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Rudaj Organization
Rudaj Organization
Rudaj Organization
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Rudaj Organization
Founded1993
Founding locationWestchester County, New York
Years active1993–2004
TerritoryQueens, The Bronx, and Westchester County[1]
EthnicityAlbanian, Italian, and Greek[1]
Membership22 defendants charged in RICO indictment
ActivitiesExtortion, illegal gambling, murder, robbery
RivalsLucchese crime family
Gambino crime family
Velentzas crime family

The Rudaj organization was a gang of Albanian-Americans active in the New York City metro area, named for the man accused of being its kingpin, Alex Rudaj of Yorktown, New York. The Rudaj organization, called "The Corporation"[1] by its members, was started in 1990s in The Bronx and spread to Westchester County and Queens. Prosecutors say the Albanian gang was headed by Alex Rudaj and an Italian-American man named Nardino Colotti, who both had ties to the Gambino soldier Phil "Skinny" Loscalzo.[2]

Organization

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FBI surveillance photograph of Alex Rudaj, outside Jimbo's Bar in Astoria, Queens on April 15, 2003

Alex Rudaj (also known as Sandro Rudovic, Allie Boy, Uncle Rudaj, Xhaxhai,) of Yorktown, New York is the alleged boss of the Albanian mafia's Rudaj Organization, based in the New York City metro area. Rudaj is an ethnic Albanian from Ulcinj, Montenegro who immigrated to the United States in 1987. Federal prosecutors said Rudaj was the triggerman in a 1996 shooting of another organized crime figure after a high-speed chase in The Bronx. Rudaj hung out the sunroof of a car and fired at Guy Peduto as he fled in another car. They also described an incident where Rudaj showed up with 20 thugs to get late mob boss John Gotti's table at Rao's, the legendary and exclusive East Harlem Italian restaurant. On Friday, June 16, 2006, Alex Rudaj, 38, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for racketeering, extortion and gambling offenses.

Nardino Colotti (born 1963) of The Bronx, New York, is an Italian-American protégé of the Gambino soldier Phil (Skinny Phil) Loscalzo and co-leader of the Albanian mafia Rudaj Organization. Loscalzo allegedly promised Colotti territory with rackets to run in the Bronx and to propose him for Gambino family membership. However, when Loscalzo died, Sicilian Gambino soldier Joe Gambino took over his operations. Rudaj and Colotti didn't receive his territory and they neither wanted to work for Gambino, nor did they respect him. Therefore, in 1993 they became independent and founded their own organization. In addition to gambling dens in Queens the Rudaj Organization ran gambling operations in Mount Vernon and Port Chester. Nardino Colotti's group had a gambling joint on Adee Street in Port Chester and forced bar owners in Mount Vernon to install their illegal gambling machines. In one instance, Colotti's group tried to force Salvatore Misale, the owner of Puerto Roja in Mount Vernon, to hand over his bar to the Corporation. Misale went to authorities in 2003 after he endured a beating at a Bronx cafe over his refusal to hand over the keys to the bar. Lamaj (who?) sliced his ear off and then beat and cursed at him.

Federal prosecution

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On October 26, 2004, the FBI and Manhattan U.S. Attorney David Kelley announced the arrest of the group's alleged boss, Alex Rudaj, and 21 other reputed mob members charged in the indictment.[3] Most of the defendants were native Albanians or first-generation Albanian-Americans,

During a bail hearing for one of the two dozen people arrested in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Treanor said that the Albanian mob had taken over gambling operations from the Lucchese family in Astoria, Queens. Rudaj led an attack in August 2001 on two Greek associates of the Lucchese crime family who ran a gambling racket inside a Greek social club on 30th St. in Queens. On August 3, 2001 Rudaj and at least six other men entered the club with guns, beating one of the men in the head with a pistol and chasing others out of the neighborhood by threatening to destroy the building.

Gambino leader Arnold Squitieri had had enough and wanted a talk with Rudaj. The meeting took place at a gas station in a rest area near the New Jersey turnpike. Twenty mobsters accompanied Squitieri, while Rudaj only brought six members of his crew. According to undercover FBI agent Joaquin Garcia, who infiltrated the Gambinos during this time period, Squitieri told Rudaj to stop expanding their operations. Both sides had weapons, but Rudaj threatened to blow up the gas station with all of them in it. This ended the discussion, and both groups pulled back.

By 2006 all of the main players involved in the meeting were in prison. Rudaj and personal driver and bodyguard Lumaj (who?) including all members of Sixth Family had been picked off the street in October 2004 and charged with a variety of racketeering and gambling charges. Rudaj and his main lieutenants were all found guilty at trial. In 2006, Rudaj, then 38, was sentenced to 27 years in prison. His rival Arnold Squitieri was convicted in an unrelated racketeering case and was sent to prison for seven years.

