Velentzas crime family
The Velentzas crime family is a Greek-American criminal organization operating in the New York City area. The gang was mostly active in the 1980s and 1990s and specializes in illegal gambling operations. After the conviction of its leader in 1992, the criminal organization gradually declined in power. Spiros Velentzas. The group originated from the "Kourakos clan," a Maniot Greek family led by Peter Kourakos. The gang rose to prominence in the late 1980s under the leadership of Spyredon "Spiros" Velentzas. The Velentzas family mainly operated in the Greek-American neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. With over 30  members at its peak, the group gained power in other Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods in the 1980s and the 1990s by setting up and taking over illegal gambling rackets that included dice games and horse-racing parlors. Veletzas had a close working relationship with members of the Lucchese crime family. For providing protection to the Greeks, the Luchesses received a portion of their gambling profits. However, there were attempts by some members to expand their business further, but were met with resistance by the Gambino crime family. Downfall. In early 1992, Velentzas and two other members were arrested for racketeering . On June 20, 1992, Velentzas was found guilty of murder, loan sharking, gambling, and tax fraud charges, while being found not guilty on one murder charge. Velentzas was later sentenced to over 20 years in prison from his charges. Velentzas was later found guilty of murdering Sarecho "Sammy the Arab" Nalo and was sentenced to life in prison. As of 2020, Velentzas is serving his life sentence at FCC Allenwood. References.