Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.
See Premium Plans
 
 
United States Attorney
 
 District of New Jersey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Matthew ReillySept. 10, 2012 Office of Public Affairswww.justice.gov/usao/nj(973) 645-2888
TRENTON, N.J., MAYOR, BROTHER AND ASSOCIATE ARRESTED AND CHARGEDWITH CONSPIRACY TO EXTORT BRIBES
 Eight Others Also Arrested in Separate, Trenton-based Oxycodone Distribution Conspiracy
TRENTON, N.J. – Trenton Mayor Tony F. Mack, the mayor’s brother, Ralphiel Mack,and his close associate, Joseph A. “JoJo” Giorgianni, were arrested by federal agents thismorning and charged by criminal Complaint in connection with a scheme to extort payments of more than $100,000 from others who were purportedly developing a public parking garage, U.S.Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.The Complaint charges that over the past two years Mack, 46, and his associatesnegotiated with two individuals who were cooperating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBIand agreed to expedite approvals and sell city-owned property at a fraction of its value.Giorgianni also was charged in a separate Complaint along with eight other defendants withconspiracy to distribute oxycodone pills in the Trenton area.The following defendants also were charged in the drug conspiracy Complaint:
NameAgeResidence
Mary Manfredo65Lawrenceville, NJAnthony Dimatteo31TrentonRalph Dimatteo Sr.62TrentonGiuseppe A. Scordato47Hamilton, NJCarol Kounitz57Hamilton, NJStephanie Lima41Yardville, NJMark Bethea45TrentonEugene Brown70Atlantic City, NJAll 11 defendants are scheduled to make their initial court appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Arpert in Trenton federal court.
 
“Time and again, we have seen public officials in New Jersey who are all too willing tosell their power and betray the public’s trust,” U.S. Attorney Fishman said. “Here, the Complaintcharges that Mayor Mack and his coconspirators were willing to let city property go for a fractionof its worth. And he allegedly chose as his middleman a convicted felon who wassimultaneously heading a conspiracy to traffic in prescription medication. Neither selling one’soath of office or illegally selling prescription medication is acceptable on the streets of Trentonor anywhere else in New Jersey.”“The citizens of New Jersey’s state capital deserve far better than politicians and cronieswho aspire to the Boss Tweed-style, Tammany Hall politics of patronage, graft, and corruption,”said Michael Ward, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark Division. “Public service isnot an open invitation to enrich one’s self via illegal means. At no time should electedofficials have need for middlemen, ‘buffers,’ and coded conversations.”The investigation, which lasted nearly two years, included the execution of searchwarrants, court-ordered wiretaps and consensually recorded conversations. The extortionconspiracy count with which the defendants are charged is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Extortion Conspiracy
According to the Complaint filed against Tony F. Mack, Joseph A. Giorgianni, 63, of Ewing, and Ralphiel Mack, 39, of Trenton:As mayor, Mack influenced actions taken on behalf of the City of Trenton, includingmatters concerning the disposition of city-owned property. Giorgianni, a convicted felon and the proprietor of a Trenton sandwich shop called JoJo’s Steakhouse, is Mayor Mack’s associate.Ralphiel Mack is Mayor Mack’s brother and was employed by the Trenton Board of Education asTrenton Central High School’s head football coach.The Macks, Giorgianni and others conspired to corrupt certain functions of Trenton citygovernment in favor of a purported developer who was seeking to build a parking garage on acity-owned lot on East State Street. In reality, the developer was cooperating with federalauthorities. During the course of the negotiations, which lasted almost two years, the defendantsagreed to accept more than $119,000 in bribes, of which $54,000 had been paid at the time of their arrests.To attempt to evade law enforcement detection, the defendants employed intermediaries,used code words, and attempted to limit their discussions of the scheme over the telephone. Beginning in September 2010, Giorgianni had several recorded meetings with anindividual who was cooperating with law enforcement (CW-1), during which Giorgianni agreed-2-
 
to serve as an intermediary, or “buffer,” for cash payments to Mayor Mack in exchange for themayor’s support of a parking garage project. During these meetings, Giorgianni described hisintent to promote and facilitate a corrupt system of government in Trenton. During a Sept. 14,2010, meeting, Giorgianni stated that he conducted business in the City of Trenton the way “BossTweed” ran “Tammany Hall,” and provided examples of how kickbacks should be received inexchange for city contracts.Between Oct. 27, 2011, and June 28, 2012, the conspirators accepted seven cash payments from CW-1 and another individual cooperating with law enforcement (CW-2):
DateAmount
Oct. 27, 2011$3,000Jan. 6, 2012$5,000April 12, 2012$3,000April 25, 2012$3,000May 21, 2012$5,000June 8, 2012$25,000June 28, 2012$10,000
TOTAL$54,000
In exchange for those payments, it was agreed that Mayor Mack and another, uncharged public official (CC-1) would take official action favorable to CW-l’s and CW-2’s interestsconcerning the parking garage project. Following certain of these payments, Giorgianni wouldsignal to the mayor that he had received cash by using the code words “Uncle Remus.”•On Oct. 27, 2011, Giorgianni accepted a $3,000 corrupt cash payment from CW-1. Moments later, Giorgianni sent a text message to Mayor Mack stating, “Uncleremins (sic) landed uncles remnis (sic) call me.”•On Jan. 25, 2012, Giorgianni, CC-1, CW-1 and CW-2 discussed the proposedcorrupt transaction and future payments to Mayor Mack and Giorgianni. During atelephone call the next day, Giorgianni told the mayor that “Uncle Remus might be stopping by.” During a Feb. 1, 2012, telephone call, Giorgianni reiterated that“Uncle Remus is gonna stop and visit us, so I wanted to tell you about it.” Mayor Mack replied, “All right. I’m gonna stop by there to see you.”•On April 25, 2012, Giorgianni accepted a $3,000 cash payment from CW-1.-3-
Search
Search History:
Searching...
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
  • p.
    • Notes
    Load more