Friends of Ours

Joe The German Gets The Max

Joe "the German" Watts, a long-time crony of the late Gambino boss John Gotti, was sentenced by Manhattan federal judge Colleen McMahon to the maximum prison term of thirteen years after the degenerate career criminal pleaded guilty last January to hatching a plot to whack Staten Island businessman Fred Weiss who was suspected of cooperating with authorities as reported by Bruce Golding for the New York Post:  "'He does not appear to know how to live his life without violence and killing,' she said."  The Watts plot did not come to fruition, and the feds believe that the 1989 murder of Weiss instead was carried out by the DeCavalcante family to curry favor with the Dapper Don.

Further coverage:

"John Gotti associate Joseph (The German Watts) sentenced to 13 years in prison for mob murder" by Robert Gearty for the Daily News

Gambino Associate Joseph Watts Pleads Guilty

Joseph Watts, a long-time crony of the late Gambino boss John Gotti, has pleaded guilty for hatching a plot to whack Staten Island businessman Fred Weiss who was suspected of cooperating with authorities according to an FBI press release.  The plot did not come to fruition, and the feds believe that the 1989 murder of Weiss instead was carried out by the DeCavalcante family.  Watts faces up to thirteen years in prison when he is sentenced on April 20.

Read more:  "John Gotti pal Joseph Watts pleads guilty to arranging hit on Staten Island businessman" by Scott Shifrel for the Daily News

Jackie "The Nose" D'Amico Pleads Guilty

Reputed one-time acting Gambino boss John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico faces three years after pleading guilty to conspiring to assault Staten Island businessman Fred Weiss in 1989 whom late boss John Gotti believed was cooperating with authorities as reported by Bruce Golding for the New York Post:  "According to papers filed in Manhattan federal court, D'Amico allowed co-defendant Joseph Watts, a reputed high-ranking Gambino associate, to recruit members of his crew for a planned hit on Weiss . . . ."  The plot allegedly hatched by Watts -- who still faces charges -- did not come to fruition, and the feds believe that the 1989 murder of Weiss instead was carried out by the DeCavalcante crime family.

Further reporting: 

"Ex-Gambino mob boss Jackie (The Nose) D'Amico takes plea deal on 20-year-old racketeering charge" by Scott Shifrel for the Daily News.

Jackie The Nose To Plead Guilty

Reputed acting Gambino boss John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico, indicted in February 2009 with long-time family associate Joseph "Joe the German" Watts for their alleged roles in the 1989 murder of Staten Island businessman Fred Weiss whom the late boss John Gotti believed was cooperating with authorities, is set to plead guilty tomorrow pursuant to superseding information as reported by Bruce Golding for the New York Post.  Last week Jerry Capeci reported for The Huffington Post that the feds had offered plea deals to both D'Amico and Watts.

Jackie The Nose And Joe The German Offered Deals

Reputed Gambino capo John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico and long-time family associate Joseph "Joe the German" Watts were indicted in February 2009 for their alleged roles in the 1989 murder of Staten Island businessman Fred Weiss whom the late boss John Gotti believed was cooperating with authorities, and as their September trial date approaches they have been offered plea deals as reported by Jerry Capeci for The Huffington Post.