John Ragano, of Franklin Square, reputed member of Bonanno crime family, convicted at extortion trial, federal prosecutors say

A reputed member of the Bonanno crime family from Nassau County got a split jury verdict at his federal extortion trial Friday — he was convicted of demanding a victim strip naked to check if he was wearing a wire, but he was acquitted of three other charges, officials said.

John Ragano, 62, of Franklin Square, also known as "Bazoo" and "Maniac," was convicted by a jury in federal court in Brooklyn of extortionate collection of credit from a victim, federal prosecutors said in a news release.

At the four-day trial presided over by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez, prosecutors played a recording of Ragano discussing repayment of a loan, and then demanding the victim strip naked so he could make sure he wasn’t wearing a wire.

Federal prosecutors did not disclose during the trial how the victim was able to record the 2023 conversation. "Okay, well then take off your [expletive] [expletive] right now my man. Take off your [expletive] pants right now, lemme see, I want to see," Ragano said in the recording, according to prosecutors.

Ragano was acquitted of extortionate collection of credit conspiracy, witness harassment and witness tampering, prosecutors said.

Ragano’s attorney did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday.

"The defendant’s extortion of a victim while on pretrial release, carried out even in the sanctity of the federal courthouse, is an affront to the criminal justice system and a glaring example of this Bonanno mobster’s flagrant disrespect for the law," said United States Attorney Breon Peace, of the Eastern District of New York. "With today’s verdict, the jury has delivered a clear message that the rule of law will prevail over extortionate threats."

Prosecutors said it began in early 2021, when the unnamed victim borrowed $150,000 from Ragano and made interest payments of approximately $1,800 a week to him.

Months later, on Sept. 14, 2021, Ragano was arrested in connection with the extortionate loan to the victim, as well as separate schemes to traffic marijuana and commit fraud.

Despite the fact that he was locked up, federal prosecutors said, Ragano was still trying to collect on his loan.

While Ragano was on pretrial detention in that case, and after he was released on bond from the Metropolitan Detention Center in December 2021, he continued to try to collect the loan, prosecutors said.

On Nov. 28, 2022, Ragano pleaded guilty in connection with his loan to the victim.

"In 2022 and 2023, despite Ragano’s arrest, court supervision, guilty plea and sentence of 57 months’ imprisonment, he continued to extort the victim on the 2021 loan, including at status conferences held at the federal courthouse," prosecutors said in a news release.

In a conversation recorded on March 25, 2023, the victim recorded a meeting with someone identified only as Co-Conspirator #1, who said that Ragano wanted the entire amount of the loan repaid and that "nobody’s looking for anybody to get hurt," officials said.

On July 5, 2023, the victim went to a used auto parts yard where Ragano worked to discuss the loan and told Ragano that he was going to stop repaying the loan, officials said.

Ragano accused the victim of cooperating with the government and demanded that he remove all his clothes, prosecutors said.

The victim complied.

A man holding a metal tool walked up behind Ragano, who then demanded the victim pay the money he believed he was owed, officials said.

"Despite previous arrests and detention, John Ragano tormented his victim to make weekly exorbitant loan payments and enforced humiliating methods when faced with resistance," said James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York field office. "His actions reflected his apathy to the criminal justice system as he repeatedly attempted to extort his victims in the midst of active legal proceedings. Today’s verdict emphasizes the FBI’s intolerance of the mob’s historical inclination to utilize coercive and threatening tactics to fulfill their greedy demands."

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.