Philly Mob Associate Victor “Big Vic” DeLuca was sentenced to 10 years Thursday in federal court as part of a big Philly Mob Racketeering investigation.
The 57 year old Deluca, already serving a prison sentence until 2026 on prior drug charges, plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy and drug charges several months ago before Judge Barclay Surrick, according to documents filed by federal prosecutors.
Deluca admitted to dealing methamphetamine and heroin during the FBI undercover investigation. He was indicted along with 14 others in November 2020 on a racketeering case that shook the Steve Mazzone wing of the Philadelphia LCN Family.
The agreed upon terms of his plea indicate that DeLuca will serve 78 months concurrent with his current prison sentence, then another 42 months to run consecutively to his current prison sentence. He will serve 10 years of supervised release.
“Even though the Philadelphia mob is not what it was in the last century, the organization and its criminal activities are still very much a problem and are damaging the communities in which it operates,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbitter Williams. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting anyone who is committing serious federal crimes like these, and we will not rest until the mob is nothing but a bad memory.”
“As a longtime associate of the Philadelphia LCN, Victor DeLuca earned his keep through drug-dealing, loansharking, and extortion – pretty much the antithesis of an honest day’s work,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “His actions caused harm to individual victims and the community alike and it’s gratifying he’s now been brought to justice. The FBI will continue to keep organized crime squarely in our sights as we work to make the city of Philadelphia a safer place.”
Court documents indicate the judge requested that the Bureau of Prisons place Deluca at the federal lockup in Fairton in South Jersey, a short drive from Philadelphia. He will receive credit for time served from December 2020.
Here is a segment from Deluca’s Sentencing Memo posted online.:
“As an associate of the Philadelphia LCN, the defendant engaged in drug trafficking,
extortion, and loansharking, among other offenses for years. Many of the defendant’s
conversations during the FBI’s investigation were recorded and he acknowledged, and at times
described, the hierarchy and aspects of the membership of the Philadelphia LCN, including his
own status as an associate of the LCN.
The defendant was tasked with trafficking drugs and
collecting drug proceeds as well as making loansharking loans to individuals on behalf of the
Philadelphia LCN and then collecting the payments of those loans for himself and on behalf of
LCN members. For example, in at least one instance, in or around August 2017, the defendant
used extortionate means to collect on a loan by making implicit threats to the loan shark victim.
Furthermore, as part of the offense conduct, the defendant and his co-conspirators
attempted to purchase methamphetamine from a drug supplier in West Philadelphia, but the
supplier deceived them and sold them a non-controlled substance. In a recorded conversation in
late April 2017, the defendant expressed his plan to shoot and kill the drug supplier and then
destroy the evidence. Fortunately, his plan to commit the murder was thwarted. Separate from
that incident, the defendant was regularly supplied with several hundred counterfeit oxycodone
pills that contained a combination of heroin, fentanyl and other substances which would be sold
on the street for profit.
He also maintained an apartment in South Philadelphia, which was not his
residence, where he stored quantities of methamphetamine and ecstasy pills that were held for
later distribution. The defendant also possessed firearms in his residence in Philadelphia. At the
time of his arrest in November 2017, the defendant possessed approximately 207.46 grams of
pure methamphetamine on his person, while two loaded firearms were later seized from his
residence.
The defendant’s involvement with LCN criminal activities appeared to be consistent and
a part of his everyday life. Indeed, without substantial verifiable employment, it appears the
defendant earned a living through drug trafficking and making extortionate and usurious loans on
behalf of the LCN. The defendant’s conduct was serious and dangerous, and the Court need not
strain itself in recognizing the harm the defendant caused to his own community while profiting
from that harm. The agreed upon sentence will incapacitate the defendant for a lengthy period
and ensure he is supervised for a decade following his release to prevent him from engaging in
further crimes.
The need for the sentence imposed to reflect the seriousness of the offense, to
promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment for the offense.
