James Gagliano in his office with articles about Operation Black Crown, which targeted the Latin Kings organization in Newburgh.
By Nancy Peckenham
A month after an anti-gang task force brought federal charges of murder, racketeering and narcotics possession against 31 suspected members of the Latin Kings gang in the city of Newburgh, the head of the FBI team that headed the investigation talked recently about how the task force built its case – and how much still needs to be done.
James Gagliano is the FBI’s Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of the Hudson Valley Gang Task Force. He came into that position in the spring of 2008 after building a career fighting organized crime in New York City, where he helped dismantle the Gambino crime family and send its head, John Gotti, to prison.
Gagliano approaches the Newburgh gangs as similar criminal enterprises with structures that need to be disrupted and dismantled. But it was the murder of 16-year-old Jeffrey Zachary in May 2008 that put a human face on his fight against the Newburgh gangs. Gang members killed Zachary in a case of mistaken identity, authorities say. “His death was an impetus for me to do something effective if I was going to be at this desk,” Gagliano said, recalling how he coached Zachary in basketball in St. Mary’s gym.
Jeffrey Zachary was an unintended victim of gang violence, authorities say.
Gagliano began talking to law enforcement agencies throughout Orange, Dutchess and Sullivan to see how they could combine forces to build a federal case against the gangs. From sheriff deputies and local police departments to the state police and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agency, resources were brought together to launch an investigation.
Detectives from the city of Newburgh police department played an important role. They knew the streets and they knew who was involved in criminal activity.
“When you have street savvy cops, state police who are very meticulous and know the streets and then bring in the federal government piece with more resources, it made perfect sense,” Gagliano said.
Detective Steven Bunt had worked with the New York State police in an investigation that led to more than 120 arrests for drug activity in 2007 and 2008. Gagliano brought him into the task force where he put his vast knowledge to work to create a picture of the gang system that would eventually lead to more serious federal charges. Using surveillance, informants and cooperating witnesses, the task force began to put together a wide-ranging case against suspected members of the Bloods and Latin King gangs.
Unraveling A Network of Criminal Enterprises
In May 2010, 60 people were brought up on drug trafficking charges. Gagliano said that one of the task force’s objective was to get them to cooperate and provide eyewitness evidence that would lead to more serious murder, conspiracy and racketeering charges.
“If they cooperate, then we can try to find out if they saw who shot this guy, or who killed this one,” Gagliano said as he described the process that led to another round of indictments in February 2011. This time, 31 suspected members of the Latin Kings were charged with murder, attempted murder and racketeering, as well as the distribution and sale of narcotics.
La EME, also known as the Mexican Mafia, is still active in Newburgh, Gagliano said.
With the top leadership of the Latin Kings and Bloods dismantled for now, Gagliano said the task force has no intention of letting up the pressure on other gangs, like the Mexican Mafia, also know as La EME, or the Benkard Barrio Kings, who, he said, can be just as ruthless and as violent. He also noted that lower-level members of the Latin Kings and Bloods now aspire to fill the spots left empty by leaders now in prison. Detective Bunt said that the gangs “are wondering if we are still here or if we are going away. It’s a test time.”
Tough Sentences, Vigilance Could End Gang Culture
Gagliano believes that only through “eternal vigilance” on the part of law enforcement will the gang culture disappear. He also sees the social issues that contribute to gang activity, having worked with hundreds of local children as a basketball coach in Newburgh. The young kids are innocent, he said, but their lives can go bad when they are faced with drugs and violence on the street and want be part of it..
“I hope that this causes someone who looks at the gang lifestyle as glamorous to pause,“ Gagliano said. “Once people realize that these are huge cases with long sentences, this will hopefully change the culture.”
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