Linda was a tall, moderately attractive brunette with medium length hair. Before meeting Coletta, she worked at a night club as a waitress. She eventually became a bartender at one of the dive bars in the city frequented by various mob characters. She met T.J. in that setting and moved in with him, along with her daughter, after T.J. was released from prison. She had been with him approximately three years. She typically wore some flashy jewelry and would be considered overdressed for a salon appointment compared to other patrons. She drove a baby blue Cadillac Coupe DeVille that T.J. had given her as a present. She was expected by T.J. to always look nice and play the role of a mob boss wife whenever T.J. needed to be in mixed company.
By pure coincidence, Jamie seemed to have the right background for the role Pisano wanted her to play in his little drama. During high school, Jamie took and loved drama classes and appeared in several plays in a semi-leading role. She was perfect for this part and appreciated the fact that Pisano was helping out her brother.
Jamie’s younger brother, Mike, had a drinking problem and had gotten into trouble with juvenile authorities. At fifteen, Mike had already received several speeding tickets. His last speeding episode had resulted in an accident, and he was about to lose his license if the injured party pressed charges. Pisano thought he might be able to help. He agreed to speak with juvenile authorities and see what he could do.
Hanna wasn’t aware of it, but Pisano and Jamie had already met a couple of times in preparation for the Linda meeting. Pisano met with his contact in the juvenile prosecution division of the DA’s office to see what he could do for Mike.
He also promised Jamie he would speak to Mike and impress upon him the seriousness of his crimes and try to convince him he needed help with his drinking problem. Pisano explained to Jamie that he might be able to explain the number of tickets Mike had received, as well as the accident, to his drinking problem. In this way, it might be possible to get his license suspension reduced down to six months from the mandatory five years. He also thought he might be able to get the six-month sentence in a juvenile detention facility suspended if Mike promised to go into to an alcohol rehabilitation center. Pisano was up front with Jamie and told her he couldn’t guarantee any results but that he would try to get this done for her if she helped him.
Jamie was very thankful for Pisano’s efforts. Jamie knew Linda was the wife of one of the local crime bosses, but she didn’t know anything about T.J. Coletta or his organization. Pisano wanted to keep it that way. In Pisano’s view, the fact that Jamie lacked knowledge about Linda’s husband was perfect. All he was asking her to do was to pretend to be Wade’s boyfriend until Wade and Linda made a connection – and to let Pisano know if Linda ever expressed any problems at home when the girls talked. Pisano didn’t want Jamie having conversations with Wade outside of the planned meetings as they were set up.
Pisano described to Jamie how he wanted her to act and what he wanted her to say. He used role playing situations to get his points across. Pisano thought that Jamie’s drama training and experience would be an asset, and he approached her training as a director would approach training an actress for a stage production. His method worked; Jamie took to the preparation sessions like she was in rehearsal for a staring role in the opening night of a new play.
Pisano worked Hanna separately. While his work with Jamie went smoothly, he had more concerns about Hanna’s performance. Because of Hanna’s shyness, Pisano wasn’t sure how he would react if something came up unexpectedly. Hanna’s awkwardness showed through in practice. But he had been able to overcome his shyness in the warm-up meeting with Jamie and the other girls in the shop, largely because of Jamie. Her naturally outgoing personality provided a nice offset to Hanna’s shyness and uncertainty.
Pisano called a final get-together with Wade to make sure he was on track for the meeting with Linda. He looked at Wade and asked, “Well, are you ready for the big meeting?”
“I think so.”
“I’d like to go over a few things, and I want you to just listen.” Pisano began to describe the scene. “The meeting is going to happen at the salon next Thursday around 3:00. You’re in the area visiting your aunt May and dropping by to say hello to Jamie.”
“Jamie will have already told Linda a little about you and that you may be dropping by to say ‘hello’. Linda will be expecting to meet you, but you are not expecting to meet Linda. Linda will just happen to be in Jamie’s chair at the time you arrive. You’ll be surprised and won’t want to bother Jamie while she’s at work.”
“Jamie will lead the three of you in exchanging niceties, which might even include some ‘girl talk’. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable if the ‘girl talk’ happens.” Pisano asked, “Are you with me so far?”
Wade nodded.
Pisano continued, “You’ll smile and be nice to the other girls in the shop, but not get into any long conversations with them.”
Pisano set the next scene. “At some point while Jamie is doing Linda’s hair, she’ll excuse herself to go to the storeroom in the back to get some hair product. This will put you and Linda alone for a minute or two. In this short time, I want you to make light conversation and answer any questions Linda might pose. You’re not interviewing her; you’re just making conversation, keeping everything light and natural. You might get asked about your relationship with Jamie. You need to be ready to respond to that in a calm way. You’re just in the early stages of dating. You haven’t been out alone on a date yet. That’s the story Jamie has already told Linda. Your stories have to match.”
Pisano paused to check Wade’s intake of all of this. “Are you with me?”
”Yes, but what do I talk to Linda about?”
“That depends on whether Linda decides to initiate conversation or you have to initiate it. If she starts the conversation, you talk about whatever she wants to talk about. Just make sure you get your facts right.”
