"Ghoul And In Cadaver The Gang" Scam: DA

The NY Post ^ | February 24, 2006 | Rich Calder and Andy Geller

[TheForceOfOne]

Four ghouls ran a multimillion-dollar body-parts ring, hoisting corpses into a secret, surgically pristine operating room where they removed bones, tendons and heart valves, authorities revealed yesterday. Once their gruesome task was done, the body snatchers replaced the bones with plastic piping, callously tossed their gloves and aprons into the desecrated corpses and sewed them up, authorities said. Over almost four years, the men allegedly harvested parts from 1,077 bodies, but only once obtained the OK from relatives. In all the other cases, they forged the consent forms, prosecutors said. The purloined parts were sold to tissue-transplant companies for use in back and hip replacements, knee operations and dental implants around the world. The ring earned millions, raking in $7,000 or more per body part. Brooklyn prosecutors laid out the details of the ghoulish scheme in announcing the arrest of Michael Mastromarino, 44, the owner of a shuttered New Jersey biomedical firm; Joseph Nicelli, 49, a Brooklyn mortician; and two other men. The four have been indicted on a total of 122 charges, including enterprise corruption, the state equivalent of the RICO federal racketeering count. If convicted, they face 25 years behind bars.

[TheForceOfOne]

Anything for a buck?

[proudpapa]

Any idea how they got caught?

[TheForceOfOne]

The nefarious scheme came to light on Nov. 15, 2004, when the new owner of the Daniel George Funeral Home in Bensonhurst walked into the 62nd Precinct station house to complain that Nicelli, the previous owner, had absconded with funds for a prepaid funeral.

Detective Patricia O'Brien got the case and uncovered "a horror story that would shake the funeral industry to its core," said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

[the invisib1e hand]

Anything for a buck?

Of course. It's New York.