daidone is a New York mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Sidewalk soldier:...
, Dominic Truscello and the cooperation of former acting boss Joseph DeFede
Joseph DeFede
Joseph "Little Joe" DeFede is a New York City mobster and former acting boss of the Lucchese crime family who eventually turned informant.-Early years:...
, the Luccheses established a three-man ruling panel to govern the family. Madonna, along with Aniello Migliore
Aniello Migliore
Aniello "Neil" Migliore is a New York City mobster, and acting leader of the Lucchese crime family. Migliore was a close associate of family bosses Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese and Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo.-Early years:...
and Joseph DiNapoli
Joseph DiNapoli
Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli , is a high-ranking member of the Lucchese crime family, holding the rank of caporegime or captain, in the family's Ruling Committee/Panel, controlling the day-to-day operations since 2003, along with Aniello "Neil" Migliore and Matthew Madonna...
head the panel. Many investigators believe that with the release of Crea from prison, the panel may soon be disbanded so that Crea can take over the family.
Current position
On December 18, 2007, New Jersey law enforcement indicted and arrested Madonna and 32 other members and associates of the Lucchese family. In a year-long investigation titled "Operation Heat" law enforcement agencies uncovered a $2.2 billion dollar illegal gambling, money laundering and racketeering ring. The scheme involved collecting bets from of gamblers on basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
races and the lottery. The mob collected bets over the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and by phone from a location in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. Along with Madonna ruling panel member Joseph DiNapoli
Joseph DiNapoli
Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli , is a high-ranking member of the Lucchese crime family, holding the rank of caporegime or captain, in the family's Ruling Committee/Panel, controlling the day-to-day operations since 2003, along with Aniello "Neil" Migliore and Matthew Madonna...
and top New Jersey Faction
The Jersey Crew
The Jersey Crew is a powerful faction of the Lucchese crime family, that operates and controls illegal activities like drug trafficking, labor racketeering, loansharking, extortion, illegal gambling, money laundering, and murder, in the Northern New Jersey area....
capos Ralph V. Perna and Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr.
Nicodemo Scarfo, Jr.
Nicodemo Salvatore "Nicky" Scarfo Jr. is the second son of convicted Philadelphia crime family boss Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo, Sr. In his 20s, he was allegedly inducted into the Lucchese crime family sometime in the early 1990s....
were indicted.
In 2008, the Village Voice reported that Madonna was an employee of Big Geyser, Inc, New York's largest distributor of healthy and cutting-edge beverages. It was speculated that this was a "no show" position for Madonna.
On October 1, 2009 Madonna was indicted along with Joseph DiNapoli
Joseph DiNapoli
Joseph "Joey Dee" DiNapoli , is a high-ranking member of the Lucchese crime family, holding the rank of caporegime or captain, in the family's Ruling Committee/Panel, controlling the day-to-day operations since 2003, along with Aniello "Neil" Migliore and Matthew Madonna...
and 27 others in a large racketeering scheme. The indictment stated that Madonna was a key player in a vast operation that grossed approximately $400 million from illegal gambling, loansharking, gun trafficking and 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...
. A second part of the indictment charged that Madonna and other Lucchese mobsters ran a bribery scheme among New York City building inspector
Building inspector
A building inspection is performed by a person who is employed by either a city, township or county and is usually certified in one or more disciplines, either as a residential or commercial building inspector, a plumbing, electrical or mechanical inspector or other specialty to inspect structures...
s. On June 28, 2010, Madonna and the other defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges.
As of August 2011, Madonna is on trial for both the 2007 and 2009 indictment
Indictment
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...
s. He is free on bail.