Charles Panarella: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|American mobster (1925–2017)}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}} |
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}} |
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{{Infobox criminal |
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| name = Charles Panarella |
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| other_names = Charlie Moose<br/>Len Conforti<br/>Chas Esposito<br/>John Garguilo<br/>Charles Panarello |
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| image = |
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| alt = |
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| caption = |
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1925|01|05}} |
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| birth_place = [[Brooklyn, New York]], USA |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|2017|07|18|1925|01|05}} |
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| death_place = |
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| spouse = |
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| children = |
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| allegiance = [[Colombo crime family]] |
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| criminal_charge = Assault, burglary, extortion, possession of a loaded firearm |
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| conviction_penalty = Conspiracy (1994; 18 months imprisonment) |
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| imprisoned = |
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}} |
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'''Charles Joseph Panarella''' a.k.a. "'''''Charlie Moose'''''" a.k.a. "'''''Len Conforti'''''" a.k.a. "'''''Chas Esposito'''''" (January 5, 1925 – July 18, 2017) was a New York City mobster and [[Caporegime|capo]] in the [[Colombo crime family]] with a brutal reputation as a [[hitman]]. |
'''Charles Joseph Panarella''' a.k.a. "'''''Charlie Moose'''''" a.k.a. "'''''Len Conforti'''''" a.k.a. "'''''Chas Esposito'''''" (January 5, 1925 – July 18, 2017) was a New York City mobster and [[Caporegime|capo]] in the [[Colombo crime family]] with a brutal reputation as a [[hitman]]. |
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==Early years== |
==Early years== |
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| ⚫ | Panarella was born in 1925 in Brooklyn, New York. He is also known to use January 5, 1922 as his birth date. He has used the aliases Charles Panarello, Chas Esposito, John Garguilo, Joseph Charles Panarella and Charles "Moose" Panarella. He stood at {{convert|6|ft|m|abbr=on}} tall, had brown eyes and a scar on his bottom lip. In 1940, Panarella was arrested for the first time. His criminal record includes assault, burglary, extortion and possession of a loaded firearm.<ref name="exclusion list">{{cite web|title=Charles Joseph Panarella|url=http://gaming.nv.gov/loep_panarella.htm|work=NEVADA GAMING COMMISSION and STATE GAMING CONTROL BOARD Exclusion List|access-date=October 10, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206103300/http://gaming.nv.gov/loep_panarella.htm|archive-date=February 6, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | On August 11, 1972, [[Albert Gallo]], brother of the late rogue [[Profaci crime family]] capo [[Crazy Joe Gallo]] (killed on April 7, 1972), had pinpointed Joseph (The Yack) Yacovelli, Alphonse (Allie the Snake) Persico Sr., [[Gennaro Langella]] and at least one other Colombo hood (thought to be Panarella) at the bar of the Neapolitan Noodle located at 320 East 79th Street in [[Midtown Manhattan]]. Minutes before the hit men arrived, however, the mobsters had moved to another table. In their place were five meat dealers from Chicago with their wives celebrating the engagement of one of their daughters to the restaurant's manager. As this party moved to a table, led by the wives, the shooter, dressed in casual clothes and wearing dark glasses and a long black shoulder length wig, opened up with two guns killing Sheldon Epstein and Max Tekelch and wounding two other men. The killer escaped and was never found. The public outrage was led by New York City Mayor [[John V. Lindsay]], who promised in running the gangsters out of town. Panarella was unharmed. Panarella once allegedly forced a man to eat his own [[testicles]] before killing him.<ref name="old school mob">{{cite news|last=Smith|first=John L.|title=Old-school mob man may be headed back to a familiar haunt|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Dec-14-Sun-2003/news/22789983.html|access-date=October 10, 2011|newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=December 14, 2003}}</ref> Panarella has survived several feuds within the Colombo family that killed more than 100 people. |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | On August 11, 1972, [[Albert Gallo]], brother of the late rogue [[Profaci crime family]] capo [[Crazy Joe Gallo]] (killed on April 7, 1972), had pinpointed Joseph (The Yack) Yacovelli, Alphonse (Allie the Snake) Persico Sr., [[Gennaro Langella]] and at least one other Colombo hood (thought to be Panarella) at the bar of the Neapolitan Noodle located at 320 East 79th Street in [[Midtown Manhattan]]. Minutes before the hit men arrived, however, the mobsters had moved to another table. In their place were five meat dealers from Chicago with their wives celebrating the engagement of one of their daughters to the restaurant's manager. As this party moved to a table, led by the wives, the shooter, dressed in casual clothes and wearing dark glasses and a long black shoulder length wig, opened up with two guns killing Sheldon Epstein and Max Tekelch and wounding two other men. The killer escaped and was never found. The public outrage was led by New York City Mayor [[John V. |
