Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business

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Donnie Brasco: Unfinished Business Page 37

by Joe Pistone


  When Charlie got up to leave, Mafia writer Jerry Capeci told him to “take a look at Tom Robbins’s Village Voice Web site tonight.” Jerry then approached the defense lawyers and Vecchione. He said that in 1997 when he and Tom Robbins jointly interviewed Linda Schiro for a book, they taped her. That June preceding the October trial, Capeci used the state’s press-shield law to quash a defense subpoena for his notes. But now he and Tom Robbins had decided to make their tapes available if subpoenaed. In these heroic authors’ eyes, by her inconsistent testimony in court Linda Schiro waived their promise to her not to divulge her words to law enforcement. Capeci said that Robbins had prepared an article—“Tall Tales of a Mafia Mistress”—and posted it on the Village Voice Web site. The article laid out direct contradictions on these very murders in Schiro’s own voice.

  The next morning the court convened for a few minutes to return the subpoena and to apprise Judge Reichbach of the recent events. Everybody got the rest of the day off to listen to the tapes. Vecchione said that if the quotes in Robbins’s article were accurate the D.A. would dismiss the charges. Finally, Vecchione was investigating the accuracy of evidence—even if it was Tom Robbins’s accuracy he was investigating.

  In court the following morning,Vecchione stood up and asked the judge to enter an order of dismissal. At last the ankle bracelet would come off retired supervisory agent Lin DeVecchio’s left ankle. But not so fast. First the judge wanted to read a prepared statement while Lin remained deprived of liberty. The old campus radical took the spotlight beside his red and blue neon light scales of justice and reamed out—not Schiro and the D.A.—but Lin and the FBI for its relationship with informants.

  The judge, based on no evidence or argument presented to him one way or the other at this trial, found the FBI and Lin had made a “deal with the devil” in using Scarpa as an informer. It was rough going as insult was added to injury to Lin and his wife. Then the judge took a shot at the Bush administration for water boarding. He bashed those in the government who believe “that it is permissible to make men scream in the name of national security.” That a judge could leap from the partial evidence in this murder case to—Dick Cheney, I guess—was the kind of thing, Charlie told me, he had never seen in three decades as a trial lawyer in Delaware.

  But the retired agents that packed the room weren’t going to let this judge make this moment all about him.

  When Reichbach was done and Lin finally was free to stand up and stretch the stretch of an innocent man and hug his darling wife Carolyn, a courtroom full of supporters erupted into a standing ovation.”

  I wish I’d been there, but my man Charlie got me on his cell phone so I had a chance to talk to my friend, my former supervisor, as he walked out of that courthouse.

  At the press conference Lin’s lead lawyer, Doug Grover, stated the obvious: “We are, of course, thankful that Tom Robbins stepped forward.” Doug blamed the office of D.A. Hynes for the grand jury indictment itself: “The fact is they never told the grand jury that Linda Schiro had made numerous statements for years inconsistent with her recent claims about Mr. DeVecchio’s guilt.” Doug called Lin’s prosecution “a model of what a responsible prosecutor should not do. . . .You have to wonder how a responsible prosecutor could pursue these charges. . . .You have to wonder who is minding the store.”

  Nothing for nothing, but we already know. Hynes’s mind was on his new book.

  On the phone, Charlie said to me: “Imagine the field day Giuliani’s political opponents would have if Lin was convicted. His crown jewel as U.S. Attorney was the Mafia Commission Case. Imagine the TV ad showing his Commission Case supervisor doing life in Attica. Using murder to fight the Mafia. I’ll bet Hynes would’ve liked to take credit for that ad at cocktail parties.”

  All I could say to that was: “Fuggeddaboudit.”

  Right away Hynes and Vecchione complained in the papers that Schiro’s inconsistent statements took them by surprise—like Claude Rains in Casablanca being shocked that there was gambling at Bogart’s casino.

  The court appointed a special prosecutor to look into perjury charges against Schiro. Under oath Schiro made the mistake of swearing that everything she told the writers was “the truth.” That specific testimony transformed those tapes, with her voice and her words—tapes that Tom Robbins had kept in an old box of junk—into sworn testimony. Linda Schiro then gave sworn testimony 180 degrees the opposite way. Nothing for nothing, but let’s not forget the million-dollar motive this woman had to lie about Lin. Fuggeddaboudit.

