abstract
| - Ciancutti first became associated with the mob through his mother who worked as a craps dealer in a gambling den run by Gabriel Mannarino. After High School, Ciancutti enrolled in the army but was discharged because of a tick he had developed. Upon his return home he began to work for Mannarino. In 1962 Ciancutti was convicted of income tax evasion and on gambling charges the following year. Law enforcement began to recognize him a a prominent member of the Pittsburgh family when he accompanied boss John Sebastian LaRocca and Mannarino to New York in 1969 to a meeting of mob figures to determine the successor of Vito Genovese after his death in prison. In 1972 he was charged with running a multimillion dollar bookmaking racket. In 1980, capo Gabriel Mannarino died and Ciancutti gained controlled of his operations. His stature continued to climb during the 1980s. He became a powerful capo and big earner for the Pittsburgh family. In October of 2000, Ciancutti and 15 other people were arrested for operating illegal gambling activities in Allegheny and Fayette counties, principally sports betting and illegal lottery. Ciancutti allegedly ran an operation that brought in $500,000 a week during the pro football season, keeping 10 percent of the money for himself, state Attorney General Mike Fisher said. In 2002, Ciancutti, 72, pleaded no contest to felony racketeering after a seven-year investigation and prosecution of his illicit betting empire. He was sentenced to 90 days house arrest and 20 months of probation.
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