Anthony Megale (August 1, 1953 – July 21, 2015), also known as "The Genius," was a mobster and leader in the Gambino crime family. He later acted as the second-in-command. His base of operations was in southwest Connecticut.
Criminal history
It is said that Megale was born in Italy. As a young man, he moved to Connecticut. He lived in Stamford, Connecticut. He married and had a son and two daughters.
At some point, Megale joined the Gambino family. In 1982, he was found guilty of a crime related to drugs.
In 1990, Megale admitted to participating in illegal business activities and was sentenced to six years in prison. His agreement with the court included saying he was part of a secret criminal group called La Cosa Nostra, which made John Gotti, the leader of the Gambino family, very angry. In 1995, Megale was released from prison early under a special program. However, in 1998, he was sent back to prison for 11 months because he broke the rules by being around other criminals.
In August 2001, Megale was given a high-ranking position in the Gambino family's operations in Connecticut. He died in July 2015, just eight months after being released from prison.
Extortion victims
In August 2002, Megale met with Harry Farrington, also known as "Oil Can Harry," the owner of two strip clubs in Fairfield County, Connecticut. At the time, Farrington was being extorted by mobsters from the Patriarca crime family in New England. Megale contacted the Patriarca mobsters and told them that Stamford was his territory. He then began extorting Farrington directly. In September 2002, Megale demanded that Farrington pay him $2,000 each month in "protection" money and an additional $3,000 yearly "Christmas bonus." Megale threatened Farrington with violence and damage to his property if the payments were late. Farrington reported the extortion to law enforcement, who gave him a listening device to record future meetings with Megale. From November 2002 to February 2004, Farrington made regular payments to Megale while recording their conversations.
In September 2002, Megale began extorting $200 monthly from a vending machine operator who had already been paying the Gambino family since 1996. During this time, Megale also extorted money from a construction company in Westchester County, New York, and a trucking company in New Jersey.
Connecticut and New York convictions
In September 2004, based on evidence provided by Farrington, Megale was charged in Connecticut with 38 counts of extortion. In October 2005, Megale admitted guilt to fewer charges, and on April 3, 2006, he was sentenced to 86 months in prison.
On March 31, 2006, Megale admitted guilt to reduced charges related to the New York case. On September 6, 2006, he was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison. Farrington sold his two clubs and moved to another state.
Megale served his prison time at the Allenwood Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. On December 1, 2014, he was released from prison.
Megale died on July 21, 2015, at Stamford Hospital after experiencing a heart attack.