Gambino Mob Money Funneled To High Line Condos Exec: Report

CHELSEA, NY — A director behind a swanky condo complex rising near The High Line got cash and other bribes from the Gambino crime family's carpentry company, according to federal prosecutors and a report in THE CITY.

HFZ Capital Group's John Simonlacaj, 50, was among "multiple employees" at the development company that was paid off to help carpentry company CWC Contracting get jobs at the company's rising condo complex, The Xi, and other Manhattan projects from the development company, THE CITY reported.

"Financial gain is the primary motivation of any criminal enterprise and these allegations are no different," IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Jonathan D. Larsen said in a statement last week when the indictment against 12 people for various charges such as racketeering, conspiracy and bribery dating back to February 2013 was announced.

The under-construction condo complex, The Xi, is set to feature dual towers with hundreds of condos and a Six Senses hotel at 76 Eleventh Ave. near The High Line.

But the complex, which THE CITY reports also got $1.5 million in New York State tax breaks for cleaning up toxins at the site, was used to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars from CWC to HFZ's employees between June 2018 and June this year, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors identified HFZ Capital as "Construction Company 1" but was revealed to be HFZ by THE CITY.

Among the perks in the alleged bribes to Simonlacaj included free materials and labor for upgrades to his house in Scarsdale, according to THE CITY.

Alleged Gambino family soldier Vincent Fiore said of Simonlacaj in an intercepted call, "This director, John. There's a beautiful in there," according to prosecutors.

Fiore spoke about how beneficial it was to have alleged Gambino family associate Mark "Chippy" Kocaj with CWC since Kocaj was cousins with Simonlacaj.

Simonlacaj pled not guilty for wire fraud conspiracy and tax fraud charges on Friday, the news website reported. He declined to comment to THE CITY while leaving Brooklyn Federal Court.

Click here to read the full report in THE CITY.