July 3, 2020 — The No. 2 co-defendant in the feds’ Operation Throne Down, targeting the east coast leadership of the Latin Kings gang, pleaded guilty to drug and racketeering charges this week. Jorge (King G) Rodriguez, lives in New Bedford, Massachusetts and is the region’s “Inca,” or “underboss.” Rodriguez entered his plea in federal court out of Boston Tuesday in front of U.S. District Court Judge Rya Zobel. According to court records, Rodriguez, 32, reported directly to Michael (King Merlin) Cecchetelli, the reputed overseer of all Latin Kings affairs on the east coast and along with his brother Jose, ran the New Bedford chapter.DEA agents snapped a photo of Rodriguez stirring a pot of cocaine base and baking soda. The 41-year old Cecchetelli, who lives in Springfield, Massachusetts, was tapped for his position by the Latin Kings national office in Chicago, even though he is Italian and the majority of the Latin Kings around the country are Hispanic. He’s pleaded not guilty in the case and is awaiting trial. King Merlin Cecchetelli is alleged to have ordered beatings and plotted and sanctioned murders that were either unsuccessful or never carried out. Operation Throne Down was filed back in December, indicting 62 Latin Kings and associates on an array of charges. King G Rodriguez faces 15-to-25 years when he is sentenced in October. Per the indictment, Rodriguez counseled Cecchetelli to go to war in New Bedford with the Gangster Disciples gang over drug turf. Cecchetelli has ties to the Genovese crime family in New York through the Genovese satellite crew in Western Massachusetts. At least two high-level meetings of Latin Kings leadership on the east coast, called by Cecchetelli and Rodriguez, were held at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Society Social Club in Springfield which has been home base for the Genovese family in the area dating back to Prohibition. Both meetings were recorded by the FBI. Cecchetelli’s uncle, David (Fat Chicky) Cecchetelli, is a convicted mob associate and bookmaker who has belonged to the club for years. Fat Chicky, 52, is under indictment for an unrelated gun case but has reportedly retired from participating in any mafia activity in favor of crafting a social-media persona and seeking a reality-television show contract. The FBI considers both Cecchetellis associates of alleged Springfield mob crew boss Albert (The Animal) Calvanese, a convicted loan shark.
