Old school Bonanno mobster dies before retrial
An elderly Bonanno crime family boss ran out the clock on racketeering and other charges by dying before his retrial.
Nicholas "Nicky Cigars" Santora, 76, took a stumble after his release from jail
on bail in December 2016 and was in declining health ever since,
prosecutor Gary Galperin said in court Friday, as Santora’s case was
officially closed.
Santora’s
first trial on charges he he led the Bonannos in “old-fashioned”
loansharking, gambling, drug dealing and other illicit acts ended in a
mistrial in May 2016.
The
jury in that trial deliberated eight days — but the case came to a halt
after one juror claimed he “couldn’t hear” audio evidence the panel had
been reviewing for days.
The
hearing-troubled juror — who was the panel’s foreman — also complained
that other jurors were ganging up on him and had their hearts set on
conviction.
A new trial date was never set due to the wheelchair-bound geriatric goombah’s failing condition. He died Oct. 27.
Santora
was among nine accused mob toughs busted in 2013 on a range of charges
including peddling Viagra pills on the black market.
Santora
maintained his innocence until the end while all of his co-defendants
have pleaded guilty. Seven of his associates got prison sentences as
high as nine years, prosecutors said.
Santora
was caught on wiretap scolding associate Vito Badamo for “acting like a
clown.” The younger man was set to “take over this neighborhood” and
needed to “conduct yourself in a certain way,” the capo said.
“You gotta act like you're supposed to act. You understand?" he went on.
Santora’s case formally ended when his death certificate was presented to the court.
https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-metro-mob-boss-died-retrial-20190104-story.html
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