If Gotti's own words were enough to put him behind bars fo the rest of his life

[CapoDeiCapi]

Why did they allow Gravano to basically get off the hook? The truth of the matter is Sammy was responsible for way more murders than Gotti. Most of the crimes committed may have been from the mouth of Gotti but by the hands of Gravano. I understand RICO, However if their case was as strong as they say against Gotti, and in turn Gravano, why didn't they go after both of them? Why did it make sense to allow a person who posed a greater threat to the community go free? I understand they wanted to go after the boss (which if was because he beat them other times now turns into a personal and therefore immoral thing) when Sammy only had to answer to 1 less person than Gotti did therefor making him as much, if not more a threat to society. Even though Sammy was the one to approach them, With as strong as case the Government supposedly had what sense did their decisions make?

[JMAN723]

Their case was very strong but Gravano flipping made it impossible for Gotti to win. Either way a Gotti was going down. He admitted to murders on that December 89 tape...no getting around that

[Pogo The Clown]

Plus Gravano also served up several more big fish.


Pogo

[JohnnyS]

Because the feds had a massive hard on for Gotti they didnt want to leave him any chance and they wanted him guilty on every count. Its a disgrace that Gravano is a free man. He's an evil son of a bitch and should be locked away for life no matter how many others he ratted on.

[bert]

Because the feds had a massive hard on for Gotti they didnt want to leave him any chance and they wanted him guilty on every count. Its a disgrace that Gravano is a free man. He's an evil son of a bitch and should be locked away for life no matter how many others he ratted on.

That sums it up. They went way overboard to get Gravano to rat, and he was all too willing to do so.

[SonnyBlackstein]

It had nothing to do with who was ‘worse’ Gravano or Gotti.

It was all about the blow to LCN in having an UB of the Gambino (the most ‘famous’ Cosa Nostra family) flip.
Sure you had Leonetti, but that was Philly, this is New York.

It meant if the UB could flip, no made guy was safe.

It opened the door it could be argued for almost every defection to follow. Not to mention the blow in street Cred to the Gambino family which followed.

So in reality it was really never about the moral ethics of Gravanos crimes, respective to Gotti.

[Pogo The Clown]

Correct. It was about damaging LCN in general and the Gambinos in particular. Gravano's defection greatly reduced the power of the Gambinos.


Pogo

[bert]

They had damaged them enough with things like the Commission case, if Gravano went away too or gotten a longer sentence that would make some sense, letting him go for 20 murders with 5 years was wrong, they ould have given him 15 and he may have taken it

[IrishDave]

It had nothing to do with who was ‘worse’ Gravano or Gotti.

It was all about the blow to LCN in having an UB of the Gambino (the most ‘famous’ Cosa Nostra family) flip.
Sure you had Leonetti, but that was Philly, this is New York.

It meant if the UB could flip, no made guy was safe.

It opened the door it could be argued for almost every defection to follow. Not to mention the blow in street Cred to the Gambino family which followed.

So in reality it was really never about the moral ethics of Gravanos crimes, respective to Gotti.

Shortly before Gravano flipped, Al D'Arco walked into a FBI building and turned himself in. I'm sure, between him and Crazy Phil, the Gotti trial was a lock.

It really could be argued that Crazy Phil got the ball rolling. He received 20 years and was out in 5. Gravano requested the same deal. Gravano screwed things up for the rest of them. Massino had to do 13 and he arguably knew way more then Gravano.

[Pogo The Clown]

Massino flipped after he was already convicted and was looking at life. If he had flipped before trial I'm sure he would have gotten less time. He also testified in very few trials while Gravano sunk several major players across different families.


Pogo

[MichaelGiovanni]

I think part of it was as an example to any future potential cooperators. It helped with Gravano after he saw the deal Phil Leonetti got.

[dack2001]

How would Gravano have know the deal Phil Leonneti got? Unless he can see in the future because he wasn't sentenced before Gravano flipped. Getting Gravano had everything to do with guaranteeing a conviction against Gotti. He had just won 3 straight trials. The Feds would have made a deal with Hitler at that point.

[NYNighthawk]

Someone on the fed side told me that the vendetta to get Gotti, Sr. was so great - that if Gotti, Sr. himself came to the FBI and said I want to flip - they would have kicked his ass out the door.

[Wiseguy]

Someone on the fed side told me that the vendetta to get Gotti, Sr. was so great - that if Gotti, Sr. himself came to the FBI and said I want to flip - they would have kicked his ass out the door.

You really believe you're the one wop who can keep spitting in the government's face and get away with it? You're making them cover after you.

[CapoDeiCapi]

Someone on the fed side told me that the vendetta to get Gotti, Sr. was so great - that if Gotti, Sr. himself came to the FBI and said I want to flip - they would have kicked his ass out the door.

THIS was exactly my entire point to my statement/question. They had Gotti by his own words and other things. They in no way needed Gravano to put Gotti away. They could've put Gravano away just as easily and lock up both the Boss and UB of the most powerful family. Instead they wanted/needed to add the insult to injury regardless what serial killer they let loose. I always keep in mind that I may be a bit bias as I'm born and raised in Howard Beach and live down the block. But in this case I honestly feel this was nothing more than a personal vendetta