The Valenti Crime Family (2011)
Posted: Sun May 17, 2026 12:10 am
The Valenti crime family is one of the newest syndicates of the Cosa Nostra criminal phenomenon in the United States. The FBI's case file on the family was formally initiated around March 1995, although it is suspected that the Valenti family had begun operations in Los Angeles by the early 1990s.
The current boss or Don of the Valenti crime family is suspected to be Sonny Valenti. A recent joint-investigation by U.S. and Italian law enforcement into Cosa Nostra families in both countries has shown a connection between various elements of the Sicilian mafia commission and the Valenti crime family, although details of this relationship are scarce.
Sonny Valenti
Outside of criminal circles, Valenti was largely unknown in the early 1990s, but his meteoric rise in the criminal world since then has been matched with growing interest in his personal history. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 3, 1959 to Michele 'Iron Mike' Valenti, also an inducted soldier in the Genovese crime family, and Angelica (neé Mancuso). His criminal record shows that he has been charged but not convicted on two counts of first degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of money laundering, and numerous racketeering and corruption charges. Despite his long list of charges, Valenti has only been incarcerated once. He was imprisoned in 1980 after he had been convicted of assaulting store-owner Pedro Garcia the year before. Out of his five year sentence, he served two and a half years and was released on parole in July 1982.
In early 1998, Valenti was indicted by the grand jury and went on trial in June of the same year. John R. McCullough, federal prosecutor, said at the time:
“We intend to secure nothing less than the full conviction of Mr. Valenti on the basis of his racketeering and corruption activities which fall under the RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations] Act. He is a well-known figure in the American Cosa Nostra and we suspect that he has been actively involved with elements of organized crime since he was a young adult.”
Despite having arguably fulfilled 20 of the 37 RICO predicates (only 2 are needed to be prosecuted under the RICO Act), the case was dropped for insufficient evidence and the indictment was later dropped. Many believe Valenti himself had a hand in this result. In 2000, these suspicions led to an indictment on obstruction of justice charges. These proceedings were noted for the media frenzy they generated, representing the first time the public at large became aware of Valenti's stature in the mafia. Ultimately, Valenti's defense counsel was able to prove that F.B.I. agents had illegally installed a wiretap before court approval was formally issued. With the crux of their prosecution rendered inadmissible, the charges were dropped and the case was declared a mistrial.
Valenti has established a reputation for himself as both a pragmatic and calculating businessman, while claiming one of the most violent records for any Cosa Nostra boss in the United States, with the FBI attributing him roughly 20 murders in his 30-year career in organized crime. In the words of Tom Rusk, a retired FBI Special Agent who was assigned to Valenti's case, "just by looking at his record, you can see what type of leader he is. We held him responsible for 20 murders, but our estimates are almost always below the mark. Personally, I think Valenti himself has killed more than 20 people, while undoubtedly ordering the deaths of many more in recent years."
The rise of the Valenti crime family
During the ill-health of longtime Genovese captain Richard Cardelli in 1989, Valenti was appointed as his temporary replacement. It is believed that Valenti had been inducted as a made man some time in 1986, fostering a reputation as a lucrative earner. He officially succeeded Cardelli after the latter's death in October 1990. According to Jerry Capeci, Valenti's quick rise in the Genovese family is attributable both to the success of his criminal enterprises and his father's relationship with then-retired boss Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo. "Sonny's father and uncle Lorenzo were both well-known soldiers. The family had a sterling reputation. To these old school guys like Philip Lombardo, your lineage matters because it says something about whether you can be trusted."
After serving a 10-year sentence, Valenti's uncle Lorenzo was released from federal prison in 1987. In the following years, he entered a period of semi-retirement, setting up a sports betting ring in the San Diego area. According to informant Angelo Sabini, Lorenzo had encouraged his nephew to start operations elsewhere in California after the initial success he had experienced in San Diego. In 1990, a small delegation of Valenti's crew began criminal activities in Los Angeles with a focus on sports betting, loan sharking, and pornography. By 1993, the majority of Valenti's soldiers had transitioned their activities into the city. This shift caused consternation among the leadership of the Genovese family, who felt that a breakaway was imminent. Furthermore, Valenti had caught the attention of the Petrulli crime family, which had been the sole Cosa Nostra family in Los Angeles since the 1930s. In 1993, FBI wiretaps show that the Genovese family was in regular contact with the Petrulli leadership. Both families had an interest in seeing the demise of this new start-up and it is believed that in 1993, Genovese boss Vincent Gigante formally disowned Valenti and approved of his murder.
On October 21, 1993, two gunmen shot Valenti and his bodyguard outside of a grocery store in East Los Angeles. It is widely suspected that the two shooters were associated with the Petrulli crime family. The bodyguard was declared dead at the scene while Valenti was hospitalized and eventually recovered from the attack. The event triggered a bloody war between the two factions that lasted for two years. In retaliation two prominent Petrulli captains, Frank Gorgone and Arthur Torno, were murdered separately in late 1993. By 1994, the war had turned in Valenti's favor when boss Joseph Petrulli and a contingent of bodyguards were shot to death outside of Emmanuel's, a well-known Italian restaurant. In January 1994, underboss Gino Petrulli and soldier Henry Scanga were found stabbed to death. In all, seven Valenti soldiers were killed in the fighting according to FBI estimates, while 16 members of the Petrulli crime family died between 1993 and 1994.
