Government snitch says John Gotti ruined the life
A mob rat took a few whacks at John Gotti on Wednesday, saying the limelight-loving Dapper Don “ruined everything” for wiseguys.
Peter "Bud" Zuccaro once thought the Gambino boss was the “best thing that walked the planet” — but he didn’t mourn when Gotti died in prison in 2002.
“There was no love lost for me,” Zuccaro testified in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Then — with Gotti unable to retaliate from his resting place in a Queens cemetery — Zuccaro boldly declared the Mafia kingpin had brought unwanted attention to the underworld.
“He publicized everything that was going on,” he said of Gotti, who seemed to love the camera as much as it loved him in his heyday.
“He brought everything that was supposed to be a secret society right out to the forefront, right into the press,” Zuccaro continued.
“He let it be a known thing, you know, flash, everybody hanging out together,” he told Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis.
“Guys reporting to the (Ravenite) club while the FBI is surveilling you. Wednesday night everybody had to report to see the boss.”
Zuccaro, 56, was sprung from prison earlier this month to testify at the murder trial of reputed Gambino associate John Burke.
He’s been settling old scores since becoming a government snitch to work off a guilty plea to two gangland murders, and he seems to relish taking shots at the Gottis.
Zuccaro was once the most loyal of henchmen, reporting to Gotti’s hit man Charles Carneglia after growing up on the rough-and-tumble streets of East New York.
In 1986, he even testified as a defense witness at Gotti’s federal racketeering trial in Brooklyn, denying that he paid the gangster tribute with the infamous line, “What am I, Santa Claus?”
Gotti, who had bribed a juror, was acquitted — embellishing the legend of the Teflon Don, who was a fixture on front pages and evening newscasts.
“After that, John was very impressed with (Zuccaro) because he had been willing to perjure himself,” said a knowledgeable source.
As he recalled on the stand, Zuccaro also made himself useful in personal “family” matters.
He once shot and bat-bludgeoned Carmine Agnello because he had hit his girlfriend — the don’s daughter, Victoria.
After Gotti’s death, Zuccaro turned down the chance to become an inducted member, a made man.
He said he had once been intoxicated by the lure of “power, money and women,” but had become disillusioned by the mob life.
“I was basically trying to get away from it,” he said. “And at 48 years old, what did I need to be straightened out for?”
He said that a year after Gotti’s death, he was recruited to participate in the rubout of a Howard Beach, Queens, bagel shop owner suspected of fooling around with the wife of the late boss’ kid brother, Vincent.
He begged off the hit because he didn’t want to whack someone two blocks from St. Helen’s Church.
It was a smart move. The bagel guy survived being shot in his driveway and Vincent Gotti and nephew Richard Gotti went to prison for the plot.
But Zuccaro admitted he wasn’t always that bright. Defense lawyer Richard Jasper got him to agree he was a thug and a dope.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here in this situation if I had a lot of brains,” Zuccaro said.
Peter "Bud" Zuccaro once thought the Gambino boss was the “best thing that walked the planet” — but he didn’t mourn when Gotti died in prison in 2002.
“There was no love lost for me,” Zuccaro testified in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Then — with Gotti unable to retaliate from his resting place in a Queens cemetery — Zuccaro boldly declared the Mafia kingpin had brought unwanted attention to the underworld.
“He publicized everything that was going on,” he said of Gotti, who seemed to love the camera as much as it loved him in his heyday.
“He brought everything that was supposed to be a secret society right out to the forefront, right into the press,” Zuccaro continued.
“He let it be a known thing, you know, flash, everybody hanging out together,” he told Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis.
“Guys reporting to the (Ravenite) club while the FBI is surveilling you. Wednesday night everybody had to report to see the boss.”
Zuccaro, 56, was sprung from prison earlier this month to testify at the murder trial of reputed Gambino associate John Burke.
He’s been settling old scores since becoming a government snitch to work off a guilty plea to two gangland murders, and he seems to relish taking shots at the Gottis.
Zuccaro was once the most loyal of henchmen, reporting to Gotti’s hit man Charles Carneglia after growing up on the rough-and-tumble streets of East New York.
In 1986, he even testified as a defense witness at Gotti’s federal racketeering trial in Brooklyn, denying that he paid the gangster tribute with the infamous line, “What am I, Santa Claus?”
Gotti, who had bribed a juror, was acquitted — embellishing the legend of the Teflon Don, who was a fixture on front pages and evening newscasts.
“After that, John was very impressed with (Zuccaro) because he had been willing to perjure himself,” said a knowledgeable source.
As he recalled on the stand, Zuccaro also made himself useful in personal “family” matters.
He once shot and bat-bludgeoned Carmine Agnello because he had hit his girlfriend — the don’s daughter, Victoria.
After Gotti’s death, Zuccaro turned down the chance to become an inducted member, a made man.
He said he had once been intoxicated by the lure of “power, money and women,” but had become disillusioned by the mob life.
“I was basically trying to get away from it,” he said. “And at 48 years old, what did I need to be straightened out for?”
He said that a year after Gotti’s death, he was recruited to participate in the rubout of a Howard Beach, Queens, bagel shop owner suspected of fooling around with the wife of the late boss’ kid brother, Vincent.
He begged off the hit because he didn’t want to whack someone two blocks from St. Helen’s Church.
It was a smart move. The bagel guy survived being shot in his driveway and Vincent Gotti and nephew Richard Gotti went to prison for the plot.
But Zuccaro admitted he wasn’t always that bright. Defense lawyer Richard Jasper got him to agree he was a thug and a dope.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here in this situation if I had a lot of brains,” Zuccaro said.
0 comments:
Post a Comment