Michael J. Coppola (born May 18, 1946),[2] also known as "Mikey Cigars", is an American mobster and captain in the Genovese crime family active in their New Jersey faction. He made national headlines when he went into hiding for 11 years to avoid a possible murder conviction. He should not be confused with Michael "Trigger Mike" Coppola (1900–1966), also a member of the Genovese family.
Michael Coppola has been working for the Genovese family since the 1960s. He became a made man in the late 1970s and was part of a Genovese hit team known as "The Fist", according to government documents.[3] This team performed murders ordered by the Genovese administration in the late 1970s and 1980s. Coppola was involved in labor racketeering in the trucking industry and New Jersey docks.[4] Coppola served almost five years in prison from 1979 to 1983 for conspiracy and extortion.[5] Coppola became an acting caporegime (captain) while Tino Fiumara was in prison in the 1980s and 1990s,[6] running the day-to-day activities of the New Jersey faction Fiurama had orders relayed to him.
Alleged murder
In 1996, Coppola was charged in the 1977 killing of John "Johnny Cokes" Lardiere.[7] According to authorities, Lardiere was released for 26 hours from prison to spend the Easter holidays with his family.[5] The reason for his sanctioned killing are not fully known, but is speculated that he had turned against the mob and was going to give the FBI information on the mob's influence on garbage hauling.[8] Another story has it that Lardiere entered into a heated argument with Ralph "Blackie" Napoli, a caporegime in the Philadelphia crime family and his death was ordered.[5] When Lardiere got out of his car at a Bridgewater, New Jersey motel,[9] the killer was standing in front of him with a .22 automatic pistol, complete with a silencer.[5] When the gunman squeezed the trigger, the gun jammed. Lardiere was both amused and annoyed by the man and allegedly said "What're you gonna do now, tough guy?".[5] The gunman responded by pulling up his pant leg, and removing a .38 revolver from an ankle holster and shooting Lardiere four times.[5] When police arrived at the crime scene, realizing it was a mob hit, they found the shooter had left behind his weapons and a hat. In 1996, Lucchese crime family mobster Thomas "Tommy" Ricciardi who had been arrested on murder and extortion charges, decided to cooperate with authorities.[8] He told the FBI that Lardiere's killer was Coppola. Ricciardi told police that he heard the entire story of Lardiere's murder from Coppola while talking about mob murders with Michael Taccetta at a party in 1983.[5]
Fugitive and arrest
A gun and hat were left at the murder scene. Since the advancement of forensics since 1977, a judge ordered Coppola to submit a DNA test. When the FBI requested a DNA sample on August 8, 1996 which could have proved he was at the murder scene, Coppola fled his Spring Lake, New Jersey home with his wife.[8][10] He spent most of his time moving between apartments in San Francisco and New York City.[11] During his time on the run, he was featured on America's Most Wanted. Although on the run, authorities believed he was still holding power over organized crime in New Jersey as a fugitive.[8] A fellow New Jersey mobster for the Genovese family and a Furmara/Coppola associate, was charged by the FBI with illegally harboring Coppola during the months before he was caught and arrested.[12] In April 2002, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey obtained an indictment against Fiumara for conspiring to assist Coppola in Coppola's flight.[6] In March 2003, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal and failing to report that he had been in contact with Coppola.[6] In November, a federal judge ordered Fiumara back to prison for eight months for concealing Coppola's whereabouts.[6]
While on the run, investigators were searching for him in Nevada, Pennsylvania, Florida, Canada, Italy, and Costa Rica.[9] On March 9, 2007, after 11 years on the run Coppola and his wife Linda were found and arrested.[7] While conducting a search of their Upper West Side home they found a book entitled "The Methods of Attacking Scientific Evidence".[11] Coppola pleaded guilty to fugitive charges and was given a 42-month (3 and a half years) sentence. His wife Linda also pleaded guilty to harboring a fugitive and received probation. Louis James Rizzo Jr., Coppola's step-son, was also convicted for conspiracy to harbor a fugitive and sentenced to 3 years in prison.[13] Rizzo was released on November 10, 2009.