  At the press conference right after the dismissal Lin took the podium and, with dignity and understatement, got his first chance to express himself. “After almost two years, this nightmare is over. It has consumed me emotionally, drained me financially, and it has tested my faith in the system I spent thirty years of my life defending. . . . I will never forgive the Brooklyn D.A.”

  A few days after Lin’s press conference, D.A. Charles J. Hynes told the press that he now viewed the recent loss of the case of The People of the State of New York vs. Roy Lindley DeVecchio as “Nothing more than a bump in the road.”

  A month later down the street in Brooklyn’s federal court, the last Colombo Family War murder trial was held. Little Allie Boy Persico—heir to the Colombo throne—got convicted of whacking Wild Bill Cutolo.

  Who wants to argue with Lin now? We won this thing.

  —Joseph D. Pistone and Charles Brandt, 2008

  Photography Credits

  AP Images: pp. 161, 169 (top), 170, 171 (bottom), 172 (bottom), 175 (top)

  New York Daily News: pp. 164 (bottom left & bottom right), 174 (bottom left & bottom right)

  © Robert Maass/Corbis: p. 168 (bottom)

  © Bettmann/Corbis: pp. 169 (bottom), 173 (top)

  Jack Smith/New York Daily News: p. 171 (top)

  Thomas Monaster/New York Daily News: p. 172 (top)

  Robin Graubard/New York Daily News: p. 173 (bottom)

  © Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images: pp. 174 (top), 175 (bottom), 176 (top)

  Carmine Donofrio/New York Daily News: p. 176 (bottom left)

  Julia Xanthos/New York Daily News: p. 176 (bottom right)

  INDEX

  A

  Accetturo, Tumac

  Ahmed, Tammy

  Alfano, Pietro

  Amato, Baldo

  Amato, Tommy Scars

  American Mafia. See also Mafia; specific Mafia families

  Amuso, Vittorio “Vic,”

  Anastasio, Paul

  Andres, Greg

  Angelica, George

  Arena

  Aronwald, George

  Aronwald, William

  Avellino, Sal

  B

  Badalamenti, Gaetano

  Badalamenti,Vito

  Baird, Bruce

  Balistrieri, Frank

  Balistrieri, John

  Balistrieri, Joseph

  Balistrieri Mafia family

  Barstow, Donald

  Basciano,Vinnie Gorgeous

  Batista, Billy

  Bay of Pigs invasion

  Beccacio, Al

  Bergin Hunt and Fish Club

  Billotti, Tommy

  Bishop, Jim

  Blakey, G. Robert

  Blumenthal, Ralph

  “Bonanno Family Trial,”

  Bonanno, Joe “Bananas,”

  Bonanno Mafia family

  Bonanno, Salvatore Bill

  Bonavolonta, Jules

  Bonventre, Cesare

  Boriello, Bobby

  Borsellino, Paolo

  Bottone, Lou

  Brasco, Donnie.

  Breitbart, David

  Breslin, Jimmy

  Brevetti, Laura

  Brooklyn

  Brotherhoods: A True Story of Two NYPD Detectives Who Murdered for the Mafia

  Bruno, Angelo “The Docile Don,”

  Bucknam, Robert

  Budapest, Hungary

  Bufalino, Russell

  Buffalo Mafia famil
y

  Burstein, Judd

  Buscetta, Tomasso

  Bypass Gang

  C

  Caan, James

  Cama, Cabrini

  Cannone, Stevie Beef

  Cantalupo, Joe

  Cantarella, Richard “Shellackhead,”

  Capasio, Robert

  Capasso, Fort Lee Jimmy

  Capeci, Jerry

  Capone, Al

  Caracappa, Steve

  Carter, Jimmy

  CaSa Bella’s Restaurant

  CasaBlanca Restaurant

  Casso, Anthony “Gaspipe,”

  Casso, Lillian

  Castellano, Big Paul

  Castro, Fidel

  Catalano, Saca

  Catalano, Toto

  Cecil’s disco

  Cerasani, Boobie

  Chaney, James

  Chechnya

  Chertoff, Mike

  Chicago Mafia

  Chiodo, Fat Pete

  CIA

  Cirelli, Nettie

  Clark, Marcia

  Clark, Ramsey

  Clemente, Angela

  Coffey, Joe

  Coldwater Operation

  Colman, Ronald

  Colombo, Joe

  Colombo Mafia family

  Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia

  Concrete Club

  Conte, Patsy, Sr.

