Prison and More Indictments
On July 13, 2001, the imprisoned Bellomo was indicted on money laundering charges related to the Genovese family's involvement in the waterfront rackets and control of the ILA. Bellomo was accused of hiding money stolen from the ILA's members pension fund account between 1996 and 1997. Bellomo again pleaded guilty to lesser charges, pushing back his scheduled release date in 2004.
On February 23, 2006, Bellomo and over 30 Genovese family members were indicted on more racketeering charges. Bellomo was specifically charged with ordering the 1998 murder of Ralph Coppola, the acting captain of Bellomo's crew and Bellomo's good friend. On September 16, 1998, Coppola disappeared a few weeks before his sentencing on fraud charges and was never found. Government witness Peter Peluso, a former lawyer for the Genovese family, stated that he had transported a message from Bellomo in prison ordering Coppola's murder. Some accounts state that Coppola was disrespectful, others say that he was stealing family profits.
According to the Bellomo indictment:
| “ | LIBORIO S. BELLOMO, a/k/a "Barney Bellomo," the defendant, was, at various times relevant to this Indictment, a Soldier, Capo, and Acting Boss of the Genovese Organized Crime Family. Prior to becoming Acting Boss of the Genovese Organized Crime Family in or about 1992, BELLOMO was first a Soldier in the Genovese Family, and then a powerful Capo, who controlled a crew of Soldiers and associates based in the Bronx, New York. BELLOMO was responsible for, amongst other things, control over labor unions associated with the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. BELLOMO became the Acting Boss of the Genovese Organized Crime Family in or about 1992, following the incarceration of Genovese Family Boss Vincent Gigante. In or about 1996, BELLOMO was himself incarcerated after being arrested on Federal criminal charges filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Following his incarceration, and even after being replaced as Acting Boss, BELLOMO retained significant power and authority within the Genovese Organized Crime Family, and he continued to be consulted on, and make decisions with respect to, the Genovese Family's criminal activities. In or about 1997, following his conviction on Federal extortion charges, BELLOMO was sentenced to a term of 10 years' imprisonment. BELLOMO's criminal activities included the 1998 murder of Ralph Coppola, a Genovese Family Soldier and Acting Capo, as well as his participation in two schemes to obstruct justice, one by conspiring to tamper with a potential witness, and the other by giving false and misleading testimony in a grand jury proceeding. | ” |
Peluso pleaded guilty to his role in the murder. However, the government had no proof that Peluso had indeed met with Bellomo. With insufficient evidence to press the murder charge against Bellomo, the government offered him a plea bargain for mail fraud. Bellomo accepted and received one additional year in prison. His daughter Sabrina, is credited with helping get her father a light sentence with a tearful plea to judge Lewis A. Kaplan. Due to her father's 12 year imprisonment, he had missed her high school, college, and law school graduations.
Read more about this topic: Liborio Bellomo
Famous quotes containing the word prison:
“Whensoever any affliction assails me, me thinks I have the keyes of my prison in mine owne hand, and no remedy presents it selfe so soone to my heart, as mine own sword. Often meditation of this hath wonne me to a charitable interpretation of their action, who dy so: and provoked me a little to watch and exagitate their reasons, which pronounce so peremptory judgements upon them.”
—John Donne (c. 1572–1631)