George DeCicco
Encyclopedia
Gregory "Big Georgie" DeCicco (born March 20, 1929) is a New York mobster and longtime Caporegime
in the Gambino crime family
. DeCicco is one of the last capos of the old John Gotti
regime in the 1980s who haven't been under any indictment until now. DeCicco is the older brother of former Gambino Underboss
Frank DeCicco
, who was killed in a car-bomb meant for his Boss
John Gotti, organized by then current Boss of the Genovese crime family
, Vincent "Chin" Gigante
, and Lucchese crime family
leaders Vittorio "Vic" Amuso
and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
as revenge for the murder of former Gambino crime family Boss, Paul Castellano
, a strong ally of both the Genovese and Lucchese crime families.
in the old crew of John Gotti
, then run by Angelo "Quack Quack" Ruggiero
, but because Ruggiero suffered from cancer in 1989, Gotti's brother Gene
took over the crew, only to discover that he would be convicted of drug trafficking and narcotics charges and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Working with Gambino mobsters John Carneglia
, Salvatore "Fat Sally" Scala
and Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri
for many years, DeCicco was at that time promoted to the rank of Caporegime in the family. He is the brother of Frank DeCicco
.
decided to turn state's evidence due to internal rivalry with Gotti at the time, and was put on the stand to testify against Gotti, Consigliere
Frank "Frankie Loc" LoCascio
and dozens of other Gambino mobsters during the early 1990s. In 1992, Gotti and LoCascio were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, conspiracy
, extortion
, loansharking, money laundering
, tax evasion
and illegal gambling charges. But as many went down due to the testimony provided by Gravano, others went under the radar, especially former rivals of Gotti like Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo
and Leonard "Lenny" DiMaria
, who were at some point promoted to run the Gambino crime family unofficially with Pete Gotti
. DeCicco, a true Gotti loyalist, also went under the radar of the US law enforcement, as he continued to operate out of the Staten Island
and Brooklyn factions of the family, with labor racketeering, extortion, money laundering, loansharking, illegal gambling and fraud activities.
were arrested and indicted on federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
charges, including DeCicco, one of the last untouched capos from the old John Gotti regime in the 1980s. DeCicco was charged with operating a multi million-dollar-a-year loansharking operation in New York City
, as well as extortion, illegal gambling, racketeering and money laundering operations. As it turns out, an associate of DeCicco had turned state's evidence, as a soldier in the DeCicco crew named Joseph Orlando had threatened to kill him over a loansharking debt. Because he thought he would be killed, the associate turned to the federal authorities for help, and provided the loansharking operation to the federal prosecutors. At the same time, much of their illegal business was recorded by hidden wires on the newly-made turncoat. Toward December 2007, George DeCicco's lawyer said he would seek house arrest for his client because DeCicco reputedly has heart problems and wears a nitroglycerin patch. On December 19, 2007 DeCicco pled guilty to racketeering charges and faced 27 to 33 months in prison. He served his time at the Devens Federal Medical Center in Massachusetts. He was released on December 1, 2009.
after shopping only moments before the assassination-attempt. DeCicco managed to drag himself out of the car and stagger into a pharmacy to call for help, witnesses said.
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 Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino 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 group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
. DeCicco is one of the last capos of the old John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
regime in the 1980s who haven't been under any indictment until now. DeCicco is the older brother of former Gambino Underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco also known as Frankie D and Frankie Cheech was a New York mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family...
, who was killed in a car-bomb meant for his Boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
John Gotti, organized by then current Boss of 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...
, Vincent "Chin" Gigante
Vincent Gigante
Vincent Gigante was a short lived professional light heavyweight boxer who was known as "The Chin" Gigante. He fought 25 matches and lost four, boxing 121 rounds. On February 19, 1945, he fought Pete Petrello in Madison Square Garden and won by a knock out in the second round. During his successful...
, and Lucchese crime family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese 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 family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
leaders Vittorio "Vic" Amuso
Victor Amuso
Vittorio "Little Vic" Amuso is a New York mobster and, as of 2011, the reputed Boss of the Lucchese crime family. Amuso is currently serving life at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, Texas on murder and racketeering charges....
and Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso
Anthony Casso
Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso is a former New York City mobster who served as underboss and acting boss of the Lucchese crime family until he was arrested in 1993, becoming a cooperating witness for the Federal Government...
as revenge for the murder of former Gambino crime family Boss, Paul Castellano
Paul Castellano
Constantino Paul "Big Paul" Castellano , also known as "The Howard Hughes of the Mob" and "Big Paulie" , was an American Mafia boss in New York City. He succeeded Carlo Gambino as head of the Gambino crime family, at the time, the nation's largest Mafia family...
, a strong ally of both the Genovese and Lucchese crime families.
Gotti's crew
During the 1980s, DeCicco worked as a sidewalk soldierMade 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...
in the old crew of John Gotti
John Gotti
John Joseph Gotti, Jr was an American mobster who became the Boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City. Gotti grew up in poverty. He and his brothers turned to a life of crime at an early age...
, then run by Angelo "Quack Quack" Ruggiero
Angelo Ruggiero
Angelo Salvatore Ruggiero Sr. pronounced was a caporegime of the Gambino crime family and close friend of John Gotti.-Mob family roots:...
