Gigliotti Family, Cocaine Trafficking, New York 2023

Queens Father And Son Convicted Of Operating A Transnational Cocaine Trafficking Operation

A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, has returned a guilty verdict against Gregorio Gigliotti and his son Angelo Gigliotti for their participation in a transnational cocaine trafficking operation that spanned from Italy to Queens and Costa Rica.

The guilty verdict, announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, was the result of a two-week trial. When sentenced by United States District Judge Raymond J. Dearie, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Gregorio Gigliotti faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, and Angelo Gigliotti faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The operation, which was used to import large amounts of cocaine, was fronted through various businesses owned and operated by the Gigliotti family, including Cucino Amodo Mio, an Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Corona, Queens, and Fresh Farm Produce Export Corp., an import company.

Evidence presented at trial, including court-authorized wiretaps and physical surveillance, revealed that Gregorio Gigliotti and his wife owned and operated the businesses, while their son Angelo Gigliotti played the role of his trusted assistant, handling the drug trafficking operation when his father was out of the country.

In October 2014, law enforcement intercepted a shipment of cassava that was shipped to the United States from Costa Rica and bound for Fresh Farm Produce Export Corp. in New York. The shipment was found to contain approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine secreted inside cardboard boxes of cassava. Earlier, Gigliotti's wife traveled to Costa Rica with more than $360,000 in cash that she delivered to the sources of supply.

The guilty verdict was announced by Robert L. Capers, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Angel M. Melendez, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, and Diego Rodriguez, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office.

This case serves as a powerful example of the impact of international cooperation in combating criminal organizations whose activities transcend national borders.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/queens-father-and-son-convicted-trial-their-participation-transnational-cocaine