Trial
In 2009, the FBI believed that Coppola was going to turn state's evidence against the Genovese family and cooperate with the FBI.[10] The FBI was willing to give him immunity from prosecution and enter him in the Witness Protection Program if he cooperated. The FBI believed he was involved in the killing of Lawrence Ricci (along with his son and stepson)[14] on orders of Tino Fiumara, one of the men the FBI was hoping to prosecute with Coppola's cooperation.[10] Coppola waived a speedy arraignment and spent the next two nights sleeping at FBI headquarters in lower Manhattan at an undisclosed hotel. He also met with a government arranged lawyer known as a shadow counsel. On the third day, however, Coppola refused to cooperate. His defense lawyer Henry Mazurek said that Coppola only dragged out the process out of concern for his wife, who he feared would also be arrested and charged.[10]
In July 2009, Coppola was put on trial for murder, racketeering and extorting the Local 1235 of the International Longshoremen's Association for over 30 years.[15] If found guilty of all counts, he could have faced life imprisonment. Defense lawyer Henry Mazurek told jurors that Coppola admitted to making a "rash" decision to flee, but that it didn't prove he's a killer. "He didn't want to stand trial for a murder he didn't commit," Mazurek said.[16] Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Dennehy told the jury not to be fooled by Coppola's claims and that Coppola "ran because he didn't want to face a jury like you. He hid because he didn't want to face a jury like you."[17] Thomas Riccardi testified that Coppola said he did not agree with the Lardiere murder, but that he followed the orders given to him by Tino Fiumara (who was never charged).[18] Genovese family member turned government witness George Barone was also called to aid the prosecution. Barone was such a difficult witness that the prosecutor apparently decided not to ask him about the Lardiere murder.[19]
A witness to the murder, Raymond Zychlinski, was called on as a defense witness in the case.[20] Zychlinski refuted the prosecutor's story that Lardiere's killer taunted him and said all he heard was a "horrifying scream".[20] On July 21, 2009, Coppola was acquitted of the murder,[15] partially due to the DNA test proving inconclusive since it matched 11 million white men in America. However, he was found guilty of violating the RICO Act for extortion and possessing false identification while he was a fugitive, which could have imprisoned him for up to 20 years.[15] Coppola nodded and mouthed the words, "It's O.K.," to his wife after the verdict.[21]
Coppola was then taken into custody already serving time for his original fugitive sentence in the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn.[22] On December 18, 2009 Judge John Gleeson sentenced Coppola to 16 years in prison.[15] He served most of his time at the United States Penitentiary, Atlanta before being sent to Residential Reentry Management in Brooklyn in 2021. His projected release from federal custody is October 10, 2023.[23]
References
on America's Most Wanted
Bruno, Anthony, What're You Gonna Do Now, Tough Guy?, TruTV, retrieved January 22, 2011
Notes
^Herszenhorn, David M. (April 15, 1998). "8 Men Accused Of Running Illegal Gambling On Wharves". The New York Times.
^(PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2011-03-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^. Archived from the original on 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
^Shifrel, Scott (July 7, 2009). "Ref and former cop, Robert Delaney, holds court at mob trial". New York Daily News. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
^ abcdefgBruno, Anthony (2001). "What're You Gonna Do Now, Tough Guy?". Mob Bosses. TruTV. p. 5. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
^ abcdThe Changing Face of Organized Crime in New Jersey A Status Report. May 2004. (pg 105-114) [1]
^ ab"Newark: Arrest in Old Mob Killing". The New York Times. March 13, 2007.
^"Long-time fugitive Michael Coppola sentenced to prison". 7 May 2008.
^Marzulli, John (March 29, 2007). "Like father, like son in slay: feds". New York Daily News. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
^ abcdCornell, Kati (July 21, 2009). "'MIKEY CIGARS' CONVICTED OF RACKETEERING, CLEARED OF MURDER". New York Post.
^Cornell, Kati (July 18, 2009). "DNA A PAIN IN ASH FOR 'CIGARS&apos". New York Post.
^Cornell, Kati (July 20, 2009). "REPUTED MOBSTER 'MIKEY CIGARS' WENT ON LAM TO AVOID JUSTICE: US ATTORNEY". New York Post.
^Marzulli, John (July 7, 2009). "Reputed Genovese hitman Michael (Mikey Cigars) Coppola did hit job 'with tears,' says mob rat". New York Daily News. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
^Marzulli, John (July 14, 2009). "Grumpy old mob rat George Barone is out at Mikey Cigars trial". New York Daily News. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
^ abCornell, Kati (July 16, 2009). "WITNESS DOING BOOM BOOM DIDN'T HEAR BANG BANG". New York Post.
^Marzulli, John (July 21, 2009). "Mobster Michael 'Mikey Cigars' Coppola beats murder rap". New York Daily News. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
^"Murder charge is dismissed against reputed N.J. Mob boss". 11 December 2009.
