13 December 2023 , 09:07
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A New York crime-family mobster has said he has no regrets about posing for a shirtless pool picture which ended up putting him behind bars.
Ralph DiMatteo, 68, was sentenced to three years in prison for his crimes as a member of the Colombo crime family, namely extortion, conspiracy and money laundering after he threatened a labour union official between 2020 and 2021. But after he flaunted his gold chain and tattooed body in a half naked picture in the pool, DiMatteo had to surrender to authorities.
DiMatteo had flown to Florida just a day before federal prosecutors in the state charged 13 people with major crimes regarding the infiltration of a Queens labour union. The chunky mobster with a hairy chest looks relaxed as he stares straight down the camera, which his son was behind - and then posted to Twitter.
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“Why? It was a great picture,” was DiMatteo’s blank response when asked whether he regretted taking the picture which ended up blowing his cover and led to him surrendering a day later. Following the court case he was ordered to spend time behind bars by Brooklyn Federal Judge Hector Gonzalez.
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The alleged mafia consigliere was sentenced to three years in prison (malavitoi/Twitter)During the case DiMatteo’s lawyer, Gerald McMahon, requested that the judge be lenient in sentencing the mobster - because he is “old-schooled” and happy to take the blame. Prosecutors say he was the Colombo family’s consigliere, an advisor to the boss and an elderly statesman among the clan.
McMahon said DiMatteo “did wrong” but he is “taking his medicine, he wants it to be on him, he’s doing his time”. The lawyer added that DiMatteo will “hopefully be ageing out” from the crime family - but prosecutors weren’t convinced and continued to pursue a 46-month prison sentence. “Being a member of the Colombo Crime family is a lifetime oath,” said Brooklyn federal prosecutor Michael Gibaldi according to the New York Post, adding that “ageing out won’t happen”.
DiMatteo was described by his lawyer as 'old-schooled' (malavitoi/Twitter)Colombo clan boss Andrew “Mush” Russo was also charged, but died in April 2022 as he awaited trial. Benjamin “The Claw” Castellazzo, the crime-family’s underboss, also pleaded guilty earlier this year.
DiMatteo had been working with Vincent Ricciardo, the crime-family captain, to collect $2,600 monthly payments from the union official, who is identified in the case as “John Doe No.1”, throughout a 19-year long scheme, prosecutors say. Ricciardo pleaded guilty and will be sentenced on January 10. DiMatteo was ordered to pay $280,890 to the victim of the case by the Judge, who let him surrender on January 15.
The Colombo crime family is an Italian American Mafia family which formed in 1928 and is the youngest of the “Five Families” - the crime groups which dominate all organised crime across New York City within the larger criminal organisation known as the American Mafia.