In a repeat occurrence within just five months, the FBI and other law enforcement groups were back at it, combing through farms in New York, scouring the grounds for any signs of buried bodies. This mission is part of an ongoing probe into the activities of the notorious Gambino crime family. The searches, suspected to be hunting grounds for a "Gambino graveyard," revisited the same two Orange County locations targeted in November 2023: one on Hampton Road in Goshen and another nearby at Campbell Hall Farm on Hamptonburgh Road.
Joining the FBI were the New York State Police, the NYPD, and K-9 search units, all converging on the expansive grounds with a fleet of pickup trucks and off-road vehicles. Although the FBI confirmed their presence at the locations, they remained tight-lipped about the specifics of their search. Adding to the intrigue, the New York City medical examiner was also on-site.
Despite these intense efforts, it's still uncertain if any remains were unearthed this time around. Earlier, sources had indicated that no bodies were discovered during the November searches, despite the use of heavy equipment like a backhoe.
The FBI, maintaining their cloak of secrecy, refused to disclose the identities of the individuals they suspect might be buried at these locations or what led them to these sites. All they would share with NBC New York was that their presence was related to an organized crime investigation.
This renewed search effort is believed to be tied to the arrests of ten men linked to the Gambino crime family. These individuals were apprehended for allegedly employing baseball bats and other forms of intimidation to muscle into New York City's garbage hauling and demolition businesses. The arrests came following the unsealing of a 16-count indictment in federal court, which included charges of racketeering conspiracy, extortion, witness retaliation, and union-related crimes. These acts were purportedly carried out "in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries," according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Despite the intensity of the search for bodies at these farms, no murder charges have been leveled against the men arrested in the fall. The arrests in New York were paralleled by the apprehension of six mob members in Italy by Italian law enforcement, in coordination with the FBI and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn.
The ten arrested individuals include Joseph Lanni, also known as "Joe Brooklyn" and "Mommino," alleged captain in the Gambino organized crime family; Diego "Danny" Tantillo; Angelo Gradilone, also known as "Fifi," an alleged Gambino soldier; James LaForte, an alleged Gambino soldier; Vito Rappa, an alleged U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia member and Gambino associate; Francesco Vicari, also known as “Uncle Ciccio,” an alleged U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia associate and Gambino associate; Salvatore DiLorenzo, an alleged Gambino associate; Robert Brooke, an alleged Gambino associate; Kyle Johnson, also known as “Twin"; and Vincent Minsquero, also known as “Vinny Slick.”
Tantillo, Rappa, Vicari, and Johnson are accused of demanding money from an unnamed person involved in a carting business by using threats, including setting fire to his house's steps, damaging one of his trucks, and assaulting an associate.
The U.S. Attorney Breon Peace stated, "As alleged, for years, the defendants committed violent extortions, assaults, arson, witness retaliation, and other crimes in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries." He emphasized the commitment of the Office and law enforcement partners to dismantle organized crime and keep communities safe.
Rappa allegedly described Vicari as “acted like the Last of the Samurai” in a threatening
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