Seven reputed mob figures arrested on racketeering charges

Seven reputed members and associates of the Genovese organized crime family were arrested Tuesday and charged with numerous racketeering counts, a blow officials said would "weaken the family's grip" on New Jersey.

The Genovese-aligned group reaped millions of dollars in criminal profits in the Garden State through loan-sharking, unlicensed check cashing, gambling, and money laundering, acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said.

"We charge that this crew of the Genovese crime family was up to many of the Mafia's old tricks in New Jersey," Hoffman said. "As long as they do, we're going to be here to send them to prison."

The group allegedly operated under the control of two "made" members of the Genovese family, Charles "Chuckie" Tuzzo, 80, of Bayside, N.Y., and Vito Alberti, 55, of New Providence, N.J.

Most of their alleged activity was based in Newark, but it reached as far south as Ocean County. Law enforcement officials said they also issued an arrest warrant for another associate and charged three additional associates by summons.

Hoffman said members of the group ran a loan-sharking operation that generated about $1.3 million in interest a year; operated an illicit multimillion dollar offshore sports gambling enterprise; and used an unlicensed check-cashing business to make more than $9 million in fees during a four-year run that enabled customers to launder money and evade taxes.

In addition, the group is accused of laundering $666,000 in drug money through check-cashing businesses owned by Domenick Pucillo, 56, of Florham Park, N.J.; illegally controlling a trucking firm that transported new Nissan cars from the Port of Newark; and committing numerous instances of tax fraud and evasion.

According to prosecutors, Pucillo issued $3 million in usurious loans during a two-year span that generated $1.3 million in interest per year. Pucillo, who is accused of working with Genovese associate Robert "Bobby Spags" Spagnola, 67, is said to have charged up to 156 percent interest on those loans and shared the proceeds up the Genovese chain of command. New Jersey law prohibits interest of more than 30 percent on loans.

Among those charged were Flor Miranda, 40, of Newark, office manager for the check-cashing operation; Vincent P. Coppola, 37, of Union, N.J. (son of jailed Genovese capo Michael Coppola), who ran the illegal sports gambling enterprise; and John W. Trainor, 42, of Brick, N.J., and Jerry Albanese, 47, of Scotch Plains, N.J., who prosecutors said acted as agents for the gambling operation.

Abel J. Rodrigues, 52, of Bridgewater, N.J., and Manuel Rodriguez, 49, of Chatham, N.J., were charged with running the illegal business that cashed $400 million in checks out of a Newark restaurant, as was Jennifer Mann, 30, of Bayonne, N.J., who worked for Pucillo as a business compliance officer.