Buffalo/Ontario Mob Acitivity

[Newyorkempire]

And what is this interfamilial beef?

Pretty sure Nickle only spoke of rumours of one and if he could go more into it that'd be appreciated.

Cut his sister out of the La Nova spoils. Bullied senior for years. Always looked down on them. Etc.

And if this bad blood narrative is true, the feds are going to push hard to get Gerace to flip on his uncle.

I would think the "flip" would be against the Outlaws, Cops, Politicians, and other "friends" not his Uncle. Unless he knows things from the early 2000s era.

[NickleCity]

I would think the "flip" would be against the Outlaws, Cops, Politicians, and other "friends" not his Uncle. Unless he knows things from the early 2000s era.

You could be right but court documents indicate at least one LE officer wanted to "flip" Gerace but Bongiovanni made it seem Gerace was his informant. Can't remember when this was alleged to happen, but before the current case.

[AntComello]

I would think the "flip" would be against the Outlaws, Cops, Politicians, and other "friends" not his Uncle. Unless he knows things from the early 2000s era.

You could be right but court documents indicate at least one LE officer wanted to "flip" Gerace but Bongiovanni made it seem Gerace was his informant. Can't remember when this was alleged to happen, but before the current case.

So was Gerace an informant or did Bongiovanni just want it to look like he was his informant so no one would investigate him?

[NickleCity]

So was Gerace an informant or did Bongiovanni just want it to look like he was his informant so no one would investigate him?

They were investigating Gerace for drug trafficking, wanted to try to flip Gerace, and Bongiovanni is alleged to have made Gerace appear to be his informant so he could protect him.

[AntComello]

So was Gerace an informant or did Bongiovanni just want it to look like he was his informant so no one would investigate him?

They were investigating Gerace for drug trafficking, wanted to try to flip Gerace, and Bongiovanni is alleged to have made Gerace appear to be his informant so he could protect him.

You are the man Nickle thank you

[NickleCity]

Fearing a 'carnival-like' trial, prosecutors seek gag order in Gerace sex-trafficking case
Patrick Lakamp
March 28, 2023

Annoyed and alarmed by a defense lawyer's public comments, prosecutors have asked a federal judge for a gag order in a high-profile bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking case.

The government called the gag order necessary, saying that Steven M. Cohen, the lawyer for Peter Gerace Jr., the owner of Pharaoh’s Gentlemen’s Club in Cheektowaga, keeps making comments to the local media "in order to denigrate witnesses, potentially pollute the jury pool, and to otherwise try this case through the media," according to the motion filed Tuesday.

"Gerace’s counsel has, almost from the inception of this case, been on a campaign to try this case through the media and has repeatedly made critical comments about witnesses, the judiciary, evidence and prosecutors," according to the prosecution's court filing.

"This case should be tried in court and not devolve into a carnival-like atmosphere," prosecutors said in their court filing, accusing Cohen of trying to use media coverage to garner public support for Gerace.

For the rest of the article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... -top-story

[NickleCity]

^^^^
The article indicates that another of Gerace's lawyers, Eric Soehnlein, asked to withdraw from the case because of a conflict. Additionally the prosecution "filled affidavit, under seal, asking the court for an inquiry to determine whether a conflict of interest exists in Cohen's representation of Gerace."

[NickleCity]

The govt. asked for a gag order on Gerace’s attorney because the believe he is using media to taint jury pool with inadmissible and hyperbolic language to pursue potential jury notification.



“Indeed the public besmirching of witnesses and trial participants in the media could be a catalyst for those who would intimidate and tamper with witnesses on Gerace’s behalf…” & when he failed to get permission to interview a witness he tried to use a third party lawyer to get info.



Govt. suggests Gerace’s attorney uses media to garner public support for his clients and to keep certain matters out of the press.



For the whole document see: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap ... .543.0.pdf

[NickleCity]

New trial date set for strip club owner, ex-DEA agent in bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking case
Patrick Lakamp

Trial delayed till Oct 23 to accommodate Cohen’s vacation.

