Somerville's 'Deleo Crew' Crime Boss Gets Over 16 Years in Prison

A Somerville man who was a "street boss" for the Colombo Crime Family was sentenced to over 16 years in prison in federal court Wednesday, according to an announcement from the District of Massachusetts United States Attorney's office.

Ralph Deleo, 69, was head of the Somerville-based "Deleo Crew" that engaged in drug trafficking, extortion and loan sharking, according to the announcement. In May Deleo pleaded guilty to racketeering and firearms charges, the announcement says.

The U.S. Attorney's office said Deleo and the Deleo Crew operated in Massachusetts, Arkansas, Florida and New York and that it arranged cocaine deals, smuggled marijuana from Canada, beat up a financial advisor, extorted money, and had a cache of weapons, ammunition and police uniforms.

The DeLeo Crew was affiliated with La Cosa Nostra's Colombo Crime Family, based out of New York, the announcement says.

U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock sentenced Deleo to 235 months in prison, with 36 months having been served, and three years of supervised release and a $50,000 fine at the end of that time in prison, according to the announcement.

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