Bookmaker, Genovese Crime Family Associate Convicted of Racketeering, Murder Conspiracy
Salvatore Delligatti, 40, was found guilty in Manhattan federal court last week on all counts of racketeering conspiracy, murder-for-hire conspiracy, participation in an illegal gambling operation, and a firearms offense following a three-week jury trial.
“Delligatti recruited a group of hitmen to murder an individual,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said. “But Delligatti’s hitmen were caught red-handed by the Nassau County Police Department and the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office before they could carry out their hit. Delligatti now stands convicted of this foiled murder plot and other crimes he committed with the Genovese family.”
The complaint alleges that Delligatti worked on behalf of the Genovese Crime Family, engaging in such activities that included racketeering, extortion and murder conspiracy during the period 2008 through 2016.
The target of the plot was a Queens "tough guy" Joseph Bonelli, for whom Delligatti is alleged to have hired a crew of hitmen from the Bronx to ambush and kill Bonelli at his home.
Delligatti provided the hitmen with a loaded .38 revolver, a getaway car, and offered to pay them thousands of dollars for the murder, prosecutors said.
Delligatti had been under surveillance and the plot thwarted as a result.
From about 2013 through 2015, Delligatti, DeBello and Ellis were involved in a large-scale bookmaking and sports betting operation that took bets from gamblers in Manhattan and Queens, while making use of an offshore wire room, according to prosecutors.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
