THE BLACK HAND FORUM

'm betting some drug bust where a guy has been holding on to this bit of information as his get out of jail card for years. Busted, flipped, went out trying to make recordings, and bombed out. Feds forced to bring charges, we will hear who the rat is soon.

Murray Richman, if ever there was a piece of shit lawyer..

So was Ortiz an informant? I see the part where his family thought that was the reason, but I may have missed the part where it's said he was.

They got someone on a wire or an informant of some sort. That's extremely vague for a charge murder that old unlike Bobby Vernace's case where he was tied to the actual murder scene and what played out before the murder. This says he hired someone to kill. Has to be either the killer or they got him on wire.

FBI makes arrest in 21-year-old Yonkers mob hit
MATT COYNE | ROCKLAND/WESTCHESTER JOURNAL NEWS
August 3, 2018


The FBI has arrested a member of the Genovese crime family for his role in the grisly murder of a Yonkers man nearly 21 years ago.

John Tortora, a 61-year-old Yonkers resident also known as "Johnny T," is facing conspiracy to commit racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering and murder for hire charges stemming from the brutal stabbing death of Richard Ortiz in November 1997.

He is accused of hiring others to kill Ortiz "in order to further the goals of the Genovese Family," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Prosecutors also contend that Tortora was involved in gambling, extortion and drug trafficking.

"The arrest of John Tortora should remind everyone that justice delayed is not justice denied," FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney said in a statement. "Whether a crime was allegedly committed decades ago or just day ago, the FBI will maintain the same tenacity and we will be relentless toward ensuring those who commit violent crimes be held accountable for their actions."

Tortora was ordered held without bond following his appearance in Manhattan federal court.

His lawyer, Murray Richman, said afterwards that Tortora "unequivocally denies the allegations."

"He did not know this young man. He did not order him killed or do it himself or have anything to do with it," Richman said. "Apparently the government has acquired a person who, maybe to benefit himself, has cast aspersions on my client."

Ortiz, then a 29-year-old landscaper and Gorton High School drop-out living in a one-bedroom apartment on Lockwood Avenue, was drinking inside the Mill Tavern down the street when he got into an argument with men inside the bar. The argument moved outside, escalated and Ortiz was stabbed multiple times in the stomach and left for dead under a Saw Mill River Parkway underpass less than 100 feet away.

He was found by a young woman who thought he was a pile of clothes or garbage in the street. He would be pronounced dead three-hours later at St. Joseph's Medical Center after doctors attempted surgery.

Ortiz's family had long thought he was killed in suspected retaliation for acting as a police informant. A few weeks before his death, family said they visited him and found his face battered. He reportedly told them he slipped and fell.

Four days after his killing, Yonkers police arrested then-31-year-old former convict Abdill Saez, but the Westchester County District Attorney felt they needed more evidence to move forward with a case and the charges were dropped. Throughout the late 90's, Yonkers police would maintain they arrested the right man.

Tortora was among dozens connected to the Genovese crime family - including Pasquale Parrello and two other capos - arrested by the FBI in 2001 after an undercover NYPD detective infiltrated the mob posing as a trucking company owner named Big Frankie.

Richman said Tortora was only convicted of a misdemeanor in that case and sentenced to 24 months probation.

If convicted, Tortora will more than likely spend the rest of his life in prison; the conspiracy charges carry life in prison as the maximum penalty, while murder in aid of racketeering and murder for hire carry a mandatory life in prison sentence or the death penalty.

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2018/08/02/fbi-makes-arrest-21-year-old-yonkers-mob-hit/891949002/

"Johnny T" - any idea whos crew this guy was in or who he was under?

