Penn State Cocaine Case: Former Classmates Recall Agostino Abbatiello’s Years Before ‘The Godfather’ Allegations
Agostino Abbatiello, 24, arriving at court in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, for a preliminary hearing on Sept. He is oneo f the defendants in a federal broader investigation into alleged drug distribution connected to the Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternities at Penn State.James Keivom for NY Post
Long before prosecutors accused Agostino Abbatiello of becoming a major supplier in a cocaine-trafficking operation involving Penn State students and two fraternities, people who knew him at an elite Catholic high school on Long Island remember a teenager who enjoyed attention and regularly tested boundaries.
Abbatiello, 24, graduated in 2020 from Chaminade High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Mineola, New York, where tuition was reported at about $19,000 a year during the period referenced.
One former classmate who shared a homeroom with Abbatiello — known among friends as “Auggie” — recalled him as a “loudmouth” and a jokester who enjoyed getting reactions from those around him.
“I could always see him getting in some kind of trouble because he was always on the edge,” the former classmate said.
Those memories have taken on new significance after Abbatiello was charged in a sprawling investigation into an alleged cocaine-trafficking network centered around Penn State students and the Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternities.
Authorities allege Abbatiello became one of the operation’s principal suppliers. All charges remain allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Former Classmates Remember ‘Auggie’
Abbatiello pictured in the Chaminade Class of 2020 College Destinations Booklet.
Chaminade describes its mission around developing young men through faith, character, discipline and service.
Former classmates, however, recalled Abbatiello also developing a reputation for seeking attention.
One described him as a jokester who would make noises, call classmates names and try to get laughs whenever teachers turned away.
“Auggie was not this innocent boy,” the former classmate said, describing a circle of roughly 10 boys who would gather in parks after school and attend house parties.
The source also recalled rumors of underage drinking and fake IDs among some members of the wider group. Those accounts are recollections and allegations from former classmates, not findings by investigators.
The classmate said Abbatiello came from a well-off family in Westbury, Long Island, making the legal trouble he now faces particularly surprising to some who knew him growing up.
Abbatiello and his younger brother Sebastiano were raised by their parents, Mario and Danielle Abbatiello. Their father has reportedly operated a paving and construction business since 1984.
Prosecutors Allege He Became a Major Supplier at Penn State
Agostino Abbatiello (left), with his father, Mario and mother Danielle in an undated photo.Facebook/Danielle Abbatiello
Pennsylvania authorities announced charges against 14 people in August following an investigation involving the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, State College Police and a statewide investigating grand jury.
Thirteen of the defendants were Penn State students at or around the time of the alleged activity in 2023 and 2024.
According to prosecutors, Abbatiello and Thomas Robinson served as the main suppliers for the alleged organization, regularly traveling to New York and Philadelphia to obtain large quantities of cocaine.
Authorities allege the drugs were subsequently cut and packaged primarily at the Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternity houses before being distributed largely among Penn State students.
Prosecutors have characterized the alleged operation as coordinated and profitable, with some fraternity pledges allegedly participating in cutting and packaging cocaine.
Abbatiello faces multiple felony charges, including allegations related to a corrupt organization, conspiracy and possession with intent to deliver cocaine.
Testimony Describes a 100-Gram Purchase
Lars Zeepvat, far left in a black shirt, is seen in a photo posted to Instagram in 2021.Instagram/Sigma Chi Alpha Chi Chapter
New details about how the alleged operation developed emerged during Abbatiello’s September 2 preliminary hearing in Bellefonte.
Lars Zeepvat, a Penn State graduate, Sigma Chi member and defendant in the same investigation, testified about his relationship with Abbatiello and the alleged progression of their cocaine purchases.
According to Zeepvat, he, Abbatiello and another friend initially pooled money to purchase relatively small quantities of cocaine for their social circle.
After their Philadelphia contact stopped communicating with them, Zeepvat testified that Abbatiello found another supplier near his hometown on Long Island.
The first purchase from that source was dramatically larger.
“First time he purchased from RJ it was the most we’ve ever seen and it was 100 grams,” Zeepvat testified. “People were enamored with how much it was.”
Zeepvat said Abbatiello returned from New York with the cocaine and placed it in a social room at the fraternity house.
Local court reporting similarly described Zeepvat testifying that the initial 100-gram purchase marked a turning point. He said it soon became apparent to him that Abbatiello was no longer simply obtaining cocaine for himself and friends but was selling it for profit.
The Alleged Shift Toward Money and Status
The family home of Agostino Abbatiello in Westbury, NY, pictured recently.Dennis A. Clark for NY Post
Zeepvat testified that he began noticing changes in his friend as the alleged dealing expanded.
According to his testimony, Abbatiello bought new clothes, increased his gambling and made references to “The Godfather” — a nickname that would eventually become associated with him in accounts of the alleged operation.
Zeepvat also testified that Abbatiello purchased a bong costing about $5,000.
The prosecution says witnesses described Abbatiello boasting about his wealth and position within the alleged trafficking network.
Court testimony also alleged that cocaine was sometimes handed out for free at afterparties, while other quantities were packaged and sold.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office says evidence presented at the preliminary hearing corroborated allegations that drug dealing occurred over a period of years and largely involved college students and fraternities.
Abbatiello Surrendered After Missing Initial Arraignment
Agostino Abbatiello pictured at Chaminade High School, which he graduated from in 2020.Chaminade High School/YouTube
Authorities announced the case on August 17.
Abbatiello did not appear for his scheduled arraignment that morning but surrendered to authorities the following day.
He was initially denied bail and held at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
At his September 2 preliminary hearing, Centre County President Judge Jonathan Grine ordered all charges against Abbatiello to proceed to county court.
The judge also set his bail at $250,000 secured. Prosecutors requested that any money used to post bail be shown to have come from a legitimate source. Conditions also included surrendering his passport and having no contact with witnesses in the case.
Five other defendants facing felony charges also had their cases bound over for county court.
In total, 14 people have been charged in connection with the investigation.
Younger Brother Faces Separate Case
Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in “The Godfather” — the nickname Abbatiello earned on campus for his alleged dealing.
The scrutiny surrounding the Abbatiello family also comes as Agostino’s younger brother, Sebastiano Abbatiello, faces an unrelated case.
Sebastiano, 20, also attended Chaminade before going to Penn State.
According to the original report, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officers encountered him after a rental boat he was allegedly operating on Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir collided with another vessel.
A probable cause affidavit alleges officers found approximately two grams of cocaine and a rolled-up dollar bill, as well as another plastic bag containing white powder residue and bearing the words “stay high.”
When an officer asked what was inside a clear plastic bag found in his wallet, Sebastiano allegedly responded: “cocaine.”
He was charged with misdemeanor counts including operating a boat under the influence, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 14.
That matter is separate from the Penn State trafficking prosecution involving his older brother.
A Case Now Moving Toward County Court
For people who knew Agostino Abbatiello before Penn State, the allegations have prompted memories of a teenager they say already enjoyed pushing boundaries and attracting attention.
But the criminal case now confronting him is far more serious.
Pennsylvania authorities allege Abbatiello progressed from obtaining cocaine within his social circle to becoming one of the principal suppliers behind a trafficking organization involving college students and fraternity houses.
Witness testimony has described the first 100-gram purchase, the growing quantities of cocaine, displays of newfound wealth and the emergence of “The Godfather” persona.
The prosecution has now cleared an important procedural hurdle, with Abbatiello’s felony charges ordered forward to Centre County Court.
Whether prosecutors can prove those allegations will ultimately be determined through the court process. As the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office has emphasized, Abbatiello and the other defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.