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| “ | I don't associate with guys like that no more. | „ |
| ~ Zalta denying that he is part of the Masucci crime family |
Mario Zalta is a supporting antagonist of the two-part Law & Order episode "The Torrents of Greed". He is a caporegime in the Masucci crime family and a conspirator in the attempted murder of a shopkeeper who refuses to go along with a cigarette bootlegging scam.
He was portrayed by Robert Fields.
Early life[]
Zalta was a longtime member of the Masucci crime family, the most powerful organized crime groups in New York City; he is one of Don Frank Masucci's most trusted caporegimes. He claimed to have given up his life of crime and started an import/export business. In reality, however, he used his business to launder the profits from multiple criminal rackets, including smuggling, bootlegging, and protection.
Shortly before the events of the episode, Zalta began running a new scam in which he smuggled truckloads of cigarettes into New York City from Canada, removed their duty tax stamps, and sold them to vendors at cut-rate prices while taking the bulk of their profits in return for protection. He stored the cigarettes in a warehouse owned by Masucci's brother-in-law and underboss Harv Biegal and relied on Masucci soldier Joe Pilefsky for muscle to intimidate vendors into going along with the scam.
When store owner Isaac Skolnick refused to buy the bootleg cigarettes, Masucci instructed Biegel to "deal with him". Biegel then told Zalta to have Skolnick killed, and Zalta gave the job to Pilefsky, who sent petty thug Vincent Ruffo to kill Skolnick. Ruffo beat Skolnick so brutally that he was paralyzed from the waist down, but he failed to kill him.
"The Torrents of Greed"[]
While investigating the attempted murder of Skolnick, NYPD Homicide Sergeant Max Greevey and Detective Mike Logan find out that Pilefsky had threatened him a few days before the assault. They arrest Pilefsky for attempted murder, and he says that Zalta ordered him to do it in return for a chance at a reduced prison sentence. Greevey and Logan question Zalta, who claims to have put organized crime behind him and dismisses Pilefsky as "dumb muscle".
Greevey and Logan question one of the vendors involved in the scam, who identifies Zalta as his supplier. They interrogate Zalta, who denies that Pilefsky ever worked for him. They nevertheless arrest Ruffo, Pilefsky, Biegel, and Zalta, and Executive Assistant Ben Stone and Assistant District Attorney Paul Robinette charge all four men with murder, attempted murder, and racketeering.
Pilefsky makes a deal with Stone and Robinette to testify against Masucci, which results in the crime lord's arrest. During the trial, however, Pilefsky gives perjured testimony that Masucci's lawyer exposes, which results in the charges against him and Biegel being dismissed. Zalta is not so lucky, however; he is found guilty of racketeering and attempted murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
External links[]
- Mario Zalta on the Law & Order Wiki
