Brick Man Gets 6 Years In Cocaine, Toms River Prostitution Club Plots

NEWARK NJ -- A Brick Township man who is a reputed associate of the DeCavalcante crime family of La Cosa Nostra was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison for selling 1,915 grams of cocaine, planning a prostitution operation and possessing a 12-gauge shotgun as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Anthony Stango, 34, had pleaded guilty in August to charges of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, use of the telephone in interstate commerce to promote a prostitution operation and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls, who imposed sentence Tuesday. Walls additionally sentenced Stango to serve five years of supervised release.

Stango was arrested in March 2015 as part of a sweep of 10 members of the DeCavalcante crime family, in connection with various plots to commit murder, distribute drugs and run a prostitution business.

Anthony Stango admitted conducting a drug operation that, on eight separate occasions from December 2014 to March 2015, sold a total of 1,915 grams of cocaine to an undercover law enforcement officer, according to Fishman’s office.

During that same time period, Stango worked to set up a prostitution operation in Toms River. Recorded conversations reflected discussions he had with his father, Charles Stango, who at the time was living in Nevada. Charles Stango is a reputed DeCavalcante captain. Stango advised his father that he had already talked to one or more prostitutes about the details of the operation, their fees and the conditions under which the women would be providing services, according to information provided at the time of the March arrests.

Anthony Stango also admitted possessing an H&R Pardner 12-gauge pump action shotgun while being a convicted felon, Fishman’s office said.