Four Men Convicted on Charges of Racketeering

A Los Angeles federal court jury Wednesday convicted an Upland man, described by prosecutors as the head of a Southern California loan-sharking and illegal bookmaking operation, on conspiracy and racketeering charges.

The defendant, Vito Dominic Spillone, 48, who operates a wholesale food business in South El Monte, was convicted by the same jury last last week of making loans at extortionate interest rates

Co-defendants John Clyde Abel, 41, of Chicago, Frank Serrao, 56, of Huntington Beach and Frank Citro, 39, of Las Vegas were each convicted on one racketeering charge.

Abel, Serrao and Citro were also convicted in the partial verdicts last week of making and collecting loans by extortionate means.

Acquitted in the case were John James Barro, 46, of Hacienda Heights, Joseph Bolognese, 52, of Las Vegas and John Meccia, 51, of La Salle, Ill.

A 1984 federal grand jury indictment had described the seven men as “associates and members” of a crime family that was trying to set up illegal loan-sharking operations in Southern California and Las Vegas. The defendants were accused of making high-interest loans primarily to gamblers at Los Angeles-area card clubs.

In one tape-recorded telephone conversation admitted as evidence, Spillone and Serrao were heard talking about killing delinquent borrowers or breaking their legs.

Although several people were beaten by Spillone’s collectors, prosecutors said no one was murdered over the delinquent payments.

Spillone was visibly shaken after the verdict was read. He declined to comment on whether he will appeal the conviction.

He was convicted on loan-sharking charges in Chicago in 1971 and served five years of a 12-year sentence before being paroled to Los Angeles, according to government prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Matt Byrne Jr. scheduled sentencing for Spillone, Abel, Citro and Serrao for Dec. 2.