“Like what?”
“Like how long you have known Jamie or how long you have been seeing each other. Whatever you say has to match any information Jamie has given Linda. By the way, you have known each other about six weeks, but the two of you haven’t really gone out on a real date yet. That date is coming, and you can’t wait to get to that stage.”
Pisano was worried about the blank look on Wade’s face.
“Is any of this sinking in?”
Wade simply nodded his head, as he usually did in answer to these kinds of questions.
“I keep having to explain things that you should know about,” Said Pisano, sounding sincerely concerned.
“What if Linda asks me something I don’t know anything about, like hair styling?”
“You’re making this harder than it is. The answer is you don’t know! Don’t ever try to bluff your answer when you don’t know the real answer. It’s all got to be natural and honest.”
The conversation continued for a while, covering more “what if” scenarios. After considering Wade’s shyness, Pisano decided it would be a good idea if Wade brought Jamie a small box of chocolates, nothing fancy or expensive looking. Pisano thought it might provide a prop to help Hanna get into normal conversation. At the very least it would be an object of some conversation.
With Wade’s agreement to pick up the chocolates, the conversation ended.
Pisano had arranged for a young, female, undercover detective to get her hair done by one of the other girls in the shop at the same time Wade’s meeting was to take place. Pisano wanted independent eyes observing the meeting, even if not much of what was exchanged between Jamie and Linda could be heard. It would also give him an independent reading of Linda – her body language around Wade – and perhaps serve to pick up information from girl talk overheard in the shop. Pisano had another undercover agent across the strip center who had a clear vision of the front door and parking lot of the salon. Pisano wanted to be sure Linda was not followed.
Linda pulled into the center in her baby blue Cadillac just before 2:00 pm f
or her appointment. Wade strolled into the shop to see Jamie, with his small box of chocolates, about a half-hour later. At the time Wade entered the shop, Linda’s hair had been shampooed and was up in a towel.
Wade greeted Jamie by saying, “Hi, I was just in the area and thought I’d stop buy. I picked these up for you.” He handed Jamie the box of chocolates.
Jamie hadn’t known the chocolates were coming but responded perfectly. She said, “Well, Wade that was so nice of you! You didn’t need to do that.” She showed Linda the box of chocolates then walked over and kissed Wade on the cheek and said, “Thank you.”
After the kiss, as if on cue, Jamie put her arm in Wade’s arm, bringing him closer to Linda saying, “Come over here I want you to meet someone.”
Wade came closer to Linda and Jamie said, “This is my long-time friend and customer, Linda.”
Wade said politely, “Nice meeting you.”
Jamie turned to Linda and said, “Wade comes by when he goes to see his aunt who isn’t feeling very well.”
Wade started feeling calmer as he got warmed up to the conversation. He said, “She’s feeling a little better today.”
Linda jumped in, asking, “Does she live very far from here?”
Wade replied that she lived only about a couple of miles away.
Jamie gestured toward the other girls in the shop, and asked Wade, “You remember the girls?”
Of course they were all aware that Wade was there, and they were ready to return his wave and smile.
Jamie turned and told Linda, “Hang on here a minute and talk to Wade while I go to the back and get your coloring.”
That left Linda and Wade alone, facing each other. Wade was not quite sure what to say next, but Linda picked up the conversation. “Jamie tells me you play, or used to play football."
“Yes, I used to play guard.”
“Who do you think is going to win the city championship this year?”
Wade was surprised by the question but very comfortable with the subject matter. “I think it’ll be a repeat of last year.” Wade really found Linda easy to talk to and quickly forgot she was the wife of a crime boss who could, with a word to her husband, have him killed.
After a little more conversation, Jamie returned to the station with the coloring solution.
Wade smiled and said, “I have to leave now. I just wanted to stop by. It was a pleasure meeting you, Linda.”
Linda smiled and waved, and Jamie put her arm in Wade’s and walked him to the door saying, “I hope to see you soon.”
After Wade left, Linda turned to Jamie and said, “He’s a cute one. You can have him come around here anytime.” Similar comments were made by the other girls in the shop about how cute Jamie and Wade were as a couple.
Pisano couldn’t have been more pleased with the meeting and called Wade to tell him he had done a good job. Wade noted that this was the first time Pisano ever complimented him.
Several months went by, and numerous “chance meetings” were arranged at the beauty shop. All of the meetings went very smoothly. In fact, Jamie really started to like Wade and now considered him a real personal friend. Linda was very comfortable with him, as well, and enjoyed encouraging the relationship between Jamie and Wade during girl talk with Jamie.
Everything on both the Hanna and Langer fronts was going well until a set of unforeseen, independent events occurred, which suddenly put the operation in jeopardy. Langer and Hanna’s lives were suddenly at serious risk.
17
Ed Langer continued collecting mob information and selling individual car parts for the gang as instructed by Pisano. He was instrumental in helping Pisano set up several large parts purchases by Pisano’s uncover team. Each purchase got Pisano closer to the top of Coletta’s operation. Pisano made sure Langer at all times remained a low-level street guy within the organization in order to maintain his cover. Langer was never directly part of any of the undercover purchases.
