Patrick Civitello is seen in a surveillance image in a restaurant bar in New York on the phone with his brother before an attack that injured the son of a witness who testified against Civitello’s father and brother in a federal drug case. (U.S. Attorney’s Office).
A New York man admitted to assaulting the 15-year-old son of a witness who testified against the attacker’s father and brother in a Mafia-connected federal drug trafficking trial.
Patrick Civitello, 18, pleaded guilty on Monday to witness retaliation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced in a press release. The witness testified against Patrick Civitello’s father, Jeffrey Civitello Sr., 52, and brother, Jeffrey Civitello Jr., 24, at their trial in 2023, authorities said. Her testimony was used to convict both Civitello Sr. and Civitello Jr., court documents said.
Jeffrey Civitello Sr. was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the federal drug case. Jeffrey Civitello Jr. was sentenced to 11 years for his role and a separate conviction for admittedly possessing 75 pounds of marijuana and loaded guns. A third defendant in the case, Richard D. Sinde, 59, was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
The Times Union reported the drug case was over a cocaine pipeline between New York City and Schenectady linked to the Mafia and that Sinde was a Bonanno crime family associate.
The complaint in Patrick Civitello’s case spells out the events leading up to the attack against the witness’ son from the evening of May 19, 2024. Recorded phone calls relay a conversation between Patrick Civitello and his then-incarcerated brother when the witness and her 15-year-old son walked into the restaurant Patrick Civitello was at in Glenville, court documents said.
“Oh my god [V-1] just walked in bro,” Patrick Civitello said in a call at about 8:16 that night, court documents said.
“Word?” Civitello Jr. asked.
“Oh my god, bro,” Patrick said.
“With who?” Civitello Jr. asked.
“By herself, bro, I gotta rag this b—-,” Patrick said. “I’m gonna call you back.”
“Ok run down, but do it away from everyone if you could,” Civitello Jr. responded.
Patrick Civitello followed the witness and her son out of the restaurant. In the parking lot, Patrick Civitello charged at them before punching the witness’ son in the head and then punched and kicked him after he fell to the ground, court documents said.
In a call afterward, Patrick told his brother, “And we just beat this …” before cutting himself off, catching himself when he realized he was on a recorded call, court documents said.
He then said, “we just handled something,” in a vague reference to the assault, before saying, “I gotta hang up, brother.”
Police, responding to the assault, found the witness and her son in the parking lot. The son suffered minor abrasions and bruises to his head, neck, and hand.
Authorities linked Patrick Civitello to the crime through his brother’s recorded jail calls from that day, and he was arrested on June 13.
He faces up to life in prison when he’s set to be sentenced on Feb. 28.
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