New York Paralegal Blog

In this moment of profound sorrow, our hearts are heavy with the tragic news of Charlie's passing. The news of his death has resonated deeply within the community he's so tirelessly served, and we extend our sincerest condolences and prayers for strength and comfort for you all during this incredibly difficult time. Charlie's journey was marked by an unwavering spirit and a remarkable dedication to his beliefs. From a young age, he embarked on a mission to engage and inspire, establishing Turning Point USA at just 18 years old. This audacious undertaking blossomed into a formidable force, empowering countless young individuals and fostering a vibrant community rooted in conservative principles. His passion for Christ was always a guiding light in his life and work. He openly shared his faith, demonstrating how it informed his values and fueled his commitment to making a difference. This steadfast devotion undoubtedly was a source of immense strength for him, and...

Justice has been served! Anthony Villani, a powerful captain in the notorious Luchese organized crime family, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for his role in a massive, illegal online gambling operation. This wasn't just some small-time bookie; Villani's "Rhino Sports" raked in at least $35 million in illicit profits over nearly two decades, all under the "protection" of the Luchese family. And as part of his sentence, he's been ordered to pay a staggering $4 million in forfeiture! This outcome is a huge win for law enforcement, sending a clear message to organized crime: your illegal enterprises and lavish lifestyles funded by criminal activity will be shut down, and you will be held accountable. Unmasking "Rhino Sports": A Deep Dive into the Illegal Empire Villani’s illegal gambling business, operating since the early 2000s, was a sophisticated setup. It used offshore servers in Costa Rica, employing local bookmakers to...

Thirty-eight defendants charged in United States v. Andrew Russo, et al., a case brought as part of the Department of Justice’s largest single-day operation against La Cosa Nostra, have pleaded guilty to federal charges. According to court documents, those who have pleaded guilty include the members of the entire administration of the Colombo organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Colombo family”), as well as numerous leaders, members, and associates of the Colombo family.

WASHINGTON– The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE:FDO) today announced the signing of a National Universal Agreement to Mediate (NUAM) to informally resolve workplace disputes through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) prior to an EEOC investigation or potential litigation. The NUAM applies to all Family Dollar establishments throughout the United States.

Earlier today, following a seven-week trial in federal court in Brooklyn, Thomas Gioeli, the former acting boss of the Colombo organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Colombo family”), and Colombo family soldier Dino Saracino were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy. As part of the conspiracy, the jury found that Gioeli had participated in three murder conspiracies as predicate acts of racketeering and that Saracino had engaged in five racketeering acts, including two murder conspiracies, conspiring to make and making an extortionate extension of credit, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. Saracino was also found guilty of four additional counts, including charges of conspiring to make an extortionate extension of credit, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. The jury found the defendants not guilty of the murders in-aid-of racketeering related to the murder of Richard Greaves, the murder of New York City Police Officer Ralph Dols, and the murder of Willi...

Following a three-day trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn today returned a verdict convicting Genovese Organized Crime Family associate Frank DiMattina, also known as “Frankie D” and “Frankie Ariana,” of Hobbs Act extortion and a related firearms charge.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ARTHUR NIGRO, the former acting boss of the Genovese organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra (the “Genovese Family”), and Genovese Family associates FOTIOS GEAS and TY GEAS were each sentenced to life in prison today in Manhattan federal court. All three defendants were convicted at trial in April 2011 of various crimes, including multiple murders, attempted murder, multiple murder conspiracies, racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, multiple extortions, and loansharking. The defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Judge P. KEVIN CASTEL.

McALLEN, TX—A total of 20 South Texas residents indicted for their roles in a scheme to defraud the American Family Life Assurance Company (Aflac) of millions of dollars by filing thousands of false injury claims under Aflac’s accident-only insurance plan have been convicted this week, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JOSEPH WATTS, a longtime associate of the Gambino Organized Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra (the "Gambino Family"), pled guilty this morning before U.S. District Judge COLLEEN MCMAHON to a two-count Superseding Information that charges WATTS with participating in murder and assault conspiracies in order to maintain and increase his influence in the Gambino Family. According to the Information, the plea proceeding, and the record of the case: WATTS was a close associate of one-time Gambino Family Boss JOHN A. GOTTI and others. Although WATTS was never formally inducted into the Gambino Family as a "made" member because of his non-Italian lineage, he was afforded the status of a Gambino Family capo.

19 Individuals Charged in Connection With Illegal Gambling Enterprise that Bribed Undercover NYPD Offficers Arrests Include Several Members of Luchese Crime Family NEW YORK, NY (October 1, 2009) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, along with Southern District of New York United States Attorney Preet Bharara, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, and Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore, today announced the indictment of 19 individuals on charges relating to an illegal gambling, sports betting and loan sharking enterprise controlled by the Luchese Organized Crime Family. This morning’s raids capped a two-year investigation dubbed “Operation Crooked House,” which uncovered that members of the Luchese enterprise bribed undercover members of the NYPD for protection of their illegal card clubs. In total, 19 individuals were indicted on federal felony charges filed in the Southern District of New York. Twelve of them were charged in the federal indictment with pa...

(openPR) CHICAGO – A jury in Chicago has found two Johnson & Johnson subsidiaries liable in the death of a Cicero, Ill., woman who died while using a Duragesic® patch, and ordered the companies to pay her family $16,560,000. The verdict in the case involving 38-year-old Janice DiCosolo, a mother of three, was delivered in Judge Thomas Flanagan’s courtroom in the Cook County Circuit Court, after a three-week trial. When Mrs. DiCosolo died on February 15, 2004, she was using a Duragesic patch that her doctor prescribed to reduce the almost constant pain she experienced as a result of a neurological condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Duragesic is a patch containing a gel form of the drug fentanyl, which is 100-times stronger than morphine. More...

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and The Legal Aid Society Attorney-in-Chief Steven Banks today announced an agreement dismissing the McCain, Lamboy, Slade, and Cosentino collection of lawsuits, which together have governed the homeless services system for families with children in New York City for 25 years. The agreement, signed by the parties today, ends litigation and court oversight of the City's family shelter services system. Nearly three years ago, a court-appointed Special Master Panel evaluated the homeless services system and unanimously recommended the end to litigation. The Mayor and Attorney-in-Chief Banks were joined in the Blue Room at City Hall by Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Linda I. Gibbs, Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo, Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Commissioner Robert V. Hess, and State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Commissioner David A. Hansell. "Today marks the beginning of a new era - an era in which the...