Final Mafia Member In 2017 Takedown Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder, Racketeering, And Other Crimes

Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that STEVEN L. CREA, the Underboss of the Luchese Family, was sentenced today to life in prison, a $400,000 fine, and the forfeiture of $1 million following his conviction for the 2013 murder of Michael Meldish, conspiracy to commit racketeering, and other felonies. A jury convicted CREA and three co-defendants on November 15, 2019, following a six-week trial before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel, who also imposed today’s sentence.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Steven L. Crea – the Underboss of the Luchese Family – is the last of a dozen made men arrested in 2017 to be sentenced for his crimes. For his role in the 2013 murder of Michael Meldish and other crimes, Crea will now spend the rest of his life behind bars. Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and NYPD, we continue our commitment to render La Cosa Nostra a thing of the past.”

According to the evidence presented at trial, the admissions of defendants who pled guilty, and other court documents:

STEVEN L. CREA was the Underboss, or second-in-command, of the Luchese Family of La Cosa Nostra, one of the “Five Families” that constitute the Mafia in the New York City area. From 2000 to his arrest in 2017, CREA helped lead the Luchese Family, which made millions of dollars in profit from crimes committed by the Family’s members and associates in New York City, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, and elsewhere. In 2013, CREA helped orchestrate the murder of Michael Meldish.

In May 2017, charges were filed against 12 members of the Luchese Family, including the Acting Boss, Underboss, Consigliere, four captains, and five soldiers, for their commission of a wide array of crimes with the Mafia from at least in or about 2000 up to and including in or about 2017. With the exception of one captain who died before his case was resolved, every Luchese Family member charged in this case either pled guilty or was convicted at trial. With CREA’s sentencing today, all have now been sentenced by Judge Seibel. Eight Mafia associates were also charged. All subsequently pled guilty or were convicted at trial, and seven have now been sentenced. The defendants were convicted of being leaders, members and associates of the Mafia, and committing crimes including the murder of Michael Meldish; three attempted murders – including the attempted murder of a former witness against the Mafia; multiple assaults; trafficking oxycodone, cocaine, and other drugs; extortion; millions of dollars in fraud against a public hospital in the Bronx; loansharking; operating illegal gambling businesses; and other crimes. A chart containing the ages, residency information, convictions, and sentences of the defendants is attached.

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Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Hartman, Hagan Scotten, Jacqueline Kelly, Celia V. Cohen, and Alexandra N. Rothman are in charge of the prosecution.

DEFENDANT	AGE	CITY OF RESIDENCE	CHARGES OF CONVICTION	SENTENCE
Madonna, Matthew	84	Incarcerated	Racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, aiding and abetting use of a firearm to commit murder	Life in prison
Crea, Steven L.	73	Crestwood, NY	Racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, aiding and abetting use of a firearm to commit murder	Life in prison, $400,000 fine, $1 million forfeiture
Londonio, Christopher	46	Incarcerated	Racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, aiding and abetting use of a firearm to commit murder, conspiracy to distribute narcotics	Life in prison
Caldwell, Terrence	62	Incarcerated	Racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm to commit murder, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm during a crime of violence	Life in prison
Datello, Joseph	69	Staten Island, NY	Racketeering conspiracy	168 months' imprisonment
Crea, Steven D.	48	New Rochelle, NY	Racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, attempted assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering	156 months' imprisonment, $50,000 fine
Bruno, Vincent	36	Incarcerated	Attempted murder in aid of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy	136 months' imprisonment
Vaughan, Brian	54	Matawan, NJ	Racketeering conspiracy	84 months' imprisonment
O’Connor, Richard	66	Staten Island, NY	Conspiracy to distribute narcotics	72 months' imprisonment
Garcia, Carmine	Deceased	Hawthorne, NJ	Racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering	60 months' imprisonment, $250,000 fine
DiNapoli, Joseph	84	Bronx, NY	Racketeering conspiracy	52 months' imprisonment, $250,000 fine
Castelucci, John	60	Staten Island, NY	Racketeering conspiracy	37 months' imprisonment, $150,000 fine
Maffucci, James	72	New York, NY	Extortion, Extortionate extension of credit	37 months' imprisonment
Corso, Tindaro	59	Staten Island, NY	Racketeering conspiracy	30 months' imprisonment, $10,000 fine
Venice, Joseph	59	Yonkers, NY	Racketeering conspiracy	18 months' imprisonment, $10,000 fine
Cassano, Paul	41	Yonkers, NY	Conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering	18 months' imprisonment
Camilli, Robert	63	Briarcliff Manor, NY	Extortionate extension of credit	One year supervised release; $35,000 fine
Incatasciato, John	45	Elmsford, NY	Extortionate collection of credit	Two years' supervised release; 100 hours' community service

Topic(s):

Drug Trafficking

Firearms Offenses

Violent Crime

Component(s):

USAO - New York, Southern

Contact:

James Margolin, Nicholas Biase (212) 637-2600

Press Release Number:

20-180

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