Martin Taccetta

Martin "Marty" Taccetta (born May 2, 1951) is an imprisoned New Jersey mobster who was the alleged boss of the Jersey Crew, a powerful faction of the Lucchese crime family.

Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1951, Martin Taccetta is the son of Anthony Taccetta, a self-employed building materials supplier who allegedly belonged to the Lucchese family.

Martin's older brother Michael "Mad Dog" Taccetta is a capo in the Lucchese family who later served as boss of the Jersey Crew.

During the early 1960s, Martin Taccetta, his brother, and his cousins belonged to a tough street gang in Newark, New Jersey.

Martin and brother Michael played on the same Little League baseball team as did their cousins, Daniel and Thomas Ricciardi and future mob associate Robert Spagnola.

He is the cousin of mobsters Michael Perna, and Daniel, Joseph and Thomas Ricciardi.

By the late 1960s, both Martin and Michael Taccetta started working with Lucchese mobster Anthony "Tumac" Accetturo in illegal gambling and loansharking operations.

At that time, the boss of the Lucchese family was Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese.

Michael is also the uncle of Joseph Perna born c.a. 1969, John G. Perna born c.a. 1977 and Ralph M. Perna Junior born c.a. 1972 who are the sons of his cousin Ralph V. Perna and his wife Roseanne.

They all followed their father and uncle into organized crime.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Jersey crew grew in power, wealth, and independence.

Based in Northern New Jersey, the crew had 20 members with its own family-like hierarchy.

When Accetturo was indicted on state charges during this period, he moved to Florida.

While in exile, Accetturo continued to run the Jersey crew through his underboss, Michael Taccetta, with Martin as second in command.

Michael and Martin Taccetta operated large gambling and loansharking operations around Newark, New Jersey, as well as drug trafficking and money laundering activities through their legitimate business, Taccetta Group Enterprises.

In 1976, the Taccetta brothers and Accetturo all became full members, or "made men", in the Lucchese family, which was now run by new boss Anthony "Tony Ducks" Corallo, Accetturo's old mentor.

When Philadelphia crime family boss Angelo "Gentle Don" Bruno was murdered on March 12, 1980, Accetturo took advantage of the ensuing chaos to establish a new Lucchese crew in Philadelphia.

In 1984, the Jersey leadership murdered James "Jimmy Sinatra" Craporatta, a contractor and Lucchese associate.

When Craporatta refused to share the proceeds of a video gaming operation he controlled, the Jersey mobsters beat him to death with metal head golf clubs.

In 1985, Taccetta and 19 co-defendants were indicted in New Jersey on 76 counts of labor racketeering, illegal gambling, loansharking, extortion, drug trafficking, money laundering, conspiracy and murder for hire.

These indictments were the result of a four-year investigation of the Jersey crew.

Much of the evidence came from wiretapped conversations at the Hole-in-the-Wall, a restaurant frequented by mob figures in Newark, New Jersey.

In 1986, when the trial started, the Lucchese family in New York underwent a momentous leadership change with the conviction of Corallo.

Facing a life sentence in prison, Corallo designated Lucchese capo Victor Amuso as the new acting boss of the family.

Almost immediately, a dispute occurred between Accetturo and Amuso over the independence of the Jersey crew, and the large increase in tribute that Amuso expected from them.

On August 26, 1988, after a 21-month trial that was the longest in U.S. history, all 20 defendants were acquitted.

Prosecutors were stunned by the verdict.

The general consensus was that jurors did not trust the government witnesses, many of whom were themselves criminals testifying in return for reduced sentences.

As the jurors left the courtroom, the defendants cheered and clapped for them.

With the end of the racketeering trial, the Taccettas and the Jersey crew were shaken by conflict.

During the trial, the strong relationship between the Taccetta brothers and Anthony Accetturo turned into a bitter rivalry.

Michael Taccetta was jealous of the power that Anthony Accetturo Jr. was gaining in the family, along with a feeling that Anthony Accetturo Sr. was not showing Michael Taccetta sufficient respect.

The Jersey crew soon split into Taccetta and Accetturo factions.

In addition to the crew rivalries, family boss Amuso had finally lost patience with the entire New Jersey crew.

In the Fall of 1988, the dispute with Amuso turned to crisis when he demanded that henceforth the Jersey crew turn over 50% of their earnings to him.

Both Accetturo and the Taccettas refused his demand.

An enraged Amuso summoned the entire Jersey crew to a meeting in New York.

Fearful of being the killed, the crew boycotted the meeting and all went into hiding.

At this stage, Amuso gave his famous order "Whack Jersey", kill the entire Jersey crew, especially Accetturo.

He is also the uncle of Carlo Taccetta, the son of his brother Michael, and Pamela Abdy, the Hollywood film producer whose credits include "Garden State" that was awarded an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature in 2005 as well as three other movies including "Man on the Moon" in 1999.