The DeCicco truth

[Brovelli]

I don't think deccico would give up a meeting he was attending. and the paperwork the guy gus got ahold of no one's ever seen and big Paul seen it and declared it not worthy or maybe not explained who giving the info. Also the fbi lied alot in there paperwork to get court orders wirwtaps . I mean people came out saying carmine persico was working for the fbi to. if you understood the paperwork you quickly realize it wasn't the case. and they even said Neil delacrose. may have been informant. only ones I leaning to big names. bill bonanno. carmine the doctor maybe said to much probaly when approached by a agent and larry Gallo. of course scarpa

It sounds like Sclafani’s accusation is the strongest reason. The guy lost his life over it (I don’t know the story so not sure what other factors were involved) but it’s a big accusation to then get killed for

[jmack]

I don't think deccico would give up a meeting he was attending. and the paperwork the guy gus got ahold of no one's ever seen and big Paul seen it and declared it not worthy or maybe not explained who giving the info. Also the fbi lied alot in there paperwork to get court orders wirwtaps . I mean people came out saying carmine persico was working for the fbi to. if you understood the paperwork you quickly realize it wasn't the case. and they even said Neil delacrose. may have been informant. only ones I leaning to big names. bill bonanno. carmine the doctor maybe said to much probaly when approached by a agent and larry Gallo. of course scarpa

Of course he would give up the meeting location he was attending if he was an informant. Why wouldn’t he? He’s involved in the mob, that’s why he’s an informant. I don’t disagree with the rest of your post too strenuously. While I think the FBI is very corrupt, this information came from the SDNY office and wasn’t leaked by the FBI. I’ve also not seen a situation where the FBI would purposely label someone who is alive as a snitch, knowing it would cost him his life. I do believe the FBI leaked the fake story about Dellacroce being a snitch, but that was after he died. I also come back to the fact that Sclafani knew exactly who DeCicco was and how well he was respected. I doubt he took that lightly. He knew it was a DeCicco or him situation once he brought it to light. One of them was going to go. I’m sure he put a lot of thought into it. Again, it’s almost impossible to know one way or the other, but I put the percentage above 50%.

[jmack]

Also, as someone else said, he participated in killing his boss. Someone willing to violate that cardinal rule may be willing to give information from time to time. Look at Harry Riccobene in Philly. He went to war against a boss and it was later proven he was an informant for years. Look at Bill Bonanno. He and his father fought against the commission and it later was proven that he was an informant. If you’re willing to break one rule you are probably willing to break more.

The fact that Paul didn’t believe it doesn’t prove anything. I think most people would argue Chin was at least as shrewd as Paul and he chose not to whack Peter Savino, even after Gas and Vic told him he was an informant. Who knows what Chin or Paul was thinking? There’s no way to tell. I just look at what makes the most sense and what is probable.

[Nasabeak]

Paul may have been thinking “I’ve got 2 cases, soon to be three or four, I can’t be whacking a guy rn.”

Btw, the number of high ranking guys “in the know” or in the plot to kill Castellano was much lower than those who didn’t know. Popular narratives make it seem like his entire family hated him but just off the top of my head

Knew of the plot:

John Gotti, Frank DeCicco, Gene Gotti, Angelo Ruggerio, Salvatore Gravano, Robert DiBernardo, Joe Watts, Joseph Armone, Joe N. Gallo

Didn’t:

Danny Marino,
Tommy Gambino,
Tommy Bilotti (and his crew)
Toddo Aurello
John Gambino
Joe Butch Corrao,
Jimmy Brown Failla,
Ettore Zappi
Neil Dellacroce,
Mario Traina
Patsy Conte

Literally around only 7-15 guys were in on it, versus say 200 odd guys not or who wouldn’t be supportive of it.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Gravarno thinks Watts is a rat FWIW

[SonnyBlackstein]

Danny Marino still alive/active?

Haven't heard that name in ages. Used to be a power.

[jmack]

Gravarno thinks Watts is a rat FWIW

It was alleged that he proffered. I don’t think I’ve seen the 302 from it though like we did Gotti Jr’s.