  Conte, Tony

  Contorno, Salvatore

  Corallo, Tony Ducks

  Corso, Steven

  criminal enterprises

  Cuomo, Mario

  Cutler, Bruce

  Cutolo, Wild Bill

  D

  Dades, Tommy

  Daidone, Louis “Bagels,”

  D’Amico, Joey “The Mook,”

  Daniels, Tony

  “Dapper Don,”See also Gotti, John

  D’Arco, Little Al

  DeCavalcante, Sam “the Plumber,”

  DeChristopher, Fred

  DeCicco, Frank

  Defede, Little Joe

  Delaney, Bobby

  Dellacroce, Neil

  DePalma, Greg

  DePenta,Vinny

  Depp, Johnny

  DeSalvo, Steve

  DeVecchio, Lin

  DiGiaimo, Lou

  Dilapi, Anthony

  DiPietro, Collie

  DiSalvo, Steve

  “Don the Jeweler,”See also Brasco, Donnie

  Donahue, Joseph

  Donnie Brasco (movie)

  Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia (book)

  Dorsky, Daniel

  Double Life, A

  Douglas, William O.

  Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

  drug trafficking

  Drury, Bob

  Duce

  Duvall, Robert

  E

  East River

  Embarrato, Al Walker

  Eppolito, Andrea

  Eppolito, Fran

  Eppolito, Lou

  Eppolito, Lou, Jr.

  Eppolito, Tony

  F

  Facciola, Bruno

  Falcone, Giovanni

  Farace, Gus

  Farrugia, Sally Fruits

  Fat the Gangster

  Favara, John

  Favo, Christopher

  FBI

  Fencl, Doug

  Fiorenza, Dorothy

  Fiorenza, Tatto

  Fisher, Ivan

  Five Families

  Five Families (book)

  Ford, Gerald

  Fourth Amendment

  Francis, John the Redhead

  Frattiano, Jimmy the Weasel

  Freedman, Monroe

  Freeh, Louis

  French Connection

  Furnari, Christy Tick

  G

  Gagliano, Tommy

  Galante, Carmine

  Gallo, Crazy Joey

  Gallo, Joe N.

  Gallo, Kid Blast

  Gallo, Larry

  Gallo War

  Galpine, Thomas

  Gambino, Don Carlo

  Gambino Mafia family,

  ,

  Gambino, Rosario

  Gambino trial

  Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight, The

  Genovese Mafia family

  Genovese,Vito

  George from Canada

  “getting made,”

  Giaccolone, Diane

  Giaccone, Phillip “Phil Lucky,”

  Gibbs, Barry

  Gigante, Andrew

  Gigante,Vincent “The Chin,”

  Giordano, Santo

  Giuliani, Rudy

  Giuliano, Boris

  Glasser, I. Leo

  Gleeson, John

  Godfather, The

  Goldstock, Ronald

  Good Guys, The

  Goodfellas

  Goodman, Andrew

  Gotti, John

  Gotti, Junior

  Gotti trial

  Gotti,Victoria

  Gravano, Sammy “the Bull,”

  Greca, Jilly

  Greenpoint, Brooklyn

  Greenwald, Israel

  Guido, Mike

  Guido, Nicholas

  Guido, Nicky

  Guido, Pauline

  H

  Harmon, Sandy

  Hatcher, Everett

  Hayes, Eddie

  Heche, Anne

  Heidel, Otto

  Henoch, Robert

  heroin smuggling

  hijacking

  Hoffa, Jimmy

  Hoover, J. Edgar

  Hormozi, Mitra

  Hostage Rescue Team (HRT)

  Hungary

  Husick, Benny

  Hydell, Betty

  Hydell, Frank

  Hydell, Jimmy

  Hynes, Charles J.

