Suspected Mafia Crime Boss Arrested Near Charlotte

Police near Charlotte arrested a 75-year-old man they say is a mafia crime boss, while members of the Colombo crime family were arrested in New York and New Jersey on Tuesday (September 14).

Vincent "Vinny Unions" Ricciardo was arrested in Waxshaw where he will be arraigned in federal court, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The FBI said the arrest of more than a dozen mobsters showed "the underbelly of the crime families in New York City is alive and well," per WSOC.

Ricciardo, who was described as the Columbo "captain," was recorded allegedly threatening to kill "John Doe #1" and his family on June 21, 2021 if he didn't comply with his demand while attempting to collect a portion of his salary.

"I'll put him in the ground right in front of his wife and kids, right in front of his f------ house, you laugh all you want pal, I'm not afraid to go to jail, let me tell you something, to prove a point? I would f------ shoot him right in front of his wife and kids, call the police, f--- it, let me go, how long you think I'm gonna last anyway?"

He and several others in the crime family are facing several charges, including loansharking, racketeering, extortion, fraud, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, and possessing and transporting ammunition.

The case is being handled by the DOJ's Organized Crime and Ganges Section, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys James P. McDonald and Devon Lash leading the prosecution.