mikey, coppola, other, people, with, similar, names, michael, coppola, michael, coppola, born, 1946, also, known, mikey, cigars, american, mobster, captain, genovese, crime, family, active, their, jersey, faction, made, national, headlines, when, went, into, h. For other people with similar names see Michael Coppola Michael J Coppola born May 18 1946 2 also known as Mikey Cigars is an American mobster and captain in the Genovese crime family active in their New Jersey faction He made national headlines when he went into hiding for 11 years to avoid a possible murder conviction He should not be confused with Michael Trigger Mike Coppola 1900 1966 also a member of the Genovese family Michael J CoppolaBorn 1946 05 18 May 18 1946 age 76 Newark New JerseyNationalityItalian AmericanOther namesMikey Cigars Little MikeKnown forMob activitySpouseLindaRelativesMichael Coppola Jr son Vincent Coppola 1 son Louis James Rizzo Jr stepson Contents 1 Early criminal career 1 1 Alleged murder 2 Fugitive and arrest 3 Trial 4 References 5 NotesEarly criminal career EditMichael Coppola has been working for the Genovese family since the 1960s He became a made man in the late 1970s and was part of a Genovese hit team known as The Fist according to government documents 3 This team performed murders ordered by the Genovese administration in the late 1970s and 1980s Coppola was involved in labor racketeering in the trucking industry and New Jersey docks 4 Coppola served almost five years in prison from 1979 to 1983 for conspiracy and extortion 5 Coppola became an acting caporegime captain while Tino Fiumara was in prison in the 1980s and 1990s 6 running the day to day activities of the New Jersey faction Fiurama had orders relayed to him Alleged murder Edit In 1996 Coppola was charged in the 1977 killing of John Johnny Cokes Lardiere 7 According to authorities Lardiere was released for 26 hours from prison to spend the Easter holidays with his family 5 The reason for his sanctioned killing are not fully known but is speculated that he had turned against the mob and was going to give the FBI information on the mob s influence on garbage hauling 8 Another story has it that Lardiere entered into a heated argument with Ralph Blackie Napoli a caporegime in the Philadelphia crime family and his death was ordered 5 When Lardiere got out of his car at a Bridgewater New Jersey motel 9 the killer was standing in front of him with a 22 automatic pistol complete with a silencer 5 When the gunman squeezed the trigger the gun jammed Lardiere was both amused and annoyed by the man and allegedly said What re you gonna do now tough guy 5 The gunman responded by pulling up his pant leg and removing a 38 revolver from an ankle holster and shooting Lardiere four times 5 When police arrived at the crime scene realizing it was a mob hit they found the shooter had left behind his weapons and a hat In 1996 Lucchese crime family mobster Thomas Tommy Ricciardi who had been arrested on murder and extortion charges decided to cooperate with authorities 8 He told the FBI that Lardiere s killer was Coppola Ricciardi told police that he heard the entire story of Lardiere s murder from Coppola while talking about mob murders with Michael Taccetta at a party in 1983 5 Fugitive and arrest EditA gun and hat were left at the murder scene Since the advancement of forensics since 1977 a judge ordered Coppola to submit a DNA test When the FBI requested a DNA sample on August 8 1996 which could have proved he was at the murder scene Coppola fled his Spring Lake New Jersey home with his wife 8 10 He spent most of his time moving between apartments in San Francisco and New York City 11 During his time on the run he was featured on America s Most Wanted Although on the run authorities believed he was still holding power over organized crime in New Jersey as a fugitive 8 A fellow New Jersey mobster for the Genovese family and a Furmara Coppola associate was charged by the FBI with illegally harboring Coppola during the months before he was caught and arrested 12 In April 2002 the U S Attorney s Office for the District of New Jersey obtained an indictment against Fiumara for conspiring to assist Coppola in Coppola s flight 6 In March 2003 he pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal and failing to report that he had been in contact with Coppola 6 In November a federal judge ordered Fiumara back to prison for eight months for concealing Coppola s whereabouts 6 While on the run investigators were searching for him in Nevada Pennsylvania Florida Canada Italy and Costa Rica 9 On March 9 2007 after 11 years on the run Coppola and his wife Linda were found and arrested 7 While conducting a search of their Upper West Side home they found a book entitled The Methods of Attacking Scientific Evidence 11 Coppola pleaded guilty to fugitive charges and was given a 42 month 3 and a half years sentence His wife Linda also pleaded guilty to harboring a fugitive and received probation Louis James Rizzo Jr Coppola s step son was also convicted for conspiracy to harbor a fugitive and sentenced to 3 years in prison 13 Rizzo was released on November 10 2009 Trial EditIn 2009 the FBI believed that Coppola was going to turn state s evidence against the Genovese family and cooperate with the FBI 10 The FBI was willing to give him immunity from prosecution and