A New Jersey council member, formerly a mob enforcer, faces arrest over extortion and other charges.
John Alite, age 63, serves as a councilman in Englishtown, NJ. He was charged with multiple counts of extortion, corporate misconduct, and other offenses, according to the state’s Attorney General.
Authorities allege Alite provided loans above legal interest limits. Debtors reportedly faced threats of violence to force repayments.
Alite allegedly utilized his company, Straightened-Out Entertainment, Inc., in this extortion scheme.
“These arrests result from in-depth investigation and firm collaboration between the Division of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey State Police, who daily pursue justice,” stated Attorney General Jennifer Davenport.
She emphasized the office’s commitment to ensuring fair and lawful business practices.
Alite, an Albanian-American from Queens, has longstanding links to organized crime, previously serving as the chief enforcer for the notorious Gotti crime family and a long-term participant in the Gambino family.
In a 2015 CBS News interview, Alite discussed his departure from mob life. He claimed responsibility for 15 murders and numerous assaults.
He recounted an execution, stating, “I shot him two or three times in the head while we spoke, then spit on him. As if attending a baseball game, I later enjoyed a cheeseburger meal.”
Alite spent over 14 years imprisoned in Brazil and the U.S. After freeing himself from mob ties, he launched the podcast “Catch Me On The Run,” sharing stories from his criminal past and experiences evading law enforcement.
Englishtown’s mayor, Daniel Francisco, appointed Alite in May 2025. Alite expressed community support ambitions, following his daughter’s fentanyl overdose death.
“I don’t engage in criminal behavior. I aim to act rightly,” Alite remarked to the Guardian.