According to Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer, Gaeton Lucibello, 59 years of age, formerly of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving extortion and illegal gambling.
At the plea hearing Lucibello pleaded guilty to conspiring to conduct and participate in the affairs of the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra (LCN) family through a pattern of racketeering activity. He admitted to the court that he assisted in shaking down a bookmaker for “street tax” payments and operated two illegal video poker machine businesses in furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy. His sentencing is scheduled for November 26, 2012. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Lucibello was among 14 members and associates of the LCN family charged with crimes involving racketeering conspiracy, extortion, loan sharking, illegal gambling, witness tampering, and theft from an employee benefit plan in a third superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on July 25, 2012. The other defendants charged in the 52-count third superseding indictment included LCN family boss Joseph Ligambi, underboss Joseph Massimino, George Borgesi, Martin Angelina, Anthony Staino, Jr., Damion Canalichio, Louis Barretta, Gary Battaglini, Robert Verrecchia, Eric Esposito, Robert Ranieri, Joseph Licata, and Louis Fazzini.
The trial for Ligambi, Massimino, Borgesi, Angelina, Staino, Jr., Canalichio, Barretta, Battaglini, Licata, and Fazzini is scheduled for October 9, 2012. The trial for Verrecchia, Esposito, and Ranieri has not yet been scheduled. Ligambi, Massimino, Borgesi, Angelina, Canalichio, Licata, and Fazzini are detained while awaiting trial. Staino, Jr., Barretta, Battaglini, Verrecchia, Esposito, and Ranieri are free on bond while awaiting trial.