There is no question that the offenses to which the defendant has accepted responsibility
are serious and dangerous.
The defendant’s lifestyle has reflected a continued lack of respect for
the law – he sold various types of illicit drugs, he made and collected extortionate and usurious
loans as an extension of an organized crime enterprise, he kept firearms to protect his illegal
business and the LCN, and he threatened to kill others. Methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl
are particularly dangerous and addictive drugs, and even more of these drugs would have been
destined for the streets of Philadelphia and beyond if law enforcement had not intervened.
Moreover, the defendant was caught with loaded firearms, operable and ready for use to further
his criminal conduct. Gun violence is a problem across America, with cities like Philadelphia
bearing some of the heaviest burden. The mere possession of these guns by a drug dealer and
LCN associate like the defendant increased the likelihood of violence during the course of his
illegal drug transactions and other crimes. The agreed upon sentence is significant, it will now
incapacitate the defendant until his mid-sixties, and it will reinforce the seriousness of the
offense, respect for the law and just punishment.
The need to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct, and to protect
the public from further crimes of the defendant. The agreed upon sentence will provide general deterrence, sending a message to those who engage in similar conduct that they will be punished to a lengthy term of imprisonment and
be subjected to a burdensome term of supervision. The sentence will also account for specific
deterrence, so the defendant is less likely to engage in crimes once he is released from prison and
on supervision through his seventies.
By virtue of the defendant’s incarceration for a 10-year
term, Philadelphia and the general public will be spared from enduring the effects of the
defendant’s criminal conduct; he will be unable to peddle addictive drugs and earn a living off of
loansharking on the backs of others. Accordingly, the agreed upon sentence achieves the purpose
of deterring the defendant and others similarly situated while protecting the public welfare.
According to court papers filed by federal prosecutors last year, “The investigation revealed, through, among other means, the use of cooperating witnesses who engaged in recorded conversations with the defendant and others, that defendant Victor DeLuca, a/k/a “Big Vic,” was an associate of the LCN who worked under LCN soldiers, including Joseph Servidio and Salvatore Mazzone, a/k/a “Sonny,” and who engaged in criminal conduct along with LCN members and other associates.
DeLuca through the course of the investigation was shown to have engaged in a pattern of drug trafficking, extortion, and loansharking, among other offenses, on behalf of and in furtherance of the LCN’s criminal activities.
DeLuca was recorded in conversations acknowledging, and at times describing, the hierarchy and aspects of the membership of the Philadelphia LCN, including his own status as an associate of the LCN.
For instance, on May 30, 2017, DeLuca engaged in a conversation with Joseph Servidio and an LCN associate [an FBI Confidential Source (Person #4 in the superseding indictment)] where Servidio (JS) confirmed to DeLuca (VD) and Person #4, the stature of some LCN members:
VD: I’m gonna tell Sonny (Mazzone), that if I can meet with his brother (Steve Mazzone). . . can I text him?
JS: No, no, no, don’t meet with his brother.
VD: Oh, don’t meet with his brother?
JS: No. Because he’s (Steve Mazzone) here (indicating a high position, by positioning a high hand). Sonny’s here (indicating a medium position, by positioning of the hand).
VD: So, just tell Sonny?
JS: Look at me. Sonny’s here (indicating a medium position). I’m here (indicating the same position as Sonny Mazzone).
VD: Alright.
JS: I could be there (indicating a high position, by positioning a high hand) but I don’t want to be there.
VD: Where am I at?
JS: Yeah you’re under there (indicating a very low position beneath Sonny Mazzone). You’re underneath Sonny. Know what I mean? Sonny’s my brother. (kiss). You know?
VD: Yeah.
DeLuca was also recorded discussing payments owed to superiors within the Philadelphia LCN for criminal proceeds and tribute, as well as known Philadelphia LCN meeting places (such as the now defunct Broadway Theatrical Club), and other LCN related activities.
