EEarlier today in Brooklyn federal court, James Laforte, also known as “Jimmy,” an inducted member of the Gambino organized crime family, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo to racketeering conspiracy, Hobbs Act extortion and Hobbs Act extortion conspiracy, witness retaliation and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
LaForte is the last of 10 defendants charged in a 2023 indictment in connection with various offenses committed by members and associates of the Gambino crime family – including extortion, money laundering conspiracy and witness retaliation – to plead guilty or be found guilty at trial. On October 17, 2025, seven members and associates of the Gambino crime family pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in a proceeding before United States District Judge Frederic Block. These defendants are Gambino crime family captain Joseph Lanni, also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino”; Gambino soldiers Diego “Danny” Tantillo and Angelo Gradilone, also known as “Fifi”; US-based Sicilian Mafia member and Gambino associate Vito Rappa, also known as “Vi”; US-based Sicilian Mafia associate and Gambino associate Francesco Vicari, also known as “Frank” and “Uncle Ciccio”; and Gambino associates Kyle Johnson, also known as “Twin,” and Vincent Minsquero, also known as “Vinny Slick.” In August 2025, Salvatore DiLorenzo pleaded guilty to theft from employee benefit plans. In December 2025, a federal jury found defendant Robert Brooke guilty of one count of extortion under the Hobbs Act.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Deputy Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Anthony P. D'Esposito, Inspector General of the United States Department of Labor (DOL-OIG), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the guilty pleas and sentencing at trial.
“The prosecution of these members and associates of the Gambino organized crime family has dealt a significant blow to this violent criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Nocella. “Their efforts to take control and infiltrate legitimate businesses through intimidation have threatened New York workers and terrorized their victims. Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who seek to use violence and fear to enrich themselves.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his gratitude to the New York City Business Integrity Commission, the New York Waterfront Commission, and the Bureau's law enforcement partners in Italy, including the Palermo District Attorney, Polizia di Stato, Servizio Centrale Operativo, and Palermo Mobile Squadra.
“These ten Gambino members and associates orchestrated a campaign of violent assaults and property destruction to collect debts and intimidate employees of competing companies,” said the FBI assistant director in charge of Barnacle. “Their collective actions terrorized New York residents and businesses in order to generate an illegal revenue stream. The FBI remains committed to coordinating with our local and international law enforcement partners in the fight against organized crime.”
“These defendants used fraud, intimidation, and violence to attempt to gain control of New York City’s demolition industry, including schemes targeting unions and their benefit plans,” said DOL Inspector General D’Esposito. “The DOL-OIG will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to root out labor racketeering and eliminate the influence of organized crime in the labor sector. Accountability is non-negotiable.”
As detailed in court filings, members and associates of the Gambino crime family used violent extortion, fraud, theft and embezzlement schemes to infiltrate the carting and demolition industries to enrich themselves and the Gambino crime family, including by laundering the proceeds of crime. For example, during a financial dispute between Tantillo and the owners of a demolition company (Demolition Company 1), Tantillo and Johnson coordinated a violent hammer attack on an employee of Demolition Company 1, who was left bleeding and seriously injured.
Extortion linked to the carting and demolition industries
Tantillo, Rappa, Vicari, and Johnson engaged in a violent extortion plot related to the demand and receipt of money from an individual (John Doe 1) who operated a go-kart business in the New York area. The extortion scheme involved threatening John Doe 1 with a bat, setting fire to the steps of John Doe 1's residence, attempting to damage John Doe 1's trucks, and violently assaulting an associate of John Doe 1. After John Doe 1 ultimately made a $4,000 payment to Vicari, Vicari and Rappa met and sent Tantillo a photo of Vicari lifting a small bottle of champagne, as in a toast.
