Salvatore Aparo

Salvatore Aparo (born 1926), also known as "Sammy Meatballs", is a New York mobster who became a caporegime with the Genovese crime family. Aparo operated a large loansharking racket in New York City and was involved in labor racketeering. In 1999, his son Vincent became a made man (full member) of the Genovese family.
In Spring 2000, Aparo, his son Vincent, and Genovese associate Michael D'Urso met in Brooklyn with Abraham Weider, the owner of the large Vanderveer Estates apartment complex in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Unknown to the Aparos, D'Urso was an Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant and was recording the meeting on his specially-outfitted Rolex watch. Weider was unhappy with the union representing his custodial staff and wanted help from the Genovese family. The custodians belonged to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 32B-J: Weider wanted to get rid of the union so he could pay the custodians a lower wage. The potential payoff to Aparo on this deal was $600,000, but the FBI arrested the men before they could consummate the deal.
In April 2001, based on D'Urso's recordings, Aparo pleaded guilty to labor racketeering charges. On October 11, 2002, Aparo was sentenced to five years in federal prison, despite pleas for leniency due to his diabetes and heart problems. On May 25, 2006, Aparo was released from prison.

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