  I

  I Heard You Paint Houses

  Ida, James “the Little Guy,”

  Indelicato, Alphonse “Sonny Red,”

  Indelicato, Bruno

  Infanti, Gabe

  Intartaglio, Robert

  J

  J & S Cake Social Club

  Jim-Jim

  Jimmy Legs

  Jimmy the Clam

  Joe and Mary’s Restaurant

  Johnson, Lyndon

  Johnson, Wilfred “Willie Boy,”

  Jones, Barbara

  K

  Kallstrom, Jimmy

  Kaplan, Burton

  Kaplan, Eleanor

  Kennedy, Bobby

  Kennedy, Edward

  Kennedy, John F.

  Kennedy, Michael

  Kenney, John

  King’s Court club

  Kinne, James

  Kirby, Bruno

  KKK

  Kossler, Jimmy

  Kubecka, Jerry

  Kubecka, Robert

  Kurins, Andris

  L

  La Cosa Nostra

  Langella, Gerry Lang

  “Last Don,”See also Massino, Big Joey

  Law and Order

  Le Vien, Douglas

  Lee, Thomas

  “Lefty”. See Ruggiero, Benjamin “Lefty Guns”

  Legs, Jimmy

  Leisenheimer, Goldie

  Leonetti, Phil

  Leval, Pierre

  Levinson, Barry

  Lino, Eddie

  Lino, Frank

  Little Apalachin meeting

  Little Italy

  Loar, Jerry

  Locasio, Franki Loc

  Lonardo, Angelo

  Lucchese Mafia family,

  ,

  Lucchese, Tommy

  Luciano, Lucky

  Luigi the Napolitan

  M

  Maas, Peter

  Madsen, Michael

  Maduro, Denis

  Mafia. See also specific Mafia families

  “Mafia Agent,”

  Mafia bosses. See also specific Mafia families

  Mafia Commission

  Mafia Commission Case

  Mafia Cop: The Story of an Honest Cop Whose Family
Was the Mob

  Mafia Cops

  Mafia Cops Case

  Mafia criminal enterprises. See also specific Mafia families

  “Mafia Detectives,”

  Mafia trials

  Magaddino, Stefano

  Magliocco, Joe

  Man of Honor, A

  Mapp v. Ohio

  Marangello, Nicky Glasses

  Marcu, Aaron

  Marshall, Pat

  Martin, John

  Martin, Richard

  Maruca, Steve

  Massaro, Joey “Bang Bang,”

  Massino, Big Joey

  Massino, Josephine

  Matera, Johnny “Irish,”

  Mattiace, Chris

  Mauro, Russell

  Mauskopf, Roslynn R.

  “Maxi Trial,”

  Mazzara, Tommy

  McCaffrey, Kimberly

  McCarthy, Andrew

  McDonald, Gene

  McWeeney, Sean

  Mean Streets

  Mercer, Johnny

  Merlino, Skinny Joey

  Milwaukee

  Minerva, John

  Mirra, Tony

  Monteleone, Joseph

  Morgan, Joe

  Mosconi, Angela

  Motion Lounge

  Mouw, Bruce

  Mussolini, Benito

  N

  Napolitano, Dominick “Sonny Black,”

  Natale, Ralph

  Nesta Social Club

  New York City

  New York Daily News

  New York Post

  New York Times

  Newsday

  Nixon, Richard

  O

  O’Brien, Joseph

  O’Connell, Gregory

  O’Connor, John

  O’Donnell, Eugene

  Olarte, Gloria

  Oldham, William

  omerta

  Operation Genus

  Operation Timber

  Orbach, Jerry

  Orena, Little Vic,

  Orenstein, James

  Owen, Richard

  P

  Pacino, Al

  Palermo, Charlie Allen

  Palma Boys Social Club

  Palmisano, Augie

  Pape, George

  Paradiso, Mickey Boy

  pastry shop murders

  Pataki, George

  Pate, Blue Eyes

  Paterson, New Jersey

 

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