NEWARK, N.J.
An associate of the DeCavalcante crime family of La Cosa Nostra on Wednesday admitted his role in distributing more than 17 ounces of cocaine, running a prostitution operation and possessing a shotgun as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Anthony Stango, 34, of Brick, New Jersey, plead guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls in Newark federal court to an information charging him with: the sale of between 17 ounces and three pounds of cocaine; use of the telephone in interstate commerce to conduct a prostitution operation; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to the evidence, these are the facts and circumstances surrounding this case:
- Stango was arrested March 12, 2015, as part of a sweep of 10 members of the DeCavalcante crime family, which operated in New Jersey and elsewhere.
- The crime family engaged in numerous offenses, including fraud, distribution of controlled substances, prostitution, gambling, the sale of stolen and contraband goods, murder, assault, extortion, and other crimes of violence.
- Stango admitted conducting a drug operation that, on eight separate occasions from December 2014 to March 2015, sold between 500 grams to more than three pounds to an undercover law enforcement officer.
- During that same time period, Stango worked to set up a prostitution operation in New Jersey. Recorded conversations reflected discussions he had with a conspirator who at the time was living in Nevada.
- Stango advised conspirator that he had already talked to one or more prostitutes about the details of the operation, their fees and the conditions under which the women would be providing services.
- Stango also admitted possessing an H&R Pardner 12 gauge pump action shotgun, while being a convicted felon.
FBI’s Organized Crime Task Force investigated this case.