BROOKLYN, NY – Gregorio Gigliotti, 61, of Malba, New York, will spend the next 18 years behind bars after being sentenced today for masterminding a large-scale cocaine importation scheme that operated right under the noses of diners at his Corona, Queens restaurant. U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Dearie delivered the sentence, capping off a case that exposed a brazen family operation built on a foundation of narcotics and intimidation.
The sentencing follows a two-week trial in July 2016 where a federal jury found Gigliotti and his son, Angelo Gigliotti, guilty of trafficking cocaine and possessing firearms – including a weapon with a deliberately defaced serial number – to facilitate their criminal enterprise. The case was spearheaded by Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde for the Eastern District of New York, with significant contributions from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Federal investigators revealed that between October and December 2014, approximately 55 kilograms of cocaine were intercepted en route to the Gigliotti family. The drugs were cunningly concealed within shipments of cassava, originating from co-conspirators in Costa Rica. To mask their illicit activities, the Gigliottis utilized Cucino Amodo Mio, their Italian restaurant, and a shell company, Fresh Farm Export Corp. (incorporated in 2012), to create the illusion of legitimate business.
The March 11, 2015 arrest of Gigliotti and his family triggered a raid on Cucino Amodo Mio, unearthing a veritable arsenal. Law enforcement officials recovered one 12 gauge shotgun, one .357 magnum revolver, one .22 caliber pistol, one .38 caliber revolver, one 9 mm pistol, one .762 pistol, and a .38 caliber Derringer with its serial number scratched off. Also seized were numerous ammunition magazines, loose rounds, handgun holsters, brass knuckles, a handwritten ledger detailing over $350,000 in transactions, and more than $100,000 in cash.
Gigliotti’s wife, Eleonora Gigliotti, has already pled guilty to conspiring to import cocaine and awaits sentencing, facing a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. Angelo Gigliotti also awaits sentencing and is staring down a mandatory minimum of 20 years. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret E. Gandy and Keith D. Edelman of the Organized Crime & Gangs Section.
This case underscores the lengths to which organized crime groups will go to conceal their operations, and the dedication of federal agencies to dismantling these networks. The Gigliotti family’s attempt to blend drug trafficking with a family business has ended with a hefty prison sentence for the patriarch, and looming sentences for his wife and son. Case number: E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 15-CR-204 (S-2) (RJD).
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Organized Crime|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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