The June, 2004, indictment of Martin Rosario, Rafael Peralta and Edwin Jaquez put an end to a violent, family-run cocaine ring that had been headquartered for 15 years on St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan. In 2003, defendant Rafael Peralta’s brother Jose, was fatally shot in front of the building. Six months earlier, he had thwarted a kidnapping attempt on the same spot by stabbing and killing one of his assailants. The drug operation was started by Martin Rosario’s father, and was later run by other relatives. When making arrests, police were directed to three apartments controlled by the group where narcotics, drug paraphernalia and drug records were recovered. Rosario, Peralta and Jaquez pled guilty and were sentenced to state prison terms.
