They are attempting to be forthright.
Joseph “Joe Brooklyn” Lanni, a capo within the Gambino crime family, along with six associates, pleaded guilty on Friday for their violent efforts to seize control of the garbage industry in New York City.
“I was aware that agreeing to this was illegal,” Lanni stated candidly, seemingly reading from a standard affirmation of racketeering during his plea hearing in federal court in Brooklyn.
At 54, Lanni, known in the mob as “Mommino,” led a significant racketeering organization involved in extortions, witness intimidation, and other unlawful activities, aiming to dominate the city’s waste management and demolition sectors, according to federal prosecutors.
These guilty pleas come after an extensive investigation by the Eastern District of New York that culminated in a 16-count indictment in 2023.
This operation, which included arrests in Italy, netted a group of Gambino soldiers and affiliates with colorful nicknames like “Vinny Slick,” “Uncle Ciccio,” “Twin,” and “Fifi.”
Diego “Danny” Tantillo, a made man aged 50, sported flashy silver sunglasses in court as he pleaded guilty to charges pertaining to the extortion of a carting business in the New York area.
Court documents reveal that Tantillo threatened the owner with a metal baseball bat, demanding monthly payments.
When the owner ceased payments, Tantillo’s associates set fire to the man’s doorstep, deflated the tires of his trucks, and even threatened to dismember him, according to the allegations.
Francesco “Uncle Ciccio” Vicari, 64, another guilty plea participant, was said to have acted dramatically, telling an associate to sever the owner in a wiretapped conversation: “Get this axe and you make him – two.”
Tantillo, who also arranged an assault on another company’s employee with a hammer, reportedly received over $4 million from his illegal activities and regularly shared his earnings with Lanni, prosecutors alleged.
Though implicated, Lanni and Vincent “Vinny Slick” Minsquero, 38, were not charged in a September 2023 incident at a restaurant in Toms River, New Jersey, court papers claim.
The two had an altercation with another diner, which led the restaurant staff to ask them to leave.
Minsquero reportedly damaged property and threw punches at walls, while Lanni threatened to “burn this place down with you inside it,” court documents reveal.
No sooner had he made the threat than he purchased a red gas container and attempted to fill it before Minsquero intervened, according to the reported details.
Lanni then called the restaurant 39 times afterward, one of which was recorded by a police body camera, in which he demanded an apology, persistently urging the staff to “beg for my forgiveness.”
The situation escalated when two of Lanni’s men returned later, assaulted the owner, threatened him with a knife, and also attacked the owner’s spouse.
“Get this axe and you make him – two.”
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Judge Frederic Block, known for his sense of humor, informed Lanni he is facing a potential sentence of 6.5 to 8 years, suggesting that the final prison sentence could be less.
“You’re putting your life in my hands,” the judge remarked, adding, “I’m speaking in real street terms to you.
“You’re prepared to take your chances?”
“Yes, your honor,” Lanni responded.
