In 1990, a Russian mobster wanted by American authorities for drug trafficking returned to New York after serving a prison sentence in Israel for cocaine possession. Mona Ellison, a key figure in the Russian organized crime scene that had grown powerful in the United States, quickly found himself in the crosshairs of his own associates. He had been part of a violent wave of Russian gangsters who, along with partner Boris Nayfeld, had established themselves as major players in New York, particularly in the narcotics trade and the gasoline tax evasion schemes that had also involved figures from the Italian-American mafia. The early 1990s saw a bloody war erupt between Ellison and his former friend, Boris Nayfeld, in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Brighton Beach.
The conflict, which authorities described as one of the most violent in the history of Russian gang warfare, involved numerous assassination attempts. In 1991, Ellison survived a stomach wound during a shootout. A year later, a gun misfired during another attack, and a bomb meant for him exploded prematurely, injuring the would-be bombers. In 1993, he walked away from a shotgun attack with only pellet wounds to his legs.
As one law enforcement official noted, Ellison was not a well-liked figure, but he was exceedingly tough and survived multiple attempts on his life. Despite his resilience, Ellison was eventually forced to flee the country. After a final bloody shootout outside his Brooklyn apartment building, in which he was seriously wounded, he escaped to Italy with the help of a powerful ally, a Russian mob boss named Mogilovich. Mogilovich, considered by some to be one of the most powerful mobsters in the world, set Ellison up in a money laundering operation in Italy.
However, Ellison was soon arrested by Italian authorities. The Italians, suspecting he had knowledge of money laundering activities within their borders, initially refused to extradite him to the United States. After a year of detention, Italian authorities threatened to arrest his wife to compel his cooperation. Ellison, who had bluffed that he did not care for his wife, quickly gave in to the Italians’ demands and was subsequently turned over to American authorities.
Back in the United States and facing trial, Ellison cooperated with law enforcement, providing information about Mogilovich’s operations. He had reportedly survived the gang war while awaiting trial, and his cooperation earned him a reduced sentence. He was released in the early 2000s after serving his time.