enter him in the Witness Protection Program if he cooperated The FBI believed he was involved in the killing of Lawrence Ricci along with his son and stepson 14 on orders of Tino Fiumara one of the men the FBI was hoping to prosecute with Coppola s cooperation 10 Coppola waived a speedy arraignment and spent the next two nights sleeping at FBI headquarters in lower Manhattan at an undisclosed hotel He also met with a government arranged lawyer known as a shadow counsel On the third day however Coppola refused to cooperate His defense lawyer Henry Mazurek said that Coppola only dragged out the process out of concern for his wife who he feared would also be arrested and charged 10 In July 2009 Coppola was put on trial for murder racketeering and extorting the Local 1235 of the International Longshoremen s Association for over 30 years 15 If found guilty of all counts he could have faced life imprisonment Defense lawyer Henry Mazurek told jurors that Coppola admitted to making a rash decision to flee but that it didn t prove he s a killer He didn t want to stand trial for a murder he didn t commit Mazurek said 16 Assistant U S Attorney Jack Dennehy told the jury not to be fooled by Coppola s claims and that Coppola ran because he didn t want to face a jury like you He hid because he didn t want to face a jury like you 17 Thomas Riccardi testified that Coppola said he did not agree with the Lardiere murder but that he followed the orders given to him by Tino Fiumara who was never charged 18 Genovese family member turned government witness George Barone was also called to aid the prosecution Barone was such a difficult witness that the prosecutor apparently decided not to ask him about the Lardiere murder 19 A witness to the murder Raymond Zychlinski was called on as a defense witness in the case 20 Zychlinski refuted the prosecutor s story that Lardiere s killer taunted him and said all he heard was a horrifying scream 20 On July 21 2009 Coppola was acquitted of the murder 15 partially due to the DNA test proving inconclusive since it matched 11 million white men in America However he was found guilty of violating the RICO Act for extortion and possessing false identification while he was a fugitive which could have imprisoned him for up to 20 years 15 Coppola nodded and mouthed the words It s O K to his wife after the verdict 21 Coppola was then taken into custody already serving time for his original fugitive sentence in the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn 22 On December 18 2009 Judge John Gleeson sentenced Coppola to 16 years in prison 15 He served most of his time at the United States Penitentiary Atlanta before being sent to Residential Reentry Management in Brooklyn in 2021 His projected release from federal custody is October 10 2023 23 References EditMichael Coppola Profile on America s Most Wanted Bruno Anthony What re You Gonna Do Now Tough Guy TruTV retrieved January 22 2011Notes Edit Herszenhorn David M April 15 1998 8 Men Accused Of Running Illegal Gambling On Wharves The New York Times Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2008 05 13 Retrieved 2011 03 04 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Trial for accused Mafia hit man Archived from the original on 2010 06 10 Retrieved 2010 04 03 Shifrel Scott July 7 2009 Ref and former cop Robert Delaney holds court at mob trial New York Daily News Retrieved 10 April 2012 a b c d e f g Bruno Anthony 2001 What re You Gonna Do Now Tough Guy Mob Bosses TruTV p 5 Retrieved January 22 2011 a b c d The Changing Face of Organized Crime in New Jersey A Status Report May 2004 pg 105 114 1 a b Newark Arrest in Old Mob Killing The New York Times March 13 2007 a b c d Alleged Mobster Coppola Is Captured a b Cornell Kati March 13 2007 West Side Capo New York Post a b c d Marzulli John July 1 2009 Mobster Mikey Cigars Coppola won t rat out pals in Genovese crew Daily News New York a b Cornell Kati November 4 2008 Slay Rap For Mob Puff Baddy New York Post Tino Looks For Chrismas Past Sic Spelling By Jerry Capeci The Huffington Post Long time fugitive Michael Coppola sentenced to prison 7 May 2008 Marzulli John March 29 2007 Like father like son in slay feds New York Daily News Retrieved 10 April 2012 a b c d Cornell Kati July 21 2009 MIKEY CIGARS CONVICTED OF RACKETEERING CLEARED OF MURDER New York Post Cornell Kati July 18 2009 DNA A PAIN IN ASH FOR CIGARS amp apos New York Post Cornell Kati July 20 2009 REPUTED MOBSTER MIKEY CIGARS WENT ON LAM TO AVOID JUSTICE US ATTORNEY New York Post Marzulli John July 7 2009 Reputed Genovese hitman Michael Mikey Cigars Coppola did hit job with tears says mob rat New York Daily News Retrieved 10 April 2012 Marzulli John July 14 2009 Grumpy old mob rat George Barone is out at Mikey Cigars trial New York Daily News Retrieved 10 April 2012 a b Cornell Kati July 16 2009 WITNESS DOING BOOM BOOM DIDN T HEAR BANG BANG New York Post Marzulli John July 21 2009 Mobster Michael Mikey Cigars Coppola beats murder rap New York Daily News Retrieved 10 April 2012 Murder charge is dismissed against reputed N J Mob boss 11 December 2009 Michael Coppola Archived 2011 06 29 at the Wayback Machine Inmate Locator at the Federal Bureau of Prisons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mikey Coppola amp oldid 1142779922, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
