Local News in Brief : Mafia Figure Pleads Guilty
An alleged associate of the Los Angeles Mafia pleaded guilty Monday to attempting to extort money from a loan-sharking suspect and the owner of a Brentwood pizza restaurant.
Stephen George Munichiello, 29, of North Hollywood was the fourth person to plead guilty among 15 defendants charged last year in an 18-count racketeering indictment targeting most of the purported leadership of the Mafia group in Southern California.
Munichiello admitted attempting to find Danny Mondavano, identified by law enforcement authorities as a California loan shark, in order to collect money invested with Mondavano by a variety of businessmen, including lobbyist and former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Elson.
Munichiello could have faced up to 40 years in prison and a $20,000 fine on the two charges, but under a plea bargain will be sentenced to no more than two years in prison on the first count and 2 1/2 years’ probation on the second.
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