People State New York v. Ralph Eboli

The defendants Ralph Eboli and Anthony Caccavale were convicted of attempted coercion in the first degree; conspiracy in the third degree; and three counts of assault in the third degree. The evidence at trial showed that the defendants were attempting to coerce Nicholas Travato into making them his business partners in a bar he operated and partially owned. There was also evidence that Caccavale assaulted Travato with a bar stool and pounded his head onto a cement floor, and that Eboli assaulted a friend of Travatos. Travato testified that these beatings occurred at his bar on the same evening that he told the defendants that he preferred to "sink or swim" on his own in the operation of the bar.