Long time Genovese Crime Family mobster Emilio Fusco was found guilty of racketeering , extortion conspiracy , and interstate travel in aid of racketeering but was acquitted on murder charges. Fusco was being charged for his parts in the 2003 murders of onetime Genovese family boss Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno and mob associate turned informant Gary D. Westerman. But even after his acquittal by the jury Fusco was hit with a 25 year sentence by a federal judge.

“Emilio Fusco”

 
The judge ruled that Fusco was complicit in the murders of both Bruno and Westerman. Judges under federal law can consider what is called “relevant conduct” during sentencing and find defendants responsible for crimes with a lower proof threshold then a actual jury. Fusco defense attorneys called the ruling unreasonable and excessive. Prosecutors were lobbying for a 45 year sentence because of Fusco’s 20 year career in the Mafia.

Three defendants including one time acting Genovese acting boss Arthur “Artie” Nigro are already serving life sentences. Bruno was killed by a hit team back in 2003 being shot six times at close range. Prosecutors claimed that Fusco played a key role in a hit being put on Bruno by Genovese family leaders. Fusco circulated references to Bruno being an informant to mobsters in both Western Massachusetts and New York which ultimately led to Bruno’s downfall. Also Genovese mobster turned informant Anthony J. Arillotta testified that Fusco was recruited to help kill Gary Westerman and had a hand in his murder just weeks before the Bruno murder.

New York based gangster John Bologna has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his part in the 2003 mafia hit of Adolfo Bruno among other crimes. Bruno was the regional leader for the Genovese crime family in Massachusetts when he feel out of favor with then acting boss Arthur “Artie” Nigro. Bologna was part of a Bronx based crew of the Genovese family and traveled from New York to Springfield often in 2002 and 2003 ramping up extortion efforts there. He also took a hand in stirring up the bad blood between Bruno and Nigro at the time leading to the murder of Bruno. The big twist in this whole ordeal was that Bologna was actually a turncoat and had been cooperating with the feds since 1996.

“John Bologna (left) and Adolfo Bruno (right)”

 
 
All this time while Bologna was working with authorities he was also wrapped up in murder and extortion plots from Connecticut to Springfield and New York. Even though he had cut a deal with the government prosecutors consistently caught him telling lies and holding back critical information. When Bruno’s successor Genovese mobster Anthony J. Arillotta became an informant in 2010 prosecutors learned even more about Bologna’s omissions. Bologna was not used as a witness for Bruno murder trials in both 2011 and 2012 which produced life sentences for mobsters Arthur Nigro , Ty Geas, and Fotios “Freddy” Geas along with mob associate Gary D. Westerman. Even though these trials included the testimony of multiple mafia informants Bologna was not called to the stand because he continually lied to prosecutors about his involvement in criminal acts.
 
In 2009 Bologna pleaded guilty to nine criminal counts one of which was his conspiring in the Bruno murder. He appeared in court on Tuesday with help of a cane as his lawyers told the Judge that Bologna was suffering from prostate cancer and asked for a lower sentence. Bologna has been held with out bail since 2010 and will get credit for that time and now has an additional 5 years left in prison.

Genovese crime family mobster turned rat Anthony “Bingy” Arillotta is set to be sentenced in March for his part in the murder of Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno the Genovese family boss in Connecticut among others. Arillotta is looking to cash in for his cooperation and testimony against his fellow mobsters. He testified in two separate trials in 2011 and 2012 in New York delivering information on Mafia life and multiple murder plots including that of Bruno and mob associate Gary Westerman. He supplied key testimony against former mob hit men Fotios “Freddy” Geas and brother Ty Geas and former Genovese family acting boss Arthur “Artie” Nigro.

“Anthony Arillotta”

Arillotta testified that permission to murder Bruno was oked by bosses of the New York Mafia and that Nigro ultimately gave the order. He said they paid hit man Frankie A. Roche $10,000 to gun Bruno down cowboy style in 2003. He also admitted to shaking down local Springfield business owners along with the Geas brothers along with details of how they murdered Westerman because they thought he may have been an informant. He also testified against mob loan shark Emilio Fusco and implicated him in the murder of Bruno and Westerman but Fusco was later acquitted of both murders but got 25 years in prison for racketeering. Nigro along with both Geas brothers were convicted on murder charges and are currently serving life sentences.
 

Although Arillotta is the most high profile defendant in the case there were other mob informants who testified. Triggerman Frankie Roche along with lower level mobsters Felix Tranghese and John Bologna all flipped. In return for there coopetation Roche received a 14 year prison term, Tranghese got a 4 year term, and Bologna eight years. It is still unknown as the what range of sentencing Arillotta is facing and how big of a break he will get for his testimony. One thing is for sure he will definately be looking to cash in on his decision to cooperate.