After the decapitation of its leadership, the Petrulli family was scattered and disorganized, further destabilized by succession struggles and infighting. According to government prosecutors, Valenti issued what is known as the "land grab decree" in 1994. The decree sanctioned and encouraged the elimination of the rival family by allowing Valenti soldiers to assume control of whatever rackets they seized by force from Petrulli loyalists. Sporadic fighting with the Valenti crime family for the duration of the 1990s led to the gradual elimination of all remaining pockets of Petrulli influence.
The family from 2000 and onwards
The Valenti crime family has been involved with various criminal activities all over the state of California. In addition to owning front businesses, they are involved with illegal gambling, hijackings, extortion, and loan sharking. The recent convictions of Valenti family associates Robert Contini and Greg Pisano would suggest that they have infiltrated the local workers’ unions. The family has historically been connected to importing heroin and illegal arms. Furthermore, Valenti and many of his associates are believed to be ‘silent partners’ in otherwise legitimate businesses in the city.
Renowned mafia expert and manager of http://www.ganglandnews.com, Jerry Capeci, speculates that Valenti will try to focus on expanding the family’s illegal rackets and influence. He notes that “Sonny is that kind of Don: old-school despite his age, principled, but still very pragmatic. When he gets cornered, we’ve seen that he doesn’t give up the fight quick -- whether it’s with other criminals or with the law, you can't force his hand. Some of the other West Coast families learned that lesson back in the 1990s, when he and his crew took out the Petrulli family in one of the bloodiest mob wars in U.S. history.” Professional mafia analysts are also speculating on the future of the Valenti crime family. The FBI acknowledges that the organization has experienced an unprecedented level of success in the past few years, particularly in its racketeering and gambling activities. This is attributed to the relative youth of the family and its monopoly over a large swath of criminal activity on the West Coast. "Sonny isn't the type of guy who will ever be satisfied with what he has at the moment," adds Capeci.
In September 2009 the family lost many of its high-ranking members to a series of indictments. Most notably, Valenti was charged with the violation of five RICO predicates, including the murder of his former underboss, Paul Nunziatta. As of October 2010, the murder charge has been dismissed and Valenti remains on trial. On May 29, 2011, Valenti was convicted on conspiracy and racketeering charges carrying a minimum sentence of 25 years. According to federal prosecutor Glen Leibovich, the objective of the recent trials was to primarily weaken the family's leadership. Despite the devasation, it appears that certain Valenti loyalists are still a factor in the streets of Los Angeles.
The current boss or Don of the Valenti crime family is suspected to be Sonny Valenti. A recent joint-investigation by U.S. and Italian law enforcement into Cosa Nostra families in both countries has shown a connection between various elements of the Sicilian mafia commission and the Valenti crime family, although details of this relationship are scarce.
Sonny Valenti
Outside of criminal circles, Valenti was largely unknown in the early 1990s, but his meteoric rise in the criminal world since then has been matched with growing interest in his personal history. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on August 3, 1959 to Michele 'Iron Mike' Valenti, also an inducted soldier in the Genovese crime family, and Angelica (neé Mancuso). His criminal record shows that he has been charged but not convicted on two counts of first degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, one count of money laundering, and numerous racketeering and corruption charges. Despite his long list of charges, Valenti has only been incarcerated once. He was imprisoned in 1980 after he had been convicted of assaulting store-owner Pedro Garcia the year before. Out of his five year sentence, he served two and a half years and was released on parole in July 1982.
In early 1998, Valenti was indicted by the grand jury and went on trial in June of the same year. John R. McCullough, federal prosecutor, said at the time:
“We intend to secure nothing less than the full conviction of Mr. Valenti on the basis of his racketeering and corruption activities which fall under the RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations] Act. He is a well-known figure in the American Cosa Nostra and we suspect that he has been actively involved with elements of organized crime since he was a young adult.”
Despite having arguably fulfilled 20 of the 37 RICO predicates (only 2 are needed to be prosecuted under the RICO Act), the case was dropped for insufficient evidence and the indictment was later dropped. Many believe Valenti himself had a hand in this result. In 2000, these suspicions led to an indictment on obstruction of justice charges. These proceedings were noted for the media frenzy they generated, representing the first time the public at large became aware of Valenti's stature in the mafia. Ultimately, Valenti's defense counsel was able to prove that F.B.I. agents had illegally installed a wiretap before court approval was formally issued. With the crux of their prosecution rendered inadmissible, the charges were dropped and the case was declared a mistrial.
Valenti has established a reputation for himself as both a pragmatic and calculating businessman, while claiming one of the most violent records for any Cosa Nostra boss in the United States, with the FBI attributing him roughly 20 murders in his 30-year career in organized crime. In the words of Tom Rusk, a retired FBI Special Agent who was assigned to Valenti's case, "just by looking at his record, you can see what type of leader he is. We held him responsible for 20 murders, but our estimates are almost always below the mark. Personally, I think Valenti himself has killed more than 20 people, while undoubtedly ordering the deaths of many more in recent years."