Pisano now understood from his undercover purchases that large orders had to be sourced and assembled from multiple locations and divisions of Coletta’s organization. He saw how these different divisions operated, and he pursued the idea of creating tension between divisions by his purchases. One of the techniques Pisano used was to have his operatives express concern about the quality of parts being received from one division as compared to another division. Pisano pushed the quality issue further by having his operatives negotiate a lower price because of the poorer quality of different parts. Tensions began emerging among Coletta’s various divisions.
Pisano’s sting operations eventually lead to significant arrests of several divisional heads, who in turn ratted on other divisional leaders they disliked. As further arrests were made, word got back to Coletta that certain members in custody ratted on others members. This increased inter-divisional feuds leading to several violent clashes between some divisions. Sanctioned hits were ordered against internal divisional rivals, and bloodshed began within the organization ranks.
Pisano was pleased with the divisional clashes, as the mob members were taking each other out. At one point, Pisano was called in by his boss to explain the increased violence and killings. Pisano shrugged his shoulders, hid his smile, and said, “Fundamentally they’re just a brutal gang. They turn on themselves. They can’t help it. Considering they are killing only each other in these attacks, these are statistics we should be able to live with.”
Suspicions ran high within Coletta’s crime syndicate. Coletta personally believed they had a leak and started his own investigation and purging campaign. Times were very tense if you were inside the Coletta organization. Pisano realized this, and in an effort to protect his operatives, he backed off of purchases for a while and let their internal pot just simmer. Pisano knew all too well the devil was always in the details, and details are what kept him alive when he was undercover.
Pisano’s undercover operation had grown in proportion to the growing complexity of the Coletta crime organization. By this time, cars were being dismantled in at least 25 fronted junk yards and auto repair shops which were owned or controlled by Coletta. Parts were being sent to at least three states outside Louisiana going as far south as Florida. Louisiana was still the center of operation for the ring. Similar but smaller operations controlled by Coletta’s network appeared in Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. These out-of-state operations were small by comparison to Louisiana, but employed the same acquisition, dismantling, and reselling systems developed and perfected by the Louisiana operation.
As Coletta’s operations got larger, they became more complex and difficult to manage. Some got a little sloppy. In one of Coletta’s dismantling operations, Pisano’s undercover operatives found one important inconsistency. One particular yard failed to completely remove all of the VIN, engine, and ID numbers on parts leaving the yard. Most major parts from this yard had two or three of the original numbers left intact and readable. By matching up the original parts numbers and comparing those numbers with theft reports, they were able to trace the parts to the stolen vehicles. Pisano’s men were also able to trace the readable numbers through the reselling hands. In this way, they were able to trace a part from the original vehicle stolen through Coletta’s distribution system to the ultimate buyer. Even with only two numbers in a sequence visible on a part, Pisano’s team was able to match it with one of several specific locations where certain parts were sourced for several out-of-state operations. This led to sting operations and arrests that put intermediate bosses in custody, but those arrests were never tied directly to the top of the organization.
Shortly after the Coletta’s operation became involved in out-of-state theft and transactions, the FBI became involved. An FBI team was assigned to Pisano to review his operation. They came away very impressed. In fact, they came away so impressed they let Pisano maintain the lead role. Since there weren’t any out-of-state organized bosses involved at that time, the FBI was content to concent
rate on the out–of-state connections and operations. One of the contributions of the FBI involvement in Pisano’s operation came from the FBI technology lab.
Pisano’s FBI counterpart was Jeff Sims. One day the two were discussing the complexity of Coletta’s operation, and Sims told Pisano about a new invisible paint product the FBI lab had developed for marking and tracing materials in the hands of criminals. Pisano was interested and asked Sims how he could learn more about it. Sims contacted FBI headquarters and was put in touch with a lead chemist at the FBI lab just outside Atlanta. Sims told Pisano he could take him up to the lab to talk to one of the supervising chemist.
Sims and Pisano flew to Atlanta the following week. They arrived at a small building outside a much larger facility where they were processed and given identity tags. They were met in the lobby of the large building by an FBI crime lab chemist who introduced himself as Bob. The three men went through one of the doors and down a hallway, passing several chemical laboratories along the way. They stopped to get some coffee from a machine in the hallway before being ushered to a small conference room just outside one of the labs. Bob left Sims and Pisano in the room and said, “I’ll be right back.”
Bob soon returned with several sample materials in his hand and said, “These have all been marked with the tracing compound.” He passed the samples around and continued, “In these samples, you have the tracing compound applied to paper, fabric, plastic, and metal.”
Jake and Jeff carefully looked at each sample from different angles and held them each one up to the overhead light to see if they could find any indication of the marking. They rubbed their fingers across the samples, feeling to see if there was a raised indication of a substance being applied.
Pisano was impressed. “You can’t see or feel anything.”
Bob reached back across his chair and pulled out a small blue-black light made with a special wave-length bulb developed by the FBI. Bob shined it on the materials. Each sample suddenly lit up with electric blue glowing numbers and notations. On the metal piece Pisano was holding, the marker read, “You can’t see me.”
Silent Sanction: A Novel Page 11
