Steven Crea to take over Lucchese family this month

On September 6, 2000, Steven Crea and other Lucchese mobsters were indicted for enterprise corruption, extortion, and labor racketeering. It was reported that these schemes earned millions of dollars from both public and private construction projects. Crea used lower ranking members to extort building contractors who wished to receive rights to no-bid jobs or who wanted to reduce the number of union members on their payroll. In 2006, Crea pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was released later that year.

When he was released, Crea face strict parole restrictions which prohibited him from associating with other mobsters or union officials. These parole restrictions expire in August of 2009, so it is speculated that Crea will resume taking control of the Lucchese crime family in New York sometime this month.

Mafia Assets Seized from ex-banker

Mafia police have seized assets totaling 1.5 million euros from a former banker in Palermo, the Sicilian capital. The former banker, Giovanni Gentile, was sentenced to six years in prison back in 2007 for mafia association. Gentile was making large investments that didn't agree with his modest income that he reported to authorities.

Also, police have seized assets including land in Castronovo di Sicilia, a Palermo suburb. Several more properties were also seized in the cities of Canicatti and Palma di Montechiaro, located in southeastern Sicily. Savings accounts and current accounts were also seized.

Investigators also said they discovered links between the mafia, politicaians, and businessmen while investigated Gentile.

"Gentile was well inserted in the criminal activities of Castronovo di Sicilia and had strong ties to organised crime in Canicatti," investigators said.

As a consequence, Gentile received a three year surveillance order that bans him from leaving his home area in February of this year. The government of Italy has vowed to defeat the mob. This year, police have arrested more than 100 suspects that include mob bosses. They have also seized tens of millions of euros that allegedly belong to the mafia.

Fugitive Mob Boss Captured in Italy

Vincenzo Acanfora, who allegedly is the boss of the Aprea clan of the local mafia/Camorra, was arrested at his father's home in Don Guanella by military police. Acanfora, who is 46 years old, was sentenced to nine years in jail for mob extortion and weapons possession from back in 2007 when he went on the run. Also, for being a habitual offender, he was sentenced to two years house arrest.

Considered to be one of the top 100 most dangerous fugitives in Italy, Acanfora allegedly operates in the eastern part of Naples.


Italy's anti mafia police and investigators from Naples led the operation tracking Acanfora down at his father's house.

Mafia Prospering in Germany

Remember the bloody shoot outs outside an Italian pizzeria in Germany? These hits brought the mafia in public view almost two years ago in Germany. Today, according the Federal Crime (BKA), there are around 229 'Ndrangheta families living in Germany. They are involved in drug dealing, racketeering, gun running, money laundering, and even legal businesses. These mafia families had been mostly unnoticed until the six mob members were shot and killed by rivals outside a restaurant in the city of Duisburg in August 2007.

The report also said that there were about 900 people involved in the mafia activity in Germany. These mob members were also owners of hundreds of legal restaurants. They also have some control in the property market in eastern Germany.

Since the murders in August of 2007, prosecutions against the suspects did not materialize because of lack of evidence.

Louis "Bobo" Malpeso dies in car crash

Louis "Bobo" Malpeso, from Staten Island, was fatally injured in a motorcycle crash around midnight at Forest and Bruckner avenues in Mariners Harbor according to police. It is said he lost control of his bike.

Malpeso was a former Colombo associate. In 1996, he pleaded guilty to shaking down a man over a $100,000 loan with a 3% weekly interest rate. Malpeso also admitted to manipulating the stock market. As punishment, he was sentenced to almost four years in prison for both crimes.

Malpeso's father, Louis "Bobo" Malpeso Sr., was a Colombo family soldier and was serving a 95-year prison term for attempted murders during the Colombo gang wars. Malpeso Jr. followed in his dad's mob footsteps, but stayed on the more quiet side only being involved in loan-sharking and stock fraud. Malpeso jr. was also a construction worker and a bouncer in the early 90s.