Gennaro Langella

Gennaro Adriano Langella (Italian pronunciation: [dʒenˈnaːro adriˈaːno lanˈdʒɛlla]; December 30, 1938 – December 15, 2013),[1] also known as "Gerry Lang", was an American mobster in the Colombo crime family of New York City, and eventually became underboss and acting boss.

Gennaro Langella
FBI mugshot, October 24, 1984
Born(1938-12-30)December 30, 1938
New York City, U.S.
DiedDecember 15, 2013(2013-12-15) (aged 74)
Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
Other names"Gerry Lang", "Jerry Lang"
Children1
AllegianceColombo crime family
Criminal chargePerjury, obstruction of justice (1985)
Racketeering (1986)
Racketeering (1986)
Penalty10 years' imprisonment and fined $15,000 (1985)
65 years' imprisonment (1986)
100 years' imprisonment and fined $240,000 (1987)

Biography

Background

Langella was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1938 to first generation immigrants from Campania, Italy. Langella became a close associate of future mob boss Carmine Persico. It is believed that Langella secretly became a "made man" in the Colombo family during a time when the New York crime families were not accepting new members. Langella is the father of reputed Colombo soldier Vincent Langella. Crime writer Selwyn Raab described Langella as:

... a ruthless arrogant loan shark and drug trafficker.[2] His speech was peppered with expletives. He was considered a vain clotheshorse and unlike more contemporary Hollywood gangster attire he favored double-breasted blazers, sporty open-collar shirts and wrap-around sunglasses. He was a regular patron of the Casa Sorta restaurant in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn where he would hold meetings with associates".[2]

Colombo family

Langella quickly rose up through the ranks of the crime family. While Persico served prison time during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Langella doubled as underboss and even as acting boss while Persico went into hiding to avoid federal indictments. Langella supervised various labor rackets for the family, including their stake in "Concrete Club", and exerted control over various labor unions, including Cement and Concrete Workers District Council, Local 6A.[3] As acting boss, his consigliere was Ralph Scopo Jr., the son of Colombo crime family soldier Ralph Scopo Sr.[4]

Prison

On October 14, 1984, Langella, Persico, and other Colombo mobsters were indicted on RICO racketeering and extortion charges in the Colombo trial.[5] On February 25, 1985, Langella and other mob leaders were indicted in the Mafia Commission Trial.[6][7]

In March 1985, Langella was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment and a $15,000 fine for perjury and obstruction of justice.[8] In the Colombo Trial, Langella was sentenced to 65 years' imprisonment on November 17, 1986.[9] Along with the other defendants, Langella pleaded not guilty on July 1, 1985, in the Mafia Commission Trial.[10] On November 19, 1986, Langella was convicted in the Mafia Commission Trial along with Persico and other top Cosa Nostra leaders in New York.[11] On January 13, 1987, Langella was sentenced to 100 years in prison to run consecutively with his 65-year sentence, fined $240,000, and given no option for parole.[12][13]

He was last imprisoned in the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners (MCFP) in Springfield, Missouri, where he died on December 15, 2013.[14][1]

References
  1. Obitsforlife (archived)
  2. Raab, Selwyn (2006). Five families : the rise, decline, and resurgence of America's most powerful Mafia empires (1st St. Martin's Griffin ed.). New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 0-312-36181-5.
  3. "United States v. Local 6A, Cement & Concrete Workers, 663 F. Supp. 192 (S.D.N.Y. 1986)".
  4. "25 Years Later, Jailed Mafia Boss Allegedly Still Runs Cement Workers Union". Mafia Today. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  5. Lubasch, Arnold H (October 25, 1984). "11 Indicted by U.s. as the Leadership of a Crime Family". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  6. Lubasch, Arnold H. (March 1, 1985). "REPUTED CRIME BOSSES ARRAIGNED". New York Times. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  7. Lubasch, Arnold H. (February 27, 1985). "U.s. Indictment Says 9 Governed New York Mafia" – via NYTimes.com.
  8. "Reputed Crime Figure Sentenced to 10 Years". New York Times. March 15, 1985. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  9. Lubasch, Arnold H. (November 18, 1986). "Persico, His Son and 6 Others Get Long Terms as Colombo Gangsters". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
  10. "11 PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO RULING ORGANIZED CRIME IN NEW YORK" New York Times July 2, 1985
  11. Lubasch, Arnold H (November 20, 1986). "U.S. JURY CONVICTS EIGHT AS MEMBERS OF MOB COMMISSION". New York Times. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  12. Lubasch, Arnold H. (January 14, 1097). "JUDGE SENTENCES 8 MAFIA LEADERS TO PRISON TERMS". New York Times. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  13. Federal Government's Use of Trusteeships Under the RICO Statute. 4. United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 1989.
  14. Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator
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