Gambino Associate Pleads Guilty To Racketeering
December 29, 2010 Dapper_Don
A reputed Gambino crime-family associate who was accused of recruiting a baby-faced teen for a mob-run prostitution ring struck a plea deal yesterday in which prosecutors dropped sex-trafficking charges against him.
But Anthony Manzella, 32, did plead guilty to racketeering for a scheme in which his meat company, Gold Pride Foods, illegally inflated its bills by up to 40 percent.
Manhattan federal court papers say Manzella scammed "various high-end restaurants" by kicking back about 5 percent of his proceeds to the chefs who placed the orders.
The high-school dropout also admitted running a weekly high-stakes poker game and extorting a securities-trading firm, Griffin Financial.
Manzella faces 41 to 51 months in the slammer under terms of his plea deal, along with 70 to 87 months for a robbery-conspiracy conviction in Brooklyn federal court.
"He has five children and hopefully when he gets home, he can be a better father -- which he intends to do," defense lawyer John Meringolo said.
A spokeswoman for the Manhattan US Attorney's Office declined to comment.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/plea_ends_feds_beef_with_mobster_cGOfcbM6lslm4wMpgnbz6N#ixzz19WdHxc2R
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