LOS SANTOS POLICE DEPARTMENT
MAJOR CRIMES DIVISION
**FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY**
JOINT TASK FORCE BRIEFING
*UPDATED 12/7/2025
In March 2021, Pacific Crest Imports LLC based in the Port of San Fierro was flagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for repeated anomalies in shipping documentation and cargo declarations. Industry experts and local authorities had already begun to question how the company remained solvent amid the economic shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a probe revealed the business’s reported revenue streams did not align with its documented shipping volumes during that period. The investigation quickly became a joint inquiry between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration once the proprietor of the company was confirmed to be reputed Valenti crime family soldier, or “made man,” Richard Novarese.
Richard Novarese, 49, of 1842 Vallejo Street, Apt. 5B, San Fierro, SA 94123 is believed to have been introduced to the Valenti family sometime in the late 1990s following his marriage to Victoria Bruno, sister-in-law of Valenti captain Frank Carneglia, who later served as de facto boss until his incarceration. As well as being acquitted of racketeering charges during the September 2009 indictments that brought down boss Santino “The Butcher” Valenti and other high-value members, Novarese’s criminal record shows that he and Valenti enforcer Donald Rigazzi, who later served as acting boss had been imprisoned in 2003 following a freight hijacking, serving eighteen months of a thirty-month sentence, as well as a felony aggravated assault charge in 2016 for which he served twenty-one months. Sources allege that Novarese was formally inducted into the organization in 2007 and was quickly elevated to replace newly-minted captain Joseph “Buddha” Panzarino as the principal intermediary in a cocaine trafficking operation overseeing shipments destined for Europe. Detectives investigating S. Valenti deduced the narcotics were likely produced by South American distributors and financed by members of the ’Ndrangheta. It is also speculated that Novarese was primarily responsible for the cocaine routinely making strategic landfalls in Los Santos for partial domestic distribution before continuing onward to European markets. Novarese relocated to San Fierro during the power vacuum that followed the 2009 indictments and is believed to have maintained longstanding relationships with his ’Ndrangheta contacts. During this period, he reportedly collaborated closely with local Cosa Nostra figures associated with the broader West Coast network, among them Patrick Durante, former chieftain of the crime family's outpost in San Fierro. Durante expanded his criminal interests into Los Santos circa 2014, establishing a crew operating out of Eastmoor Gardens Apartment Complex, De Longpre Avenue, Vinewood dubbed the “Eastmoor Crew”. The crew was mainly comprised of young and violent members, said to be hand-picked by Durante to help him quickly consolidate power – notable among them were Michael “The Snake” Sarino, Ray Ferrante and Dominic Caluzzo, Durante’s alleged protégé. Durante and Caluzzo disappeared in 2015, paving the way for Sarino’s rapid ascension to leadership of the organization, which would eventually establish itself as the Sarino/Bellantonio crime family. Novarese is believed to have assumed control of what remained of the San Fierro crew.
Testimony provided by confidential informants indicates that by early 2025, Novarese had informally assumed a middleman role between Los Santos-based Valenti and Bellantonio crime family interests. The same informants stated that Novarese had surrounded himself with a trusted inner circle, among them Gerald “Gerry Pro” Profeta, 47 and Andrew Bellafiore, 42 who both served time with Novarese and D. Rigazzi in San Andreas State Prison, Los Santos County. Profeta served six years for burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, attempted grand larceny and possession of burglary tools, while Bellafiore served twenty months for gambling conspiracy and wire fraud. Bellafiore is listed as being employed at Pacific Crest Imports and has kept a low-profile in the years following his relocation to San Fierro. Profeta is a career criminal rumored to act as Novarese’s “muscle” and is a suspect in the 2011 murder of Daniel Badolato, a career criminal believed to be in debt to the Valenti family and the 2025 murder of 52-year-old L.S. longshoreman Byron Blythe – Blythe, an associate, was rumored to have stolen a vehicle belonging to a member of a local Sureño gang and was sanctioned to be murdered to avoid retaliation.
In October 2025, CBP in association with the Los Santos Police Department Commerical Crimes Division conducted an investigation into the trafficking of counterfeit clothing and consumer electronics in the Point Fermin district, which led to the arrest of Eric Quisenberry, a twice-convicted burglar with known ties to organized theft rings operating in Los Santos. In exchange for a reduction in sentencing, Quisenberry agreed to cooperate with investigators and identified Richard Novarese as the individual overseeing the broader supply chain operation. According to Quisenberry, G. Profeta acted as a primary point of contact between himself and Novarese and acted as a specialist in debt collection and protection. Quisenberry also alleged that Valenti “made man” Russell Damiano, 57, approached him regarding the possible distribution of cocaine through Quisenberry’s existing street-level network and claims to have rejected the proposal outright. Damiano is a former heavyweight boxer-turned-restaurateur originally based in Fort Lauderale, FL and a member of the Valenti family's Florida outpost, the Aniello Gravante crew – Damiano has rented Apt. 12 at 742 Westmoreland Ave, Apt. 12, Los Santos, SA 90005 since 07/10/22 and is believed to be operating a local loansharking racket targeting low-income neighborhoods. Novarese and Damiano are alleged to have explored opening a restaurant venture in the greater Los Santos area, though IRS Criminal Investigation reportedly identified no associated business filings or tax submissions. While no evidence suggests Novarese and Damiano are working in tandem, it remains an ongoing area of investigation.
Quisenberry further added that he first became involved with the network after frequenting East Los Santos gentlemen’s club “Pig Pen” and becoming friendly with its proprietor, “made man” Stanley Lannetta – Lannetta has been flagged as a potential distributor of 3D-printed weaponry, or “ghost guns”. In 8/14/19 a routine checkstop conducted by officers of the San Manuelino County Sherrif’s Department led to the arrest of ‘Ndrangehta enforcers Attilio Iacono and Vincenzo Ora – a search of their vehicle yielded two automatic handguns that lacked any identifiable markings and were of uncertain design, as well as a small amount of cocaine and a stash of fraudulent identification. The “ghost guns” seized bore similarities of those found in the homes of deceased Mark D’Amato and missing Stephen Baggalia, leading detectives to conclude that Lannetta is potentially a ‘Ndrangheta asset.
In collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Santos Police Department Major Crimes Division has now launched an investigation targeting Richard Novarese and his associates. Investigators believe Novarese has used his import-export business and waterfront contacts to facilitate the movement of contraband and suspect him of conspiring with ’Ndrangheta to distribute small quantities of narcotics regionally. Authorities also believe the organization is involved in the laundering of illicit proceeds accumulated through the shipping and counterfeit goods operation., which has been forwarded to IRS-CI. Detectives and agents assigned to the case are reportedly focused on identifying stash locations and other co-conspirators – current suspects include current Valenti kingpin William Dippolito and flagged drug traffickers in the South-Central Los Santos area.
(Inset: A stash of cell phones, smart watches and streaming devices found in a unit rented by E. Quisenberry in the Point Fermin district of San Pedro. Further investigation into the items determined them to be inauthentic and were subsequently seized by CBP officers for bearing counterfeit trademarks.)
(Inset: A photograph taken circa 2004 of Richard Novarese (1), Andrew Bellafiore (2), Gerald Profeta (3) and Donald Rigazzi (4) during their incarceration in San Andreas State Prison, Los Santos County. Recovered from the home of D. Rigazzi following his September 2009 arrest.)
(Inset: Most recent recoverable photo of Richard Novarese circa 2017, taken during his incarceration at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center for the felony aggravated assault of Bayside Village, S.F. laundromat “Toss ‘N’ Turn” owner Brian Min.)
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