MEDFORD
An alleged member of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra was sentenced Jan. 20 in U.S. District Court in Boston for conspiring to traffic over 40 kilograms of marijuana from July 2013 to February 2014.
Louis L. DiNunzio, 29, of Medford, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti B. Saris to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $10,000. In September 2015, DiNunzio pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
In 2013, law enforcement initiated a long-term investigation, known as Operation Excalibur, into drug-trafficking, illegal gambling, extortion, and other criminal activity by the members and associates of the New England Family of La Cosa Nostra (NELCN).
DiNunzio was allegedly a member of the NELCN and is the son of former NELCN Boss Anthony DiNunzio, who is currently in federal prison for RICO conspiracy. As part of the conspiracy, DiNunzio and others purchased large quantities of marijuana and shipped them via UPS under fictitious names to Massachusetts.
Earlier this month, two other alleged NELCN associates involved in the conspiracy were sentenced.
Joseph Spagnuolo-Kazonis, 30, of Boston, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $10,000.
John Woodman, 43, of Braintree, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, and ordered to pay a fine of $4,000 and to forfeit $5,000.
In additional cases arising from this investigation, Anthony Spagnolo, 67, and Pryce Quintina, 75, both of Revere, pleaded guilty in December 2015 to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by extortion and will be sentenced in March 2016.
On Jan. 13, 2016, John Evans, 68, of Middleborough, and Joseph Petrucelli, 24, of Winthrop, pleaded guilty to conducting an illegal gambling business and will be sentenced in April 2016.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz: Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Richard D. McKeon, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement.
Assistance was also provided by the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, the Massachusetts Department of Correction, and the Boston, Braintree, Everett, Medford and Quincy Police Departments and the FBI’s San Diego Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran and Seth B. Kosto of Ortiz's Criminal Division.