Inside the Background of Penn State’s Alleged ‘Godfather’ as Cocaine Trafficking Case Moves Forward

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 Agostino Abbatiello was accused of becoming a major cocaine supplier in a trafficking operation tied to Penn State fraternities, former classmates remember him as an attention-seeking teenager who was already comfortable pushing boundaries.

Abbatiello, 24, attended Chaminade High School, the highly competitive all-boys Catholic school in Mineola, New York, where tuition is around $19,000 a year and students are taught around principles of faith, discipline and service.

But people who attended school with Abbatiello, known to friends as “Auggie,” have described a more rebellious side of the Long Island teenager.

“I could always see him getting in some kind of trouble because he was always on the edge,” one former homeroom classmate said.

That classmate recalled Abbatiello as a “jokester” who liked attracting attention, making noises, calling classmates names and trying to get laughs when teachers were not looking.

He also reportedly spent time with a group of roughly 10 boys who gathered in parks and attended house parties. The former classmate said there were rumors within the group about underage drinking and fake IDs.

None of those recollections establishes involvement in the much more serious conduct Abbatiello is now accused of. But they have taken on new significance for some former classmates following allegations that he later became a central figure in a large cocaine distribution operation connected to Penn State students and fraternity houses.

From Catholic School to Penn State

Abbatiello pictured in the Chaminade Class of 2020 College Destinations Booklet.

Abbatiello graduated from Chaminade in 2020 before attending Penn State, where prosecutors say his role in campus life eventually extended far beyond that of an ordinary student.

Pennsylvania authorities allege that Abbatiello became one of the principal suppliers in a cocaine trafficking operation involving members of the off-campus Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon fraternities.

The broader investigation has resulted in charges against 14 people, 13 of whom were Penn State students at or around the time of the alleged activity in 2023 and 2024. Authorities say cocaine was obtained from sources in New York and Philadelphia before being distributed around State College.

Abbatiello faces multiple felony counts, including possession with intent to deliver cocaine and conspiracy.

At a September 2 preliminary hearing, witnesses described him as a major supplier in the alleged operation. Centre County President Judge Jonathan Grine subsequently ordered that all charges against him proceed to county court.

Friend Testifies About a 100-Gram Purchase

Agostino Abbatiello (left), with his father, Mario and mother Danielle in an undated photo.Facebook/Danielle Abbatiello

Some of the most detailed allegations against Abbatiello emerged through testimony from Lars Zeepvat, another former Penn State student charged in connection with the case.

Zeepvat described Abbatiello as a “very good friend” and testified that their relationship went back to their time at Penn State.

According to Zeepvat, Abbatiello had access to a supplier known as “RJ,” whom he knew from high school.

Zeepvat told the Centre County Courthouse that the first purchase from RJ was unlike anything the group had previously seen: 100 grams of cocaine.

“People were enamored with how much it was,” he testified.

Zeepvat said Abbatiello returned from New York with the cocaine and placed it in a social room at the fraternity house.

The former Chaminade classmates who spoke about Abbatiello said they did not know the identity of “RJ.”

‘Money and Popularity’

Lars Zeepvat, far left in a black shirt, is seen in a photo posted to Instagram in 2021.Instagram/Sigma Chi Alpha Chi Chapter

Zeepvat’s testimony portrayed an alleged operation that grew significantly over time.

He said Abbatiello initially joined friends in pooling money to purchase cocaine for personal use. Eventually, according to Zeepvat, something changed.

“He started selling for money and he started selling for popularity,” Zeepvat testified.

Smaller quantities were allegedly sold for between $60 and $120, while cocaine was stored in a safe and other people assisted with packaging it.

Zeepvat described Abbatiello as one of the largest cocaine dealers at Penn State and said the operation eventually extended beyond the fraternity house.

After Abbatiello moved into an apartment, Zeepvat testified, the property became an afterparty destination where people gathered after bars and during football weekends.

At some gatherings, he alleged, cocaine was simply placed on a table for guests to use for free. Zeepvat claimed quantities as large as 150 to 200 grams could sometimes be present at the apartment.

