TUCKAHOE: Federal Prosecutors Say Ralph Balsamo Is A Crime Family Member And Charge Him With Racketeering

MANHATTAN (NYC): Federal prosecutors claim that Ralph Balsamo, age 51, of Tuckahoe (Town of Eastchester) and Nicholas Calisi, age 63, of Boca Raton, Florida are captains in a racketeering conspiracy involving illegal gambling and extortion. 

Also charged in Manhattan federal court were:

• Michael Messina, age 69, of New Fairfield, Connecticut;
• Michael Poli, age 37, of Hawthorne, NY;
• John Campanella, age 47, of the Bronx;
• Thomas Poli, age 64, of the Bronx.

According to the indictment, Calisi and Balsamo are alleged captains in the Family, Messina and Campanella are alleged soldiers, and both Polis are alleged associates of the Genovese Crime Family.

US Attorney Damian Williams said that the six engaged in or agreed that others would engage in certain crimes, including making extortionate extensions of credit, financing extortionate extensions of credit, collecting extensions of credit by extortion, extortion, operating illegal gambling businesses, and transmission of gambling information.

Each suspect faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the racketeering charges.