Former mafia 'street boss' allegedly plotted to kill feds, prosecutors say
Longtime gangster Ralph DeLeo, once the purported "street boss" of the Colombo crime family, plotted to "murder no fewer than three people who played roles in his most recent criminal conviction," federal prosecutors alleged in a new court filing.
DeLeo, 82, was released from prison a year ago under supervised release after he served time for racketeering.
He was arrested earlier this month. It was not clear why until the U.S. Attorney's office in Boston said in a court filing that DeLeo was "actively planning to kill two current and one former federal official, all of whom were involved in the federal criminal case resulting in DeLeo's 2012 conviction."
According to the court filing, DeLeo was asking around for "personal identifying information, including home addresses and names of immediate family members, relating to the federal officials" which he referred to as his "retribution."
Federal agents said they recovered "hard copy packets" of personal information for the individuals along with "a burglary kit, marijuana, vials of steroids, and a handwritten note regarding silicone masks."
The burglary kit contained a pry-bar, mini crowbar, bolt cutters, and lock-picking tools, prosecutors said.
The FBI said DeLeo was allegedly "actively communicating with known felons," including codefendants from the racketeering case that put him in prison.
DeLeo has a "long and violent criminal history" that federal prosecutors said began in the 1970s as an associate of the Patriarca family in Providence.
Prosecutors asked for his detention, arguing he is a danger.
"DeLeo's criminal history, which includes a conviction for murder, proves that he is more than capable of acting on his threats," prosecutors said. "DeLeo has been fixated on seeking revenge for years."
