Staten Island Entrepreneur, Chef, Accused As Drug Lord, Fraudster Against Government Agencies, Credit Card Companies, Individuals

Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon & NYPD Announce Arrest and Indictment of Staten Island Drug Lord & ‘Businessman’ Accused of Selling Massive Quantities of Deadly Narcotics & Multiple Others in Multi-Faceted Drug Enterprise Operating on Borough’s North Shore

Dozens Arrested After Long-Term Investigation Yields Repeated Sales of Large Amounts of Heroin, Cocaine, Fentanyl to Undercover Officers; On Wednesday, NYPD Officers Executed a Search Warrant Where Firearms & Other Contraband Were Recovered from Multiple Premises Associated with the Investigation. Ettore Mazzei, Who Was the Main Target of the Investigation, Indicted on 61 Counts; Faces Multiple Decades Behind Bars If Convicted

Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from the arrested entrepreneur’s website promoting his book “Fit & Sexed,” which can be downloaded free on his website: 

“When I was 15, Fred Bisci, a well-respected whole food, and raw food nutritionist [also on Staten Island]  started teaching me about whole foods, raw foods, and exercise. Fred has been a raw foodist for over 50 years. By age 16, I knew a lot about living a healthy lifestyle. Shortly after that, I noticed that knowing was not enough, because I would not practice what I knew or what made me feel good. That is when I started inquiring into what else might obstruct my living a healthy life that feels good. The last three decades have been a pretty cool journey into that inquiry, and have led to this book.

“Following this book’s principles has made a huge difference in my life. I never get sick. I do not have health insurance because I know I will not get sick. I let life unfold as it does without trying to control it. I never quit in the areas of life that are important to me, and I have lots of love in my life.

“After doing the EST training in 1983, I started to expand my life in all areas, including play, money, sex, health, love, and adventure.”

From the DA’s Office: 

On Wednesday, Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon and the New York City Police Department announced the indictment and arrest of close to 20 individuals charged with operating a massive and multi-faceted drug-dealing network centered in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island.

The result of a long-term narcotics investigation spearheaded by the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office (RCDA) and Narcotics Borough Staten Island (NBSI), the defendants are accused of making over a dozen sales where tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of deadly narcotics changed hands. In total, the defendants sold 20 grams of heroin, 461 grams of cocaine, and 140 Suboxone Strips to undercover officers over a fourteen-month period starting in March 2023.

“Losing over 150 of our neighbors and loved ones to a fatal overdose just last year, Staten Islanders know all too well the devastating and deadly ramifications of the opioid and overdose crisis. And yet, shameless poison purveyors like Ettore Mazzei and his associates continue to flood our streets with death-dealing and harmful narcotics, choosing to prioritize profit over the pain and suffering they leave in their wake” said District Attorney McMahon.

“Thanks to the men and women of the NYPD’s Narcotics Borough Staten Island, and my office’s Narcotics-Investigations Bureau led by ADA Michele Molfetta, ADA Matthew Gamberg, and ADA Matthew Signorile, these defendants will now face the consequences for their destructive and criminal actions.”

The investigation, commenced by the Staten Island Narcotics Major Case Team and RCDA in December 2022, focused on recent violence and persistent illicit drug activity occurring in the Stapleton neighborhood of Staten Island and its commercial corridor. Confidential informants, intercepted communications, and extensive surveillance efforts helped to identify prominent Staten Island business man, Ettore Mazzei, as the primary orchestrator of the narcotics trafficking conspiracy and chief target of the investigation.

“Like a modem-day Fagin, the character from Dickens’ Great Expectations, Mazzei preyed on vulnerable people who suffered from addiction illness, and oppressed them into servitude in his catering business, for housing and, ultimately, for drug dealing” said District Attorney McMahon.

“The breadth of his criminal activity is truly mind-boggling. Mazzei built a labyrinth of crime including drug dealing, extortion, and fraud against numerous government programs including COVID-19 aid, housing support, food stamps, and other financial assistance. He is a successful businessman for sure – a crooked, evil businessman.”

Linked to multiple overdose deaths on Staten Island thanks to the investigatory efforts of RCDA’s Overdose Response Initiative (ORI), Mazzei utilized his business endeavors to advance his own criminal enterprise, housing several of his employees on his various properties, and compensating many of those same individuals in deadly narcotics rather than cash. In addition, as recently as last month, there have been several acts of violence inside of and around Mazzei’s Stapleton-based properties, including two shootings and an armed home invasion. Investigations continue into Mazzei’ s illicit business dealings and efforts to defraud the government.

“The defendants’ alleged actions plagued neighborhoods in Staten Island by littering the streets with illegal narcotics that led to overdose deaths and endangered countless more New Yorkers,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban.

“These allegations are particularly galling given that the driving force behind this illicit drug operation – a local landlord, chef, and entrepreneur – was recently recognized as a pillar of the community by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. [Editor’s note: The page on the Chamber’s website announcing this award now goes to a 404 page, but the old page can still be seen at archive.org]

“Putting personal and financial gain above people’s lives is the polar opposite of what New Yorkers expect and deserve from their leaders. I commend our skilled NYPD investigators and our law enforcement partners at the district attorney’s office for their continued dedication to our shared public safety mission.”

Advertisement

“My office is proud to have diverted thousands of Staten Islanders in the throes of addiction into meaningful and, often, lifesaving treatment and rehabilitative programming. However, there will be no quarter nor leniency for those who prey upon our loved ones and knowingly sell this poison,” added District Attorney McMahon.

“While we look forward to aggressively prosecuting this case in the weeks and months ahead, this investigation and today’s announcement sends the message that drug-dealing syndicates from Tompkinsville to Tottenville will never be tolerated on our shores, and the men and women of my office will never relent in our essential mission to pursue justice and save lives.”

“Today’s vast operation and the dismantling of a prominent Staten Island business owner and cocaine dealer is a testament to our law enforcement investigative resources and determination. I am proud of our partnership with the NYPD, Richmond County District Attorney’s Office Special Narcotics Bureau, and the work of our Postal Inspectors in making the arrests of these alleged drug users and distributors,” said New York Division Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker.

“One of our highest priorities is to eliminate drugs and contraband from the U.S. Mail and our communities, and in this case, as a result of our partnership with the NYPD, achieving a safer and stronger Staten Island.”

The full list of defendants and charges filed against them can be found in the accompanying Indictments.  The first indictment is here.  The second indictment is here.

*An indictment is an accusatory instrument All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty*

Banner Image: Ettore Mazzei. Image Credit – Ettore Mazzei’s official website.