Five men from the Springfield area with alleged organized crime ties were arrested Thursday. They are accused of conspiracy, loan sharking and extortion.
According to the federal indictment, four of the men are accused of extorting $20,000 from a towing company owner over several months in 2013. Two of the defendants, Ralph Santaniello and Giovanni Calabrese allegedly threatened to “cut the victim’s head off and bury it in the back yard,” if he didn’t pay up.
Another defendant, Gerald Daniele is accused of making two usurious loans to a second victim in 2015, and along with Santaniello and Calabrese, threatening the man if the money wasn’t repaid.
The US Attorney’s office in Boston says all five of the accused have ties to the New York Genovese crime family.
Those arrested include Santaniello, Calabrese and Danielle, all of Longmeadow, Francesco Depergola of Springfield and Richard Valentini of East Longmeadow.