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Federal prosecutors also cracked down on New York's Genovese family. Racketeering charges were brought against Matthew ("Matty the Horse") Ianniello, 65, a Genovese underboss, as well as three of Ianniello's brothers and 15 other suspects. One indictment claimed that Ianniello and his associates skimmed $2.5 million in profits off New York City restaurants, topless bars and a nightclub that he secretly controlled, thus evading taxes. Ianniello and others were also charged with hiding their ownership of garbage- disposal companies that had once done millions of dollars of wasteremoval work for New York's Consolidated Edison Co.
Giuliani also persuaded a federal grand jury to charge Salvatore Catalano, underboss of the Bonanno family, and 34 associates with racketeering. The indictments expanded charges brought last April, in which the same mobsters were accused of participating in a $1.65 billion heroin-smuggling operation. The drug was distributed primarily through pizza parlors in several U.S. ^ cities. The new indictment accused Catalano and four others of plotting the 1979 murder of Carmine Galante, then the Bonanno family boss. Galante, 69, was slain by five gunmen while lunching at an Italian restaurant.
Much of the evidence for the recent Mob indictments was gathered through the use of court-approved buggings and wiretaps. The most comprehensive indictments so far, which could be announced this week, are expected to result partly from the planting of a tiny radio transmitter behind the dashboard of a 1982 Jaguar owned by the chauffeur of Antonio Corallo, 71, the Lucchese family boss. Corallo talked freely to his trusted driver and to other top mobsters as he traveled around the New York area. Detectives trailing the car in a van were able to record the incriminating conversations.
The Corallo investigation demonstrated a new degree of cooperation between state and federal lawmen. The bug was planted in 1983 by agents of the New York State Organized Crime Task Force. That 20-minute operation was carried out while the Jaguar was parked near a Long Island restaurant. The eavesdropping continued for five months and produced 75 hours of tapes. State officials used the evidence to bring charges in suburban Suffolk County against Corallo and 20 other men, alleging that they had conspired to control local garbage-collection franchises, using death threats, sabotage and bribery. The task force then turned the tapes over to Giuliani's office.
Armed also with FBI wiretaps, Giuliani is prepared to bring RICO charges against the leaders of all five New York-based Mafia families. Those expected to be charged, besides Corallo, include Paul Castellano, 72, titular head of the Gambino group, the Mafia's most powerful family; Anthony ("Fat Tony") Salerno, 73, boss of the Genovese clan; Jerry Langella, 46, the Colombo group leader; and Philip Rastelli, 67, the Bonanno boss.