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While in New York, Panarella had a large profitable crew that included [[Gregory Scarpa Sr.]] The crew trafficked in [[narcotics]], robbed banks, and controlled [[sheet metal]] and restaurant unions. |
While in New York, Panarella had a large profitable crew that included [[Gregory Scarpa Sr.]] The crew trafficked in [[narcotics]], robbed banks, and controlled [[sheet metal]] and restaurant unions. |
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==Exile to Las Vegas== |
==Exile to Las Vegas== |
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| ⚫ | In 1994, Panarella was convicted of attempting to launder money through the Maxim Casino (now called the [[Westin Las Vegas]]) in Las Vegas as part of a scheme to purchase a farm for $500,000 to $1 million. Panarella had drug profits deposited at a cashier's cage at the casino.<ref name="reputed mob soldier">{{cite news|last=Kalil|first=J.M.|title=Reputed mob soldier met with mayor at City Hall|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/May-16-Fri-2003/news/21334162.html|access-date=October 10, 2011|newspaper=Las Vegas Review Journal|date=May 16, 2003}}</ref> In August 1994, Panarella pleaded guilty to conspiracy and served 15 months of an 18-month sentence. In September 1996, Panarella was released from prison.<ref name="old school mob" /> |
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In the mid-1980s, Panarella's crew complained to Colombo boss [[Carmine Persico]] that Panarella was an abusive capo. Facing federal indictment, Persico feared that Panarella and caporegime [[John Franzese|John "Sonny" Franzese]] might use his legal troubles to move against him. When Panarella's crew complained, it gave Persico an excuse to exile Panarella to [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]. Panarella would not forget this slight; in 1991, he actively sided with [[Victor Orena]] against Persico during Orena's failed effort to take over the Colombo family. |
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| ⚫ | In 1994, Panarella was convicted of attempting to launder money through the Maxim Casino (now called the [[Westin Las Vegas]]) in Las Vegas as part of a scheme to purchase a farm for $500,000 to $1 million. Panarella had drug profits deposited at a cashier's cage at the casino.<ref name="reputed mob soldier">{{cite news|last=Kalil|first=J.M.|title=Reputed mob soldier met with mayor at City Hall|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/May-16-Fri-2003/news/21334162.html| |
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==Back to New York== |
==Back to New York== |
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Although living in Las Vegas, Panarella still kept some responsibilities back East. |
Although living in Las Vegas, Panarella still kept some responsibilities back East. For a period of time, he was shuttling back to Brooklyn to oversee the Colombo family's interests in Locals 14 and 15 of the [[International Union of Operating Engineers]]. |
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In the summer of 2001, Panarella met in New York with Genovese family representatives over a dispute in Brooklyn. The Genovese family controlled most of the so-called "[[Absenteeism|no-show]]" construction jobs in Brooklyn and the Colombo family wanted their fair share of them. Unfortunately for Panarella, the meeting location was bugged and law enforcement picked up clear evidence that he was acting as a member of the Colombo family. |
In the summer of 2001, Panarella met in New York with Genovese family representatives over a dispute in Brooklyn. The Genovese family controlled most of the so-called "[[Absenteeism|no-show]]" construction jobs in Brooklyn and the Colombo family wanted their fair share of them. Unfortunately for Panarella, the meeting location was bugged and law enforcement picked up clear evidence that he was acting as a member of the Colombo family. |
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On December 4, 2003, Panarella was indicted in New York on |
On December 4, 2003, Panarella was indicted in New York on a federal [[racketeering]] charge in connection with alleged labor law violations and construction [[Bribery|payoff]]s.<ref name="gangster's too ill">{{cite news|last=Marzulli|first=John|title=Gangster's too ill for court, not wedding|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/02/02/2008-02-02_gangsters_too_ill_for_court_not_wedding.html|access-date=October 10, 2011|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=February 2, 2008}}</ref> The charges were linked to alleged payoffs within Locals 14 and 15 of the [[International Union of Operating Engineers]] and to fraud in the construction of [[Richmond County Bank Ballpark]], home of the [[Staten Island Yankees]] baseball team, and in construction of the Brooklyn General Post Office.<ref name="old school mob" /><ref name="Charlie Moose">{{cite news|last=Cornell Smith|first=Katie|title="CHARLIE MOOSE" IN COURT|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/charlie_moose_in_court_KRP7K3CZ2wdHYFhbtGMFdO|access-date=October 10, 2011|newspaper=New York Post|date=December 5, 2003}}</ref> |