As Brooke's trial proved, in the fall of 2019, Brooke engaged in a violent extortion scheme against the owners of a demolition company (John Does 2-4) over alleged debts owed to Tantillo and a company with which Tantillo and Brooke had cooperated. On December 18, 2019, one of the victims was walking to work when she was ambushed and attacked by Brooke at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. The victim suffered a fractured cheekbone, a black eye and facial bruising. In the weeks following the beating, Tantillo contacted the victims who are brothers and told them to pay Brooke and drop the criminal charges against Brooke. Fearing for their safety and that of their employees, the owners of the demolition company paid $50,000 to Tantillo and $40,000 to the company with which Tantillo and Brooke had cooperated.
Extortion and assault of a borrower
In 2020 and 2021, LaForte extorted an individual who owed money to a LaForte associate (John Doe 5). After failing to pay LaForte's associate on time, John Doe 5 was introduced to LaForte, who asked John Doe 5 to arrange an illegal poker game and craps game for LaForte. When John Doe 5 asked LaForte after the craps game for John Doe 5's share of the winnings from running the game, LaForte punched John Doe 5 in the face, causing John Doe 5 to fall backwards and giving him a black eye. LaForte then contacted John Doe 5's father to force John Doe 5 to pay what LaForte said was John Doe 5's debt. In text messages exchanged in November 2020, shortly after John Doe 5's loan, the person who loaned John Doe 5 the money wrote that “(his other punk (John Doe 5) is playing games” and “might go up to his house on Saturday with one of my guys from here.” Another party to the conversation replied, “I took him to see Jimmy made that clear” and later added, “We'll get him. He's scared to death of Jimmy.”
Witness to reprisals and attacks
On February 17, 2021, LaForte and Minsquero assaulted a person they believed had previously provided information to law enforcement about organized crime members and associates (John Doe 6), while Lanni sat nearby. That evening, LaForte and Minsquero approached John Doe 6 at a restaurant. LaForte called John Doe 6 a “rat” and hit John Doe 6 in the face with a bottle. LaForte and Minsquero also overturned John Doe 6's table, sending drinks and broken glasses everywhere.
Union-related fraud and crime in the haulage and demolition sectors
Various defendants also committed a series of crimes aimed at stealing and embezzling funds from unions and employee benefit plans, as well as bid rigging in the demolition and carting industries. Under one such scheme, DiLorenzo provided Rappa with no-show work at DiLorenzo's demolition company so that Rappa could receive union paychecks and health benefits, among other benefits. Likewise, Tantillo arranged for Gradilone to receive a “no-show” job at a construction company with which Tantillo was associated, which allowed Gradilone to receive paychecks and union health benefits to which he was not entitled. Tantillo and Johnson also conspired to get Johnson a “no-show” job, so that Johnson could also receive union health benefits.
* * * * *
The government's case is being handled by the Bureau's Organized Crime and Gang Section. Prosecuting the prosecution are Assistant United States Attorneys Anna L. Karamigios, Andrew M. Roddin, Elias Laris and Brooke E. Theodora.
Accused who pleaded guilty today:
JAMES LAFORTE (also known as “Jimmy”)
Age: 49 years old
New York, New York
Defendants who have already pleaded guilty:
JOSEPH LANNI (also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino”)
Age: 54 years old
Staten Island, New York
DIEGO TANTILLO (also known as “Danny” and “Daniel”)
Age: 50 years old
Freehold, New Jersey
ROBERT BROOK
Age: 58 years old
New York, New York
SALVATORE DILORENZO
Age: 69 years old
Oceanside, New York
ANGELO GRADILONE (also known as “Fifi”)
Age: 59 years old
Staten Island, New York
KYLE JOHNSON (also known as “Twin”)
Age: 48 years old
Bronx, New York
VINCENT MINSQUERO (also known as “Vinny Slick”)
Age: 39 years old
Staten Island, New York
VITO RAPPA (also known as “Vi”)
Age: 58 years old
East Brunswick, New Jersey
FRANCESCO VICARI (also known as “Frank” and “Uncle Ciccio”)
Age: 65 years old
Elmont, New York
EDNY File No. 23-CR-443 (FB)
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/gambino-crime-family-soldier-pleads-guilty-racketeering-conspiracy-and-rated-charges