Over 20 members of the Rudaj organization were charged with various crimes. Six of its top leaders, including Alex Rudaj, were convicted. Ten more have pleaded guilty.

Trouble with Velentzas family

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Main article: Velentzas Organization

On August 3, 2001, members of the Albanian Rudaj Organization, attacked Greek associates of the Lucchese crime family. The brief fight was over controlling gambling rackets in Astoria, Queens.[4]

See also

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Notes

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Rudaj Organization

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from Grokipedia
The Rudaj Organization, also known as the Corporation, was an Albanian-American syndicate that operated primarily in the metropolitan area from the early 1990s until its dismantlement in the mid-2000s. Led by Alex Rudaj, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from , the group consisted of dozens of members and associates who engaged in , , illegal gambling, loansharking, and violent enforcement tactics. It gained notoriety for challenging the dominance of New York’s traditional Italian-American families, positioning itself as a rival "" through aggressive territorial expansions in , , and Westchester County. Founded in the early 1990s by Alex Rudaj and Nardino Colotti, both of whom had prior associations with the , the organization initially built alliances with established mob figures before turning to outright confrontation. Key leaders included Nikola Dedaj, Prenka Ivezaj, Ljusa Nuculovic, and Angelo DiPietro, who oversaw operations from a social club called Cafe Roma. The group's rise involved high-profile violent incidents, such as the 2001 armed takeover of a gambling parlor in , known as Soccer Fever, where members used firearms and physical assaults to seize control from Luchese crime family associates. Another notable clash occurred in 2001 at a gas station, where Rudaj's enforcers outnumbered and intimidated a larger Gambino contingent, solidifying their reputation for ruthless efficiency. The Rudaj Organization's criminal enterprises centered on controlling illegal gambling operations, including machines, bookmaking, and parlors, while using and loansharking to generate and maintain discipline. Members routinely carried firearms and resorted to threats, beatings, and attempted murders to eliminate competition and enforce debts, often targeting rivals from the Italian families like the Gambino and Luchese. By the early , the syndicate had expanded its influence to rival the scale of traditional groups, amassing significant assets through these activities. Federal authorities dismantled the organization through a major Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) prosecution, culminating in a 14-week trial in federal court that ended with convictions on January 4, 2006. Six high-ranking members, including Rudaj, Colotti, and Dedaj, were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, , firearms offenses, loansharking, and gambling charges, facing potential life sentences. Sentencing in June 2006 resulted in 27-year prison terms for Rudaj and Colotti, 26 years and seven months for Dedaj, and 22 years for Ivezaj, alongside the forfeiture of over $5.7 million and four properties; additional members received lesser sentences after pleading guilty. This prosecution effectively ended the group's operations, marking a significant blow to emerging ethnic networks in New York.

Formation and Leadership

Origins and Establishment

The fall of Albania's communist regime in 1991, following decades of isolationist rule under , triggered significant political and economic instability, prompting waves of Albanian emigration to the during the late and . Many fled poverty, unemployment, and civil unrest, with earlier migrations in the having established small communities in areas like the Bronx's Belmont neighborhood. This influx created tight-knit exile networks in , where immigrants sought economic opportunities amid a backdrop of limited legal pathways and social marginalization. The Rudaj Organization emerged around 1993 in as a loose network of Albanian and other immigrants, initially forming among those navigating the challenges of urban life in New York. Founded by Alex Rudaj and Nardino Colotti in the early 1990s, with Rudaj, an Albanian immigrant who arrived in the U.S. in the late and settled in Yorktown Heights, the group drew from local Albanian communities in the Pelham Bay and Morris Park areas of , as well as connections to growing enclaves in Westchester County. The group included Albanian immigrants as well as Italian-Americans and others, drawing from prior associations with the . Rudaj played a central role in organizing these associates, leveraging cultural ties to build cohesion in a city rife with established . Adopting the name "The Corporation" to emulate a legitimate , the group began as an informal focused on mutual support but evolved into a structured criminal by the mid-1990s. This transformation reflected the broader adaptation of immigrant networks to the competitive underworld of New York, where they sought to carve out territory in Albanian-populated neighborhoods. By centering operations in the Bronx's Pelham Bay vicinity, with outreach to Westchester's , the organization solidified its base among exiles sharing experiences of displacement and resilience. The organization emphasized ethnic among its members to maintain cohesion.

