Ex-con mob guy held in threats vs. a witness’ family

A reputed Gambino family loanshark carried a grudge and a gun after his release from prison, newly-filed court papers say.

Mob associate Chris Bantis was arrested once more Thursday, this time for threatening relatives of a cooperating witness who wore a recording device in a 2014 case where the defendant was convicted of extortion, according to Brooklyn Federal Court documents.

Bantis (photo) appeared outside a Brooklyn store owned by the cooperator’s family last month, describing his relatives as “rats” and threatening to shoot his sister in the head and kill her brother as well, court papers said.

He returned Wednesday carrying a dark-colored duffel bag to threaten the cooperating witness’ nephew, the papers said.

“I have a gun and will kill you,” he said at one point before producing a towel-wrapped pipe to menace the nephew, court papers said. “Come out and fight.”

Bantis was arrested after showing up again Thursday and once more threatening to kill the sister. Prosecutors filed paperwork arguing for Bantis’s “permanent detention” pending trial.

Bantis’ criminal past indicated he was never the sharpest tool in the box. He pleaded guilty in October 2014 to the extortion charge after authorities collected a trove of graphic, violent messages left on the voicemail of a man who owed him $10,500.

Court documents indicted Bantis was also sketchy on the mob’s oath of omerta, bragging about his association with a pair of Gambino family capos.

The cooperator agreed to wear a recording device during his meetings with Bantis, court documents indicated.