Genovese gangster JB Barone acquitted at insurance-slay trial
The case of the dueling snitches ended in an acquittal.
A Genovese gangster who spent 18 years as an FBI informant was free on $20,000 bail yesterday after a federal jury found him not guilty in a $1 million murder-for-hire plot.
Joseph (JB) Barone, 49, spent two days on the stand disputing the testimony of NYPD informant and key government witness Michael Cooks.
"The jury believed my client," defense lawyer Jose Muniz said. "That's really the crux of it."
The Manhattan Federal Court panel deliberated for two days before clearing Barone and co-defendant Anthony Piliero of a $1 million insurance slay plot.
The jury was hung on a conspiracy count against the pair, leading to a Thursday mistrial on that charge. The U.S. attorney's office wouldn't say if it would retry the pair.
Barone, 49, was "ecstatic and crying" after the verdict, Muniz said. He was jailed for 16 months before trial.
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