|
Gigante faces prison term for conviction
In this story:
July 25, 1997Web posted at: 7:23 p.m. EDT (2323 GMT)
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Vincent "The Chin" Gigante, a reputed crime boss better known for wandering the streets of Greenwich Village in a bathrobe, was convicted Friday of murder conspiracy and racketeering.
A federal jury deliberated 16 hours after a month-long trial before finding Gigante guilty of racketeering and plotting the deaths of two people. However, he was acquitted on seven counts of murder in the 21-count indictment.
The 69-year-old Gigante looked up from his wheelchair when the verdict was announced, but showed no emotion. He was given 24 hours to turn himself in at a federal prison hospital facility in North Carolina.
Gigante faces 30 years in prison on the convictions, a virtual life sentence for a man whose lawyers say he is weak and mentally incapacitated.
The government has stalked the elusive, secretive "Chin" unsuccessfully for decades, even as it was bringing down his peers such as John Gotti, the famed "Teflon Don," and Anthony "Fat Tony" Salerno.
'You know I'm crazy, right?'
Officials insisted that Gigante has feigned illness for years to evade prosecution, and one witness confirmed it.
Peter Savino, a one-time associate in the Genovese crime family Gigante was accused of running, testified that Gigante once turned on a faucet at his private headquarters so he could not be heard by eavesdropping devices.
"It's OK to tell people I'm crazy," he told Savino. "You know I'm crazy, right?"
The jury heard testimony from five other mob informants and a dozen law enforcement agents during almost four weeks of testimony in federal court in Brooklyn. Gigante did not take the stand during the trial. The defense called no witnesses.
Gigante's attorney, Michael Marinaccio, called the
In rebuttal, Assistant U.S. Attorney George Stamboulidis pointed at Gigante and said, "He's the reason we need a witness protection program."
Gigante watched the trial from his wheelchair, staring vacantly and muttering, but had moments when he appeared to be paying attention.
Crime captains fingered Gigante
According to the government, Gigante ordered the murders of seven lower-ranking gangsters and plotted to kill three others, including Gotti, all as retribution for unsanctioned mob murders.
He also was charged with extortion and labor payoffs stemming from a 1990 bid-rigging case involving replacement windows for city housing.
The prosecutors made a subtle change during their closing argument, claiming that Gigante was "a leader" of the Genovese crime family rather than its ultimate boss.
The change was designed to counter the defense's argument that the government had already sent Salerno to prison in 1986 after identifying him as the head of the Genovese family.
But former Gambino family underboss Salvatore "Sammy the Bull" Gravano and former Lucchese crime family captains Peter "Big Pete" Chiodo and Al D'Arco all testified that Gigante was the boss of the Genovese family.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Gigante jury ends first day without a verdict - July 23, 1997
- Crazy old man or Mafia kingpin? Jury gets Gigante case - July 23, 1997
- Former Mafia hitman fingers 'The Chin' - July 10, 1997
- Mob turncoat describes Gigante as Genovese boss - June 30, 1997
- Opening remarks heard in Gigante trial - June 25, 1997
- Gigante arraigned on charges of racketeering and murder - September 6, 1996
- Judge: Mob boss fit to be tried - August 29, 1996
- Judge to rule on alleged mobster's competence - August 22, 1996
- New Jersey says organized crime has ties to health care - August 21, 1996
- Gigante could be tried for murder - March 5, 1996
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
|
Sound off on our message boardsTell us what you think!You said it... |
|
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.