Key Figures and Hierarchy

The Rudaj Organization was led by Alex Rudaj, an ethnic Albanian immigrant who arrived in the United States in the 1980s and resided in . Known by aliases including "Uncle," "Allie Boy," and "Sandro Rudovic," Rudaj transitioned from involvement in petty crimes to establishing himself as the group's undisputed boss in the early , directing its expansion into organized . Rudaj's key lieutenants formed the core of the leadership, with Nardino "Lenny" Colotti serving as co-founder and primary enforcer, overseeing violent enforcement of the group's interests. Other prominent figures included Nikola "Big Nick" Dedaj, a high-ranking operative who managed day-to-day operations; Prenka "Big Frank" Ivezaj, who held significant authority within the hierarchy; and Ljusa "Louie" Nuculovic, responsible for gambling operations in areas like . These individuals, along with associates like Angelo "Fat Angelo" DiPietro, reported directly to Rudaj and helped coordinate the syndicate's activities across New York. The organization's hierarchy mirrored traditional Italian-American Mafia structures, with Rudaj at the apex as boss, captains like Colotti and Dedaj supervising specialized crews focused on and , and lower-level soldiers executing tasks. However, its model was more fluid than rigid Mafia families, emphasizing ethnic solidarity among members to maintain operational flexibility and internal cohesion. Recruitment drew heavily from immigrant networks in Albanian communities and personal connections to ensure reliability and expand influence. This approach allowed the Rudaj Organization to grow into a of dozens of members and associates while preserving tight-knit .

Gambling Operations

The Rudaj Organization established its primary through the control of illegal operations, beginning in Albanian-American enclaves in during the early and expanding outward. The group operated a network of gambling parlors and machines, installing the latter in bars, social clubs, and other establishments across , , and beyond. By the late , these activities had extended to Westchester County, where the organization enforced its dominance over local gambling rackets. A key aspect of their expansion involved violent takeovers of existing gambling spots, particularly Greek-owned parlors in , during the 1990s. In one notable incident in June 2001, Rudaj members assaulted operators affiliated with the Luchese crime family to seize control of an Astoria gambling club, using beatings and threats to install their own machines and collect protection fees. Similar tactics were employed in August 2001 against a Gambino family associate's establishment, where armed intruders overturned tables, seized cash, and pistol-whipped patrons to assert monopoly. These methods allowed the organization to generate substantial income, with the network yielding at least $4 million annually by the early 2000s. The operations peaked between 2000 and 2003, encompassing bookmaking and other games in parlors such as Soccer Fever and Cafe Roma, often under the oversight of leaders like Alex Rudaj. Profits from these rackets were funneled through front es and properties, leading to court-ordered forfeitures exceeding $5.7 million upon the group's dismantlement. The scale of these activities rivaled those of traditional families, contributing to federal charges of operating a large-scale illegal business against multiple members.

Extortion and Violence

The Rudaj Organization employed tactics targeting businesses within Albanian-American communities in during the 1990s, demanding regular tribute payments under threat of to assert dominance and fund operations. These demands often leveraged ethnic solidarity, pressuring shop owners and entrepreneurs in neighborhoods like to comply as a form of "" fee, with non-payment enforced through and physical violence. Federal prosecutors noted that such schemes formed a core part of the group's activities, contributing to convictions under RICO statutes for conspiracy to commit . Violence was a primary enforcement tool, including beatings and assaults to discipline debtors and maintain control. In one notable case, leaders Alex Rudaj, Nardino Colotti, and Nikola Dedaj were convicted of a on a bar owner in who had defaulted on a loan-sharking owed to the , illustrating their use of severe physical to usurious loans. This incident, part of broader patterns in the early , highlighted internal mechanisms for resolving disputes through threats and actual against members, associates, and victims alike. By the early 2000s, the group expanded efforts into loan-sharking operations across , preying on vulnerable community members with high-interest loans backed by the same violent enforcement. This shift reflected a transition from , opportunistic acts of violence in the —such as isolated beatings in establishments—to more organized , where became systematically integrated into the syndicate's hierarchy under Rudaj's leadership. The pattern underscored the organization's evolution into a structured criminal enterprise, with violence serving not only as punishment but as a deterrent to ensure compliance and loyalty within Albanian enclaves.

