Turncoat Gambino Captain Testifies Against Junior Gotti
Gotti lawyer Charles Carnesi said he thinks Gravano could help clear his client on a murder allegation that he hung on the late Gambino family boss John J. Gotti 17 years ago, and hopes to talk to the legendary turncoat before making a final tactical decision on calling him. "It remains to be seen," Carnesi told reporters. "We'll interview him, and then see what we do." * * * Gravano, after leaving the federal witness protection program, was living under an assumed name and working as a swimming pool installer in Arizona when he was charged in 2001 with running a major drug ring that sold Ecstasy in the Southwest. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in 2002. At the elder Gotti's trial in 1992, Gravano provided testimony linking the boss to the 1990 murder of Louis DiBono, a mob soldier, in a garage at the World Trade Center, and jurors found the elder Gotti guilty of that charge.
Michael "Mikey Scars" DiLeonardo testified for a third day for the government, and stated "that another mobster told him Junior Gotti was involved" in the DiBono murder.
Gravano has testified about the DiBono killing in other trials, but never mentioned Junior. Joseph DiBenedetto, who once represented Junior's uncle, Peter Gotti, said putting Gravano on the stand "could be a double-edged sword." "The government can then question him about crimes he committed with [Junior] or any member of the conspiracy," DiBenedetto said. * * * Putting Gravano on the stand has backfired. Six years ago, wiseguy Thomas (Huck) Carbonaro was on trial for trying to rub out the mob turncoat - on Peter Gotti's orders. Carbonaro's lawyers hoped Gravano would testify Carbonaro would not try to kill his friend. Instead, he said Carbonaro would have been killed for disobeying orders.
Further reporting:
Bruce Golding for New York Post: Sammy Gravano may testify for Junior Gotti
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