Buffalo teacher was a drug dealer with organized crime ties, prosecutors say
By Dan Herbeck and Lou Michel
News Staff Reporters
Updated
Teacher Michael Masecchia, at center in black suit, jumps in the air with students from a graduating class at Grover Cleveland High School in Buffalo on June 23, 2000. In December 2020, Masecchia pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Buffalo to felony drug-trafficking and weapons charges.
By Dan Herbeck and Lou Michel
News Staff Reporters
During the day, Michael Masecchia was a respected English teacher at Buffalo’s Grover Cleveland High School, where colleagues considered him a role model who genuinely cared about his students.
Federal prosecutors are looking for organized crime activities in a widespread investigation, just four years after the special agent in charge of the Buffalo FBI office said, “Some of the individuals who were leaders of the Mafia are still around. But their organized crime activities don’t exist anymore."
Teacher Michael Masecchia, at center in black suit, jumps in the air with students from a graduating class at Grover Cleveland High School in Buffalo on June 23, 2000. In December 2020, Masecchia pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Buffalo to felony drug-trafficking and weapons charges.