Former Genovese crime family capo turned rat Anthony “Bingy” Arillotta was sentenced to only 99 months in prison for mafia crimes including two murders and three attempted murders among others. He was charged with the murders of former Massachusetts mob boss Adolfo Bruno and mob associate Gary Westerman back in 2003. After cozying up to New York mob leaders and the 2003 murder of his one time mentor Arillotta formerly became a made member of the Genovese family and took over the mob families Springfield operations. Then in 2010 he was arrested and charged with both murder of Bruno and Westerman and other crimes and almost immediately began cooperating with the feds.

“Anthony Arillotta”

Arillotta agreed to a plea deal and became a cooperating witness against his mafia cohorts. He supplied the feds with the location of Gary Westerman’s remains and exposed the entire Bruno murder plot. He would go on to testify at two separate trials sending two of his former crew along with former New York Mafia based acting Genovese family boss Arthur “Artie” Nigro and loan shark Emilio Fusco to prison. He has been labeled as one of the best mafia informants ever by federal prosecutors.
 

With time served the 47 year old wiseguy will now only serve an additional four years in prison for all of his treacherous crimes. He was also slapped with a $2 million dollar forfeiture as part of his sentencing. Facing a life sentence for his crimes after his 2010 arrest it seems that cooperating and becoming a rat has once again paid off handsomely for another mobster.

Genovese crime family mobsters who were convicted back in 2011 of the murder of former Springfield mafia boss Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno have filed fresh appeals to have their life sentences vacated. Bruno was killed back in 2003 gun downed in a parking lot by a gunman acting on the orders or former Genovese family boss Arthur “Artie” Nigro, who was making a power play to take control of area rackets according to the feds. The Springfield mafia crew operated under the Genovese family of the New York mafia and was decimated by the convictions which followed Bruno’s murder. Three men were convicted of multiple murders which included Bruno which included Nigro and brothers Fotios “Freddy” Geas and Ty Geas.

“John Bologna (left) and Adolfo Bruno (right)“

According to witnesses in the case Nigro gave the green light on the Bruno hit and was pulling the strings from New York. The feds with the aid of turncoat co-conspirators were able to make their case and all three men received life sentences. Now these new motions mainly the one filed on behalf of Nigro are calling into question both key witnesses, former mobster John Bologna and wealthy Springfield businessman James Santaniello and the previous defenses handling of them. Bologna was a mid level mobster and Nigro’s former right hand man who jumped between crime families while also acting as an informant for the FBI since 1996. Nigro’s new lawyer claims his previous counsel fell short in many areas in his clients defense, including failing to make more of Bologna’s cross-examination.

Bologna worked as an informant for 14 years before being disavowed by the feds only after his role in the Bruno murder came to light via other witnesses. In the latest appeal a lawyer for Nigro labeled Bologna as the FBI New York office’s Whitey Bulger stating the feds knew about his criminal dealings during his 14 years as an informant and even tipped him off to mob investigations in Springfield according to previous reports. Nigro’s new defense is arguing that Bologna had orchestrated various extortion schemes in Springfield and was the one who actually ordered the hit on Bruno and not Nigro. An FBI agent who testified at the Nigro trial claimed that Bologna simply hid information about his criminal activities during briefings.

These last ditch motions are seen as long shots to get their life sentences set aside.

  Long time Genovese Crime Family mobster Emilio Fusco was found guilty of racketeering, extortion conspiracy, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering but was acquitted on murder charges. Fusco was being charged for his parts in the 2003 murders of onetime Genovese family boss Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno and mob associate turned informant Gary [...]

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  New York based gangster John Bologna has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his part in the 2003 mafia hit of Adolfo Bruno among other crimes. Bruno was the regional leader for the Genovese crime family in Massachusetts when he feel out of favor with then acting boss Arthur “Artie” Nigro. Bologna [...]

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  Genovese crime family mobster turned rat Anthony “Bingy” Arillotta is set to be sentenced in March for his part in the murder of Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno the Genovese family boss in Connecticut among others. Arillotta is looking to cash in for his cooperation and testimony against his fellow mobsters. He testified in two [...]

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  Former Genovese crime family capo turned rat Anthony “Bingy” Arillotta was sentenced to only 99 months in prison for mafia crimes including two murders and three attempted murders among others. He was charged with the murders of former Massachusetts mob boss Adolfo Bruno and mob associate Gary Westerman back in 2003. After cozying up [...]

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  Genovese crime family mobsters who were convicted back in 2011 of the murder of former Springfield mafia boss Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno have filed fresh appeals to have their life sentences vacated. Bruno was killed back in 2003 gun downed in a parking lot by a gunman acting on the orders or former Genovese [...]

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