Feds have charged five individuals with alleged links to the Colombo crime family for their roles in a scheme to defraud New York’s Newspaper and Mail Deliverers Union. As part of the scheme the men were attempting to secure a union card and job for Benjamin Castellazzo Jr according to the feds. Benjamin Junior is the son of reputed Colombo family underboss Benjamin Castellazzo and was charged along with Colombo family associate Rocco Miragla, a one time Daily News forman, Glenn LaChance and Rocco Giangregorio, business agent for NMDU, and Anthony Turzio, and El Diario employee. All five of the men were arrested and have been charged with mail fraud conspiracy and were scheduled to appear in federal court in Brooklyn.

“Benjamin Castellazzo”

The Newspaper and Mail Deliverers union has long standing mafia ties and these arrest show that it is still subject to mob influences said United States Attorney Loretta Lynch. The NMDU was once headed by Douglas LaChance who was indicted back in the 80’s and convicted on 124 counts of racketeering and extortion tied to the shaking down of distributors. According to Alphonse D’Arco former Lucchese family acting boss turned rat LaChance was so out of control back then the New York mafia families considered whacking him.

The feds continue to battle the mafia and its control and influence in several unions through out New York and New Jersey. Even though many unions have been deemed free of current mob influence cases such as this one prove otherwise and although it may not be as iron clad and wide ranging as it was in past it remains a viable source of mob profits.