After corpse is discovered turncoat New England mob boss is put on trial
Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme, 84, is facing federal charges related to the death of Steven DiSarro, who prosecutors say was strangled by Salemme’s son Frank Jr. on the order of his crime boss father.
On Monday, FBI agent Timothy Darling recounted the damning findings of a 2016 excavation at a vacant mill in Rhode Island, according to the Boston Herald.
“We found a piece of rope first. A few buckets later, we noticed something that appeared to be of evidentiary value: bones, and fabric that appeared to be wrapped around the bones,” Darling said about the March 30, 2016, dig.
Jurors in the Boston federal court trial were shown photos of thick rope that was found wrapped around DiSarro’s neck and body – which was “folded” in an 8-½-foot “wall of dirt” underneath bricks, wood and concrete blocks, Darling said.
The agent put on latex gloves to show the courtroom a yard of duct tape and a piece of torn fabric from the jogging suit DiSarro was wearing when he was killed.
Salemme is accused of standing near Frank Jr. as the son strangled DiSarro, 43. His co-defendant, mob associate Paul Weadick, who is also on trial, allegedly held down DiSarro’s flailing legs.
The former boss of New England’s Patriarca Family of La Cosa Nostra allegedly ordered the hit on DiSarro because he was set to cooperate with feds against Salemme and his son.
At the time, the feds suspect the Salemmes were silent partners in DiSarro’s nightclub, The Channel in South Boston.
The now wheelchair-bound senior lived for years in Atlanta under a new name as part of a witness- protection program following his testimony against former mobsters – until DiSarro’s remains were found.
Frank Jr. – whom the feds say was a made Mafia member — died of leukemia in 1995, his family said.
Salemme and Weadick have denied any involvement in DiSarro’s death.
The government’s star witness is Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi, who’s expected to testify that he walked in on DiSarro’s murder as it was happening.
Flemmi was an associate of James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious leader of the Winter Hill Gang who forged a close relationship with Salemme, according to Boston.com.
The trio were indicted in 1995 on racketeering charges. Salemme pleaded guilty in 1999 and was sent to prison for 11 years.
Angry that Flemmi and Bulger snitched on him to the FBI, Salemme testified against the pair in 2001.
https://nypost.com/2018/05/15/former-mafia-boss-goes-to-trial-after-corpse-discovered/
0 comments:
Post a Comment