Reputed mob soldier gets 11 years in prison

A South Jersey man described as a soldier in the Philadelphia mob was sentenced Tuesday to more than 11 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy.

The 137-month sentence, imposed by U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno in a crowded Philadelphia courtroom, was a break of sorts for Damion Canalichio, 43, of Turnersville. Prosecutors and probation officials had recommended a term closer to 20 years, the maximum possible sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John S. Han recited two decades worth of arrests and convictions for Canalichio, who, he said, had carved out a reputation as a violent enforcer in loan-sharking and gambling operations.

Canalichio had been jailed since a cocaine trafficking conviction in 2007 but was indicted with other reputed mob leaders in 2011 after a decade-long investigation by the FBI. He was one of three defendants convicted in February of racketeering conspiracy.

Han said Canalichio never held a stable job and probably never would.

"His greatest level of allegiance is not to his family, not to his kids, not to his wife - but to La Cosa Nostra," the prosecutor said.

Canalichio's court-appointed lawyer disputed the description, reminding the judge that jurors heard no evidence of violence by Canalichio or other defendants during the three-month trial.

The lawyer, Margaret Grasso, also submitted 27 letters from his relatives and friends, and said Canalichio had taken steps toward a straighter path, particularly after a long stretch in prison. "There is hope for this individual," she said.

Robreno chose not to classify him as a career offender - a designation that could have added years to his sentence - but acknowledged he saw nothing to suggest Canalichio had respect for the law.

Still, Robreno said he saw a glimmer of hope after Canalichio stood and apologized to his family and the court. "I'm thinking that perhaps you are beginning to recognize that life is passing you by," the judge said.

With time off for good behavior and credit for time served, Canalichio could be free in less than a decade.