Leonard "Lenny" DiMaria (born October 10, 1941), also known as "Prateek" and "the Conductor", is an American

mobster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level ...

and member of the

Gambino crime family The Gambino crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the American Mafia. ...

of New York. He is considered by law enforcement to be a close associate of Nicholas Corozzo and has served as his right-hand-man for almost 30 years.

Criminal career

Brooklyn gangster

DiMaria was born to Italian immigrants from Moliterno,

province of Potenza The province of Potenza (; Potentino: ) is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza. Geography It has an area of and a total population of 369,538 (as of 2017). There are 100 ''comuni'' (singular: ''com ...

. Before entering a life of crime, he worked as a railroad conductor for the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...

and employee of the New York and Atlantic Railway. These early jobs earned him the nickname "The Conductor". In the early 1980s, DiMaria became a captain in the

. His driver and bodyguard Thomas "Spade" Muschio, age 24 who was incarcerated in 1983 at Raiford Florida State Prison until his release in 1985. After his work release program he was put on probation until 1988. Muschio now resides in North Carolina and Toms River NJ. Muschio was an upcoming member of the Gambino Crime Family at an early age. They both operated loansharking 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 ...

operations in both Queens and Brooklyn.They both became a close associate of Nicholas Corozzo. Muschio was introduced to Organized Crime by Robert (,Bobby Cabert) Bisaccia. DiMaria was part of a racketeering case in August 1986, that included boss John Gotti, Willie Boy Johnson, (who, despite being exposed as an informant, refused to turn state's evidence) Tony Rampino, Nicholas Corozzo and John Carneglia. On March 13, 1987, they acquitted all defendants of all charges.

South Florida and New York indictments

In 1995, DiMaria, and Gambino ''capos'' Ralph Davino, Jr. and Anthony Ruggiano, Jr., together with Anthony "Tony Pep" Trentacosta, started operating in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

on behalf of Corozzo. These three ''capos'' would be called the "South Florida Crew", operating from both New York and Florida. On December 18, 1996, DiMaria was arrested at his home in Flatlands, Brooklyn on loansharking and racketeering charges in Florida. While out on bail, DiMaria was indicted a month later on separate loansharking and racketeering charges in New York after a three-year investigation by the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

(FBI). The New York indictments were based partly on evidence gathered at the Portobello Soccer Club in

Canarsie, Brooklyn Canarsie ( ) is a mostly residential neighborhood in the southeastern portion of Brooklyn, New York City. Canarsie is bordered on the east by Fresh Creek Basin, East 108th Street, and Louisiana Avenue; on the north by Linden Boulevard; on th ...

. The club was a sting operation that purchased stolen

designer clothing Designer clothing refers to apparel created by a specific fashion designer or licensed by a person or brand. It is often considered luxury clothing, known for its high quality and haute couture appeal, made for the general public and bearing the ...

, computers, and other goods from Gambino mobsters. DiMaria reportedly became friends with the FBI uncover agent who ran the sting and was seen hugging him on surveillance video. After six weeks in house arrest, DiMaria and Corozzo were sent to a federal lockup to await trials in New York and Florida. On November 3, 1997, DiMaria pleaded guilty to 15 New York charges, including racketeering, extortion and loansharking. and received a 10-year prison sentence, to be served in

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,075. Located on the Potomac River, Cumberland is a regional business and comm ...

. In January 1998, DiMaria pleaded guilty to the Florida charges.

Operation Old Bridge

Released from prison in 2005, DiMaria returned to running racketeering and loansharking operations in Queens, Brooklyn, and

South Florida South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...

for Corozzo and John "Jackie Nose" D'Amico. It was speculated that DiMaria might have become underboss. In February 2008, DiMaria was indicted in Operation Old Bridge, a massive federal investigation of the Gambino family. On June 4, 2008, DiMaria pleaded guilty to racketeering and extortion-related charges. DiMaria further admitted to conspiring to extort money from contractor/trucker Joseph Vollaro. Vollaro, a former Mafia associate, had become an informant to avoid prosecution and recorded conversations with other mobsters over a three-year period. DiMaria was incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Otisville. He was released from prison on August 31, 2012.

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