, but because Ruggiero suffered from cancer in 1989, Gotti's brother Gene
Gene Gotti
Eugene Gotti is a New York mobster with the Gambino crime family who was a major drug trafficker.-Background:Born to John and Fannie Gotti, Gene has four brothers: deceased Gambino boss John Gotti, Peter Gotti, capo Richard V. Gotti, and soldier Vincent Gotti...
took over the crew, only to discover that he would be convicted of drug trafficking and narcotics charges and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Working with Gambino mobsters John Carneglia
John Carneglia
John 'Johnny Carnegs' Carneglia is a New York criminal with the Gambino crime family who was convicted of running a heroin distribution ring...
, Salvatore "Fat Sally" Scala
Salvatore Scala
Salvatore Scala, also known as "Fat Sal" and "Uncle Sal" was a New York mobster who became a caporegime in the Gambino crime family.Scala was born in Fort Lee, New Jersey, to first-generation immigrants from Scala, Italy...
and Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri
Arnold Squitieri
Arnold "Squiggy" Ezekiel Squitieri of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey is a convicted drug dealer and former acting boss and current Underboss of the Gambino crime family. He is also known as "Zeke", "Bozey", and "Squitty".-Murder charge:...
for many years, DeCicco was at that time promoted to the rank of Caporegime in the family. He is the brother of Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco
Frank DeCicco also known as Frankie D and Frankie Cheech was a New York mobster and labor racketeer for the Gambino crime family...
.
Gambino Capo
Toward the 1990s, John Gotti was eventually caught up to by US law enforcement, as his Underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" GravanoSammy Gravano
Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano is a former underboss of the Gambino crime family. He is known as the man who helped bring down John Gotti, the family's boss, by agreeing to become a Federal Bureau of Investigation informant and turn state's evidence.Originally a mobster for the Colombo crime...
decided to turn state's evidence due to internal rivalry with Gotti at the time, and was put on the stand to testify against Gotti, Consigliere
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
Frank "Frankie Loc" LoCascio
Frank Locascio
Frank "Frankie Loc" LoCascio is a New York mobster who became the Consigliere to the Gambino crime family, under Boss John Gotti. LoCascio is the father of Salvatore LoCascio, a caporegime in the Gambino family....
and dozens of other Gambino mobsters during the early 1990s. In 1992, Gotti and LoCascio were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
, 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...
, loansharking, money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
, tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
and illegal gambling charges. But as many went down due to the testimony provided by Gravano, others went under the radar, especially former rivals of Gotti like Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo
Nicholas Corozzo
Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo is a New York mobster who is the reputed acting boss of the Gambino crime family.-Biography:...
and Leonard "Lenny" DiMaria
Leonard DiMaria
Leonard "Lenny" DiMaria , also known as "Fatso" and "the Conductor", is a New York mobster and Caporegime in the Gambino crime family...
, who were at some point promoted to run the Gambino crime family unofficially with Pete Gotti
Peter Gotti
Peter Gotti, also known as "One Eyed Pete", "Petey Boy", "One Eye" , is a New York mobster who is the former boss of the Gambino crime family and the older brother of deceased Gambino boss John Gotti.-Background:...
. DeCicco, a true Gotti loyalist, also went under the radar of the US law enforcement, as he continued to operate out of the Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
and Brooklyn factions of the family, with labor racketeering, extortion, money laundering, loansharking, illegal gambling and fraud activities.
Indictments and trial
On January 30, 2007, more than ten mobsters from two of the Five FamiliesFive Families
The Five Families are the five original Italian-American Mafia crime families which have dominated organized crime in America since 1931. The Five Families in New York remain as the powerhouse of the Italian Mafia in the United States.-History:...
were arrested and indicted on federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act or simply RICO, is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization...
charges, including DeCicco, one of the last untouched capos from the old John Gotti regime in the 1980s. DeCicco was charged with operating a multi million-dollar-a-year loansharking operation in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, as well as extortion, illegal gambling, racketeering and money laundering operations. As it turns out, an associate of DeCicco had turned state's evidence, as a soldier in the DeCicco crew named Joseph Orlando had threatened to kill him over a loansharking debt. Because he thought he would be killed, the associate turned to the federal authorities for help, and provided the loansharking operation to the federal prosecutors. At the same time, much of their illegal business was recorded by hidden wires on the newly-made turncoat. Toward December 2007, George DeCicco's lawyer said he would seek house arrest for his client because DeCicco reputedly has heart problems and wears a nitroglycerin patch. On December 19, 2007 DeCicco pled guilty to racketeering charges and faced 27 to 33 months in prison. He served his time at the Devens Federal Medical Center in Massachusetts. He was released on December 1, 2009.
Attempted murder on his son
On June 6, 2007, DeCicco's son Robert DeCicco, whom federal authorities identified as a 56-year-old mob associate, was shot four times, once in the torso, once in the head and twice in the arm, as he exited a pharmacy in Bath Beach. According to the Post, the bungled assassination came just a day after another Gambino crime family mobster busted with DeCicco and his dad in January was moved into protective custody because of threats against his life. The younger DeCicco, who was indicted in January along with his father, had just gotten into his 1998 gray Cadillac SevilleCadillac Seville
The Cadillac Seville is a luxury-type car that was manufactured by the Cadillac division of American automaker General Motors from 1975 to 2004, as a smaller-sized top-of-the-line Cadillac...
after shopping only moments before the assassination-attempt. DeCicco managed to drag himself out of the car and stagger into a pharmacy to call for help, witnesses said.