Kim Wendel
6:32 p.m. EDT July 23, 2015
Agnello 55, of Bentleyville, has ties to the Gambino crime family in New York City and is the ex-son-in-law of the late mobster John Gotti.
CLEVELAND -- Attorneys Roger Synenberg and Ian Friedman, representing Carmine "The Bull" Agnello, filed a civil suit against the City of Cleveland to get returned the equipment that was confiscated in a raid Friday from Eagle 1.
Although first filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, the civil right suit was moved to U.S. District Court Wednesday (July 22) at the city's request.
The suit claims that police illegally seized property during the raid, according to court records.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office sent the following statement: "Agnello's claim that America's Civil Rights Act was written to protect Mafia enterprises is ridiculous and self-serving, coming from a violent ex-con who is a made member of the New York Gambino crime family. Next, bank robbers will claim the Civil Rights Act allows them to keep their guns pending trial."
The suit wants the city to immediately return the following property:
• Three (3) front loaders
• Three (3) fork lifts
• One (1) automobile crusher
• One (1) 2008 Cadillac Escalade vehicle
• All computers, monitors, DVR systems and servers seized
• The briefcase, wallet and papers of Mr. Agnello
• $20,000 in U.S. currency seized from the property of Eagle I
• $5,038 in U.S. currency seized from the person of Mr. Agnello
• $21,310 in U.S. currency seized from the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Agnello
• $3,675 in U.S. currency seized from Anthony Giangrande, an employee of Eagle I.
Agnello 55, of Bentleyville, has ties to the Gambino crime family in New York City and is the ex-son-in-law of the late mobster John Gotti.
Agnello was arrested last week at the auto towing business on E. 116th Street and Harvard Avenue in Cleveland following an 18-month investigation dubbed "Operation Goodfella."
He was released on a $100,000 personal bond and is required to wear a GPS monitor and cannot visit Eagle 1.
Charity Towing/Eagle Auto Parts is registered in the name of his wife Danielle. Danielle is the daughter of mobster Mourad "Moose" Topalia.
Agnello was arrested for theft, money laundering, conspiracy, and corrupting sports.
Officers uncovered multiple weapons during a search of Agnello's Bentleyville home, as well as evidence of illegal dumping at Agnello's East 116th Street scrap metal operation.
Agnello, who has a prior record of federal convictions, is precluded by law from owning or possessing firearms.
These crimes were uncovered during an extensive covert investigation conducted by the Cleveland Division of Police Intelligence Unit, with assistance from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office Public Corruption Unit.
Cleveland police also said that, within the last three years, they observed a spike in auto thefts with no recovery of the stolen vehicles. As a result, an investigation was initiated and multiple scrapyards were identified as likely participants in illegal activity.
The investigation focused on Agnello due to the scale of Agnello's scrap metal operation and the amount of cars processed at Agnello's scrap yards.
The investigation revealed that, between 2014 and the present; Agnello systemically defrauded a regional scrap metal processing facility for more than $3 million.