Brooklyn Mob Case Prosecutors Seek Removal Of Defense Attorney

BROOKLYN, NY— Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn moved to remove defense attorney Joseph Corozzo from a Staten Island loansharking case after alleging he may be tied to organized crime activity and involved in a client’s alleged criminal scheme, according to court filings and hearings in early 2026.

The case, United States v. Liverano in the Eastern District of New York, began with a sealed indictment filed on Dec. 11 against Staten Island defendant Mark Liverano.

Prosecutors say Liverano ran a long-running loansharking operation tied to the Gambino crime family. He has pleaded not guilty.

Corozzo entered the case immediately, and for months, the case moved through early hearings, detention issues and scheduling conferences in Brooklyn federal court.

The tone of the case changed in late January.

In a Jan. 28 court order, Judge Brian M. Cogan noted that prosecutors planned to file a motion to disqualify defense counsel, citing concerns about conflicts of interest.

Prosecutors asked the court to remove Corozzo from the case, pointing to recorded conversations they say connect him to organized crime activity.

In court filings, prosecutors said the recordings include references to Corozzo as a “made member” of the Gambino crime family.

They also said conversations described illegal gambling and loansharking operations and suggested Corozzo knew about those activities.

Prosecutors wrote that the recordings show he was “fully entangled” in the conduct under investigation.

“In more than a dozen recordings, the defendant is captured discussing Mr. Corozzo’s knowledge of the defendant’s criminal schemes, namely the illegal gambling and loansharking operations, and discussing Mr. Corozzo’s status as an inducted member of the Gambino crime family,” prosecutors wrote.

The filings also describe comparisons made in recorded calls between Corozzo and Tom Hagen, the fictional lawyer in “The Godfather,” along with references to him having a “button,” which prosecutors said is a term used for someone formally inducted into the Mafia.

Corozzo has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Angela Lipsman, a lawyer at his firm, wrote in a separate filing that she was “utterly unconcerned” about the claims and urged the court not to rush its decision before the defense could review the recordings.

Defense lawyers also pushed back in court filings, saying they cannot fairly respond without seeing all of the government’s evidence.

They asked the judge to slow the process and allow full review of the materials being used to challenge Corozzo’s role.

As the dispute grew, the court rescheduled hearings several times. By late February and March, the Curcio hearing had been pushed back and continued as the judge weighed whether Corozzo could stay on the case.

The allegations are part of a larger case against Liverano, who remains in federal custody after pleading not guilty to all charges.

Court records show multiple hearings on detention, medical bond requests, and scheduling disputes since his arrest.

Corozzo’s presence in organized crime cases is not new. In a separate 2005 federal case involving Dominick Pizzonia, prosecutors also tried to remove him as defense counsel, pointing to alleged Mafia ties and recorded conversations. A judge rejected that effort, and Pizzonia was later acquitted of the most serious charges.

The court has not yet ruled on whether Corozzo will remain on the case.