by NYNighthawk » Fri Mar 27, 2020 8:17 pm
Transcripts of what Federal authorities say were Genovese crime family murder plots against two underworld rivals, John and Gene Gotti, and a reported mob associate, Irwin Schiff, were released here today at a bail hearing for three defendants.
The three, Louis (Bobby) Manna, Martin Casella and Richard (Bocci) DeSciscio, were indicted Tuesday and accused of being the principal conspirators in both plots.
The transcripts were based on 12 conversations that the authorities said took place at Casella's Restaurant, which they identified as a Genovese family hangout owned by Mr. Casella in Hoboken, N.J. The conversations occurred between Aug. 5, 1987, and last Jan. 14 and were intercepted by eavesdropping devices hidden in the restaurant, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In the Aug. 5 conversation, Mr. Casella and two men, whose identities are not known, discussed the impending slaying of Mr. Schiff, who Federal officials said had links to both the Genovese and Gambino crime families and was thought to have been skimming money owed the Genovese family.
''You wanna hit him?'' one of the unidentified men said, according to the transcript.
''We'll do him good at night,'' the other man replied. ''Bobby Manna didn't like CC.'' Code Name for Irwin Schiff
Michael Chertoff, an Assistant United States Attorney, said ''CC'' was a mob code name for Mr. Schiff, based on Construction Coordinators, a New York business in which he held an interest.
''I'll bring it up at a meeting and we'll discuss it,'' Mr. Casella responded.
Last Aug. 8, Mr. Schiff was shot in the head twice while dining at a Manhattan restaurant on Second Avenue near 75th Street.
Two days later, Mr. Casella talked about the murder with two men identified by Federal authorities as Genovese family associates: Frank Daniello, a 67-year-old retired Hoboken police lieutenant, and James Napoli, 72, of Brooklyn. Both men were indicted Tuesday on racketeering and murder conspiracy charges involving the Gotti brothers. 'All the People Ran Out'
''The place was jammed, all the people ran out,'' Mr. Daniello said in an apparent reference to the aftermath of the shooting. ''Bobby picked this kid out,'' he added - a reference, authorities said, to Mr. Manna's selecting the gunman in the Schiff slaying.
Mr. Daniello said, ''It takes guts though to do it like that, this kid was a. . . .''
''Stone killer,'' Mr. Casella responded.
Based on the excerpted conversations on the conspiracies, Mr. Chertoff urged today that Mr. Casella, Mr. Manna and Mr. DeSciscio all be held without bail pending their trial on a 42-count Federal racketeering indictment. House Arrest Order Stayed
A Federal magistrate, Ronald J. Hedges, granted Mr. Chertoff's request for Mr. Casella, 71, and Mr. DeSciscio, 42. But he ordered Mr. Manna, who authorities contend is the third-ranking member in the Genovese family, released on $250,000 bail and placed under virtual house arrest at an apartment he maintains at 130 West Houston Street in Manhattan. However, late this afternoon, the order was stayed until Thursday by a United States District Court Judge, Maryanne Trump Barry, after Mr. Chertoff appealed.
The plot against John Gotti, said by Federal authorities to head the Gambino family, first came up last Sept. 21 in a conversation among Mr. Manna, Mr. Casella and Mr. Daniello. Mr. Chertoff said the plan was to attack Mr. Gotti near a club he frequented on Woodhaven Boulevard and 101st Avenue in Ozone Park, Queens.
''Wear a disguise,'' Mr. Manna said. ''It's an open place.'' An unidentified man asked: ''Do you know where you'se are going to do this guy?''
''Yeah, on that corner,'' Mr. Casella responded.
''You know, this should be good and fast if it's John Gotti up on the Boulevard and, ah, hundred and one,'' the man said. F.B.I. Warns Gotti
The F.B.I. subsequently notified Mr. Gotti of the reported plot, and, according to an Oct. 9 transcript, the Genovese associates learned of the warning.
''Hey, John Gotti knows,'' Mr. Casella said on Oct. 9.
An unidentified man responded, ''John Gotti knows we. . . .''
''That we ordered it?'' another man said.
But the plotting continued, the authorities said. On Jan. 10, Mr. Manna was overheard saying, ''a big hit, John Gotti,'' and then apparently discussing with Mr. DeSciscio and others the selection of a gunman.
Two days later, in a conversation between Mr. Manna and James Napoli, Mr. Manna said: ''Gene Gotti's dead.''
''When are you gonna hit him?'' Mr. Napoli asked.
''Gene Gotti's dead,'' Mr. Manna repeated.
''We're gonna be paying for this, you know, for the rest of our lives,'' Mr. Napoli said.
