Lucchese crime family New Jersey faction

The Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction, also known as the Jersey Crew,^[2] is a powerful crew within the Lucchese crime family. The members operate throughout the Northern New Jersey area. During the 1970s into the late 1980s, the crew was led by Anthony Accetturo and his protégé Michael Taccetta.^[2] In 1987, Victor Amuso took over the family and began demanding a higher percentage of tribute from the crew.^[2] Accetturo refused and a war erupted between the New Jersey members and the New York members.^[2] This left brothers Michael and Martin Taccetta in charge of the crew as they tried to have Accetturo and his family murdered.^[2] In 1993, Accetturo defected and became a government witness.^[2] He helped convict Michael and Martin Taccetta.^[3] The crew is currently controlled by George "Georgie Neck" Zappola.

History

Early history

The early members of the New Jersey crew worked as bootlegging under Gaetano Reina's crime family. Throughout the prohibition era the crew smuggled alcohol into New York City. In 1930, Reina was murdered and his family was taken over by Tommy Gagliano.

During the 1940s and early 1950s, the crew was headed by

Accetturo in charge

Toward the 1970s, the crew was unofficially headed by

During the early 1970s, Accetturo relocated to Miami^[5] to avoid prosecution for his illegal gambling and loansharking business in Newark, and Michael Taccetta was soon promoted by Accetturo to run the day-to-day activities. Meanwhile, Accetturo created illegal operations in Florida where he could lie low from law enforcement. Taccetta soon expanded Accetturo's former operations in New Jersey as the crew grew stronger, and several members of the Lucchese crime family in New York were sent to win over the moneymakers. Taccetta developed an operation that soon controlled the entire New Jersey area. From arson and burglary, to loansharking and extortion, to illegal gambling and drug trafficking, the Jersey Crew soon made millions of dollars in profit, and sent hundreds of thousands of dollars back to Anthony Corallo in New York City for years. Both Accetturo and Taccetta soon became the most powerful mobsters in New Jersey. Accetturo was repeatedly indicted, and the State of New Jersey tried to extradite him but failed due to his "poor" health. Accetturo later relocated his business interests to Miami and Hollywood, Florida, but still remained the official boss of New Jersey. Michael Taccetta was chosen once again to run the Northern New Jersey crew of the Lucchese crime family, during the mid-1970s. Toward the late 1970s, the crew allegedly earned something between $700,000 and $800,000 in profit every year.

Operating in Philadelphia

In 1980, the longtime Don of the

21 months in trial

During the early 1980s, US law enforcement started an operation to terminate all

Even with the acquittals, the authorities eventually managed to split up the Jersey Crew when Michael Taccetta grew jealous of Anthony Accetturo, Jr., who was supposed to take over for Anthony Accetturo upon his retirement. The Taccetta brothers reportedly declared war on Accetturo, who had escaped to Miami to avoid being killed. Although the war never got to a point of massive shooting in the streets, the two factions were close to killing and destroying each other completely in late 1988. The crew had other problems, however, when the Lucchese crime family was given new leadership under Vittorio "Vic" Amuso, who stepped up after Corallo.

New York rivalry

Toward the year of 1989, the Jersey Crew's war had diminished because the two factions were more interested in making money than in arguing about who was in charge. The new leaders were reportedly Michael Taccetta and Martin Taccetta, who operated through their legitimate business, Taccetta Group Enterprises, which was under control by the Lucchese crime family. Through the company, the Jersey Crew were able to launder money and pay their tribute to the heads of the Luccheses in New York. However, both Accetturo and Taccetta had apparently skimmed off some profit and only sent a $50,000-a-year payment to the new leaders from the Brooklyn faction. When Anthony Corallo was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987, and his protégé Anthony "Buddy" Luongo was found murdered earlier, the new bosses Victor Amuso and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, known for their brutal use of violence, questioned the profit they received from the Jersey Crew.^[8] When they demanded 50% of the crew's total profit, both Taccetta and Accetturo reportedly refused, portraying themselves as hard-working money machines that were only having a bad year. Amuso and Casso, on the other hand, saw this as an act of weakness, and gave the order to "Whack Jersey", meaning that the entire North Jersey faction should be eliminated. Summoned to a meeting in Brooklyn with Victor Amuso and Anthony Casso, the entire North Jersey faction, who were fearful of being massacred, went into hiding, disrupting their illegal activities. Over the next 12 months, most of the New Jersey crew members came back to the family. Amuso is to have portrayed Accetturo as a distrustful servant who was betraying his boss. Taccetta reportedly sent messages to Amuso in Brooklyn asking that a contract to be placed on Accetturo's life, so Taccetta could control the entire New Jersey faction.

Taccetta's arrest and trial

In the early 1990s, with the murder contract on his life, Accetturo was placed under federal protection after being extradited from North Carolina to New Jersey. During this time, Accetturo had little power over the New Jersey faction he had been reportedly stripped of his rank and demoted to soldier. The Taccetta brothers also had problems with their longtime rival Thomas Ricciardi who was trying to take over the faction. In 1992 the entire crew's administration Anthony Accetturo, Michael and Martin Taccetta, Thomas Ricciardi and Michael Perna were indicted on racketeering, loansharking, extortion, illegal gambling, drug trafficking, murder and conspiracy to commit murder. In 1993, when the trial began both Accetturo and Ricciardi decided to defect to the government and turn state's evidence testifying against Michael and Martin Taccetta, and Michael Perna.^[3]

On August 13, 1993, the jury convicted all three men of racketeering and Martin Taccetta was sentenced to life in prison.^[3] Michael Taccetta and Michael Perna later pleaded guilty and were sentenced on September 20, 1993, to 25 years in prison each.^[3]

In 2005, Martin Taccetta won an appeal and regained his freedom, but in July 2009 the New Jersey Supreme Court reversed the lower court decision and upheld his life sentence for racketeering and extortion. Ricciardi went into the Witness Protection Program, and revealed that the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) case in 1988 ended the way it did because the jury had been rigged.

