16 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 14, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Flushing man tried to smuggle untaxed booze for sale
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
rpozarycki@qns.com / @robbpoz
Cops slammed the brakes on a Flushing
man who allegedly tried to import untaxed
cases of liquor from New Hampshire for
sale locally.
Members of the New York State Police
stopped Juncheng Chen, 45, of 64th Road
on Nov. 10 for a moving violation while
he drove into Rye in Westchester County.
Upon further investigation, according
to the state Department of Taxation and
Finance, offi cers found the rear of Chen’s
vehicle fi lled ceiling-to-fl oor with cases of
Hennessy, Beefeater’s Gin, Bailey’s Irish
Cream and other liquor. Police determined
Photo courtesy of New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
Liquor cases are pictured in the trunk of a vehicle driven by Flushing resident Juncheng Chen.
Three Queens men pinched in latest mob crackdown
BY TIMOTHY BOLGER
AND ROBERT POZARYCKI
editorial@qns.com / @QNS
Residents of Ozone Park and
Whitestone were among seven reputed
mobsters arrested on Tuesday for allegedly
running loansharking, illegal gambling
and drug dealing rings on Long Island
and in Brooklyn over the past three years,
authorities said.
Federal agents apprehended Frank
“Frankie Boy” Salerno, 43, of Whitestone,
an alleged Bonanno crime family soldier,
as well as Th omas Anzalone, 44, of Ozone
Park and Alessandro “Sandro” Damelio,
49, of Whitestone. Th e latter two suspects
are reputed associates of the Gambino
crime family.
Th ey were arrested along with Long
Island residents John “Johnny Boy”
Ambrosio, 74, and Anthony Rodolico, 46;
the Huntington residents were charged
along with 67-year-old Anthony Saladino
and 26-year-old Joseph Durso, both of
Glen Cove.
All are facing racketeering conspiracy
charges in a 13-count indictment
unsealed on Dec. 12 at Central Islip federal
court.
“Th e arrests in this case prove organized
crime families haven’t gone away,
and continue to plague our communities
with their general disregard for anything
other than their own greed,” said William
Sweeney, Jr., assistant director-in-charge
of the FBI’s New York Field offi ce. “Th e
overt deadly attacks that used to make
headlines aren’t as prevalent, but their
violent tactics haven’t changed.”
According to acting U.S. Attorney
Bridget Rohde, Ambrosio, an acting captain
in the Gambino family, allegedly
operated a “lucrative loansharking operation”
in which Anzalone and others participated.
Anzalone and Saladino talked
about the scheme in conversations that
the federal government intercepted; they
reportedly discussed “gambling debts”
owed by some individuals. Speaking
about one debtor, Saladino off ered to
“fi x” him, saying “by the time we’re done
… he’s not going to have an offi ce to play
anywhere.”
Suff olk County police also worked on
the investigation into the mob’s illegitimate
casino, illegal loan shark operation
and distribution cocaine and marijuana.
Investigators used wiretapped phone conversations
to make their case.
Th e gambling operations included
illegal poker games, electronic gaming
machines and internet sports betting run
by Damelio, Durso, Salerno and Saladino.
Ambrosio was recorded allegedly saying
“you can play right here” and “save gas
money” by not going to the casino.
Anzalone, Damelio, Durso, Saladino
and Salerno were also accused of traffi cking
in wholesale quantities of cocaine,
marijuana and Xanax.
Most of the suspects face up to 20 years
in prison if convicted, except Saladino
and Salerno, who face up to life in prison
for the cocaine conspiracy off enses.
Richmond Hill
cops lauded
for rescuing
fi re victims
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
Four Richmond Hill cops sprang
into action when a a building was
burning this past Th anksgiving.
Police Officers John Fox and
Frank Sarro, who are assigned as
Neighborhood Coordination Offi cers
(NCO) to the 106th Precinct, were on
patrol at 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 23 when
they noticed heavy smoke on Liberty
Avenue.
When they pulled over to investigate,
they met Police Offi cers Nicholas
Cupulo and Terryann Ferguson, who
had also noticed the smoke.
When the four offi cers found that the
smoke was coming from a residential
building located at 130-09 Liberty Ave.,
they immediately called the FDNY to
the location and ran inside to start
evacuating the residents.
Sarro and Cupolo went under the
smoke to a second-fl oor apartment
and got the attention of the resident, a
31-year-old man, who didn’t know that
the building was on fi re.
“Th ere was a lot of smoke, and we
saw the fi re inside the apartment,” Fox
told the NYPD News. “I’m glad that we
were able to get the man out in time.”
Th e FDNY responded to the scene.
Th e man that was evacuated was taken
to Jamaica Hospital to be treated for
smoke inhalation.
Once the building’s residents were
safe, the offi cers went to the building
next door where a banquet was being
held and began to evacuate the people
inside.
“Th ese offi cers demonstrated courage
in an extreme environment,” said
Captain Brian Bohannon the commanding
offi cer of the 106th Precinct.
“Th eir quick actions led to the evacuation
of dozens of people.”
Photo: NYPD News
Police Offi cers Nicholas Cupulo, Frank Sarro
and Terryann Ferguson
Photo via Shutterstock
that Chen allegedly bought the
booze from fi ve diff erent outlets located
in New Hampshire, where liquor purchases
are tax free.
In all, police recovered 757 liters of
liquor, equal to about 1,600 pints. Th e
state Taxation Department estimated that
Chen evaded at least $1,288 in New York
state liquor taxes by doing his shopping
out of state.
“Alcohol-related tax evasion, as this
case clearly shows, is on our radar,” acting
Commissioner Nonie Manion said.
“We’ll work with all levels of law enforcement
to tackle the problem head-on.”
Following further investigation, Chen
was charged with possessing more than
360 liters of untaxed liquor and for acting
as a distributor without being registered
in New York state. He was released
without bail at his arraignment, but is due
back in court on Dec. 12.
Chen faces up to four years in prison if
convicted.
