Charles Panarella

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Charles " Moose" Panarella (b. January 5, 1922) is a New York City mobster and captain in the Colombo crime family with a brutal reputation as a hitman.

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[edit] Early years

In 1940, Panarella was arrested for the first time. In 1972, gunmen attempted to assassinate Panarella in a Manhattan restaurant. However, they mistakenly killed two Chicago businessmen and wounded two other innocent bystanders. Panarella was unharmed. A legitimate tough guy in his day, Panarella once allegedly forced a victim to eat on his own testicles before killing him. Panarella has survived several feuds within the Colombo family that killed more than 20 people.

Panarella had a large profitable crew that included William "Wild Bill" Cutolo and Gregory Scarpa Sr.. The crew trafficked in narcotics, robbed banks, and controlled sheet metal and restaurant unions.

[edit] Exile to Las Vegas

In the mid-1980s, Panarella's crew complained about Panarella to Colombo family boss Carmine Persico, claiming that he was an abusive leader. Facing federal indictment, Persico feared that Panarella and caporegime John (Sonny) Franzese might use his legal troubles to move against him. When Panarella's crew complained, it gave Persico an excuse to exile Panarella to Las Vegas. Panarella would not forget this slight; in 1991, he actively sided with Victor "Little Vic" Orena during his failed effort to take over the Colombo family.

In 1994, Panarella was convicted of attempting to launder money through the Maxim Casino (now called the The Westin Casuarina) in Las Vegas as part of a scheme to purchase a farm for $500,000 to $1 million. Panarella had drug profits deposited at a cashier's cage at the casino. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy in August 1994 and served 15 months of an 18-month sentence. Panarella was released in September 1996.

[edit] Back to New York

Although living in Las Vegas, Panarella still kept some responsibilities back East. For a period of time, he was shuttling back to Brooklyn to oversee the Colombo family’s interests in Locals 14 and 15 of the International Union of Operating Engineers.

In the summer of 2001, Panarella met in New York with the Genovese family over a dispute in Brooklyn. The Genovese family controlled most of the so-called "no-show" construction jobs in Brooklyn and the Colombo family wanted their fair share. Unfortunately for Panarella, the meeting location was bugged and law enforcement picked up clear evidence that he was acting as a Colombo family boss. In 2003, Panarella was indicted in New York on one federal racketeering charge in connection with alleged labor law violations and construction payoffs. The charges were linked to alleged payoffs within the local office of the Union of Operating Engineers and to fraud in the construction of a minor league baseball stadium on Staten Island, New York as well as a post office in Brooklyn.

As of February 2008, Panarella was living under house arrest at his home in Kunkletown, Pennsylvania. The trial based on his 2005 racketeering indictment has been delayed due to Panarella's ill health and psychological problems.

[edit] External links