Daniel Leo (mobster)

Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo
Born (1941-01-25) January 25, 1941 (age 83)
East Harlem, New York, U.S.
Other names
  • "Daniel Leonetti"
  • "Daniel Leonardo"
  • "Danny the Lion"
OccupationCrime boss
Criminal chargesRacketeering, loan sharking, and extortion
Criminal penaltyFive years' imprisonment (2008)
18 months' imprisonment and fined $1.3 million (2010)
Criminal statusReleased from federal custody on January 25, 2013

Daniel "Danny the Lion" Leo (born January 25, 1941) is the former acting boss of the Genovese crime family, the biggest of New York's Five Mafia families.

Early life and career

Leo was once a member of the notorious East Harlem Purple Gang in the 1970s. He is also known as "Daniel Leonetti" and "Daniel Leonardo" (the Federal Bureau of Prisons recorded his name as "Danny Leo").

Rise in the Genovese family

Leo resides in a luxurious manor in Rockleigh, New Jersey and was a suspected drug trafficker during his earlier years as a soldier in the Genovese crime family.

On June 13, 1980, Leo was indicted for refusing to answer grand jury questions in regards to the murder of 18-year-old Maurice Anzisi.[1] Anzisi and his girlfriend were murdered in 1978 in the Bronx.[2]

Leo was once the President of a construction company named Elite Ready Mix. Allegedly promoted to captain under the regime of Vincent "Chin" Gigante in the late 1980s or early 1990s after living a low-profile life as a faction-leader in New Jersey, he held a high position in the family with Gigante's top associates Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo, James "Little Jimmy" Ida and Louis "Bobby" Manna. In 2005, Leo became the acting boss of the Genovese family.[3][4][5]

Indictment and prison

In May 2007, Leo was one of many Genovese crime family members indicted on federal loansharking and extortion charges.[6] In early 2008, Leo pleaded guilty to racketeering and loansharking. He was sentenced to five years in prison. His projected release date was October 7, 2011, but on January 10, 2010, he pleaded guilty to racketeering charges and faced up to 40 years in prison.[7] In March 2010, he was sentenced to an additional 18 months in prison and fined $1.3 million.[5] Leo began serving his time at the low security facility at Federal Correctional Complex, Coleman in Florida, but was subsequently released into community corrections in Miami.[8] He was released from federal custody on January 25, 2013.[8]

References

  1. ^ "The City: Silence Before Jury Brings Indictment". New York Times. July 13, 1980. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  2. ^ "The City; Young Couple Slain Near Orchard Beach". New York Times. November 25, 1978. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  3. ^ Capeci, Jerry. The New York Sun: Meet the Genovese Crime Family's New Boss Archived 2022-06-11 at the Wayback Machine (November 30, 2006) The New York Sun
  4. ^ Acting Boss of Genovese Crime Family Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court to Racketeering Offenses (January 27, 2010)
  5. ^ a b United States Attorney Southern District of New York. "Former Acting Boss of Genovese Crime Family Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to 18 Additional Months in Prison" Archived 2010-06-05 at the Wayback Machine (March 23, 2010)
  6. ^ "Charges against mob boss show Mafia alive and well in New York". The Scotsman. June 1, 2007. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023.
  7. ^ Bautista, Justo. "Reputed acting crime boss pleads guilty to racketeering charges" (January 27, 2010) North Jersey.com
  8. ^ a b "Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator: Danny Leo". Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2011-01-11.
American Mafia
Preceded by Genovese crime family
Acting Boss
2005–2008 		Succeeded byas Boss