James Ida

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James Ida (b. 1940) is a New York mobster and consiglieri of the Genovese crime family.

Growing up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, Ida was inducted into the Genovese crime family in the late-1970s, after the Commission re-opened the books. Ida was placed in the Little Italy based crew of captain Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello, frequently serving as Ianniello's bodyguard and chauffeur.

In 1988, after Ianniello was convicted on federal racketeering charges, Ida took over the Ianniello crew, which also featured Ida's younger brother Joseph, a soldier in the family. In 1991, after consigliere Louis Manna was convicted of federal racketeering charges, which included plotting to kill Gambino crime family boss John Gotti and his brother Gene, Ida became the official consigliere of the Genovese family. With family boss Vincent Gigante facing federal indictments and faking mental illness and underboss Venero Mangano also facing a labor racketeering indictment and subsequently being convicted, Ida handled to the day-to-day functions of the Genovese family in conjunction with acting boss Liborio Bellomo.

Ida oversaw various family rackets, including those involving the Mason Tenders Union and the San Gennaro Feast which takes place each September in Little Italy, in which the Genovese family received money from every vendor wishing to operate at the Feast. After a 1990 conviction of captain James Messera, based in part on conversations recorded in Ida's social club located at 171 Mulberry Street, Ida chose to cease discussing business at the club and began conducting business through walk and talks and meetings in public places, such as diners, parks, etc. Federal investigators received warrants for use of roving bugs, which were able to intercept Ida's meetings with family members and union associates on six occasions in 1994.

In June 1996, Ida and 19 members and associates of the Genovese crime family, including acting boss Liborio Bellomo and the family's acting underboss. Ida chose to reject a 15-year plea deal and sat through an 8-week trial, in which he was convicted of the most serious charges, which including murder conspiracy relating to the murder of Genovese wiseguy Antonio DiLorenzo, whose murder was carried out by Ida's brother Joseph, and the murder of soldier Ralph DeSimone. Ida received a life prison sentence. Ida's Little Italy crew has since been re-taken by Ianniello.

As of April 2008, Ida is serving life without parole at the United States Penitentiary Lewisburg in Pennsylvania.

[edit] Further reading

Jacobs, James B., Coleen Friel and Robert Radick. Gotham Unbound: How New York City Was Liberated from the Grip of Organized Crime. New York: NYU Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8147-4247-5
Jacobs, James B., Christopher Panarella and Jay Worthington. Busting the Mob: The United States vs. Cosa Nostra. New York: NYU Press, 1994. ISBN 0-8147-4230-0
Raab, Selwyn. Five Families: The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires. New York: St. Martin Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-30094-8
Theoharis, Athan G. (ed.) The FBI: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1999. ISBN 0-89774-991-X
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Organized Crime: 25 Years After Valachi : Hearings Before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. 1988.