Friends of Ours

Mobster Says Insufficient Evidence For Conviction

Vincent Artuso, a reputed capo in the Gambino crime family allegedly responsible for its South Florida operations, is appealing his 2008 racketeering conviction for an $11 million sale-and-leaseback real estate scam against ADT Security Services, and today his attorneys argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit as reported by Greg Bluestein for The Associated Press:  "defense attorneys said prosecutors based much of their case against their client on a 20-year-old videotape that did little to link Artuso to the Gambinos, along with 'prejudicial evidence' about the crime family in New York City that wasn't tied to the fraud charges."  The feds suspect "Artuso was present on Dec. 16, 1985 when former Gambino boss Paul Castellano was gunned down in front of a Manhattan steakhouse — allegedly on [John] Gotti's orders" although he never has been charged for any role in the hit.

The Junior Gotti Racketeering Trial

Lewis Kasman, the former John Gotti confidant who joined Team America to bring down the Gambino family, will not be testifying against his "adopted brother" Junior as reported by Alison Gendar and Larry Mcshane for the Daily News:

Instead, prosecutors played a 2007 conversation between Kasman and Junior's cousin Peter. The chat - which Kasman taped - purportedly shows Junior was still collecting mob money. Prosecutors must demonstrate Junior was involved in illegal Mafia activity since 2003 in order to win a conviction.

Bruce Golding reports for the New York Post that "the FBI recruited Kasman 13 years ago when the elder Gotti was still boss of the Gambino crime family":

During a hearing last year in Florida, Kasman, who is not expected to testify in the Gotti trial, testified as a star witness against reputed Gambino gangster Vincent Artuso. During that hearing, federal prosecutors played recorded tapes of Kasman and Gambino consigliere Joseph "JoJo" Corozzo discussing the dysfunctional Gotti family. "He [John Sr.] died hating that kid [John Jr.], you know that," Kasman told Corozzo. Kasman told the feds he'd paid hundreds of thousands in cash to Gotti lawyers, including Gerald Shargel and Joseph Corozzo, who represented Gotti brothers Peter and Richard in 2002. In a jaw-dropping move, Kasman even wore a wire inside Manhattan federal court in 2005 during the first of three trials for "Junior" Gotti in a failed attempt to snare defense lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman. He asked Lichtman to accompany him to a "nearby establishment" and offered him $11,500 in off-the-books cash for attorney fees. But Lichtman didn't bite, taking only $9,500, which is under the legal limit.

Dwindling Numbers For Former Bergin Hunt & Fish Club Crew

The ranks of the former Bergin Hunt and Fish Club crew once headed by the late John Gotti are thinning due to death and jail:

With the arrest this month of reputed Gambino crime family hit man Joseph Watts, only three members of Gotti's crew remain alive and on the street. Reputed soldiers Ignazio (Iggy) Alogna, Michael (Mikey Gal) Guerrieri and John (Jack) Cavallo are survivors - and schemers. They've struggled with serious illnesses and staying on the right side of the law."They don't have pensions to live on," pointed out Bruce Mouw, the former supervisor of the FBI's Gambino squad. "These old guys will scheme until they die." * * * The inner circle included Gene Gotti (jail); John Carneglia (jail); Edward Lino (slain); Sal Scala (died recently in prison), and Anthony (Tony Lee) Guerrieri (dead). Other confidants included Angelo Ruggiero (dead); Anthony (Tony Roach) Rampino (jail); Vincent Artuso (jail); Ronald Trucchio (jail); Thomas (Tommy Sneakers) Cacciopoli (jail), and Charles Carneglia (currently on trial).

Gotti inherited the Ozone Park, Queens club from Gambino capo Carmine Fatico who operated gay bars throughout NYC and Long Island:

Quite apart from his canniness and naked aggression he [John Gotti] stood out for his appalling taste in clothing:  he wore anything, so long as it was loud, colourful and stolen.  Purple suits were a favorite.  He attracted the attention of Carmine "Charley Wagons" Fatico, an associate of the late Alberto Anastasia.  Although only seventeen, Gotti quickly proved his worth as a strong man, performing one or two spectacular beatings, and became one of the 120 men Fatico had working for him.  Fatico had a well-established organization, which grossed him around thirty million dollars annually.  The money came from hijacking, illegal gambling and loan-sharking, but Fatico had a special line in gay bars.  Homosexuality was still illegal in America, and Fatico's discreet string of private gay clubs, where exotic stage acts could be seen by men prepared to pay exotic prices for admission and drinks, was highly lucrative. 

Gambino Capo Vincent Artuso Sentenced To Nine Years

Vincent Artuso, a reputed capo in the Gambino crime family responsible for South Florida operations, was sentenced today to nine years in prison after his racketeering conviction in connection with a sale-and-leaseback scam against ADT Security Services through which he defrauded the company of $11 million over five years. According to the feds "Artuso was present on Dec. 16, 1985 when former Gambino boss Paul Castellano was gunned down in front of a Manhattan steakhouse — allegedly on [John] Gotti's orders."  Today is the anniversary of Castellano's murder.

The Mafia & Other Organized Crime News

**  A federal jury in West Palm Beach, Florida convicted wiseguy Vincent Artuso and three others in connection with a sale-and-leaseback scheme by which they defrauded ADT Security Services of $11 million over five years.  Artuso, who previously has served time for narcotics trafficking, is a capo in the Gambino crime family in charge of South Florida operations.  The government's case included secret tape recordings and testimony from Lewis Kasman, a confidant of former boss John Gotti, who further is expected to testify against John Gotti Jr. in Tampa later this year on murder conspiracy and drug charges for which he and others were indicted in August 2008.  Download John Gotti Jr. Indictment.pdf

**  The FBI continues to dig up a vacant lot in East Farmingdale which may have been used to dump bodies by the Colombo crime family.  Among those who may be buried at the site are underboss William Cutolo who was whacked in 1999, and associate Richard Greaves who was hit in 1995.

**  A 27-member Russian ring based out of the offices of a Brooklyn mortgage company ripped off more than $200 million through 1,000 fraudulent subprime loans between 2004 and 2006.

**  Jim Wagner has resigned as president of the Chicago crime commission:

Wagner made a career out of fighting the mob in his time during the FBI, and was so well respected on the topic and history of the Outfit that the U.S. Attorney's Office called him as a witness in its recent "Family Secrets" trial against current mobsters, even though Wagner had retired from the FBI long before.

After leaving the FBI, Wagner helped investigate casino companies as a member of the Illinois Gaming Board and was instrumental in denying Rosemont a casino after he and other staff members discovered secret shareholders linked to the mob.

After taking over as president of the commission in 2006, Wagner and the commission published several handbooks to help educate police and the public on gangs and organized crime. He also led the commission in opposing the location of a casino in Chicago. Wagner argued Chicago's long history or corruption and links to organized crime made it unfit to regulate a casino.

**  Martin Scorsese to make a film about Irish hitman Frank Sheeran and Scranton mob boss Rosario "Russel" Bufalino based upon Charles Brandt's 2004 book I Heard You Paint Houses.  Brandt based his book on extensive interviews with Sheeran who died in 2003.  Bufalino allgedly gave Sheeran the order to whack Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa in 1975.  Robert DeNiro will play the role of Sheeran who is responsible for over 25 hits many of which were on behalf of Bufalino.