Rivalries and Conflicts

Challenges to Italian Mafia

In the mid-1990s, the Rudaj Organization initially forged alliances with the Gambino crime family, seeking protection and legitimacy within New York's organized crime landscape. These ties, however, soured by the early 2000s as the Albanian-American group aggressively expanded into traditional Italian Mafia territories, particularly illegal gambling operations in Queens and the Bronx. By 2001, the Rudaj Organization, self-styled as "The Corporation," had positioned itself as a direct challenger to the Five Families' dominance, employing superior firepower and ethnic solidarity to muscle in on rackets long controlled by Italian syndicates. A pivotal incident occurred in June 2001, when members of the Rudaj Organization violently seized control of gambling operations in Astoria, Queens, previously run by associates of the Lucchese crime family; the takeover involved the severe beating of a local Lucchese member to assert dominance. Just two months later, in August 2001, armed Rudaj enforcers stormed the Soccer Fever gambling parlor in Astoria—another venue tied to a Gambino family associate—overturning tables, pistol-whipping patrons, and forcibly shutting it down. This brazen assault followed a tense standoff at a New Jersey gas station, where Rudaj leader Alex Rudaj's men confronted Gambino acting boss Arnold "Zeke" Squitieri, disarming over 30 Gambino associates by threatening to ignite the pumps with a shotgun and pistol. These actions marked a shift from uneasy coexistence to outright hostility, as the Rudaj group expanded into Westchester County, where it extorted and displaced Lucchese associates operating gambling and loansharking rackets through threats and violence. The viewed the Rudaj Organization as an emerging threat, dubbing it "The Corporation" and noting its emulation of structures while surpassing traditional families in ruthlessness and infiltration resistance due to tight Albanian ethnic bonds. FBI officials, including New York criminal division head Fred Snellings, labeled it the "" during the 2004 arrests, highlighting its challenge to the Italian-American syndicates' monopoly on vice in the New York metro area. While these incursions yielded temporary control over lucrative spots and proceeds—estimated in the millions—the aggressive tactics drew intense federal scrutiny, culminating in a multi-agency crackdown in October 2004 that dismantled the group's leadership. The ensuing trials exposed the Rudaj Organization's operations, leading to convictions in 2006 and the forfeiture of over $5.7 million in assets, effectively ending its bid for parity with the Italian .

Investigation and Downfall

Federal Probes and Surveillance

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) initiated probes into the Rudaj Organization in the early 2000s through its Organized Crime Task Force, prompted by a surge in violence linked to the group's aggressive expansion into illegal gambling and extortion activities in New York City and surrounding areas. This focus intensified following high-profile incidents, such as armed takeovers of rival operations in Astoria, Queens, and the Bronx during 2001, which drew attention to the organization's challenge to established crime networks. Federal investigators employed surveillance tactics, including photographic evidence of meetings among Rudaj associates. Evidence gathered included recordings and witness testimonies that documented patterns of , schemes, and disputes with competitors. This body of evidence was pivotal in building cases under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Inter-agency collaboration played a crucial role, with the FBI partnering with the New York Police Department (NYPD) to analyze patterns and trace financial flows from rackets. Joint task forces facilitated shared resources for surveillance and informant handling, enhancing the scope of the investigation across multiple jurisdictions in Westchester County, , and . These efforts culminated in the unsealing of indictments in October 2004, marking a significant step toward dismantling the organization.

Arrests, Trials, and Aftermath

In October 2004, federal authorities executed a major takedown, arresting 22 members and associates of the Rudaj Organization on charges including racketeering under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, , illegal gambling, and firearms offenses. The operation, conducted primarily in the area, targeted the group's leadership and dismantled its core structure, with key figures such as Alex Rudaj, Nardino Colotti, and Nikola Dedaj indicted as the primary leaders. The subsequent federal trial, United States v. Rudaj et al. (S.D.N.Y. 2004), unfolded over 14 weeks in federal court before Judge Denise L. Cote, resulting in convictions for six defendants on January 4, 2006. Rudaj, Colotti, Dedaj, Prenka Ivezaj, Ljusa Nuculovic, and Angelo DiPietro were found guilty of RICO conspiracy, , conspiracy to commit , firearms violations, loansharking, and operating illegal businesses, with potential sentences up to . Eight other members pleaded guilty to -related offenses, one to and attempted , and Gjelosh Lelcaj to , , illegal , and illegal re-entry prior to trial, providing testimony as cooperating witnesses that bolstered the prosecution's case. Sentencing occurred in June 2006, with Rudaj receiving 27 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his role in leading the racketeering enterprise. Colotti was sentenced to 27 years, Dedaj to 26 years and seven months, Ivezaj to 22 years, and Nuculovic to 17 years and six months, all with five years of supervised release; DiPietro, who had a prior related carrying 59 years, received an additional concurrent sentence in the RICO case. The group collectively forfeited approximately $5.8 million and four properties in and . These outcomes, supported by evidence from investigations and witness accounts, effectively crippled the organization's operations. Following the convictions, the Rudaj Organization fragmented rapidly, with remaining members scattering and no coordinated revival emerging by 2007. The disruption contributed to a of Albanian networks in through the , shifting focus to localized activities like drug trafficking and rather than structured territorial control, though social ties among Albanian communities sustained opportunistic collaborations.
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