Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Plea bargain made in outcall-takeover case

Vincent Congiusti was nicknamed "Vinnie Aspirins" for supposedly being the aspirin that eases the mob's headaches.

According to federal court documents he "was known to have used a cordless drill to drill holes into an individual's head on one occasion."

However, after reaching a plea bargain with federal prosecutors and pleading guilty Thursday to one count of conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by threats or violence and aiding and abetting, Congiusti of Tampa, Fla., faces a big headache of his own -- 4 to 5 years in prison.

Congiusti, a purported expert in torture, is the first of six defendants to admit to taking part in what federal authorities say was an attempt by the New York mob to take over the lucrative Las Vegas outcall service industry.

Congiusti, 49, faces sentencing Oct. 1 before U.S. District Judge Philip Pro. He faces a prison sentence of 51 to 63 months and fines ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, according to the plea memorandum. Had he gone to trial and lost he could have faced 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Last October FBI agents arrested on federal conspiracy charges Congiusti, Christiano DeCarlo, 27, the owner of the Las Vegas-based DeCarlo Group; Joshua Snellings, 20, of Las Vegas; Kenneth Byrnes, 38, of New Jersey; Anton Nelsen, of Florida; and Mario Stefano, of New York.

Federal investigators say Stefano, a k a Mario Pugliese, has ties to the Gambino crime family in New York.

The six men are believed to have been conspiring since last June to take over the outcall operations owned and operated by Frank Bartello, Richard Soranno and Harry Jacobs, according to the criminal complaint.

An outcall service provides dancers for customers who wish them to perform in their hotel rooms or private residences. Law enforcement officials have long considered the industry a front for prostitution, money laundering, credit-card fraud and drug dealing.

There are 165 outcall businesses licensed by Clark County, but about five operators own all of them, according to authorities. The largest percentage of them are owned by SOC Inc., headed by Sorrano.

According to court documents, Congiusti was one of two men brought in to help other defendants "bang heads" in their effort for an industry takeover.

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