John Carneglia
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Short description|American mobster}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name = John Carneglia
| image_name =
| image_caption = Carneglia in an FBI surveillance photo
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|05|21}}
| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| conviction = Racketeering and drug trafficking (1989)
| conviction_penalty = 50 years' imprisonment and fined $75,000
| occupation = Mobster
| other_names = Johnny Carnegs
| allegiance = Gambino crime family
| relatives = Charles Carneglia (brother)
}}
John "Johnny Carnegs" Carneglia (born May 21, 1945) is an American mobster in the Gambino crime family. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison in 1989 for racketeering and drug trafficking charges.
Early life
Carneglia was born in May 21, 1945 in Ozone Park, Queens. For years, John Carneglia was heavily involved in large scale drug distribution networks with Gambino mobster Gene Gotti, the brother of John Gotti, and Gambino capo Angelo Ruggiero.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/03/nyregion/mob-prosecutors-are-denounced.html?scp=11&sq=%22John%20Carneglia%22%20Gambino&st=cse Mob Prosecutors are Denounced"] New York Times June 3, 1987
John and Charles Carneglia owned a junkyard in the East New York section of Brooklyn that was reportedly used for narcotics trafficking, disassembling of stolen cars, and burying mob murder victims. John would allegedly remove jewelry from corpses prior to dissolving them in acid and then hang the baubles as trophies from the basement rafters.{{cite news|last=Marzulli|first=John|title=Bloody mob chop shop could become school bus depot|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/bloody-mob-chop-shop-school-bus-depot-article-1.391053|access-date=13 April 2012|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=February 9, 2009}}
During the 1970s, John unofficially adopted Kevin McMahon, a 12-year-old boy he discovered sleeping in his pool house. John served as a surrogate father to McMahon until John's imprisonment in 1989. After that, Charles supervised McMahon's activities as a Gambino associate. In 2009, McMahon became a government witness and testified against Charles.{{cite web|title=Rat son Kevin McMahon's tales of life with ol' 'dad' John Carneglia|date=17 February 2009 |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/rat-son-kevin-mcmahon-tales-life-ol-dad-john-carneglia-article-1.367540|publisher=The New York Daily News|access-date=13 April 2014}}
Murders
Law enforcement believes that Carneglia either directly or indirectly participated in the murders of Bonanno crime family capos Philip Giaccone, Dominick Trinchera and Alphonse Indelicato; Gambino boss Paul Castellano and underboss Thomas Bilotti; and Gotti neighbor John Favara.William K. Rashbaum, [https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/09/nyregion/09mob.html "In Court, Evidence Suggests Gotti Associates Buried Victims in Lot"], New York Times, October 9, 2004
In 1980, John Carneglia allegedly participated in the Favara murder. While driving in the Howard Beach neighborhood, Favara accidentally hit and killed Gotti's 12-year-old son Frank Gotti as he was riding a minibike. Carneglia and other Gambino mobsters allegedly abducted Favara from outside of his place of work in New Hyde Park, New York, murdered him, and placed his body in a barrel full of acid at the junkyard.{{cite news|last=Marzulli|first=John|title=Informant says John Gotti Sr.'s neighbor, John Favara, was killed; dumped in barrel of acid|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/informant-john-gotti-sr-neighbor-john-favara-killed-dumped-barrel-acid-article-1.391230|access-date=13 April 2012|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=January 8, 2009}} Favara's remains have never been discovered.
