Lawrence A. Ricci (June 17, 1945 – October 2005) was a reputed

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family (), also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian Americans, Italian American American Mafia, Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and Ne ...

acting capo. Officially a dairy products salesman, Ricci was allegedly a major mob figure. In 1979, Ricci was sentenced to prison for attempting to extort $4,800 from a Parsippany, New Jersey restaurant owner. In February 2005, Ricci was charged with

wire fraud Mail fraud and wire fraud are terms used in the United States to describe the use of a physical (e.g., the U.S. Postal Service) or electronic (e.g., a phone, a telegram, a fax, or the Internet) mail system to defraud another, and are U.S. fede ...

and

extortion Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit (e.g., money or goods) through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, although making unfounded ...

. Using his alleged control of an International Longshoremen’s Association

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

Local 1235, Ricci was accused of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars to the

Cosa Nostra The Sicilian Mafia or Cosa Nostra (, ; "our thing"), also referred to as simply Mafia, is a criminal society and criminal organization originating on the island of Sicily and dates back to the mid-19th century. Emerging as a form of local protect ...

from a medical fund for longshoremen. Ricci allegedly embezzled the money by steering a union

pharmaceutical Medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal product, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the ...

contract to a company with known Mafia ties. The Genovese and Gambino crime families netted over $400,000 and Ricci received $70,000. The trial began in mid-September. On October 7, 2005, Ricci failed to show up in court. The judge issued an

arrest warrant An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual or the search and seizure of an individual's property. Canada Arrest warrants are issued by a jud ...

for Ricci and the trial continued. On November 7, 2005, the absent Ricci and his two co-defendants—union Vice President Arthur Coffey and union assistant general organizer Harold Daggett—were acquitted on all counts. On November 30, 2005, a patron complained about a foul odor and flies around a car at the Huck Finn Diner in Union, New Jersey. The car had been parked at the diner for the last six weeks. The restaurant manager called the police, who discovered the decomposing body of Lawrence Ricci in the trunk; he had been shot. There was speculation that the Genovese family killed Ricci during his trial because he had refused to accept a

plea bargain A plea bargain, also known as a plea agreement or plea deal, is a legal arrangement in criminal law where the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to a charge in exchange for concessions from the prosecutor. These concessions can include a ...

and a prison sentence. A law enforcement official was also quoted as saying the slaying resulted from an unrelated power struggle in Ricci's mob crew. In March 2007, federal authorities linked Genovese member Michael Coppola to the Ricci murder."Metro Briefing , New York: Brooklyn: Court Papers Detail Mob Killing"
By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM New York Times However, no charges have been filed against Coppola.

References

External links

LONGSHOREMEN (ILA) Body in Car Trunk Was Ricci’s; Funeral Held
by the National Legal and Policy Center
LONGSHOREMEN (ILA)Union Officials, Mobster Found Not Guilty; Questions Remain
by the National Legal and Policy Center * http://www.state.nj.us/sci/pdf/solidwaste.pdf {{DEFAULTSORT:Ricci, Lawrence 1945 births 2005 deaths Genovese crime family Murdered American gangsters of Italian descent Murdered Genovese crime family members People murdered in New Jersey 2005 murders in the United States