See: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... ea3be.html

[NickleCity]

Defense lawyer opposes gag order in Gerace sex-trafficking case
Patrick Lakamp

defense lawyer in a high-profile bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking case has urged a federal judge to reject the prosecution's request for a gag order.

Steven M. Cohen, the lawyer for Peter Gerace Jr., owner of Pharaoh’s Gentlemen’s Club in Cheektowaga, said in a new court filing that "the government’s campaign to try this case through the media has been far more extensive, profound, excoriating, defamatory and effective than anything the Gerace defense team or I personally have done."

Prosecutors three weeks ago requested a gag order – four months ahead of Gerace's scheduled trial – because they say Cohen keeps commenting to the local media "in order to denigrate witnesses, potentially pollute the jury pool, and to otherwise try this case through the media."

For the rest of the article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... ef228.html

[NickleCity]

156 pages of proposed jury instructions for the Gerace/Bongiovanni trial: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap ... .552.0.pdf

Some interesting info in there.

[NickleCity]

Strip club owner fires lawyer over defense strategy in bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking case
Patrick Lakamp
Peter Gerace wants to fire his current attorney... How man has he gone thru now? Government contends its another delay tactic. See: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... urce=login

[NickleCity]

^^^
So attorney Joel Daniels quit Gerace’s defense in the summer of 2021 because it was determined he had a conflict of interest in his representation of Gerace.

The judge allowed attorney Eric Soehnlein to withdrew from the Gerace’s defense team last week. The reason for this withdrawal is sealed and not public.

Now Cohen says Gerace has fired him. But just a little before this the government had filed a motion for the court to determine if Cohen had a conflict representing Gerace. The specifics of that motion are under seal.



I have to wonder what is going on here. Seems convenient that Gerace is firing Cohen now. (Maybe it’s not.) Or perhaps Cohen doesn’t want his conflict to come out in court?

Also, funny the government thinks Cohen’s firing is a delay tactic. Wouldn’t the result have been the same if the court had a chance to deliberate and then determined that Cohen had a conflict? Or would the court have had more leeway to keep the schedule if a conflict had been determined?

[NickleCity]

Key witness in high-profile sex, drug-trafficking trial is dead
Patrick Lakamp
August 4, 2023

A key witness in the bribery, sex- and drug-trafficking trial of strip club owner Peter G. Gerace Jr. has died, underscoring the risks of any more delays in his trial, a federal prosecutor said at a court proceeding Friday.

If his trial had not been postponed from the original June 21 start date, "that witness would have testified already," Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi said.

Now, jurors may never know about what the witness would have said in court, Tripi said.

The young woman contacted the FBI on March 14 to report her mother and roommate had found dead rats on their cars where she lived, prosecutors previously said.

Tripi mentioned the dead rats when revealing the witness had died.


For the rest of the article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/crim ... -top-story

[NickleCity]

^^^ seems like the governments concern about Peter's alleged defense's "delay tactics" have come true... Remember AUSA Tripi told the court:
“Six weeks is a long time (for someone) to be whispered a name, and to be sent on a mission,”...


"Tripi [had] told the judge that he hopes to keep some of the witnesses’ names secret from defense lawyers and the public past May 10, the date Sinatra has set for him to submit a witness list to the court.

That would be roughly six weeks before the trial is scheduled to begin on June 21.

Defense attorneys Steven M. Cohen, who represents Gerace, and James P. Harrington, who represents Bongiovanni, told the judge they need names of witnesses and information on expected testimony as soon as possible, so they can prepare to defend their clients.

The indictment of Peter G. Gerace Jr. is the latest development in an investigation into organized crime in Buffalo, one that has already resulted in the arrests of retired DEA Agent Joseph Bongiovanni, a Buffalo high school teacher, Gerace’s brother and two other men.

Cohen criticized Tripi for suggesting witnesses could be in danger without offering proof. He said his client has never threatened any witness.

“He can’t just say it … that my client poses a danger,” Cohen said. “They have to show cause.”

For this article see: https://buffalonews.com/news/local/pros ... 43bfe.html