Colombo family boss, 13 others arrested in racketeering case

NEW YORK — The reputed octogenarian boss of the Colombo crime family and his top two aides were busted Tuesday morning on racketeering and extortion charges over their menacing move to seize control of a local labor union, court documents charge.

Family head Andrew “Mush” Russo, 87, underboss Benjamin Castellazzo and consigliere Ralph DiMatteo were among those arrested as the Colombo hierarchy took a major hit, according to a federal indictment. The 14 suspects also included four captains in the crime family, including the nephew of legendary boss Carmine “Junior” Persico, with one defendant still at large, authorities said.

In addition to racketeering, the charges included loansharking, money laundering, drug trafficking and a construction safety scam, officials charged.

According to the indictment, alleged family captain Vincent Ricciardo, known as “Vinny Unions,” threatened to murder a construction union boss who was forced to surrender a portion of his annual income to the mob.

“(The union head) knows I’ll put him in the ground right in front of his wife and kids, right in front of his (expletive) house,” Ricciardo was quoted as saying in court papers. “You laugh all you want, pal, I’m not afraid to go to jail.”

The Colombos allegedly first started the shakedown in 2001 of the union representing construction workers in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The family’s top echelon became involved two years ago, the 46-page indictment charges, with an eye on turning the union into a mob-run operation.