Mob Member From Morris County Gets 28 Months in Prison for Extorting Dockworkers

A Florham Park resident and associate of the Genovese organized crime family was sentenced to 28 months in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to racketeering, United States Attorney Paul Fishman announced.

Nunzio LaGrasso, 64, pleaded guilty in January for extorting Christmastime tribute payments from members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), an organization he was a representative of and served as vice president for his local chapter.

After pleading guilty, LaGrasso faced up to seven years in prison.

For at least a decade, LaGrasso and co-defendants Stephen Depiro, 59, of Kenilworth, and Albert Cernadas, 79, of Union, conspired to “compel tribute payments from ILA members, who made the payments based on actual and threatened force, violence and fear,” Fishman said.

LaGrasso and Cernadas admitted to carrying out multiple extortions of dockworkers, Fishman said.

In addition to the 28-month term, LaGrasso was sentenced to two years supervised release and fined $25,000.

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