The rise of the Valenti crime family
During the ill-health of longtime Genovese captain Richard Cardelli in 1989, Valenti was appointed as his temporary replacement. It is believed that Valenti had been inducted as a made man some time in 1986, fostering a reputation as a lucrative earner. He officially succeeded Cardelli after the latter's death in October 1990. According to Jerry Capeci, Valenti's quick rise in the Genovese family is attributable both to the success of his criminal enterprises and his father's relationship with then-retired boss Philip "Benny Squint" Lombardo. "Sonny's father and uncle Lorenzo were both well-known soldiers. The family had a sterling reputation. To these old school guys like Philip Lombardo, your lineage matters because it says something about whether you can be trusted."
After serving a 10-year sentence, Valenti's uncle Lorenzo was released from federal prison in 1987. In the following years, he entered a period of semi-retirement, setting up a sports betting ring in the San Diego area. According to informant Angelo Sabini, Lorenzo had encouraged his nephew to start operations elsewhere in California after the initial success he had experienced in San Diego. In 1990, a small delegation of Valenti's crew began criminal activities in Los Angeles with a focus on sports betting, loan sharking, and pornography. By 1993, the majority of Valenti's soldiers had transitioned their activities into the city. This shift caused consternation among the leadership of the Genovese family, who felt that a breakaway was imminent. Furthermore, Valenti had caught the attention of the Petrulli crime family, which had been the sole Cosa Nostra family in Los Angeles since the 1930s. In 1993, FBI wiretaps show that the Genovese family was in regular contact with the Petrulli leadership. Both families had an interest in seeing the demise of this new start-up and it is believed that in 1993, Genovese boss Vincent Gigante formally disowned Valenti and approved of his murder.
On October 21, 1993, two gunmen shot Valenti and his bodyguard outside of a grocery store in East Los Angeles. It is widely suspected that the two shooters were associated with the Petrulli crime family. The bodyguard was declared dead at the scene while Valenti was hospitalized and eventually recovered from the attack. The event triggered a bloody war between the two factions that lasted for two years. In retaliation two prominent Petrulli captains, Frank Gorgone and Arthur Torno, were murdered separately in late 1993. By 1994, the war had turned in Valenti's favor when boss Joseph Petrulli and a contingent of bodyguards were shot to death outside of Emmanuel's, a well-known Italian restaurant. In January 1994, underboss Gino Petrulli and soldier Henry Scanga were found stabbed to death. In all, seven Valenti soldiers were killed in the fighting according to FBI estimates, while 16 members of the Petrulli crime family died between 1993 and 1994.
After the decapitation of its leadership, the Petrulli family was scattered and disorganized, further destabilized by succession struggles and infighting. According to government prosecutors, Valenti issued what is known as the "land grab decree" in 1994. The decree sanctioned and encouraged the elimination of the rival family by allowing Valenti soldiers to assume control of whatever rackets they seized by force from Petrulli loyalists. Sporadic fighting with the Valenti crime family for the duration of the 1990s led to the gradual elimination of all remaining pockets of Petrulli influence.
The family from 2000 and onwards
The Valenti crime family has been involved with various criminal activities all over the state of California. In addition to owning front businesses, they are involved with illegal gambling, hijackings, extortion, and loan sharking. The recent convictions of Valenti family associates Robert Contini and Greg Pisano would suggest that they have infiltrated the local workers’ unions. The family has historically been connected to importing heroin and illegal arms. Furthermore, Valenti and many of his associates are believed to be ‘silent partners’ in otherwise legitimate businesses in the city.
Renowned mafia expert and manager of http://www.ganglandnews.com, Jerry Capeci, speculates that Valenti will try to focus on expanding the family’s illegal rackets and influence. He notes that “Sonny is that kind of Don: old-school despite his age, principled, but still very pragmatic. When he gets cornered, we’ve seen that he doesn’t give up the fight quick -- whether it’s with other criminals or with the law, you can't force his hand. Some of the other West Coast families learned that lesson back in the 1990s, when he and his crew took out the Petrulli family in one of the bloodiest mob wars in U.S. history.” Professional mafia analysts are also speculating on the future of the Valenti crime family. The FBI acknowledges that the organization has experienced an unprecedented level of success in the past few years, particularly in its racketeering and gambling activities. This is attributed to the relative youth of the family and its monopoly over a large swath of criminal activity on the West Coast. "Sonny isn't the type of guy who will ever be satisfied with what he has at the moment," adds Capeci.
In September 2009 the family lost many of its high-ranking members to a series of indictments. Most notably, Valenti was charged with the violation of five RICO predicates, including the murder of his former underboss, Paul Nunziatta. As of October 2010, the murder charge has been dismissed and Valenti remains on trial. On May 29, 2011, Valenti was convicted on conspiracy and racketeering charges carrying a minimum sentence of 25 years. According to federal prosecutor Glen Leibovich, the objective of the recent trials was to primarily weaken the family's leadership. Despite the devasation, it appears that certain Valenti loyalists are still a factor in the streets of Los Angeles.