Daniel Pagano
Encyclopedia
Daniel Pagano(born 1953) is a New York mobster and a caporegime
in the Genovese crime family
who was involved in a famous gasoline bootlegging racket of the 1980s.
Born in New York, Pagano is the son of Joseph Pagano, a soldier in the Genovese family. In 1973, the New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested Daniel Pagano for selling narcotics to undercover officers. During the arrest, Pagano was shot in the back by police while leaning against a police car.
. In 1983, Colombo crime family
mobster Michael Franzese
arranged a meeting with Pagano, Sharpton, and another mob associate (who was an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) agent). The meeting was ostensibly about the mob associate asking Sharpton for an introduction to boxing promoter Don King. However, during the meeting, the associate unsuccessfully tried to enlist Sharpton's assistance in distributing narcotics. After the meeting, the FBI approached Sharpton and allegedly garnered his assistance as an informant against Pagano. However, Sharpton denies this claim to this day.
, or full member, of the Genovese family. He operated in the Bronx
and Manhattan
and was close to Genovese capo Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo
. With the incarceration of Genovese soldier Joseph "Joe Glitz" Galizia
, Pagano was promoted to capo. Pagano oversaw the family's numbers game
and sports betting
rackets in East Harlem, which were operated by the Pisacano brothers. Pagano also owned a business interest in Third World Records, an African/Latino
music label in New York.
In June 1989, Pagano was indicted on charges of illegal gambling, loan sharking and extortion
in Westchester County and Rockland County north of New York City. Pagano and his associates mediated disputes between trash haulers in the area, exercised control over a waterfront construction project in Yonkers, New York
, and conducted loansharking activities. Pagano eventually pleaded guilty to criminal usuary and promoting gambling.
, the scam involved fake transactions of large quantities of gasoline and diesel that were designed to defraud the State of New York out of excise taxes. When the New York Cosa Nostra
families discovered the scam, the Genovese and three other families forced Organizatsiya to pay them a cut of their illegal profits. The families set up a group known as the Association to run the scam. Pagano and his trusted aide, mobster Anthony Palumbo, represented the Genovese interests in the Association.
In late 1992 or early 1993, Pagano thwarted a proposed murder of a Russian mobster. Palumbo's business partner, Russian mobster Victor Zilber, asked him to arrange the murder of a Zilber employee, Russian mobster Monya Elson. When Palumbo approached Pagano for approval, Pagano immediately vetoed the hit. Pagano was afraid that killing Elson would cause major problems with the Organizatsia.
In the early-1990s, the FBI and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) set up a fake fuel company in Trenton, New Jersey
, as part of "Red Daisy", a sting operation
aimed against the bootlegging ring. In February 1992, a suspicious fire destroyed the company facilities. Soon after the fire, a mob associate approached the company owners and informed them that they would have to pay a "mob tax" to sell the bootleg gasoline.
In September 1996, Pagano and Palumbo were indicted on charges of defrauding the government of $77 million in tax revenues. In September 1999, Pagano pleaded guilty to motor fuel tax evasion and was sentenced to 105 months in prison. As a result of his imprisonment, Pagano lost control of many of his former rackets, including the Pisacano brothers illegal gambling operation. On May 12, 2007, Pagano was released from federal prison.
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
in the Genovese crime family
Genovese crime family
The Genovese crime family , is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The Genovese crime family has been nicknamed the "Ivy League" and "Rolls Royce" of organized crime...
who was involved in a famous gasoline bootlegging racket of the 1980s.
Born in New York, Pagano is the son of Joseph Pagano, a soldier in the Genovese family. In 1973, the New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested Daniel Pagano for selling narcotics to undercover officers. During the arrest, Pagano was shot in the back by police while leaning against a police car.