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Transcripts of what Federal authorities say were Genovese crime family murder plots against two underworld rivals, John and Gene Gotti, and a reported mob associate, Irwin Schiff, were released here today at a bail hearing for three defendants.
The three, Louis (Bobby) Manna, Martin Casella and Richard (Bocci) DeSciscio, were indicted Tuesday and accused of being the principal conspirators in both plots.
The transcripts were based on 12 conversations that the authorities said took place at Casella's Restaurant, which they identified as a Genovese family hangout owned by Mr. Casella in Hoboken, N.J. The conversations occurred between Aug. 5, 1987, and last Jan. 14 and were intercepted by eavesdropping devices hidden in the restaurant, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In the Aug. 5 conversation, Mr. Casella and two men, whose identities are not known, discussed the impending slaying of Mr. Schiff, who Federal officials said had links to both the Genovese and Gambino crime families and was thought to have been skimming money owed the Genovese family.
''You wanna hit him?'' one of the unidentified men said, according to the transcript.
''We'll do him good at night,'' the other man replied. ''Bobby Manna didn't like CC.'' Code Name for Irwin Schiff
Michael Chertoff, an Assistant United States Attorney, said ''CC'' was a mob code name for Mr. Schiff, based on Construction Coordinators, a New York business in which he held an interest.
''I'll bring it up at a meeting and we'll discuss it,'' Mr. Casella responded.
Last Aug. 8, Mr. Schiff was shot in the head twice while dining at a Manhattan restaurant on Second Avenue near 75th Street.
Two days later, Mr. Casella talked about the murder with two men identified by Federal authorities as Genovese family associates: Frank Daniello, a 67-year-old retired Hoboken police lieutenant, and James Napoli, 72, of Brooklyn. Both men were indicted Tuesday on racketeering and murder conspiracy charges involving the Gotti brothers. 'All the People Ran Out'
''The place was jammed, all the people ran out,'' Mr. Daniello said in an apparent reference to the aftermath of the shooting. ''Bobby picked this kid out,'' he added - a reference, authorities said, to Mr. Manna's selecting the gunman in the Schiff slaying.
Mr. Daniello said, ''It takes guts though to do it like that, this kid was a. . . .''
''Stone killer,'' Mr. Casella responded.
Based on the excerpted conversations on the conspiracies, Mr. Chertoff urged today that Mr. Casella, Mr. Manna and Mr. DeSciscio all be held without bail pending their trial on a 42-count Federal racketeering indictment. House Arrest Order Stayed
A Federal magistrate, Ronald J. Hedges, granted Mr. Chertoff's request for Mr. Casella, 71, and Mr. DeSciscio, 42. But he ordered Mr. Manna, who authorities contend is the third-ranking member in the Genovese family, released on $250,000 bail and placed under virtual house arrest at an apartment he maintains at 130 West Houston Street in Manhattan. However, late this afternoon, the order was stayed until Thursday by a United States District Court Judge, Maryanne Trump Barry, after Mr. Chertoff appealed.
The plot against John Gotti, said by Federal authorities to head the Gambino family, first came up last Sept. 21 in a conversation among Mr. Manna, Mr. Casella and Mr. Daniello. Mr. Chertoff said the plan was to attack Mr. Gotti near a club he frequented on Woodhaven Boulevard and 101st Avenue in Ozone Park, Queens.
''Wear a disguise,'' Mr. Manna said. ''It's an open place.'' An unidentified man asked: ''Do you know where you'se are going to do this guy?''
''Yeah, on that corner,'' Mr. Casella responded.
''You know, this should be good and fast if it's John Gotti up on the Boulevard and, ah, hundred and one,'' the man said. F.B.I. Warns Gotti
The F.B.I. subsequently notified Mr. Gotti of the reported plot, and, according to an Oct. 9 transcript, the Genovese associates learned of the warning.
''Hey, John Gotti knows,'' Mr. Casella said on Oct. 9.
An unidentified man responded, ''John Gotti knows we. . . .''
''That we ordered it?'' another man said.
But the plotting continued, the authorities said. On Jan. 10, Mr. Manna was overheard saying, ''a big hit, John Gotti,'' and then apparently discussing with Mr. DeSciscio and others the selection of a gunman.
Two days later, in a conversation between Mr. Manna and James Napoli, Mr. Manna said: ''Gene Gotti's dead.''
''When are you gonna hit him?'' Mr. Napoli asked.
''Gene Gotti's dead,'' Mr. Manna repeated.
''We're gonna be paying for this, you know, for the rest of our lives,'' Mr. Napoli said.
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Continue reading the main story