11 charged in South Philly cocaine ring

The state Attorney General today charged 11 people with running a South Philadelphia drug ring that distributed $3.5 million in cocaine over seven years.

Attorney General Tom Corbett said much of the cocaine was sold out of Bella Rosa II Bar & Grill, at 10th and Watkins Street.

The ring sold an estimated 35 kilograms of cocaine from 2000 through 2007.

"This is a significant-size operation in any city," Corbett said at the Narcotics Enforcement Office in Southwest Philadelphia.

The investigation - called "Operation Ticket Broker" - led to the arrest of the ring's alleged leader, William Caraballo, 39, of the 1900 block of Ritner Street.

In a telephone conversation recorded last July, Caraballo told one of his subordinates, Dave Duncan, 38, to "grab Brett Favre . . . and meet me at Bella."

Agents said "Brett Favre" was code for a duffel bag with the Green Bay Packers logo that Caraballo's ring used to store drug-packaging materials.

Last August, Caraballo asked another subordinate, Edward Kranicki, 46, on the telephone whether he had "painted any of them rooms?"

Agents said that was code for asking whether Kranicki had packaged cocaine for sale.

Duncan and Kranicki were charged, as were Joseph DeJesus, 48; Steve "Birdie" Berti, 37; and Joseph "Joe Capp" Capparella, 31.

Also charged were Wayne Henderson, 39; Nestor "Poppo" Torres, 44; Karen Fedrick, 34; Gloria Richards, 47; and Dana Coppertino, 35.

Agents said DeJesus ran the drug-dealing scheme at Bella Rosa and had Berti and Capparella sell cocaine from the bar.

Coppertino, DeJesus' girlfriend, and her young daughter lived with him in the 2400 block of South Third Street, agents said.

Corbett said the bar is located less than 200 feet from a high school.

Because of the proximity to several schools and the extent of the operation, each charged individual faces a minimum of nine years in prison if convicted, Corbett said.

The Philadelphia Police Department assisted with the investigation, which is ongoing, Corbett said.