DeLuca in n his role as an associate of the LCN, was tasked with, among other things, working with Person #4 and other LCN members and associates to engage in drug trafficking. DeLuca frequently drove Person #4 to and from drug transactions and engaged in drug transactions with him.
DeLuca also co-used a drug stash location with Person #4 and received payments of proceeds from drug associates of Person #4 for tribute payments to the LCN.
DeLuca also engaged in making loansharking loans to individuals on behalf of the Philadelphia LCN and engaged in collecting upon those loans for himself and members of the Philadelphia LCN. On multiple occasions in 2016 and 2017, Deluca made usurious and extortionate loans to an LCN associate and at least one other borrower with approval, and financed by, Salvatore Mazzone.
In at least one instance, in or around August 2017, Deluca used extortionate means to collect on a loan by making implicit threats to the borrower.
In April 2017, Person #4 first met with law enforcement and agreed to cooperate. Im mediately prior to his cooperation Person #4 had been actively supplying Servidio, DeLuca and others with methamphetamine and had agreed to supply two pounds of methamphetamine to Servidio.
However, as a result of his cooperation, Person #4 could no longer supply those individuals with drugs, which resulted in a series of calls and meetings that outlined that when Person #4 did not come through with the promised two pounds of methamphetamine, Servidio, DeLuca, John Michael Payne (JP) and others tried to purchase the methamphetamine from Person #4’s supplier, an individual nicknamed “Polo,” directly.
Polo then ripped off DeLuca and John Michael Payne and sold them two pounds of rock-salt and stole their money. Servidio,
DeLuca and others then sought to regain their stolen money, or be supplied two pounds of methamphetamine, and sought retribution against Polo.
On April 14, 2017, at 7:36 p.m., Person #4 (CS) received, and recorded, a call from DeLuca. The following exchange occurred:
VD: We got big problems.
CS : Why?
VD: Call Polo. Shut that…shut that window. I…we came up here to get somethin’ and eh…JP went in. They switched up the bags. He gave JP at the same room. The guy left to count the money. JP was left holding the bag. Open the bag. He came out. He came out with…I don’t know what it is…fuckin’ rock salt. He says it’s imperative that you call him.
CS: Okay. It’s imperative. I mean there was nothing I could…I…there was nothin’ I could do.
VD: What do you mean?
CS: For today. I mean, I was… (UI)
VD: No…was nothin’. No, listen to me. I gave him…I gave him $16,000.
CS: Oh, my God!
DeLuca also sold a firearm to Person #4, sold approximately 92 grams of methamphetamine to Person #4 in May 2017, and in November 2017 DeLuca purchased approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine from Person #4, who was then acting at the
FBI’s direction.
Based upon Person #4’s testimony, DeLuca’s recorded admissions about the volume of methamphetamine he obtained and sold, and related sums of monies spent and owed, it was foreseeable to DeLuca that 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a
detectable amount of methamphetamine was involved in the commission of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Earlier in the investigation, beginning in and around May 2016, the FBI used an Undercover FBI Agent (UC) to engage in recorded drug purchases from various members and associates of the Philadelphia LCN. The UC proceeded to make a series of controlled purchases
of counterfeit pills, purporting to be oxycodone, but in actuality being a compound of heroin, fentanyl and other substances, from Joseph Servidio and Carl Chianese.
Through the FBI’s subsequent use of Person #4, beginning in April 2017, DeLuca admitted to receiving and distributing the same counterfeit pills.
For instance, in Spring of 2017, DeLuca admitted to obtaining “the blue things” (counterfeit pills), at “seven dollars apiece” and then reselling them for profit. DeLuca also discussed in several recorded conversations with Person #4, the details of the amounts of money he owed to his supplier of the counterfeit pills, Servidio (“I owe him for fifty fucking pills” and “let us clear the tab” and “five hundred”).
