Salvatore LoCascio
Encyclopedia
Salvatore LoCascio is a reputed caporegime
in the New York Gambino crime family
.
, Consigliere
to John Gotti
, was sentenced to life imprisonment for mafia crimes. In 1985, with $115,000 that he received from wedding gifts he started his own business, Creative Program Communications, Incorporated with a few friends.
were arrested for attempting to extort money from Scores, a famous upscale strip club
in Manhattan
. However, the case against LoCascio was weak, so prosecutors offered to drop the charges. In return, LoCascio pleaded guilty to tax evasion
for deriving income from illegal gambling. He was sentence to ten months, part of which was home arrest, and a $1.5 million fine. At the time of his plea, Locascio ran numerous 900 number phone services, from psychic
hot lines to sports scores.
Local phone carrier services had been allowing third party telecommunication companies to bill existing customers for services rendered. Typically this would include items such as voice mail and overseas long distance charges. The LoCascio crew then set about billing customers located primarily in the United States mid west for charges they had not requested. This billing was facilitated through the now defunct USP&C of Overland Park, Kansas
. The scheme is known as 'cramming
'.
Soon complaints from victims of both the internet sites and phone bills caught the attention of the US Justice Department. By February 2004, the entire LoCascio crew had been arrested. Federal prosecutors estimate that the Gambinos grossed approximately $500 million from the phone cramming operation. LoCascio was sentenced to two years in federal prison; he was released on 1 August 2008.
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 New York 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...
.
Early life
LoCascio grew up in Eastchester, New York when his father, Frank LoCascioFrank 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....
, 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...
to 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...
, was sentenced to life imprisonment for mafia crimes. In 1985, with $115,000 that he received from wedding gifts he started his own business, Creative Program Communications, Incorporated with a few friends.
The Scores case
In 1998, LoCascio and Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardoMichael DiLeonardo
Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo is an Italian-American New York mobster who formerly belonged to the Gambino crime family and is now a government informant.-Background:...
were arrested for attempting to extort money from Scores, a famous upscale strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
in 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...
. However, the case against LoCascio was weak, so prosecutors offered to drop the charges. In return, LoCascio pleaded guilty to 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,...
for deriving income from illegal gambling. He was sentence to ten months, part of which was home arrest, and a $1.5 million fine. At the time of his plea, Locascio ran numerous 900 number phone services, from psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
hot lines to sports scores.
Pornography and credit card fraud
While serving his time in prison, LoCascio was already building what would be called the largest consumer fraud in American history. Along with Gambino mob soldier Richard "Richie" Martino, Locascio created a number of pornographic websites. These websites were formed through a partnership between Martino and Norman Chanes, a direct marketer. The scam required an age verification check before an adult could access a "free preview" of the sexual content. To perform an age verification check, the customer had to enter their credit card information. The websites clearly stated that the viewer was getting a free preview and their credit card would not be charged. In reality, Locascio and crew were fraudulently charging $25 to $75 on these accounts.Local phone carrier services had been allowing third party telecommunication companies to bill existing customers for services rendered. Typically this would include items such as voice mail and overseas long distance charges. The LoCascio crew then set about billing customers located primarily in the United States mid west for charges they had not requested. This billing was facilitated through the now defunct USP&C of Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
. The scheme is known as 'cramming
Cramming (fraud)
Cramming is a form of fraud in which small charges are added to a bill by a third party without the subscriber's consent or disclosure. These may be disguised as a tax or some other common fee, and may be several dollars or even just a few cents. The crammer's intent is that the subscriber will...
'.
Soon complaints from victims of both the internet sites and phone bills caught the attention of the US Justice Department. By February 2004, the entire LoCascio crew had been arrested. Federal prosecutors estimate that the Gambinos grossed approximately $500 million from the phone cramming operation. LoCascio was sentenced to two years in federal prison; he was released on 1 August 2008.
External links
- Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator Website
- http://www.marconews.com/news/2005/jul/17/ndn_locascio_awaits_sentence_in_money_laundering_c/