Mob impersonator guilty of extortion in Connecticut
Hartford (AP) - A 65-year-old New York man who prosecutors say pretended to be a mob enforcer has been convicted on federal conspiracy and extortion charges in Hartford.
A jury Thursday found Edward Memoli of Unadilla, N.Y., guilty of conspiring with Joseph Casolo of Norwalk to extort money from a business owner in Fairfield County by pretending to be an organized crime figure.
Prosecutors say Memoli made at least 20 threatening calls to the victim claiming to be a mob enforcer named "Lorenzo." They say he told the victim that if he did not pay, he would ensure that the man's daughter, who was pregnant, would have a miscarriage.
Casolo pleaded guilty to one count of extortion and was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
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