Judge rejects jailed Bonanno soldier's claim he had a bad lawyer
A convicted wiseguy lost out on his claim that he had a bad lawyer.
Brooklyn federal judge Nicholas Garaufis said he wasn't buying Baldassare "Baldo" Amato's arguments his trial lawyer's defense was below constitutional standards.
The 65-year-old Bonanno crime family soldier is serving a life sentence for a 2006 racketeering conviction. His crime included two murders and illegal gambling.
But Amato said he was innocent and tried to fight his conviction a couple different ways.
He took aim at his onetime lawyer, Diarmuid White. Amato said White was no good because he was conflicted by his previous representation of Joseph Massino, a former Bonanno boss-turned-government cooperator.
White was part of Massino's defense team for less than a year, and before Massino started talking to the feds about becoming a turncoat.
The 65-year-old convicted mobster is serving a life sentence.
Still, Amato said White's work for Massino crimped the lawyer's advocacy in plea talks and the decision whether to put Massino on the stand.
Garaufis said he couldn't find any "inherent conflict" for White under the circumstances.
And putting Massino on the stand could've been a gamble, the judge said.
Garaufis said there could’ve been a risk the ex-boss would back up another person’s testimony on one murder.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/judge-rejects-nyc-mobster-bad-lawyer-claim-conviction-fight-article-1.3026729
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