DeLuca was also recorded meeting with Person #4 and Servidio and discussing selling counterfeit pills, sums of methamphetamine, pricing structures for the drugs and amounts owed for previously supplied drugs. Person #4 would testify at trial that he and DeLuca received regular distributions of several hundred counterfeit pills at a time for a period of months.
Based upon Person #4’s testimony, DeLuca’s recorded admissions about the volume of counterfeit pills he obtained and
sold, and related sums of monies spent and owed, it was foreseeable to DeLuca that 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin was involved in the commission of the drug trafficking conspiracy.”
More “Guilty Plea” Hearings:
DeLuca’s guilty plea comes as federal prosecutors are lining up even more “guilty plea” hearings for defendants in last year’s big Mob Racketeering Conspiracy case. Four, including DeLuca’s, have been scheduled.
The latest plea hearing date set is for John Romeo who is charged, along with one time Mob Underboss Steven Mazzone and his father in law Joseph Malone, with one count of conspiracy to make extortionate extensions of credit in the sweeping 40-page indictment.
Convicted 80 year old drug dealer and North Jersey Mob associate Carl Chianese, already serving 10 years on federal drug charges from a New Jersey Mob-related drug investigation, plead guilty on December 13th before trial Judge Surrick in Philadelphia. He’s charged with Racketeering conspiracy and drug counts in the case. He was sentenced to five years to run concurrent with his prior sentence.
He is currently housed in the federal lockup at FCI Schuykill in middle Pennsylvania.
Also scheduled for a “guilty plea hearing” on January 10th is Mob associate Daniel “Cozzy” Castelli. He’s also charged with racketeering conspiracy and drug counts in the federal case. He’s currently out on bail.
According to the court record, the supporting documents for any pending plea agreements with federal prosecutors have not been made public at this time.
There has been no comment from federal prosecutors on those “guilty plea” hearings.
The latest action in the case comes almost a year after the FBI swooped down and busted 15 Philly Mob members and associates, including two top ranking wiseguys. The case is inching towards a trial next year sometime and many of the defendants remain on house arrest, with one still behind bars without bail.
FBI agents descended on South Philly and South Jersey last November and carted away high profile wiseguys like one-time Mob Underboss Steven Mazzone and high ranking “capo” Domenic Grande along with 13 others.
After weeks of courthouse wrangling with the feds, all of the defendants, except John Michael Payne, Defendant #15, were either released on bail or sent home on house arrest. Chianese, Mob Soldier Joseph Servidio and DeLuca were already behind bars on other cases.
Mazzone and Grande, along with reputed Mob soldier Sonny Mazzone, have been seen in public in recent months around South Philadelphia running errands or attending meetings with their lawyers, their movements all severely restricted by the conditions of their release.
Defense attorneys refuse to comment, but underworld sources say other defendants could soon be asked to consider deals that would prevent the government from having to put on more than two trials in the case for the 10 remaining defendants.
Sources say Mazzone and the up and coming Grande, are also expected to be offered plea bargains. Mazzone’s brother Salvatore “Sonny” Mazzone and Mob Soldier Joseph “Joey Electric” Servidio are the only other made guys charged by the FBI and US Attorney in Philadelphia.
The decision to offered deals to the defendants comes after trial Judge Barclay Surrick told prosecutors and defense attorneys in September that he wanted the case broken up into at least two to three trials because of Covid19 concerns and the large number of defendants charged in the case.
That decision threatened to spark legal arguments over whether headlining defendants and close friends Mazzone and Grande should be separated.
For years they could often be seen together around South Philadelphia, laughing and joking on street corners, looking like the closest of friends, fellow Mobsters Steven Mazzone and Domenic Grande.
Mazzone, the one time alleged Underboss and Grande, an up and coming young Capo often seen as a possible leader of the local Mob in the future, were almost inseparable some days. But now a federal judge’s ruling may separate the two sharp looking wiseguys as they head to trial, possibly next Spring, in the latest Racketeering Conspiracy case against the Philly Mob.