In 1981, Carneglia allegedly disposed of the bodies of Giaccone, Trinchera, and Indelicato. The three capos had been plotting against imprisoned Bonanno boss Philip Rastelli. As a favor to Rastelli, Castellano allowed Rastelli associates to ambush the men in a Gambino social club, and then give the three bodies to Carneglia for disposal. Carneglia allegedly buried the corpses in a vacant lot close to his house in Queens. In 2004, children playing in the lot discovered one of the bodies.[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E7DB1E3BF930A25753C1A9629C8B63 "Skeletal Remains Are Believed To Be Those of Mob Captains"] New York Times October 13, 2004
In 1985, John Carneglia allegedly participated with other gunmen in the Castellano and Bilotti murders. The two Gambino leaders were ambushed as they exited a car outside Sparks, a Manhattan steak house. A witness stated that he saw Carneglia shooting Bilotti as he lay on the ground. Allegedly, Carneglia was the gunman who actually shot Castellano in the head.{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/archives/|title=Archives | The Philadelphia Inquirer|website=inquirer.com|access-date=December 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811024423/https://www.inquirer.com/archives/|archive-date=August 11, 2019|url-status=live}} Carneglia's boss, John Gotti, had ordered Castellano's assassination so that Gotti could take over the Gambino leadership. No charges were ever filed against Carneglia.[https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/27/nyregion/witness-describes-scene-at-murder-of-castellano.html?scp=25&sq=%22John%20Carneglia%22%20Gambino&st=cse "Witness Describes Scene At Murder of Castellano"] New York Times February 27, 1992
Conviction and prison
In early 1987, Carneglia and Gotti went to trial on federal charges of loansharking, illegal gambling, murder, and armed hijackings. On March 13, 1987, all the defendants, including Carneglia, were acquitted on all charges.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/14/nyregion/gotti-is-aquitted-in-conspiracy-case-involving-the-mob.html?scp=18&sq= "Gotti is Aquitted [sic] in Conspiracy Case Involving the Mob"] New York Times March 14, 1987
Later in 1987, Carneglia and John Gotti's brother Gene, went to trial on the 1983 federal charges of narcotics trafficking, obstruction of justice, racketeering, and operating a continuing criminal narcotics enterprise.[http://cases.justia.com/us-court-of-appeals/F2/846/117/397034/ United States of America, Appellee, v. Angelo Ruggiero, Gene Gotti, John Carneglia, et al., Appellants], United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, April 26, 1988 In January 1988, the judge declared a mistrial on this second case due to government charges of jury tampering. On July 27, 1988, in a retrial, the judge again declared a mistrial because jurors failed to reach a verdict.[https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/28/nyregion/2d-mistrial-declared-in-gotti-case-after-jury-impasse.html?scp=23&sq=%22John%20Carneglia%22%20Gambino&st=cse "2nd Mistrial Declared in Gotti Case After Jury Impasse"] New York Times July 28, 1988 On May 23, 1989, in his third trial on the 1983 charges, Carneglia was convicted of running a heroin distribution ring. On July 7, 1989, Carneglia was sentenced to 50 years in prison and fined $75,000, the same penalty given to Gene Gotti.Howe, Marvin, [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE5DE1F39F93BA35754C0A96F948260&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FSubjects%2FF%2FFines%20(Penalties)&scp=2&sq=%22John%20Carneglia,%22&st=cse "Gotti's Brother Is Sentenced To 50 Years"], The New York Times, July 8, 1989
He was released on June 11, 2018.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=John&Middle=&LastName=Carneglia&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=&x=0&y=0 |title=Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator |access-date=2010-05-18 |archive-date=2012-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612052136/http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=John&Middle=&LastName=Carneglia&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=&x=0&y=0 |url-status=dead }}{{Better source needed|date=April 2021}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
Further reading
- Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. {{ISBN|0-312-30094-8}}
External links
- [http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=John&Middle=&LastName=Carneglia&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=&x=89&y=14 Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225092658/http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=John&Middle=&LastName=Carneglia&Race=U&Sex=U&Age=&x=89&y=14 |date=2012-02-25 }}
{{Gambino crime family}}{{American Mafia}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carneglia, John}}
Category:American gangsters of Italian descent
Category:American prisoners and detainees
Category:American drug traffickers
Category:American people convicted of drug offenses
Category:People convicted of racketeering
Category:20th-century prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government
Category:People from Ozone Park, Queens
Category:21st-century prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government