Stephen Depiro, Racketeering Conspiracy, New Jersey 2023

NEWARK, N.J. (Grimy Times) – Genovese Organized Crime Family soldier Stephen Depiro has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in the affairs of the Genovese organized crime family, including engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity by extorting Christmastime tribute payments from members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), New Jersey U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman and Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch announced.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Depiro, 59, a Genovese family soldier, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to Count One of the second superseding indictment charging him with racketeering conspiracy. Depiro admitted to predicate acts involving conspiracy to commit extortion and bookmaking. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

Depiro has managed the Genovese family’s control over the New Jersey waterfront – including the nearly three-decades-long extortion of port workers in ILA Local 1, ILA Local 1235 and ILA Local 1478. Members of the Genovese family, including Depiro, are charged with conspiring to collect tribute payments from New Jersey port workers at Christmastime each year through their corrupt influence over union officials, including the last three presidents of Local 1235 and vice president of ILA Local 1478.

During their guilty plea proceedings, Depiro and two other Genovese family associates – Albert Cernadas, 79, of Union, New Jersey, former president of ILA Local 1235 and former ILA executive vice president; and Nunzio LaGrasso, 64, of Florham Park, New Jersey, former vice president of ILA Local 1478 and ILA representative – admitted their involvement in the Genovese family, including conspiring to compel tribute payments from ILA union members, who made the payments based on actual and threatened force, violence and fear.

Depiro also admitted to managing an illegal sports betting business. In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Depiro to serve three years of supervised release. Cernadas was previously sentenced to probation and LaGrasso was sentenced to 28 months in prison.

U.S. Attorneys Fishman and Lynch credited the FBI in New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel, and in New York, under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos, as well as the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Garcia, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn M. Kasulis of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mahajan, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey.

Defendant: Stephen Depiro

Criminal Charge: Racketeering Conspiracy

City and State: Newark, New Jersey

Date: May 22, 2024

Sentence: 41 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release

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