Earlier today in Brooklyn, John Ragano, a member of the Bonanno crime family, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for extortionate collection of credit. This sentence will follow a previously imposed 57-month sentence related to the same victim. Ragano is also required to pay $3,000 in forfeiture. He was convicted in October 2024 after a four-day jury trial.
The announcement came from John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Leslie R. Backschies, Acting Assistant Director in Charge at the FBI's New York Field Office.
“Today’s sentence punishes Ragano’s blatant disregard for the law, even while under court supervision for crimes brazenly carried out within the federal courthouse,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “This prosecution represents my Office’s steadfast commitment to combatting the Mafia in our district.”
Acting FBI Assistant Director Backschies commented on Ragano's actions: “Despite previous arrests and detention, John Ragano tormented his victim to make weekly exorbitant loan payments and enforced humiliating methods when faced with resistance.” She added that this case underscores "the FBI’s intolerance of the mob’s historical inclination to utilize coercive and threatening tactics."
In early 2021, Ragano lent $150,000 to a victim who had to pay about $1,800 weekly without reducing the principal amount. Arrested on September 14, 2021, for this extortionate loan and other charges including trafficking marijuana and fraud, Ragano continued his attempts to collect on the loan even while under pretrial supervision.
Ragano pleaded guilty on November 28, 2022. Despite this plea and ongoing court supervision, he continued his extortion efforts into 2023. A subsequent indictment followed due to these actions.
During an October 2024 trial, evidence showed that on March 25, 2023, an associate communicated Ragano's demand for full repayment but assured that “nobody’s looking for anybody to get hurt.” By July 5 of that year, a recorded confrontation occurred where Ragano forced the victim to strip naked as part of his intimidation tactics.
The prosecution is managed by Devon Lash and Andrew D. Reich from the Organized Crime and Gangs Section with support from Paralegal Specialist Kristina Kim. Forfeiture matters are handled by Tanisha Payne from the Asset Recovery Section.
