Does anyone have any RECENT information about his status?

There isn't much, relatively speaking. He seems to be a pretty low key guy, even by Genovese standards. He was cited for shooting hawks from a roof top in order to protect his pigeons back in March 2000. In August of that same year, his son was stabbed during a fight at a nightclub in Queens. In January 2003, 5 people (including at least one with ties to Federici) were indicted in Queens on charges of running a high-tech cloned credit card scam. He still runs his restaurant, the Parkside, in Queens.

http://www.parksiderestaurantny.com/

This is off topic, but I've been there a few times for holiday parties and the like. It's noisy with mediocre food (at best), and a VERY rude staff. It always cracks me up when service people (waiters and bartenders) who work in places like that think they're wiseguys themselves. Until they get smacked in the mouth and find out there's nothing they can do about it .

I wouldn't go back unless it was for some type of function (like a holiday party where I had no choice).

Went back to Parkside for the 3rd time the other day. I must say that while it is not a 3 star Michelin restaurant, the food is definitely good and the environment is exciting. There is a bit of a wait for your meal, but the surroundings make this tolerable. I was given a free cocktail for the slightly prolonged wait.

is it worth me taking a trip out to queens for? i don't have a car and it'd be a long train ride from the city. its in corona, right?

It is in Corona. If you were going with some friends or family, it may be worth it. The train ride from Manhattan is quite long and there is not much of anything around the restaurant itself.

I'm a check it next time I'm in NY. I'm even gonna go as far as to ask the waiter to get Tony. Have a nice long chat with him about The Genovese..ask him about his relationship with The Chin and how he coped with his death.