Feds Allege Gambino-Linked Extortion Plot Against Vineland Cannabis Grower

Prosecutors say Joseph Campisi Jr. threatened a licensed Vineland cultivator and manufacturer over an alleged $200,000 debt, with a plea hearing now set for Oct. 26.

FILE — police lights · Tony Webster / CC BY-SA 2.0

Federal prosecutors in New Jersey are pursuing a case against a Pennsylvania man they describe as an associate of the Gambino crime family, accusing him of trying to extort a licensed cannabis cultivation and manufacturing company in Vineland, according to Heady NJ, which cited reporting from Yahoo News and the Courier Post.

The defendant, Joseph Campisi Jr. of Broomall, Pennsylvania, allegedly told the company's owner that she owed him $200,000, according to Heady NJ. Prosecutors allege Campisi is tied to the Gambino crime family, identified in the report as part of the Mafia.

Case Timeline

A federal complaint against Campisi was issued in June 2025, according to Yahoo News and the Courier Post as relayed by Heady NJ. A plea agreement hearing had been scheduled for Oct. 21 in Camden federal court, but court documents cited by Heady NJ show the date was pushed back after a scheduling conflict involving the defendant's attorney. The hearing is now set for Oct. 26, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Courtroom 4A in Camden.

The Alleged Scheme

Court documents reviewed by Heady NJ describe the targeted business only as "Company-1," a holder of a Class 2 Cannabis Manufacturer license from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission. According to those documents, the company received a conditional cultivator license around March 2022, a conditional Class 2 manufacturer license around September 2022, and an annual Class 1 cultivator license around September 2023. The identity of the company has not been disclosed in the reporting, and no official license record reviewed by Cannabis Newz could be matched to the case with certainty.

The documents describe "Victim-1" as the majority owner of Company-1, with two limited liability companies also holding ownership stakes. Victim-1 estimated the company's license could be worth up to $150 million once sold, though court filings note that an exact valuation cannot be determined until a sale occurs, Heady NJ reported.

Prosecutors allege that starting around February 2025, Campisi and unnamed co-conspirators sought money from Victim-1 "through the wrongful use of fear," according to the court documents cited by Heady NJ. The filings state that Campisi and others represented to Victim-1 and her father that they intended to collect money connected to her ownership stake in the cannabis license.

Court documents say Campisi told Victim-1 he was acting on behalf of "Individual-1," described in the filings as a known associate and former enforcer for the Gambino crime family. Alleged conduct included repeatedly driving past Victim-1's home, visiting her office, placing calls to her home and office phones, and relaying messages through third parties, according to the documents.

In one call on March 14, 2025, Campisi allegedly told Victim-1 that "he knew Victim-1 took his money and that CAMPISI wanted his 50% now," according to the court filings quoted by Heady NJ. Victim-1 reportedly responded by hiring a security guard, whom Campisi is also alleged to have threatened, per the report.

Industry Context

The case adds to a string of recent criminal matters touching New Jersey's cannabis sector. In the past week, outlets including mjbizdaily.com and Inquirer.com reported on bribery charges against a cannabis official connected to Atlantic City, separate from the Vineland extortion allegations. State licensing records show New Jersey's adult-use market currently includes 387 open retail licenses, 93 cultivation licenses, 95 manufacturing licenses and 9 testing labs, underscoring the scale of a licensing system in which individual permits — like the one at the center of this case — can carry substantial estimated value.

What to Watch

With the plea hearing rescheduled to Oct. 26, the proceeding could clarify details prosecutors have so far kept under wraps, including the identity of the Vineland company and the scope of Campisi's alleged role. Because the company has not been named in available court documents or matched to a specific state license record, the full regulatory implications for the business — including whether its license status has been affected — remain unclear.