How ‘The Godfather’ Nickname Emerged

As the alleged operation expanded, Abbatiello reportedly embraced a nickname reflecting his growing status.

Zeepvat testified that Abbatiello referred to himself as “The Godfather.”

The nickname became associated with prosecutors’ portrayal of Abbatiello as a figure near the top of the alleged trafficking network.

According to the grand jury presentment, Abbatiello received more than $123,500 in alleged drug payments.

Zeepvat also described increasingly conspicuous spending.

He claimed Abbatiello upgraded his wardrobe, gambled with larger amounts of money and purchased a bong costing approximately $5,000.

At afterparties, he allegedly gave cocaine away for free as his popularity increased.

Prosecutors have characterized Abbatiello as a major supplier, although all of the allegations remain subject to the court process and have not resulted in a conviction.

Alleged Trips to New York and Philadelphia

Agostino Abbatiello pictured at Chaminade High School, which he graduated from in 2020.Chaminade High School/YouTube

Authorities say the network operated primarily during 2023 and 2024 and involved cocaine brought into the Penn State area from New York and Philadelphia.

Zeepvat testified that he sometimes accompanied Abbatiello on trips to obtain cocaine.

Another defendant, Thomas Robinson, testified that his purchases grew substantially over time, eventually reaching kilogram quantities. Investigators later concluded that the suspected operation was broader than they had initially understood.

Prosecutors say fraternity houses became important distribution points.

Pennsylvania authorities have also alleged that some fraternity pledges were pressured into cutting and packaging cocaine.

The case has drawn particular attention because of the scale prosecutors allege and its connection to two fraternities in the Penn State community.

Younger Brother Faces Separate Cocaine Charge

Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in “The Godfather” — the nickname Abbatiello earned on campus for his alleged dealing.Getty Images

The allegations against Agostino emerged around the same period that his younger brother, Sebastiano Abbatiello, became involved in an unrelated criminal case.

Sebastiano, 20, also attended Chaminade before graduating in 2024 and enrolling at Penn State.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officers encountered Sebastiano in July after a rental boat he was allegedly operating on Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir collided with another vessel.

Authorities claimed the 12-person boat was overloaded.

During the investigation, officers allegedly found Sebastiano’s driver’s license alongside a clear plastic bag in his wallet.

When an officer asked what was inside, the affidavit says Sebastiano answered: “cocaine.”

Authorities said the bag contained approximately two grams. Officers also allegedly recovered a rolled-up dollar bill and another empty bag containing white powder residue and marked with the words “stay high.”

Sebastiano 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 is scheduled for October 14.

The case is separate from the trafficking allegations involving his older brother.

A Well-Off Long Island Upbringing

The Abbatiello brothers grew up in Westbury, Long Island, with their parents, Mario and Danielle Abbatiello.

Their father has owned a paving and construction business since 1984.

That background made the allegations against Agostino particularly surprising to at least one former classmate.

The classmate recalled knowing that Abbatiello came from a financially comfortable family in a nice neighborhood and said that made the scale of his current legal problems unexpected.

Chaminade describes its mission as helping form young men of character and purpose, making Abbatiello’s alleged trajectory particularly striking to some who knew him there.

His lawyer, parents, Chaminade High School and Penn State did not respond to requests for comment cited in the original report.

Charges Will Move Forward

Abbatiello surrendered to authorities on August 18 after failing to appear for his initially scheduled arraignment.

He was initially denied bail and spent about a week in custody.

Following his September 2 preliminary hearing in Bellefonte, Judge Grine set secured bail at $250,000. Conditions reportedly include surrendering his passport, living with his parents, avoiding contact with witnesses and refraining from alcohol and drugs.

The judge also ruled that the charges against Abbatiello could proceed to Centre County Court.

For prosecutors, the case centers on allegations that a student fraternity network evolved into a highly profitable cocaine distribution operation supplied from outside Pennsylvania.

For those who knew Abbatiello years earlier on Long Island, however, the case has also prompted memories of a very different chapter — an outgoing Catholic-school teenager remembered for seeking attention and testing boundaries, years before prosecutors would accuse him of becoming “The Godfather” of a Penn State cocaine operation.