An elderly reputed Mafioso from Long Island has been busted for ordering the beat-down of a 70-year-old man over an unpaid loan, authorities said Tuesday.
Carmine Avellino — also 70 and a reputed captain in the Lucchese crime family — was caught on wire taps and surveillance videos directing two mob-tied brothers to assault the old man and another unidentified guy over the $100,000 loan, according to court papers.
Avellino — who was arrested at home Monday night — pleaded not guilty to the extortion charges at his Brooklyn federal court arraignment.
His lawyer noted outside court that the alleged beat-down occurred in 2010.
“These allegations go back almost four years. What took them so long to bring this case against Carmine?” said the lawyer, Scott Leemon. “He wasn’t arrested when his co-defendants were.”
The siblings who allegedly carried out the beating — Michael and Daniel Capra — had already been arrested in September.
Avellino’s bail hearing is set for Monday. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
He and his brother, Salvatore, also a reputed Lucchese capo, were indicted in 1994 along with six others in the death of two Long Island garbagemen. Carmine served 10 1/2 years in prison in the case.