by Maggie Mulvihill, Jack Meyers and Jonathan Wells
Boston Herald

Wednesday, March 22, 2000

Former Back Bay Realtor Daniele Mazzei told police she nearly lost her life in 1995 when her on-again, off-again boyfriend tried to throw her out the window of a New York City hotel room.

That boyfriend was Arthur J. Gianelli Jr. of Lynnfield, a 42-year-old reputed bookie for the Mob, and that incident was not the first time he had a run-in with the law, public records and police reports show.

Gianelli - who was identified but never charged in a 1991 probe of a Mob bookmaking and loan-sharking ring - is the brother-in-law and next-door neighbor of indicted former FBI agent John J. Connolly Jr. Their relationship is now under the scrutiny of a special federal task force investigating dealings between the FBI and the Mob in Boston.

Although Gianelli has never been charged as a member of organized crime, police records show he has been arrested at least twice after violent or threatening confrontations with Mazzei, his 31-year-old former girlfriend, and he has been charged five times with violating court orders to stay away from her.

He also has a history of not paying his debts and then defaulting on required court appearances when he has been sued by banks and other creditors.

Gianelli's scrapes with the legal system date back to at least 1989, when he and his business partners defaulted on a $2.2 million Bank of New England loan they obtained to develop property in Haverhill.

In April, 1989, Gianelli filed for bankruptcy - three months before he was sued by the Bank of New England for defaulting on the note.

In a 1992 order, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Margot Botsford noted that Gianelli failed to show up in court to defend himself in the action, and ordered him to pay the bank $1.7 million.

In the midst of his battle over the bank loan, in the summer of 1991, Gianelli was searched by Massachusetts State Police investigating the large-scale gambling and loan-sharking operation run by organized crime figure Joseph A. Yerardi Jr.

Court records show Gianelli was one of Yerardi's bookmaking agents and reported to a top lieutenant in the organization, Salvatore M. DeAngelis.

Though Yerardi, DeAngelis and others were convicted and sent to jail in the case, Gianelli was never charged.

Federal authorities said Yerardi's operation received financing and muscle from Winter Hill Gang bosses James J. ``Whitey'' Bulger and Stephen ``The Rifleman'' Flemmi, both of whom were longtime FBI informants handled by Connolly and indicted along with Connolly in December.

Gianelli could not be reached for comment.

The Bank of New England lawsuit is just one of a number of cases brought against Gianelli by his creditors in Worcester, Middlesex and Suffolk counties.

But despite all the litigation, Gianelli apparently has not lacked for money and is not shy about putting his prosperity on display.

He lives with his wife, Mary Ann Gianelli, in a sprawling half-million-dollar home in Lynnfield, which features a circular driveway ringing an ornate fountain.

Gianelli has reportedly been involved for many years in the vending machine business, although during one of his arrests, he told police he is a ``service man.''

And despite their stormy relationship, Gianelli was known to shower Mazzei with expensive jewelry and take her on gambling jaunts to Foxwoods Casino, Mazzei's former neighbor said.

When Gianelli was arrested by Boston police in 1994 after a confrontation at Mazzei's Back Bay apartment, police confiscated a gold necklace and pendant, as well as $4,222 in cash, records show.

In that incident, Mazzei told police that Gianelli showed up ``intoxicated'' and kicked in her door. According to the police report, ``when she asked him to leave he grabbed her and hit her in the face. Victim suffered a cut lip and a bruise under her right eye.''

A year later, Gianelli violated an emergency restraining order by arriving at Mazzei's apartment. According to Mazzei, Gianelli said, ``I'm going to (expletive) kill you. Watch your back,'' and ``You better get out of Boston.''

Apparently she believed him. One police source familiar with Mazzei's allegations said she was so frightened of Gianelli she left Massachusetts. Mazzei did not respond to several requests for an interview.

In 1995, Gianelli pleaded to sufficient facts and the case was continued for a year.

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