By ALLAIN GAILLARD
A reputed mafioso in the infamous Bonanno crime family of Howard Beach was prepared to accept a plea deal to his labyrinthine racketeering case, his lawyer told a judge at the Brooklyn Federal Court on Thursday.
Visibly relaxed, Ronald Giallanzo, 47, also known as “Ronnie G,” was accompanied by his lawyer, Elizabeth Macedonio as he walked into the Brooklyn federal courthouse wearing a dark blue shirt and glancing often at the audience
.“There is an outstanding issue to work out,” said Macedonio to US District Judge Dora L. Irizarry, rerquesting a postponement of the hearing. “There is a global plea offer on the table for my client to plead guilty.”
Giallanzo was arrested on March 28, 2017, after an investigation that lasted about a decade and involved wiretap recordings, cooperating witnesses, visual surveillance and more, to bust ten members of the crew.
Giallanzo and his acolytes were charged in a 37-felony indictment with such illicit activities as racketeering, loan-sharking, attempted murder, shootings, and violence against victims for failing to pay back illegal loans. On one occasion, the defendant was plotting in the summer of 2006 to kill a man who robbed members of his gang, the indictment said. He also with one of his associate had beaten a customer who owed him $250,000 and was behind on his payment. According to the charges, Giallanzo provided money to five of the defendants, among them Nicholas “Pudgie” Festa, to give extortionate loans to a number of individuals.
Earlier in the day Festa, who is facing a maximum 20 years in prison, pleaded guilty on three racketeering counts.
“I knowingly collected money from John Doe,” he stated. “Although no threats were made, if the money was not paid, harm could have been administered.”
According to the prosecution, Giallanzo illegally garnered $26 million from 1998 to 2017. He is facing 25 years in prison.
The defense has until March 20th to come up with a plea deal. Giallanzo was scheduled to return to court on March 19.
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