BROOKLYN, NY – A longtime member of the Gambino organized crime family pleaded guilty in federal court to racketeering and violent extortion charges, capping off a sweeping prosecution that dismantled a major faction of one of New York’s most notorious Mafia families.
James “Jimmy” LaForte, 49, of New York, admitted to racketeering conspiracy, Hobbs Act extortion, extortion conspiracy, witness retaliation, and illegal firearm possession during a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo in Brooklyn federal court. LaForte is the final defendant among ten charged in a 2023 indictment targeting Gambino members and associates accused of using threats, violence, and fraud to dominate New York’s demolition and carting industries.
Prosecutors said the defendants—led by Gambino captain Joseph “Joe Brooklyn” Lanni—used intimidation, assaults, and property destruction to extort money, seize control of labor unions, and secure “no-show” jobs for mob associates. The network’s activities extended across Staten Island, Manhattan, New Jersey, and even involved coordination with Sicilian Mafia figures.
Violent assaults and union corruption schemes
Court filings described a brutal campaign of threats and beatings. In one case, Gambino soldiers Diego “Danny” Tantillo and Kyle Johnson arranged a hammer attack on a demolition company employee that left the victim seriously injured. In another, defendants set fire to the steps of a business owner’s home and assaulted an associate to collect extortion payments.
LaForte’s own crimes included extorting a man over unpaid debts, assaulting him during an illegal gambling dispute, and later contacting the victim’s father to demand repayment. He also attacked another victim, believed to be a government informant, by smashing a bottle over the man’s face in a Brooklyn restaurant while shouting “rat.”
Investigators also uncovered a pattern of labor fraud within the industry, where mob associates received paychecks and union benefits without performing any actual work. “No-show” jobs were arranged by co-defendants to funnel illicit income through construction and demolition companies tied to the crime family.
Prosecutors call case a major blow to the Gambinos
“The prosecution of these members and associates of the Gambino organized crime family has dealt a significant blow to that violent criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr. “Their efforts to take over and infiltrate legitimate businesses by means of intimidation threatened hardworking New Yorkers and terrorized their victims.”
FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle, Jr. said the operation “orchestrated a campaign of violent assaults and property destruction” to control New York’s demolition market, while Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito described the group’s union-related crimes as a “systemic attempt to corrupt the labor industry through fear and fraud.”
Key takeaways
• Gambino family member James “Jimmy” LaForte pleaded guilty to racketeering, extortion, and witness retaliation.
• Ten defendants, including Gambino captain Joseph “Joe Brooklyn” Lanni, have now been convicted or pleaded guilty.
• The case targeted a network accused of violence, union fraud, and labor racketeering in New York’s demolition industry.
LaForte faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the racketeering and extortion charges. His sentencing date has not yet been set. The case, docketed as E.D.N.Y. 23-CR-443 (FB), was prosecuted by the Organized Crime and Gangs Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, with assistance from the FBI, NYPD, and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
