NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the notorious Decavalcante Family, a part of the La Cosa Nostra organized crime syndicate, has been handed a 10-year prison sentence for his role in plotting the murder of a rival. Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick made the announcement, highlighting the continued efforts to combat organized crime.
Charles Stango, 73, of Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced in Newark federal court after previously admitting guilt to using a telephone to facilitate a murder-for-hire scheme. U.S. District Judge William H. Walls delivered the sentence, which also includes time for violating his supervised release stemming from a prior racketeering conviction in New York.
Court documents and statements revealed the details of Stango’s arrest in April 2015, which was part of a larger operation targeting members of the DeCavalcante crime family operating in New Jersey and surrounding areas. The DeCavalcante family, a significant entity within the nationwide criminal network known as “Mafia” or “La Cosa Nostra,” is infamous for its involvement in a wide array of illegal activities. These include conspiracy to commit murder, narcotics distribution, prostitution rings, extortion, and various violent crimes.
Stango confessed to utilizing telecommunications to orchestrate the murder of a rival within the crime family, identified in court records as “Victim 1.” Evidence from recorded conversations indicated that Stango believed Victim 1 had falsely claimed to be a “made man” within the organized crime hierarchy, a status Stango vehemently disputed. Furthermore, Stango was enraged by what he perceived as a deliberate insult directed at a high-ranking member of the DeCavalcante family, an offense he deemed punishable by death. He offered up to $50,000 to two individuals he believed to be hitmen to carry out the assassination. Unbeknownst to Stango, these individuals were actually undercover FBI agents. To ensure Victim 1’s safety, law enforcement intervened, and the planned murder was prevented.
The case also saw six of Stango’s associates, including his son, Anthony Stango, plead guilty to various charges. These charges included the distribution of substantial quantities of cocaine and attempts to establish an illegal prostitution business, all aimed at generating illicit profits for crew members and the DeCavalcante family enterprise.
In addition to his custodial sentence, Judge Walls also mandated three years of supervised release for Stango following his prison term.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick acknowledged the collaborative efforts of several law enforcement agencies in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. He specifically credited the special agents of the FBI, under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, directed by Executive Director Walter Arsenault, the Bayonne Police Department, under the direction of Chief Drew Niekrasz, and the N.J. State Commission of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Director Lee C. Seglem. The FBI’s Las Vegas office and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office also received thanks for their contributions to the investigation.
The prosecution was led by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O’Malley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime/Gangs Unit.
Chester Keller Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark, represented the defense.
