He Faces Murder, Kidnapping Charges
TAMPA — A key figure in the case against convicted mobster Ronnie “One-Arm” Trucchio has been apprehended in Brazil after three years on the run and was extradited Friday to the United States to face murder and kidnapping charges, a Brazilian official said.
John Edward Alite, 44, is a suspected leader of the Gambino crime family and a close associate of Trucchio.
Brazillian police delivered Alite to five FBI agents, who escorted him to the United States, federal police spokesman Carlos Mello said by phone. Steve Cole, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa, said he could not comment on Alite’s capture.
U.S. authorities accuse Alite, also known as John Alletto, of controlling illegal businesses, illegal gambling, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, kidnapping and murder and claim he was a top lieutenant in the New York-based Gambino family.
Mello said Alite flew to Rio de Janeiro in January 2004, where he settled in the famous Copacabana beach neighborhood and taught boxing at a local school.
He was arrested 10 months later at an Internet cafe “where he would go to contact his family and accomplices in the United States,” Mello said. Police say the FBI tracked Alite through the e-mail he sent from the cafe.
Alite, accused of helping Trucchio run his criminal crews, was not named as one of Trucchio’s co-defendants because he was in Brazil.
He was a key figure in U.S. Attorney Jay Trezevant’s opening statement in a trial that ended in the conviction of Trucchio and four associates on racketeering charges.
Trezevant said Alite forced his way into the Tampa valet parking business after he met an old friend who made the mistake of telling him how lucrative the business was.
“In their world … what matters is money,” Trezevant said. “The person who makes the most money has the influence and power.”
After Alite decided to make his move in Florida, he recruited an old friend, Timmy Donovan, Trezevant said. Both men briefly attended the University of Tampa together, the prosecutor said. Donovan was making good money in the valet parking business, working at strip clubs and bars in the area, Trezevant said.
Donovan traveled to New York, and Alite took him to social clubs, where he was introduced to John Gotti Jr. and Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, the Gambino underboss.
Alite eventually forced Donovan out of the valet parking business, using thugs who shot at Donovan and threatened his employees, Trezevant said. He said Terry Scaglione — who was convicted last month in U.S. District Court in Tampa along with Trucchio, Kevin McMahon and Steven Catalano — helped Alite “run a game on Timmy Donovan.”
As the threats escalated, Donovan began carrying a gun, Trezevant said. He would practice pulling his gun out of his waistband in front of a mirror.
One day, Alite dropped two men off outside Donovan’s workplace in Hyde Park, the prosecutor said. In the confusion that ensued, Donovan exchanged gunfire with the men on the street, Trezevant said. No one was hit, but Donovan understood Alite’s message: He was out of the valet business.
Scaglione and Alite’s company took over Donovan’s contracts, Trezevant said. Then those two argued over control of the business. For a brief period, Scaglione became “a rat,” informing on Alite to the FBI, Trezevant said.
Scaglione and Alite patched up their differences. Alite formed a new company that eventually became Prestige Valet. He installed Louis “Duke” Mendel to run the operation, Trezevant said.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
