Russian & Italian Mafia - Kaplan & Campanella Indicted for Brighton Beach Extortion Racket - 7Nov02

[Stefan Lemieszewski]

http://www.gamblingmagazine.com/managearticle.asp?c=840&a=95
Gambling Magazine
8Nov02
2 indicted for scheme to extort $$

Two Staten Islanders with reputed ties to the Colombo crime family were
indicted yesterday on charges related to a scheme to extort protection
money from Russian immigrants. Joseph (Joe Campy) Campanella, 43, a
Great Kills resident believed to be a "made" member of the Colombo
family, was named in the federal indictment along with Leonid Kaplan,
38, a Todt Hill resident and reputed Colombo associate.

The indictment announced yesterday accused Campanella and Kaplan of
participating in a protection racket which extorted money from
businesses operated by the Russian emigre community in Brighton Beach,
Brooklyn. Campanella, of the 100 block of Pemberton Avenue, was accused
of organizing the scheme, which targeted massage parlors, car services
and health care clinics specializing in accident cases. Prosecutors said
many of these businesses were involved in crimes like health care fraud,
prostitution and gambling, which made them vulnerable to extortion
threats from Russian organized crime figures. Campanella exploited their
owners' fears by having them pay him for protection, prosecutors said.

The indictment accuses Campanella of sending armed Colombo associates to
defend business owners who paid for protection. If an owner refused to
pay protection money he was left vulnerable to attacks from Russian
organized crime or from Campanella's own crew, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Campanella extorted a large amount of money from this
operation because his victims were engaged in illegal activities and
were therefore reluctant to report his extortion threats to police.

Kaplan, of the 600 block of Ocean Terrace, owns several accident-victim
medical clinics in Brighton Beach and participated in the protection
racket by using Campanella and his crew to thwart competition, collect
debts and steal from business associates, prosecutors said.

The indictment also accuses Campanella and one of his crew, 36-year-old
Michael DeMicco of Brooklyn, of running a loansharking business in
Brighton Beach. Prosecutors said Campanella used DeMicco and other
members of his crew to beat and intimidate loansharking clients who
failed to repay their loans on time. DeMicco was named in the indictment
along with Joseph (Joey Green Eyes) Anemone and Brian Matney, two
Brooklyn residents accused of being part of Campanella's crew.

Matney, 34, was arrested early yesterday morning along with Campanella
and DeMicco. Anemone, 33, was already in jail as the result of a
previous indictment, but Kaplan was still at large and was considered a
fugitive.

Campanella, DeMicco, Anemone and Matney were arraigned yesterday in
Brooklyn Federal Court. They and Kaplan and face heavy fines and prison
terms of 80 years or more.

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