Two gangsters living in Glen Cove convicted

According to a report by the United States Department of Justice issued on Dec. 13, Anthony Saladino, Glen Cove resident and member of the Gambino organized crime family of La Cosa Nostra, has been sentenced to prison after having been arrested in December of 2017. Saladino, 67, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy on Dec. 6. Joseph Durso, 26, also of Glen Cove, was sentenced to two months in prison for his role as an associate with the Gambinos on Nov. 5.

Saladino and Durso are among six members of the Gambino crime family that were sentenced to prison this month, alongside John “Johnny Boy” Ambrosio, Thomas Anzalone, Alessandro “Sandro” Damelio and Anthony Rodolico. Frank “Frankie Boy” Salerno of the Bonanno crime family was also sentenced to 60 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy.

“With these sentences, each of the seven defendants has now been punished for continuing organized crime’s corrosive influence on Long Island,” said Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “There should be no doubt that putting a stop to the criminal activities of La Cosa Nostra continues to be a priority of this office and our law enforcement partners.”

The charges come as the result of crimes committed by the defendants between January of 2014 and December of 2017. According to court documents, they ran an elaborate racketeering conspiracy included the collection of gambling-related debts and extortionate loans. Saladino and Durso were heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the Gambinos’ criminal activities, also distributing narcotics including Xanax, marijuana and cocaine.

After arresting Saladino, Durso and the other defendants, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a variety of locations associated with the Gambino family. In one storage warehouse in Nassau, they recovered loan sharking and gambling records, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, electronic gaming machines and firearms.

Throughout a number of court-authorized electronic surveillance sessions, law enforcement officials were able to obtain recordings of Saladino discussing the collection gambling debts by violent means. He was also recorded admitting to an undercover police officer that he was involved in organized crime.

Wiretaps and other sources of evidence were used against Durso as well. In an expletive-laden conversation with Saladino, Durso said that he had a friend who could help them with their distribution of marijuana.

John Nagle, detective lieutenant of the Glen Cove Police Department, said that the police were aware of Saladino’s and Durso’s presence in the Glen Cove community. He also indicated that the GCPD were able to keep their eyes on them in order to protect the city from any possible harm they may try to cause.

“With people who associate with gangs or organized crime, we try to understand what our community needs,” said Nagle. “We try to identify them and to do our best to keep tabs on them.”

Nagle later added, “I think, in this case, none of their crimes took place in Glen Cove.”

Laurie Huenteo, current secretary to the executive director at the Glen Cove Senior Center, grew up in Glen Cove during the 1970s and ‘80s. She said that she had heard rumors as a teen that there were members of the mafia and their families in Glen Cove, but she never noticed any disturbance they may have made in the community. “There’s never been any trouble or strange stuff happening,” she said.

While their crimes may not have had a direct effect on the city itself, Saladino’s and Durso’s actions were still damaging to Nassau. For now, their criminal behavior is on hold as they serve their prison sentences.