Benjamin Ruggiero

On the record

• 1978 — United States v. Balistrieri, 778 F.2d 1226 (7th Cir. 1985): FBI agent Joseph Pistone "developed a close working relationship with Ruggiero, who described himself as a member of the Bonanno crime family of New York." Ruggiero told the undercover agent Cobb that the vending business in Milwaukee "was controlled by 'the mob'" and arranged for Cobb to meet Frank Balistrieri. Court opinion.
• 1 June 1981 — A Brooklyn/Queens teletype (Vault, p. 97): "BQ has learned that Benjamin Ruggiero, aka 'Lefty', a member of Napolitano's crew, who may have been directly involved in the deaths of the three capos, will be travelling to Canada." A New York teletype records agents on his flight from LaGuardia to Montreal on June 2, 1981. FBI teletypes, not findings.
• 4 August 1981 — A New York teletype (Vault, pp. 325-327): agents interviewed him, and "Ruggiero confirmed his association with UCA [redacted] for the past six or seven years"; within an hour he went to the Motion Lounge, which was closed. FBI report of the interview.
• 29 August 1981 — United States v. Napolitano, 552 F. Supp. 465: "The procedural history relevant to this application starts with the arrest of defendant Ruggiero on August 29, 1981"; the defendants were indicted on November 23, 1981, and "Ruggiero had been told that an FBI agent, Donnie Brasco, had infiltrated his activities." Court opinion. An FBI report of October 6, 1981 gives the same arrest date and calls him "acting 'capo' in the Bonanno LCN Family"; a Newark memorandum of March 9, 1982 prints 9/21/81.
• 1982 — United States v. Ruggiero, 754 F.2d 927: in the New York trial "Ruggiero was convicted of conspiring to violate RICO, but was acquitted on the substantive RICO count. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. His RICO conspiracy conviction was affirmed on appeal." "The evidence at trial revealed that Ruggiero was a member of the 'crew' captained by Napolitano." Court opinion.
• 1982 — Cerasani v. Sony Corp., 991 F. Supp. 343 (1998): at the 1982 trial, "Agent Pistone testified about Bonanno Family soldier 'Lefty' Ruggiero's admissions" concerning the killings of three captains. Court opinion, describing testimony.
• 31 March 1983 — United States v. Ruggiero, 754 F.2d 927: a Middle District of Florida indictment charged him with, among other acts, conspiring to operate and taking part in "the operation of an illegal gambling business at the Kings Court Club in Holiday, Florida." Charge, as the court summarizes it.
• 29 November 1983 — FBI Director Webster's statement (S. Hrg. 98-914, p. 94): the investigation "led to the recent convictions of Benjamin Ruggiero, a capo in the New York Bonanno organized crime 'family,' and two of his soldiers." FBI Director's statement.
• 1984 — The same opinion: the extortion indictment charged the Balistrieris, Ruggiero and one other man, and "Ruggiero pled guilty to both counts." Court opinion.
• 5 March 1985 — United States v. Ruggiero, 754 F.2d 927 holds the Florida charges distinct from the New York ones and affirms the denial of his double-jeopardy motion. Court opinion. No record filed here reports the outcome of the Florida case.
• 12 November 1985 — United States v. Balistrieri, 779 F.2d 1191 (7th Cir. 1985), calls him "an unindicted co-conspirator" in the gambling case and says the trial references to the "mob" and to the Bonanno family "both involved Benjamin Ruggiero, who was not a defendant." Court opinion.

The family line is his own description of himself, as the Seventh Circuit reports it; the court made no finding about it. The role line uses only the courts’ wording. The FBI’s labels differ: “acting ‘capo’” in its October 1981 report, and “a capo” in Director Webster’s 1983 statement. They are given in the events, and none of them places him on the Bonanno chart.

Two FBI records give different arrest dates. The S.D.N.Y. opinion and the FBI’s October 1981 report give August 29, 1981; a Newark memorandum of March 1982 prints 9/21/81. This archive uses the court’s date. The FBI Vault’s Operation Donnie Brasco file, Part 01, also records a January 1982 bail order, with a bond to be set in Milwaukee. The 1984 Second Circuit affirmance of his New York conviction is United States v. Ruggiero, 726 F.2d 913.

Records