Photo: The United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, in downtown Brooklyn. A federal grand jury in Brooklyn is still investigating the crew allegedly responsible for the recent Howard Beach-area home invasions. File Photo.
The latest development in the south Queens home invasion saga reveals a connection between the Lufthansa heist indictment and the crew that allegedly carried out the violent burglaries, according to an exclusive online report.
According to Gang Land News Founder and Editor Jerry Capeci, federal investigators have apparently linked Bonanno family soldier John Ragano, who was snared in last year’s roundup of mob figures alleged to have close connections to the infamous JFK Airport cash and jewelry caper that was given the Hollywood treatment by Martin Scorsese in “Goodfellas,” to at least one of the home invasions.
A federal grand jury has been impaneled and is investigating a crew with ties to the mob that is allegedly responsible for the recent spate of home invasion robberies in south Queens communities.
According to Gang Land, Ragano allegedly served up a target to the home invasion crew—the Howard Beach home of the owner of an Ozone Park auto body shop. Feds have indicated that the 160th Avenue abode was pilfered by a masked crew of three last March.
Prosecutors seeking an indictment have been presenting evidence and witnesses to a grand jury about “dozens” of violent robberies in which masked intruders beat victims, force them to strip naked and tie them up before making off with cash and jewelry.
Eastern District prosecutors this week did not return correspondences seeking comment.
While the home invasions have dropped significantly in recent months, the investigation seems to be heating up. Capeci’s explosive exclusive report last week detailed how a crew of what he characterized as “low-level Bonanno family associates” was responsible for robberies. Frank Nunziata, 30, Gene Borrello, 30, and Frank Cipolla, 25, are reportedly the focus of the grand jury probe.
By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