Meeting with Sharpton
In the early 1980s, Pagano became acquainted with African-American activist Al SharptonAl Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
. In 1983, Colombo crime family
Colombo crime family
The Colombo crime family is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia ....
mobster Michael Franzese
Michael Franzese
Michael Franzese , is a former New York mobster with the Colombo crime family who was heavily involved in the gasoline tax rackets in the 1980s...
arranged a meeting with Pagano, Sharpton, and another mob associate (who was an undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) agent). The meeting was ostensibly about the mob associate asking Sharpton for an introduction to boxing promoter Don King. However, during the meeting, the associate unsuccessfully tried to enlist Sharpton's assistance in distributing narcotics. After the meeting, the FBI approached Sharpton and allegedly garnered his assistance as an informant against Pagano. However, Sharpton denies this claim to this day.
Promotion
In the late 1980s, Pagano became a made manMade man
A made man, also known as a Mafioso , made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore , is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian or American Mafia . They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy...
, or full member, of the Genovese family. He operated in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
and Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and was close to Genovese capo Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo
Dominick Cirillo
Dominick V. "Quiet Dom" Cirillo is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante.- Early life:...
. With the incarceration of Genovese soldier Joseph "Joe Glitz" Galizia
Joseph Galizia
Joseph "Joe Glitz" Galizia was a New York mobster who became a high-ranking soldier in the Genovese crime family, and ran a large gasoline bootlegging operation.-Becoming a family member:...
, Pagano was promoted to capo. Pagano oversaw the family's numbers game
Numbers game
Numbers game, also known as a numbers racket, policy racket or Italian lottery, is an illegal lottery played mostly in poor neighborhoods in the United States, wherein a bettor attempts to pick three digits to match those that will be randomly drawn the following day...
and sports betting
Sports betting
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.-United States of America:Aside from simple wagers such as betting a friend that one's favorite baseball team will win its division or buying a football "square" for the Super Bowl, sports betting is...
rackets in East Harlem, which were operated by the Pisacano brothers. Pagano also owned a business interest in Third World Records, an African/Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
music label in New York.
In June 1989, Pagano was indicted on charges of illegal gambling, loan sharking and extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
in Westchester County and Rockland County north of New York City. Pagano and his associates mediated disputes between trash haulers in the area, exercised control over a waterfront construction project in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
, and conducted loansharking activities. Pagano eventually pleaded guilty to criminal usuary and promoting gambling.
Gasoline bootlegging
After become capo, Pagano became the Genovese family contact in the "Gasoline Bootlegging Rackets". Originated in 1987 by the Organizatsiya, a Russian criminal organization in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, the scam involved fake transactions of large quantities of gasoline and diesel that were designed to defraud the State of New York out of excise taxes. When the New York Cosa Nostra
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
families discovered the scam, the Genovese and three other families forced Organizatsiya to pay them a cut of their illegal profits. The families set up a group known as the Association to run the scam. Pagano and his trusted aide, mobster Anthony Palumbo, represented the Genovese interests in the Association.
In late 1992 or early 1993, Pagano thwarted a proposed murder of a Russian mobster. Palumbo's business partner, Russian mobster Victor Zilber, asked him to arrange the murder of a Zilber employee, Russian mobster Monya Elson. When Palumbo approached Pagano for approval, Pagano immediately vetoed the hit. Pagano was afraid that killing Elson would cause major problems with the Organizatsia.
In the early-1990s, the FBI and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
(IRS) set up a fake fuel company in Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, as part of "Red Daisy", a sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
aimed against the bootlegging ring. In February 1992, a suspicious fire destroyed the company facilities. Soon after the fire, a mob associate approached the company owners and informed them that they would have to pay a "mob tax" to sell the bootleg gasoline.
In September 1996, Pagano and Palumbo were indicted on charges of defrauding the government of $77 million in tax revenues. In September 1999, Pagano pleaded guilty to motor fuel tax evasion and was sentenced to 105 months in prison. As a result of his imprisonment, Pagano lost control of many of his former rackets, including the Pisacano brothers illegal gambling operation. On May 12, 2007, Pagano was released from federal prison.