Pair Named in 3rd Federal Indictment Aimed at Mafia

A boxing trainer and a Los Angeles clothing retailer-record promoter have been named in a third federal grand jury indictment targeting alleged associates of the Los Angeles family of the Mafia, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Joseph Mangiapani, co-trainer for bantamweight boxer Mike (The Bounty) Hunter who is managed by actor James Caan, is charged with hiring two alleged mob associates to make arrangements to assault a former business associate of Venice clothing retailer Mark Kreiner.

Kreiner, president of Off My Back, a clothing company with outlets in Venice and West Los Angeles, was arrested Tuesday and released on $10,000 bond. Also arrested on the indictment was Clyde David Tracy, 53, of San Diego, identified as the man Mangiapani hired to carry out the attack.

Both Tracy and Mangiapani, a Canoga Park resident, have ties to the Los Angeles crime syndicate, said Richard Stavin of the U.S. Justice Department’s Organized Crime Strike Force. Negotiations for the alleged assault were conducted through the same two informants that provided the basis for the indictments earlier this month of 15 Mafia members and associates, including reputed crime family leader John Peter Milano.

Kreiner, 33, is accused of hiring Mangiapani to help him obtain more lucrative buyout terms from two former partners in a pop music production company, Highrise Entertainment Corp., identified as Lawrence Leal and Mike Lushka.

“Basically, Lushka and Leal were threatened that if they didn’t give Kreiner better terms, some harm might befall them,” Stavin said.

The two men signed the agreement, but a week later, Leal called Kreiner from his Dallas office and attempted to back out of the deal.

At that point, according to the indictment, Kreiner called Mangiapani, who contacted two key associates of the Los Angeles crime family, who in turn gave Tracy $1,000 and Leal’s name and address in Dallas.

“Tracy traveled to Dallas with another individual who we believe to be his son, tracked Leal down at his place of employment, got him in the parking lot and basically told him, if we can track you down here, we can track you down anywhere,” Stavin said. At that point, he said, Leal was beaten.

Arraignment for Kreiner and his co-defendants is set for June 21.