In September, Judge Barclay Surrick told defense attorneys and prosecutors he wants three separate trials for the 13 remaining defendants in the case due to the ongoing Covid19 pandemic. The judge told both sides to try and work out how the defendants would be grouped for trial sometime in 2022. And that may lead to Mazzone and Grande going their separate ways in this case that took five years for the FBI to build.
Mazzone is targeted in the indictments as one of the leaders of the Philly Mob, described in the indictments as the one time underboss. He is charged with racketeering conspiracy, gambling and loansharking counts.
Grande on the other hand is charged with racketeering conspiracy, loansharking and serious drug offenses. In court papers, Prosecutors have pointed to secretly recorded conversations of both mobsters.
Mazzone on tape allegedly giving marching orders to newly inducted mobsters at a Oct. 15, 2015 tape recorded Mob Induction ceremony and post ceremony dinner. Grande at the same ceremony and in separate and very damaging conversations regarding alleged drug dealing.
Although defense attorneys and prosecutors are not yet commenting on which defendants should be tried together, it is expected that Mazzone’s lawyers could argue not to try Mazzone and his good friend Grande together. You see Mazzone is not charged with any drug counts in the indictment, and sitting him next to Grande at trial, could hurt Mazzone, especially with those damaging drug tapes being used against Grande.
Grande’s lawyer could likewise argue that the damaging tapes of Mazzone giving orders to fellow wiseguys at the Mob making ceremony and afterwards could hurt Grande at trial. We’ll have to see which direction defense attorneys head.
Some background on the case:
Underworld sources tell Mobtalksitdown.com the October 2015 ceremony was held at a South Philadelphia location and allegedly conducted by acting Mob Street Boss Michael “Lance” Lancelotti., who was not indicted in last November’s 7-count federal indictment charging 15 local Mobsters and associates in a wide sweeping racketeering case.
Jerry Capeci from Gang Land News in New York first broke the details from inside the ceremony and who was there.
According to Capeci’s article, he has an FBI transcript that indicates Lancelotti, Mazzone, former Mob Boss and now consigliere Joe Ligambi, Mob Captains George Borgesi, John Ciancaglini and Dom Grande were present. According to Capeci, Mob soldiers Sonny Mazzone, Anthony Accardo and Anthony Borgesi were also in attendance along with 3-4 more unnamed wiseguys.
Sources indicate that two or three new Mob soldiers were initiated into the South Philly crime family at that making ceremony.
Capeci’s article and underworld sources say it was Lancelotti who was caught on tape by FBI informant Anthony Persiano as he himself was being initiated into the resurgent crime family. Again, Lancelotti is not charged in this case.
Prosecutors have not revealed who tape recorded the ceremony or who their cooperating witness is. They have successfully argued for a protective order so his identity would not be publicly revealed despite the fact that his name has been out there for over two years now after an earlier Mob related drug case in New Jersey.
Previously released court documents indicated that during the ceremony these words were picked up by a secret recording device worn by a government informant.
“Now, you’ll use these, for us. Right?” while pointing to a gun and a knife. Lancelotti allegedly stated, according to Capeci. “If I betray this family, betray my friends, I’ll burn in hell forever.”
The new members were then formally introduced to the Philly LCN hierarchy and made members who were present and participating in the ceremony. That included Mazzone, who was noted as having the title of “Underboss” and was charged back in November as the highest ranking mobster in the case..
Sources say the bombshell tape transcripts reveal Lancelotti, Mazzone and Grande’s alleged participation in the Mob making ceremony where the new members of the LCN were made, including Mazzone’s brother Sonny. Grande was introduced as a new “Caporegime” or Capo during the ceremony.
The local wiseguys have long maintained, along with their lawyers, that being a member of the Mob unto itself is not a crime. They maintain it is no different than being a member of any other organzation. Federal prosecutors and investigators beg to differ.