[quote=SonnyBlackstein post_id=84957 time=1533276958 user_id=171]
@slim: a genuine word of advice, stop assuming. I say this from experience. The older you get, the more you 'know' you realise the less you know.
This could be ANYTHING from an informant, trustworthy or a Pausquale 3rd to circumstantial to a weapon to DNA to ANYTHING.
Now likely theres something, but what you think is the case, MORE often than not, turns out NOT to be the case.
Definitives are reserved for taxes and death. Thats it. and when not referring to those, its best to not use them.
[/quote]
I'll take the advice. Feds could’ve also flipped the hitman that was hired to do the murder. Im sure more about this case will come out. Thank u for the advice

oft fuck thinkin your sorted for 20 year then getting this through the post

Great post WG

@slim: a genuine word of advice, stop assuming. I say this from experience. The older you get, the more you 'know' you realise the less you know.
This could be ANYTHING from an informant, trustworthy or a Pausquale 3rd to circumstantial to a weapon to DNA to ANYTHING.
Now likely theres something, but what you think is the case, MORE often than not, turns out NOT to be the case.
Definitives are reserved for taxes and death. Thats it. and when not referring to those, its best to not use them.

Took the feds a while to solve the case. They must’ve had the guy on wiretape admitting to the hit.

More on the story

https://patch.com/new-york/mountvernonny/man-charged-thursday-1997-mafia-murder-hudson-valley

Well, he's fucked then. I'm sure after 20 years they wouldn't have pulled him unless they had a slam dunk case.

[b]The United States Attorney's Office
Southern District of New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Member Of The Genovese Family Of La Cosa Nostra Charged In 1997 Murder-For-Hire Of Richard Ortiz
[/b]
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Charles Gardner, the Commissioner of the City of Yonkers Police Department (“YPD”), announced the arrest of JOHN TORTORA JR., a/k/a “Johnny T,” on charges of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and murder for hire. The murder charges arise out of TORTORA’s role in the November 11, 1997, murder of Richard Ortiz, 29, in Yonkers. TORTORA was arrested this morning in Yonkers by FBI agents and Yonkers PD detectives. TORTORA will be presented later today before the U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein at the United States Courthouse in Manhattan. The case has been assigned to United States District Judge Sidney H. Stein. An initial pretrial conference is scheduled for August 14, 2018, at 3:00 p.m., before Judge Stein.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said: “As alleged in the indictment, the defendant was responsible for the stabbing death of Richard Ortiz over 20 years ago. Today, thanks to the remarkable dedication and perseverance of the FBI and the Yonkers Police Department, the defendant faces charges for his crimes.”

FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “The arrest of John Tortora should remind everyone that justice delayed is not justice denied. Whether a crime was allegedly committed decades ago or just days ago, the FBI will maintain the same tenacity and we will be relentless toward ensuring those who commit violent crimes be held accountable for their actions. The FBI New York Office never does these investigations alone, and we want to thank the Yonkers Police Department for their help in successfully solving a case from more than 20 years ago.”

Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner said: “This arrest for the 1997 murder of Mr. Ortiz demonstrates the resolve and commitment of law enforcement to hold those accountable for their actions and serves as a warning to all members of La Cosa Nostra engaging in violent criminal activity in our communities. We will continue to work with our federal partners to aggressively target alleged criminals and criminal enterprises operating in our City.

I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for their invaluable support and efforts in this investigation.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment[1] and statements made in court:

From in or about 1997 up to and including in or about 2018, TORTORA, an associate and later a member of the Genovese Crime Family, along with other members and associates of La Cosa Nostra, committed a wide range of crimes, including murder, extortion, gambling, and narcotics trafficking. In particular, TORTORA hired others to kill Richard Ortiz in order to further the goals of the Genovese Family. As a result, on November 11, 1997, Ortiz was brutally stabbed multiple times, causing his death.

* * *

TORTORA, 61, of Yonkers, New York, is charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, and murder for hire. A chart showing the charges and maximum penalties for each count of the Indictment is below. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

(Indictment at link below)

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/member-genovese-family-la-cosa-nostra-charged-1997-murder-hire-richard-ortiz