The Big Center Window

FBI STING

           The small little industrial center located behind the Rio Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas was
where the FBI had their storefront sting.  The Club was run by Fat Tony Angeoletti, who was fat and
a half ass wiseguy.  I am sure Fat Tony was a pretty good conman at one time.  He was able to
keep the banter up and he was knowledgeable.  I was in Las Vegas one day with my ex-wife and I
was bored.  I got a call from Vince Lupo, an LA Family Associate and he wanted me to meet him at
this Club.  I pulled into the lot and it looked like any other crappy industrial strip center in Las Vegas.
I walked inside and the first thing I see is a huge Italian flag and that is where they had the hidden
video camera.  They had a little kitchen, a couple of tables and a large TV. At one of the tables sat
Fat Tony, John Bronco and Vince Lupo. I had not met Fat Tony before I walked into the Club, but
he was very friendly.  
The reason he was so friendly was because he was working for the FBI on Operation Thin Crust
and Operation Button Down.  The FBI operations were aimed towards what was left of the Families
who operated in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.  I was now on their radar screen as a Los Angeles
Family Associate and they were about to come after me.
           The first thing Fat Tony did was to get my number, then he tried to engage me in
conversation.  I just kept most of my conversation to Vince and John Bronco, who wanted some of
the Visa Travels checks that I had gotten from Abe.  The checks were really good counterfeits that
could even be scanned by a machine.  I was the one with the hook up through Abe and Eddie from
Anaheim, California.  I know that they eventually got Carmine Milano, Rocky Zangari, Louie Caruso
and Steve Cino in cases made in the Club.  I came back to drop off a sample of the Visa Checks
another day and I walked outside and gave them to Vince Lupo.
I was later indicted with the rest of the LA Family in the cases made at the Club.  These FBI
storefront stings are worth every cent they cost the Government.