Mobsters, terrorists disgraced politicians, and televangists: The famous and infamous who have been imprisoned at Rochester's Federal Medical Center
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Dec. 3—Louis "Bobby" Manna
Louis "Bobby" Manna, a 91-year-old mobster convicted of putting a hit on John Gotti, is currently residing at Rochester's Federal Medical Center, the New York Post recently reported.
Manna was in the news after a federal judge denied a request for his release from prison. A former consigliere of the Genovese crime family, Manna has been behind bars for more than three decades, following his 1989 conviction for ordering the failed Gotti hit and orchestrating the murder of organized-crime figure Irwin "Fat Man" Schiff. Reportedly in poor health, Manna is serving a sentence of 80 years. His release date is Nov. 7, 2054, when Manna would be 124.
------
Dennis Hastert, a former U.S. House Speaker, served 13 months of a 15-month sentence at the Rochester facility. A convicted sex offender, Hastert pleaded guilty to federal bank violations stemming from a hush-money indictment that unearthed sexual misconduct against underage boys decades ago when Hastert was a high school wrestling coach. Hastert went from humble beginnings, to second in line to the presidency, to disgraced politician.
------
Omar Abdel-Rahman
Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the "Blind Sheik," came to the FMC on Jan. 14, 1998. The Egyptian cleric was convicted in 1995 on charges of plotting simultaneous bombings at the headquarters of the United Nations, the FBI field office in Manhattan and two commuter tunnels linking New York and New Jersey. He was also convicted of plotting to kill Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek.
At the time of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, Abdel-Rahman was at the FMC and his ties to Osama bin Laden sparked concerns in Rochester. Bin Laden had publicly vowed to free Abdel-Rahman and other Islamic prisoners in the U.S. Abdel-Rahman was later moved to a prison in North Carolina. He died Feb. 18, 2017.
------
Jim Traficant
Jim Traficant was a former congressman known for his colorful speeches, unruly toupee and outdated wardrobe. He served seven years on fraud, bribery, racketeering and tax evasion charges. The last part of his prison time was spent at Rochester's FMC.
"Most political figures go to some camps in country clubs," Traficant said. "I didn't. I went through some tough times. But when I was in Rochester, I lived about three years in a four-man room."
------
Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker, the baby-faced televangelist with the bouffant, served five years on convictions of mail fraud and conspiracy.
------
Bob Probert, an NHL hockey player from 1985 to 2002, served three months in Rochester after he was sentenced for trying to sneak cocaine across the U.S.-Canadian border.
"It was like a dorm. My room had a window and a thick, heavy door, which was open until 11 p.m.," Probert wrote in a memoir. "We would be locked up until 6 a.m. It could have had bars."
Probert served time with Bakker, whom he described as "kind of wimpy. He was always complaining about how he twisted his back getting out of the top bunk. Then, one day, we had to get immunization shots, and he started crying. I turned to him and said, 'C'mon buddy, it's not that bad. It's not Jessica Hahn.
"Jail was tough, but I mean, it wasn't anything like Alcatraz."
------
Vito "Billy" Giacalone
Vito "Billy" Giacalone, a Michigan mob boss, served time in the Rochester prison. A government document cited Giacalone as "one of the prime suspects in the 1975 disappearance of former Teamsters leader James Hoffa." If he did know anything, he took it the grave. He died at 88.
Giacalone also did time with Probert.
"He was really cool," Probert said. "He was a (Red) Wings fan. He said, 'Hey, Bob, if you get in trouble and someone is bugging you, just pick up a chair and crack it over their head.'"
------
Leonard Peltier
Leonard Peltier was an American Indian imprisoned for the deaths of two FBI agents. He was transferred to the Rochester FMC in 2000, because he wanted to be close to Mayo Clinic. At the time, Peltier suffered from diabetes and a heart condition as well as a jaw condition that made it difficult for him to open his mouth.
------
Lyndon LaRouche
Lyndon LaRouche was a perennial presidential candidate and conspiracy theorist, serving time on credit card fraud and conspiracy convictions.
------
William Aramony
William Aramony was the former longtime United Way CEO who served time at the FMC on a fraud conviction.
------
Roger Nelson
Roger Nelson was a world-famous skydiver who served time at the FMC for tax evasion. He died in a skydiving accident in 2003.
------
