A Manhattan federal judge has set an April 16, 2012 trial date for the freshly-extradited Emilio Fusco in the 2003 murders of Genovese capo Adolfo Bruno and mob associate Gary Westerman in Springfield, MA over concerns the pair were cooperating with the government as reported by Stephanie Barry for The Republican.
As Fusco fought the extradition proceedings in Italy he missed the racketeering trial at which his three co-defendants -- onetime Genovese acting boss Arthur Nigro and Greek brothers Freddy and Ty Geas -- were convicted last April. The government's evidence in that case rested largely on the testimony of flipped gangsters including Genovese capos Anthony "Bingy" Arillotta and Felix Tranghese, and given their effectiveness on the stand one wonders whether Fusco will join them in the witness protection program rather than trying to beat the rap at trial. Nigro and the brothers Geas now are serving life sentences following their convictions in the Bruno slaying, and surely Fusco can read the handwriting on the wall.
Fusco previously has been convicted for racketeering and loan sharking, and while he was out on bail pending sentencing for those charges he allegedly joined in the Bruno and Westerman murder plots.
Oh the irony: They kill Adolfo Bruno and Gary Westerman because they suspect them of becoming informants, and then almost everyone involved in their murders become informants or rats themselves!! Yep, I think Emilio Fusco will flip. He's probably wearing a wire right now.
Our government is so low. They let men who are just as guilty go free and get time served just because they turn on their fellow co-conspirators and sentence the others to life in prison. With organized crime, justice is for sale with your cooperation. However they dont offer the same deals to street gangs who are far worse and kill people with no motives.
With the feds its not about justice, its about winning a case and gaining convictions to put on their resume and advance in their careers. Otherwise they would be doing good old fashioned detective work and not letting killers go free just because they rat.
Posted by: Clinton Fussell | 12/13/2011 at 10:49 AM