Lancelotti has not been charged with any crimes. He did not face charges in at least three major Philly Mob cases brought by the FBI and the local U.S. Attorney in the last 21 years that have sent many of his South Philly pals to prison
Following the induction ceremony, Capeci and sources say, high ranking Philly wiseguys, including Lancelotti, Mazzone, Grande and the newly initiated Mobsters, attended a traditional celebration dinner at a local restaurant in Collingswood, N.J.
In a previously released court document, the FBI revealed that Mazzone stated, “Got to get a hold back on Atlantic City, buddy! That’s what I want. That’s what I want. We have to get that back.” Then later, when explaining the manner in which to establish LCN control over the area, Mazzone stated, “I don’t want nobody just glomming our f…king shit. You
know what I mean? You understand what I’m saying? But we’re still street guys. Let’s face it…We’re f….king, we’re gangsters. I mean, you know, I’m not going to let no sucker take that.”
The document says Mazzone then continued “to name specific known criminals who he wished the LCN to extort, named specific LCN members and associates through whom the LCN would exert control, and the manner in which local criminals would pay illegal proceeds to the LCN.”
In court documents involving Grande, federal prosecutors again revealed conversations involving Grande captured on tape by an undercover FBI informant.
Here is a segment of that released court document:
“For instance, Grande was recorded, extensively, directing the activities of others, including LCN members and associates, in an effort to extort local bookmakers and loan sharks into paying monies to the LCN. In that portion of the case, Grande instructed another LCN member to “plant the flag” of the LCN in the Atlantic City area and regain control of bookmakers and loan sharks. He acknowledged that associates had their “hooks into” the local criminals and that the local criminals had to either pair with the LCN or “get the f… out.”
During discussions of how to exert full control over the local criminals, Grande warned that because of their activities that they could soon “catch, like, an extortion beef.”
Regarding loansharking, Grande said, “see, like, I’m a loan shark. . . . I could put out, like, $42,000 right now and I got to tell people, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’”
Grande then continued on the recordings to arrange several loan shark loans on his own behalf, and allegedly on behalf of Steve Mazzone, with an FBI informant. Both Grande and Mazzone were then recorded several times, allegedly accepting “juice”, or interest payments, and principal payments on those loan shark loans.
Grande was also recorded allegedly discussing drug trafficking. He was recorded telling an FBI informant to be “careful” when obtaining a kilogram of cocaine for sale, but that the informant should “do what you gotta do” in order to sell the drugs.
When speaking of obtaining and selling oxycodone and counterfeit oxycodone (made with heroin and fentanyl) Grande allegedly stated, “if you can get that man, I can f…ing move thousands of them. . . . You know these kids sell them for f…ing $20 a piece?”
Mazzone and Grande were charged in the 40-page, seven-count Racketeering indictment that included racketeering conspiracy, bookmaking, loansharking, extortionate extensions of credit, Hobbs Act violations as well as drug trafficking against Grande and Servidio.
Mazzone and Grande were arrested in early morning raids last November.
Those arrests, followed raids a week earlier just before 6 a.m. when “Sonny” Mazzone, along with four other associates were arrested in an ongoing federal racketeering investigation.
Steve Mazzone was arrested at his row home around 6 a.m. by a large group of FBI agents and Pennsylvania State Police. The arrest drew the attention of neighbors on the block as Mazzone was lead away by authorities.
Grande, 42, was arrested at his 17th Street home in Packer Park. FBI agents and State Troopers spent hours searching his home after he was lead away by investigators. Prosecutors have said more evidence was recovered at Grande’s home during their search.
His arrest was really no surprise, coming after a very public two and half year drug trafficking investigation in South Jersey and Philadelphia.
Grande is charged with RICO conspiracy and drug trafficking along with other charges.
Steve and Salvatore “Sonny” Mazzone are not charged in the drug trafficking conspiracy.
The defendants, if convicted, could face serious prison time, from five to 40 years.
