Lucchese crime family members and associates — including 'Wonder Boy' and 'Paulie Roast Beef' — arrested in FBI bust


Nineteen members and associates of the New York-based Lucchese crime family were arrested in a massive bust by the FBI on Wednesday, NBC New York reports. The accused suspects face charges including murder as well as racketeering, gambling, narcotics, wire fraud, and possession of a weapon.
The arrest includes the boss of the family, Matthew Madonna, as well as underboss Steven Crea, who has the colorful nickname "Wonder Boy." Other family members with nicknames like "Spanish Carmine," "Joey Glasses," and "Paulie Roast Beef" were also arrested:
Some of those arrested face charges for the death of mobster Michael Meldish in 2013. "The victim was executed gangland-style, shot once in the head while sitting behind the wheel of a rusty Lincoln LS sedan in the Bronx," the New York Daily News writes. "Meldish, 62, was suspected in at least 10 mob hits in the 1970s and 1980s."
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The indictment claims the family killed Meldish "to enforce the rules of the enterprise among its members and associates."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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