Vincent Ricciardo, Long Island mob boss was sentenced in Brooklyn federal court for shaking down a Queens-based construction union for years.
US DOJ
An aging captain in the Colombo crime family was sentenced Wednesday to more than four years in federal prison for shaking down a high ranking official in a Queens-based construction union. Vincent Ricciardo, 77, of Franklin Square, LI, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court in July for his participation in the long-running extortion of the senior official in what is called the “Labor Union,” in court filings and various conspiracies to commit money laundering, loansharking, and fraud in connection with workplace safety certificates.
Ricciardo, known as “Vinny Unions,” is the tenth defendant sentenced in the case for conduct in connection with the scheme to infiltrate and divert funds from the Labor Union and other schemes. Four other defendants still await sentencing.
“This prosecution represents our continued commitment to combating organized crime and prosecuting the individuals who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of hardworking union members and their employees,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said. “Today’s sentence holds Vincent Ricciardo accountable for his long-running extortion scheme, as well as for his yearslong participation in the wide range of crimes committed by the Colombo crime family.”
According to court filings and facts presented during the sentencing proceedings, Ricciardo and his co-conspirators committed a variety of crimes — including extortion, loansharking, fraud and drug trafficking — to enrich themselves and to promote the continued operation of the Colombo crime family. Under then-boss Andrew Russo, before he died, and his capos agreed to use extortionate means, including threats of bodily harm, to force the senior official in the queens-based union to give over a portion of his salary and ultimately to make decisions that would financially benefit the…
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