Rockland Mobster Sentenced in Racketeering Case

Rockland resident Michael Palazzolo, whom federal officials termed an associate of the Genovese Crime Family, was sentenced Tuesday for his part in a racketeering conspiracy.

Palazzolo and fellow Rockland resident Daniel Pagano were charged in August 2014 with participating in the conspiracy by, among other crimes, committing extortion and loan sharking and operating an illegal gambling business.

Pagano is a captain in the Genovese Crime Family, said Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Palazzolo received a slightly stiffer prison sentence than Pagano, 30 months compared to 27 months in prison. According to The Journal News, Palazzolo's lawyer Lloyd Epstein said in a letter to the judge, "There is no legitimate reason why Mr. Palazzolo should receive a greater sentence than Mr. Pagano. A defendant should receive a sentence which is proportionate to his role in the conspiracy ... Mr. Palazzolo's role, though serious, was subordinate to and considerably less than Mr. Pagano's."