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In February 2008, Panarella was living under [[house arrest]] at his home in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania.<ref>John Marzulli. ''Gangster's too ill for court, not wedding.'' New York Daily News. February 2, 2008. [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/02/02/2008-02-02_gangsters_too_ill_for_court_not_wedding.html]</ref> The trial based on his 2005 racketeering indictment had been delayed due to Panarella's ill health and psychological problems.<ref name="gangster's too ill" /> |
In February 2008, Panarella was living under [[house arrest]] at his home in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania.<ref>John Marzulli. ''Gangster's too ill for court, not wedding.'' New York Daily News. February 2, 2008. [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/02/02/2008-02-02_gangsters_too_ill_for_court_not_wedding.html]</ref> The trial based on his 2005 racketeering indictment had been delayed due to Panarella's ill health and psychological problems.<ref name="gangster's too ill" /> |
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In December 2012, a federal judge granted Panarella permission to travel to [[Long Island City, Queens]] in April 2013 to receive an award from his former union. It was reported that Panarella was confined to a motorized scooter and depended on portable oxygen.<ref name="award">{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mobster-90-ill-receive-award-article-1.1212013?localLinksEnabled=false|title=Mobster, 90, who avoided trial claiming too ill, makes appearance to receive award | location=New York | work=Daily News}}</ref> On July 26, 2019, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Nevada Gaming Commission had removed Panarella's name from its Black Book in a unanimous vote after the attorney general's office submitted Panarella's death certificate which revealed that he had died on July 18, 2017. “Because Mr. Panarella is deceased, he no longer poses a threat to the Nevada gaming industry, so therefore the (state Gaming Control) Board respectfully requests his removal,” Deputy Attorney General Tiffany Breinig said in remarks to the commission.<ref>https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/name-of-dead-mob-associate-removed-from-nevadas-black-book-1811935/</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Alamo |first1=Tony |title=Order to Remove Charles |
In December 2012, a federal judge granted Panarella permission to travel to [[Long Island City, Queens]] in April 2013 to receive an award from his former union. It was reported that Panarella was confined to a motorized scooter and depended on portable oxygen.<ref name="award">{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mobster-90-ill-receive-award-article-1.1212013?localLinksEnabled=false|title=Mobster, 90, who avoided trial claiming too ill, makes appearance to receive award | location=New York | work=Daily News}}</ref> On July 26, 2019, the ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' reported that the Nevada Gaming Commission had removed Panarella's name from its Black Book in a unanimous vote after the attorney general's office submitted Panarella's death certificate which revealed that he had died on July 18, 2017. “Because Mr. Panarella is deceased, he no longer poses a threat to the Nevada gaming industry, so therefore the (state Gaming Control) Board respectfully requests his removal,” Deputy Attorney General Tiffany Breinig said in remarks to the commission.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/name-of-dead-mob-associate-removed-from-nevadas-black-book-1811935/|title = Name of dead mob associate removed from Nevada's 'Black Book'|date = July 27, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Alamo |first1=Tony |title=Order to Remove Charles Joseph Panarella from the List of Excluded Persons |url=https://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=14987 |publisher=Nevada Gaming Commission |access-date=October 23, 2019 |date=August 5, 2019 |format=PDF}}</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Latest revision as of 08:28, 13 December 2023
Charles Panarella | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 5, 1925 Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Died | July 18, 2017 (aged 92) |
| Other names | Charlie Moose Len Conforti Chas Esposito John Garguilo Charles Panarello |
| Allegiance | Colombo crime family |
| Criminal charge | Assault, burglary, extortion, possession of a loaded firearm |
| Penalty | Conspiracy (1994; 18 months imprisonment) |
Charles Joseph Panarella a.k.a. "Charlie Moose" a.k.a. "Len Conforti" a.k.a. "Chas Esposito" (January 5, 1925 – July 18, 2017) was a New York City mobster and capo in the Colombo crime family with a brutal reputation as a hitman.
