Actor, 2 others, plead guilty to extortion plot for posing as mobsters in New York pizzeria shakedown

An actor, hired for his intimidating looks in all-black and sunglasses, and two others face 20 years in prison for extortion for posing as mob enforcers to shake down the former owner of a Brooklyn pizzeria, according to federal court documents.

Douglas Singer, 54, Leroy Wilson, 47, and Marianne Wood, 61, each pleaded guilty Tuesday to an extortion conspiracy involving an unnamed victim in Brooklyn.

The plot involved a prop gun, threats to the victim's family and ominous warnings that "the organization" wanted its money.

At issue was a pizzeria in Brooklyn that the victim, who owned the building where it was located, sold to Singer for $60,000, a $15,600 security deposit and monthly rental payments of $5,200.

The complaint charges that Singer hired Wilson, an actor, to accompany him and Wood in a carefully scripted plot to extort $198,000 from the victim by forcing him to buy back the pizzeria.

The plotters confronted the victim at the restaurant in late 2018, warning him that "the organization" wanted him to buy back the pizzeria and turn over nearly $200,000 by the end of the day, the documents said.

The victim, who balked at the pressure tactics, contacted police who brought in the FBI.

 Authorities wired the victim for further meetings and began gathering evidence, including text and phone messages among the plotters, that provided details on their months of planning.

At one point, Singer and Wood discussed whether they should arrive for the shakedown in a Mercedes or a Lincoln Town Car. Singer preferred the Lincoln because it rented for only $35 an hour compared to $150 for the Mercedes.

The props alone set the tone for the "Godfather"style performance.  During the initial strong-arm pitch, Wood opened a yellow envelope that contained pictures of the victim's spouse and children, with a heavy hint that their safety was in jeopardy.

The centerpiece of the intimidation effort appeared to be the bulky Wilson, a purported actor known as "Roy."

Wilson was counseled to wear a black suit and black shirt, no tie and sunglasses. His role was to sit in a nearby booth during the discussions and appear menacing. At one point, as he leaned forward to get a pen for Wood, Wilson revealed what appeared to be a firearm strapped to his hip. Authorities later determined that it was a prop gun.

According to court documents, Singer pitched the "acting gig" to Wilson via Facebook Messenger.

"I need a couple of guys to escort my associate (Wood) while she delivers a demand to my landlord," the message said. "You will simply have to stand in the background and appear to be muscle."

When everyone was on board, according to court documents, Singer sent a message to the trio saying, "Let the games begin!"

To which Wood replied: "Oh yeah baby!!"

The FBI, however, got the last line of dialogue.

"A group of people doing their best to act like a group of mobsters, shaking down a pizzeria owner, will now face a steep price for what they described as 'kinda fun,'" said William F. Sweeney Jr. of the FBI New York field office, who announced the guilty plea. "Business owners who are trying to make an honest living shouldn't have to fear someone with no legal power over them extorting and threatening their livelihoods."