Operation Heat

On December 18, 2007, thirty two members and associates of the Lucchese crime family's New Jersey faction were arrested on gambling, money laundering and racketeering charges.

In May 2011, Gianni Iacovo pleaded guilty to promoting gambling. He was placed on probation and will serve no prison time.[14] In October 2011, Michael A. Maffucci pleaded guilty to promoting gambling and could be sentenced to three to five years in state prison.^[15]

As of November 2013, three defendants in the case have died of natural causes: Alfonso T. Cataldo (died August 21, 2013), Michael A. Cetta (died June 2013) and Samuel A. Juliano (died March 2012).^[16]

In May 2015, Robert DeCrescenzo and Charles Bologna pleaded guilty to money laundrying and were sentenced to two years probation. Both were arrested in 2007. Case lasted 8 years.^[12]

On September 30, 2015, Matthew Madonna was sentenced to five years in state prison and Martin Taccetta was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to racketeering in Operation Heat.^[17]

On October 29, 2015, John Mangrella was sentenced to eight years in state prison on a guilty plea to first-degree racketeering in Operation Heat.^[17]

On January 7, 2016, Ralph V. Perna received an eight-year sentence and his two sons Joseph Perna and John Perna each received 10 year sentences after pleading guilty to running a multibillion-dollar gambling enterprise.^[17][18] Also in January 2016, charges were dismissed against two wives Rosanna Perna, who is Joseph Perna's wife and Vita Cetta, whose husband Michael Cetta died in 2013.^[18] It was also revealed another defendant has died, Gianni Iacovo.^[18]

In February 2016, Joseph DiNapoli pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.^[17]

Current position

In 2004, the New Jersey Commission of Investigation stated that the Lucchese crime family had about 50 members active in New Jersey.^[19] The New Jersey faction is currently led by capo Ralph Perna, who took over in 2007.^[13]

In May 2008, Martin Taccetta was indicted along with Gambino crime family capo Andrew Merola on racketeering, gambling and labor corruption.^[20] In December 2009, Taccetta was summoned to a Newark courtroom.^[21]

On March 9, 2013, Lucchese family associate Gianni Iacovo was charged with seven counts of burglary and was held on $70,000 bond at the Bergen County Jail.^[22]

On January 26, 2014, Carlo Taccetta, the son of Michael Taccetta was arrested with 65 pounds of marijuana and was charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.^[23]

Historical leadership

Caporegimes

• c. 1920s–1946 –
  Settimo "Big Sam" Accardi – fled the country in 1955^[4]
• 1946–1979 –
  Joseph Abate – retired, died in 1994.^[24]
  • Acting 1950s–1964 – Biagio "Benjamin" Pizzolato – died September 1964
  • Acting c. 1976-1979 – Anthony Accetturo – promoted to caporegime
• 1979–1988 – Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo^[4] – demoted, imprisoned in 1993 and became a government witness ^[3]
  • Acting 1980–1988 – Michael "Mad Dog" Taccetta – promoted to caporegime
• 1988–1993 – Michael "Mad Dog" Taccetta – in 1993 sentenced to life in prison ^[25]
  • Acting 1988–1991 – Michael Perna – cousin to Taccetta, imprisoned 1993
  • Acting 1991–1993 – Martin Taccetta^[26]
• 1993–2003 – the crew reported to Caporegime
  Vario-Cutaia Crew
  .
  • Acting c. 1993–1994 – Carlo Taccetta - demoted
  • Acting c. 1994–2003 – Robert "Bucky the Boss" Caravaggio^[19]
• 2003–2005 – the crew reported to Caporegime John "Johnny Hooks" Capra^[27] who also controlled a Harlem-Bronx Crew.
  • Acting 2003–2005 –
    Nicodemo "Nicky" Scarfo, Jr.
    – promoted to caporegime
• 2005–2007 –
  Nicodemo "Nicky" Scarfo, Jr.
  – demoted
• 2007–2010 – Ralph V. "Ralphie" Perna – arrested 2007^[10] indicted 2010, sentenced 2016
• 2010–2020 – Richard "Richie the Claw" DeLuca – died September 19, 2020
  • Acting 2017–2019 – Michael Perna – retired and died October 28, 2020
  • Acting 2019–2020 – Joseph R. "Big Joe" Perna
• 2020–present – George "Georgie Neck" Zappola
  • Acting 2020–present – Joseph R. "Big Joe" Perna

In popular culture

• The 2006,
  Giacomo "Jackie" DiNorscio
  who defends himself.
• According to the
  DiMeo crime family in the HBO TV-show The Sopranos. Michael Taccetta is probably the inspiration to the leading role of Tony Soprano, as other real-life Jersey crew members can be recognized on the screen.^[28]