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…