[SonnyBlackstein]

Gravarno thinks Watts is a rat FWIW

It was alleged that he proffered. I don’t think I’ve seen the 302 from it though like we did Gotti Jr’s.

Interesting, so it's not believed he was a CI, rather he flipped

[jmack]

Gravarno thinks Watts is a rat FWIW

It was alleged that he proffered. I don’t think I’ve seen the 302 from it though like we did Gotti Jr’s.

Interesting, so it's not believed he was a CI, rather he flipped

Capeci wrote this in 1996:

“GOTTI PAL AN FBI MOLE

By Jerry Capeci

joewatts.jpg (9084 bytes)A one-time top lieutenant for John Gotti lived a dangerous double life as mob mole for the FBI, the Daily News has learned.

Joseph Watts served as an informer for about 13 months until early last year, sources said.

Watts, 55, had hoped to avoid jail time with his balancing act, but ultimately he and his FBI handlers became disenchanted with the arrangement.

The deal collapsed and Watts is serving six years in prison after pleading guilty to disposing of the body of a Gambino mobster. He is also awaiting trial for a Gotti-ordered murder in 1987 and could be sentenced to 25 years to life if convicted.

Watts's lawyer, James LaRossa, said:"Joe Watts absolutely denies being an informer for anybody." LaRossa cited the feds numerous cases against Watts, and said, "and now he's facing 25 years to life."

But his work as a Mafia mole was pieced together from interviews with law enforcement officials, underworld sources, defense lawyers and other investigative sources. Most of the court records are sealed.

In 1993, Watts was charged with taking part in killing Thomas (Tommy Sparrow) Spinelli. Also indicted were five Gambino mobsters.

In the same indictment, Watts was also charged with three other mob slayings, including that of godfather Paul Castellano.

Federal prosecutor Geoffrey Mearns suggested to defense lawyers that the government would consider relatively lenient jail terms of seven years if the defendants would plead guilty.

After numerous meetings, all the defendants except Watts agreed.

Having secretly cut his own deal, Watts publicly vowed to fight the case for himself, and for Gotti, by exposing the chief witness, mob turncoat Salvatore (Sammy Bull) Gravano, as a liar.

When another defendant said he'd fight, too, Watts reportedly said, "No good … The feds won't go for the deal … They don't really care about me. I'm not Italian."

In April 1994, the mobsters pleaded guilty and were sentenced to seven years. Watts was scheduled for trial in August.

The setting of a trial date was a charade in which Watts, his lawyer F. Lee Bailey, federal prosecutors Mearns and Laura Ward played roles, sources said.

In secret meetings, Bailey, Watts, prosecutors and FBI agents, including Gambino squad supervisor Bruce Mouw, agreed to a deal in which Watts would work as an FBI informer in return for no jail time.

Bailey, Watts, Mearns, Ward and Mouw would not discuss the case.

Valerie Caproni, chief of the Brooklyn U.S. attorney's Criminal Division, said, "We do not confirm or deny whether individuals are or are not informants."

But, sources said, Watts provided key information to the FBI. He detailed how Gotti sent instructions to his acting boss son, John A. (Junior) Gotti, from the federal prison in Marion, Ill., through visits and phone calls.

Once, Watts told the FBI, he spoke to the elder Gotti for about 15 minutes when the crime boss called a lawyer, according to sources.

Watts identified three capos — Peter Gotti, John (Jackie Nose) D'Amico and Nicholas (Little Nick) Corozzo — who assisted Junior and also met regularly with the Genovese family to iron out problems over joint rackets, sources said.

The information was used to keep Gotti in virtual isolation at Marion for longer than the usual three years.

Last week, The News revealed that Gotti's rule is all but over: Corozzo has been tapped to lead the Gambino crime family once the don's current appeal is exhausted.

But Watts has neither freedom nor power.

After a prolonged dispute over the nature of his deal, he went to trial in February on the 1993 indictment. He interrupted the trial to plead guilty to disposing of the body and was sentenced to six years in prison last June.”