9 alleged gangsters indicted
A reputed acting mob boss and eight others were arrested on federal charges accusing them of coast-to-coast Mafia crimes, ranging from gangland hits in New York to a home-invasion robbery in Los Angeles, authorities said.
Among those named in a racketeering indictment were Thomas “Tommy Shots” Gioeli, 55, who authorities said was the acting boss of the Colombo organized crime family. Three other defendants already behind bars also were charged, including 89-year-old John “Sonny” Franzese, identified as the family’s underboss. They all pleaded not guilty.
The Los Angeles angle dates from 2006, when two defendants dressed as Drug Enforcement Administration agents allegedly tried to rob a home where they expected to find $1 million in drug money, court papers said. Armed with a fake search warrant, they burst in and pistol-whipped a woman but found no cash, the papers said.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.