US Indicts Eleven Reputed Members of Colombo Crime Family
New York, Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Eleven reputed members of New York's Colombo organized crime family, including the man authorities say is the acting boss, Alphonse Persico, were indicted Wednesday on federal racketeering charges.
Federal authorities in Brooklyn accused the defendants of a variety of criminal acts, including loansharking, money laundering, gambling, drug dealing, securities fraud and extortion.
Persico, the son of jailed former Colombo boss Carmine Persico, served as a captain and acting boss of the crime family from 1993 to 2000, federal authorities say. Last February, he was sentenced to an 18-month prison term on weapons charges.
``Today's arrests come at a time when the Colombo family was attempting to reunify and rebuild in the aftermath of the intra- family war, and in anticipation of (Alphonse Persico's) release from prison,'' said Barry W. Mawn, the assistant director in charge of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Colombo family has been battered by a series of prosecutions and a vicious war within its ranks in the early 1990s, authorities say.
Alphonse Persico was convicted in 1986 of federal racketeering charges with his father. Carmine Persico got a 39- year sentence.
Alphonse Persico was released in 1993. A year later, he was acquitted of racketeering and murder charges stemming from a string of slayings from 1991 to 1993 that have been attributed to a war for control of the family.
Also charged Wednesday was John J. DeRoss, a reputed captain and underboss in the Colombo family.
The securities fraud charges stem from the sale of securities at Global Strategies Group Inc., Amerivet Dymally Securities, and First National Equity Corp., authorities said.
Jan/31/2001 18:38 ET
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