Accused Gambino Captain Threatened To Burn Down Toms River Restaurant: Feds

TOMS RIVER, NJ — An alleged captain in the Gambino organized crime family who was arrested Wednesday threatened to burn down a Toms River restaurant after an altercation with another patron, according to federal authorities.

Joseph Lanni, 52, of Staten Island, was among 10 people arrested in the New York area Wednesday after federal authorities unsealed an indictment charging them with racketeering conspiracy, extortion, witness retaliation, and union-related crimes, according to federal authorities in the U.S. Eastern District of New York.

Lanni and Vincent Minsquero, 36, of Staten Island, who also was charged in the federal indictment, were at Roxy's Bar and Grille on Sept. 1, according to the detention documents filed in the case. Minsquero has been charged with racketeering conspiracy and witness retaliation, federal authorities said.

Lanni and Minsquero were introduced to the owner by the bartender serving the two men sometime in the afternoon or early evening. About 8:15 p.m. the two men got into an argument with another patron, and the restaurant staff asked them to leave. As they were being escorted from the restaurant, both men "became belligerent," according to the document.

Minsquero damaged a painting and punched a wall, and Lanni identified himself as a "Gambino" and told the owner "in substance, that he would 'burn this place down with you in it,' " the documents said.

A member of the restaurant's staff called Toms River police, who responded and told Lanni and Minsquero not to return, the document said.

Video footage from the Exxon gas station on Hooper Avenue, across the street from Roxy’s Bar and Grille, shows Lanni and Minsquero at the gas station 18 minutes later, where Lanni buys a red gasoline can and then tries to get it filled at one of the gas pumps, the document said.

Minsquero and the gas attendant appeared to briefly dissuade him from filling it, federal authorities said.

"The video then shows Minsquero reentering the gas station and returning the gas container (while Lanni attempted to physically prevent him from doing so)," the document said.

In addition, Lanni made 39 phone calls to the restaurant after being forced to leave, authorities said. Part of one call was captured on the body-worn camera video of a Toms River police officer.

At 9:41 p.m. the owner was on the phone with Lanni telling him, "Stop calling my business," when the police officer approached. The officer took the phone to try to talk with Lanni, and Lanni could be heard saying, "Apologize to me," the document said.

The body cam video captured Lanni repeating, "Beg for my forgiveness. Beg for my forgiveness. Beg for my forgiveness . . . Beg. Beg. Beg for my forgiveness. Beg. Beg. Beg for my forgiveness. Say, 'I'm sorry, Joe,' " the document said.

About midnight, 3-1/2 hours after Lanni and Minsquero were told to leave the restaurant and Lanni made the threats, the owner and the owner's spouse walked out of the restaurant into the parking lot. The owner got into the driver's seat of a car while the spouse stood outside the car talking through the open car window, the document said.

As they talked, a man got into the passenger side of the car and punched the owner in the head, then put a knife to the owner's neck and threatened to kill the owner, the document said.

The spouse ran to help and was punched and knocked to the ground by a second man, the document said.

Both men then beat the spouse while the spouse was on the ground, and the man with the knife slashed the owner's tires and pointed it at the spouse before leaving, the documents said.

The document does not say whether any arrests were made in connection with the attack.