Jon Roberts

Jon Pernell Roberts (born John Riccobono; June 21, 1948 – December 28, 2011) was an American drug trafficker who operated in the Miami area and was an associate of the Colombian Medellín Cartel during the growth phase in cocaine trafficking, 1975–1986. Roberts was the author with Evan Wright of American Desperado.

Early life The son of Sicilian-American mafioso Nat Riccobono, Roberts was born John Riccobono and raised in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Nat Riccobono, an associate of Lucky Luciano, had emigrated illegally to the United States with his brothers from Sicily and was a caporegime in the Gambino crime family, operating gambling and loan-sharking operations in black neighborhoods of New York and New Jersey. Roberts' uncle, Joseph "Staten Island Joe" Riccobono, was consigliere of the Gambino family. As a child, Roberts accompanied his father on collection rounds as his father beat delinquent debtors.

In American Desperado, Roberts recounts his service, saying that he enjoyed Army life.

Nevertheless, Roberts and Munday began working under the supervision of Max Mermelstein, who had an agreement with Salazar to manage the transportation of cocaine from Colombia to Miami. He then oversaw the delivery of the loads to cartel safehouses in the Miami area. Roberts was able to increase his monthly cocaine business through this direct connection. Mermelstein and Munday established the routes for trips to Colombia, using boats, tow truck companies, safehouses, and airstrips, thereby setting up an effective transportation route for the cartel. Roberts claims to have made over $100 million USD dealing cocaine during this period. He spent $50 million of that money on his extravagant lifestyle.

In Chapter 62 of the book, Roberts recounts a variety of processes by which he used horses to launder money. Additionally, "[He] also learned how to fix races. There were many tricks." and his girlfriend, Gloria. Al was a guy who'd made it big in stereos."

He describes a particular horse in the epigraph to his book:

Downfall Mermelstein acted as a high-level trafficker working under cartel member Salazar and with the Munday transportation group. He was apprehended in 1985 by the US Customs Service as a multi-kilo dealer, and subsequently turned state's witness. Roberts was arrested on the morning of September 20, 1986.

Roberts died of colorectal cancer on December 28, 2011, aged 63.