Early years
[edit]Panarella was born in 1925 in Brooklyn, New York. He is also known to use January 5, 1922 as his birth date. He has used the aliases Charles Panarello, Chas Esposito, John Garguilo, Joseph Charles Panarella and Charles "Moose" Panarella. He stood at 6 ft (1.8 m) tall, had brown eyes and a scar on his bottom lip. In 1940, Panarella was arrested for the first time. His criminal record includes assault, burglary, extortion and possession of a loaded firearm.[1]
On August 11, 1972, Albert Gallo, brother of the late rogue Profaci crime family capo Crazy Joe Gallo (killed on April 7, 1972), had pinpointed Joseph (The Yack) Yacovelli, Alphonse (Allie the Snake) Persico Sr., Gennaro Langella and at least one other Colombo hood (thought to be Panarella) at the bar of the Neapolitan Noodle located at 320 East 79th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Minutes before the hit men arrived, however, the mobsters had moved to another table. In their place were five meat dealers from Chicago with their wives celebrating the engagement of one of their daughters to the restaurant's manager. As this party moved to a table, led by the wives, the shooter, dressed in casual clothes and wearing dark glasses and a long black shoulder length wig, opened up with two guns killing Sheldon Epstein and Max Tekelch and wounding two other men. The killer escaped and was never found. The public outrage was led by New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay, who promised in running the gangsters out of town. Panarella was unharmed. Panarella once allegedly forced a man to eat his own testicles before killing him.[2] Panarella has survived several feuds within the Colombo family that killed more than 100 people.
While in New York, Panarella had a large profitable crew that included Gregory Scarpa Sr. The crew trafficked in narcotics, robbed banks, and controlled sheet metal and restaurant unions.
Exile to Las Vegas
[edit]In 1994, Panarella was convicted of attempting to launder money through the Maxim Casino (now called the Westin Las Vegas) in Las Vegas as part of a scheme to purchase a farm for $500,000 to $1 million. Panarella had drug profits deposited at a cashier's cage at the casino.[3] In August 1994, Panarella pleaded guilty to conspiracy and served 15 months of an 18-month sentence. In September 1996, Panarella was released from prison.[2]
Back to New York
[edit]Although living in Las Vegas, Panarella still kept some responsibilities back East. For a period of time, he was shuttling back to Brooklyn to oversee the Colombo family's interests in Locals 14 and 15 of the International Union of Operating Engineers.
In the summer of 2001, Panarella met in New York with Genovese family representatives over a dispute in Brooklyn. The Genovese family controlled most of the so-called "no-show" construction jobs in Brooklyn and the Colombo family wanted their fair share of them. Unfortunately for Panarella, the meeting location was bugged and law enforcement picked up clear evidence that he was acting as a member of the Colombo family.
On December 4, 2003, Panarella was indicted in New York on a federal racketeering charge in connection with alleged labor law violations and construction payoffs.[4] The charges were linked to alleged payoffs within Locals 14 and 15 of the International Union of Operating Engineers and to fraud in the construction of Richmond County Bank Ballpark, home of the Staten Island Yankees baseball team, and in construction of the Brooklyn General Post Office.[2][5]
In February 2008, Panarella was living under house arrest at his home in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania.[6] The trial based on his 2005 racketeering indictment had been delayed due to Panarella's ill health and psychological problems.[4]
In December 2012, a federal judge granted Panarella permission to travel to Long Island City, Queens in April 2013 to receive an award from his former union. It was reported that Panarella was confined to a motorized scooter and depended on portable oxygen.[7] On July 26, 2019, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Nevada Gaming Commission had removed Panarella's name from its Black Book in a unanimous vote after the attorney general's office submitted Panarella's death certificate which revealed that he had died on July 18, 2017. “Because Mr. Panarella is deceased, he no longer poses a threat to the Nevada gaming industry, so therefore the (state Gaming Control) Board respectfully requests his removal,” Deputy Attorney General Tiffany Breinig said in remarks to the commission.[8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Charles Joseph Panarella". NEVADA GAMING COMMISSION and STATE GAMING CONTROL BOARD Exclusion List. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ a b c Smith, John L. (December 14, 2003). "Old-school mob man may be headed back to a familiar haunt". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ Kalil, J.M. (May 16, 2003). "Reputed mob soldier met with mayor at City Hall". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ a b Marzulli, John (February 2, 2008). "Gangster's too ill for court, not wedding". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ Cornell Smith, Katie (December 5, 2003). ""CHARLIE MOOSE" IN COURT". New York Post. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
- ^ John Marzulli. Gangster's too ill for court, not wedding. New York Daily News. February 2, 2008. [1]
- ^ "Mobster, 90, who avoided trial claiming too ill, makes appearance to receive award". Daily News. New York.
- ^ "Name of dead mob associate removed from Nevada's 'Black Book'". July 27, 2019.
- ^ Alamo, Tony (August 5, 2019). "Order to Remove Charles Joseph Panarella from the List of Excluded Persons" (PDF). Nevada Gaming Commission. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
