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News and Features about Organized Crime, Mafia and La Cosa Nostra taken from National and Local News Sources. In an attempt to get you this type of coverage in a timely manner we can not be responsible for the content of the following material. |
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2-18-00 More mob connections recorded in Traficant's past. February 18, 2000
By JOE LAWLOR Charles O'Nesti wasn't the only former mob associate who worked as an aide of U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. Records reveal that the now-deceased Andy Chapella - a man who was quoted extensively in FBI court documents associating with known mobsters - worked for Traficant in the mid-1980s. Records also show that from 1989 to 1991, Traficant failed to fully report liabilities on his annual financial disclosure forms as required by law. O'Nesti and Chapella worked together on Traficant's staff in the 1980s, according to U.S. House Clerk records. O'Nesti, a longtime aide, was convicted in 1998 of racketeering, resigning shortly afterward. Before the two became congressional staffers, they knew Traficant through his dealings with the underworld, records reveal. O'Nesti delivered bribes to Traficant from the Pittsburgh faction of the Mafia, while Chapella was with the Cleveland faction, records show. Whether Chapella's job with Traficant had anything to do with federal prosecutors recently seizing the congressman's office records dating back to 1985 is unclear. Federal prosecutors and FBI sources have been silent on the issue. But according to federal wiretap documents filed in U.S. District Court in 1982, Chapella was recorded as saying he delivered money from Cleveland mob leader Charlie "The Crab" Carabbia to Traficant for Traficant's Mahoning County sheriff campaign. Traficant, D-Poland, also made similar statements to the FBI in 1981 when he was sheriff, records show. Traficant was acquitted in 1983 of bribery charges after he defended himself by saying he was conducting a one-man sting operation against the mob. Sometime after Traficant won election to U.S. Congress in 1984, he hired Chapella. According to federal records from the U.S. House Clerk, Chapella was being paid as a part-time employee in 1987, but was listed as a staff representative during the final quarter of 1985. In 1985, Chapella's quarterly salary was $4,125. Traficant couldn't be reached for comment, but spokesman Paul Marcone said he never knew of Chapella to be involved in anything unsavory. "I don't see what the point is," Marcone said. "For all the time he worked for the congressman and since then, no one's raised a question about it." Marcone pointed out that Chapella wasn't convicted for any mob crimes. Marcone also praised Chapella's work. "He worked in the Youngstown office, and he was a hard worker," Marcone said. "He did a lot of good for the community." Mahoning County Auditor George Tablack Jr. - who along with state Sen. Robert Hagan, D-Youngstown, and Christopher Doutt are challenging Traficant in the March Democratic primary - said Traficant continues to mislead the public about his role with the mob. Tablack said people shouldn't believe Traficant was trying to perform a sting operation against the Mafia. "It is exactly because of these idiotic fairy tales which the congressman continues to portray to the public that we attract national news organizations that continue to portray this community in a negative light. It is one of the major reasons why our economy suffers," Tablack said. FBI documents from July 8, 1981, say Traficant showed up at FBI offices on that day and told them of Chapella's role with the mob. "He advised he had become associated with (mob leader) Orlie Carabbia through Andy Chappella (sic) when Chappella had taken him to Carabbia to financially assist him with his campaign," according to the records. Traficant arrived at FBI offices on July 17, 1981, and told the FBI he would only cooperate if certain conditions were met, such as "that he was able to protect people, such as Charles O'Nesti, who he felt were really not criminals." The FBI didn't believe Traficant was cooperating, which resulted in the trial. Traficant still describes O'Nesti as a good friend. According to federal wiretap documents filed in court in 1982, Traficant had this conversation with Chapella, Charlie Carabbia and Orland Carabbia. JAMES TRAFICANT: Well, the last package that you got had how much? ANDY CHAPELLA: The last package I think had 15. ORLAND CARABBIA: No. CHAPELLA: Eighteen, 18, yeah 18. TRAFICANT: I got 18. CHAPELLA: Eighteen. CHARLES CARABBIA: And, ah, you got the money, Andy? CHAPELLA: Yeah, right here, Charlie. Randy Walter of Citizens for Honest and Responsible Government, when hearing about Chapella, said it's another indication about the dishonest way Traficant runs his office. "He has a history of paying back friends of his who were involved with the mob," Walter said. "They had government jobs at our expense, and we find that unacceptable. He's supposed to be doing our business and he's giving paybacks to people who did business for him in the past." Walter said Traficant should resign to fight his legal battles in private. "He says he's going to be indicted, so why doesn't he step down?" Walter said. "We say he should step down." In the late 1980s, Traficant had also come under fire for hiring two "ghost" employees, daughters of disbarred Youngstown attorney George Alexander. Alexander had given Traficant legal advice in the 1980s. Alexander's daughters admitted to the Tribune Chronicle that they didn't perform any work, and were hired as an avenue for Traficant to pay back money the congressman owed Alexander. In another issue revealed by records, Traficant has also failed to file the proper paperwork with the federal government. Records show the Internal Revenue Service filed a $99,000 federal lien against his house in Poland, which was in the name of Patricia Traficant, the congressman's wife. The lien was filed in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in 1989 and 1991, according to court records, for unpaid federal income taxes for the tax period ending Dec. 31, 1980. The records don't say what happened with the case. The Ohio Department of Taxation also filed a lien against Traficant's Poland home for $12,000 in 1990 for unpaid income tax. That money was paid off in 1991, according to records. Marcone said he couldn't comment because he doesn't get involved in Traficant's personal finances. According to federal financial disclosure statements required to be filed by U.S. representatives, all liabilities must be listed on the document. Traficant's statements from 1989 through 1991 show Traficant did not list the liens as liabilities on his financial disclosure forms. Tablack refused to bash Traficant when hearing about the financial problems. "My guess is he will explain it as a clerical oversight. In fairness, the entire public knows he owes the Internal Revenue Service. But he should be more diligent in disclosing documents, and not take a cavalier attitude."
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