Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Two members of the Genovese La Cosa Nostra crime family pleaded guilty Thursday to charges related to loansharking and illegal gambling, the Department of Justice announced.
Francesco Depergola, 61, of Springfield, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence, and one count of interference with commerce by threats or violence.
He admitted that in 2013, he and three others in the New York-based crime organization attempted to extort money from a businessman by assaulting him, and threatening to cut his head off and bury his body. The businessman paid the four men $20,000 over the course of four months to protect his business.
Gerald Daniele, 52, of Longmeadow, Mass., pleaded guilty to one count of using extortionate means to collect an extension of credit. He admitted he extended two usurious loans to an individual and then threatened the individual if he didn't make payments on the loans.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Hillman scheduled the men to be sentenced March 9.
