Scarsdale Man Among Those Accused Of Racketeering

Ten members and associates of the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra were indicted Thursday for crimes including racketeering conspiracy, loansharking, obstruction of justice and bribery. Among those charged were men from Scarsdale, Tuckahoe, Rye, Peekskill and Briarcliff Manor.

According to the Eastern District of New York, those charged with racketeering conspiracy were Andrew Campos, 50, of Scarsdale, a captain in the Gambino organized crime family, James Ciaccia, 51, of the Bronx, George Campos, 72, of Peekskill, Vincent Fiore, 57, of Briarcliff Manor, and Richard Martino, 60, of Rye, Gambino family soldiers; and Renato Barca Jr., 32, of the Bronx, Benito DiZenzo, 53, of New Rochelle, Mark Kocaj, 49, of Tuckahoe, Frank Tarul, 45, of the Bronx, and Michael Tarul, 43, of the Bronx, Gambino family associates.

Also charged were John Simonlacaj, 50, of Scarsdale, and Adrial Lopez, 56, of the Bronx.

Prosecutors said Andrew Campos and members of his crew used bribery, fraud and extortion schemes to infiltrate the construction industry and earn millions of dollars in criminal proceeds.

Authorities said Andrew Campos, Fiore, Kocaj and DiZenzo operated a carpentry company and were charged with paying bribes and kickbacks to employees of numerous construction companies and real estate developers, who awarded contracts to benefit the carpentry company.

The company was said to have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, in the form of free labor and materials used for renovations on Simonlacaj's residence.

Andrew Campos also directed a worker of the carpentry company who was believed to have testified before a grand jury to be fired, authorities said.

Fiore and Andrew Campos, according to the government's court filings, used threats of violence to collect at least $100,000 from one victim.

Authorities said a lawfully wiretapped conversation had Fiore warning the victim, "When you get punched in the face and your teeth get knocked out … you're not going to laugh no more, okay?"

Prosecutors said the indictments and complaint include additional alleged criminal schemes, including laundering money by cashing checks made out to others, purportedly for work performed in connection with the carpentry company projects; fraudulently procuring cards from the United States Department of Labor indicating completion of certain Occupational Safety and Health Administration training courses when, in fact, the courses were never completed; defrauding the U.S. government by paying the carpentry company employees millions of dollars in cash without making the required payroll tax withholdings and payments; overbilling carpentry company clients by causing them to pay for fraudulent or inflated work orders; and evading taxes and money laundering, including by having the carpentry company build Andrew Campos’ residence.

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