I know there's not exactly a fuckin handbook for that kinda thing, just curious.

First thing I thought of lulz

Mobster Charlie Gargotta (center) being escorted to his arraignment to face charges of murdering bootlegger Ferris Anthon and the attempted murder of Sheriff Thomas Bash on August 12, 1933. He is being escorted by Chief Deputy William Schickhardt (left) and Deputy Al Finkelstine.

Joseph Patrick "Joe Pat" Balano (born March 1961) is a long-time associate of the Kansas City crime family (the Civella/Cammisano mob). Balano emerged in the Kansas City underworld during a generational transition in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Rather than operating traditional rackets like illegal gambling and labor extortion, he and a reckless, younger crew became heavily involved in the local narcotics trade, leading to multiple high-profile run-ins with federal law enforcement.

The "Young Italians" & 1992 Drug Conviction

During the late 1980s, Balano was a prominent figure in the "Young Italians," an active group of mob associates running large-scale drug trafficking operations. The crew included notable figures such as Tony Mike Nigro (grandson of former Kansas City mob boss William "Willie Rats" Cammisano), Anthony D'Angelo, and Duane Henry.

In the spring of 1992, the FBI launched a massive drug raid that effectively dismantled this operation.

• Arrest/Conviction: Balano, along with the other "Young Italians," was arrested, indicted, and ultimately convicted in federal court of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He was subsequently sentenced to federal prison for his role in the narcotics ring.

The prosecution of this crew triggered the famous "Basta!" movement, wherein eleven young Italian-American men from Kansas City’s Northeast neighborhood refused to testify before a federal grand jury against Balano and his crew, resulting in their jailing for civil contempt.

Tie to Murder Investigations (Uncharged)

While Balano has a documented criminal history involving drugs and fraud, it is important to note that his name also surfaced in major homicide investigations, though he was never arrested or convicted of murder.

During his incarceration for the 1992 drug conspiracy, jailhouse informants and federal court records indicated that Balano and Nigro were overheard discussing the murder of a woman named Jill LaMarre, who had allegedly stolen cocaine from their ring. Nigro had reportedly ordered fellow crew member Duane Henry to kill her. Henry was later convicted of the brutal 1991 murder of another woman, 17-year-old dancer Sheila Winter, a case that frequently referenced Balano and the drug ring’s activities.

2014 Arrest & 2016 Tax Fraud Conviction

Following his release from federal prison on the drug conviction, Balano returned to Kansas City. However, he eventually fell under the scrutiny of federal investigators again, this time regarding his finances.

• 2014 Indictment/Arrest: In January 2014, Balano was indicted by a federal grand jury. The IRS Criminal Investigation division found that he had executed a scheme to defraud the United States government by hiding income and failing to pay more than $493,000 in federal taxes.
• 2016 Conviction: In January 2016, Balano was officially convicted and sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for the tax fraud scheme, and he was ordered to pay full restitution to the IRS.

Summary of Official Criminal Record

To summarize his publicly documented legal history:

Date	Charge/Incident	Status / Sentencing
Spring 1992	Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine	Convicted. Sentenced to federal prison.
Jan. 2014	Tax Fraud (Defrauding the U.S. Government)	Indicted/Arrested. Accused of evading >$493k in taxes.
Jan. 2016	Tax Fraud	Convicted. Sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution.