1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: You're listening to Law and Order Criminal Justice System, a 2 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: production of Wolf Entertainment and iHeart podcasts. 3 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 2: In the criminal justice system, landmark trials transcend the courtroom 4 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,680 Speaker 2: to reshape the law. The brave many women who investigate 5 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,600 Speaker 2: and prosecute these cases are part of a select group 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: that has defined American history. These are their stories. Wednesday, 7 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 2: August twenty eighth, nineteen ninety six, Federal District Court, Brooklyn. 8 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,959 Speaker 1: After six years of protracted legal battles, Vincent the Ciniganti, 9 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: the boss of the Genevese crime family, was declared mentally 10 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: competent to stand trial. His decades long odd Father act 11 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: deemed an elaborate deception. 12 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 3: Vinnie the Cinigante is sane enough to stand trial. That's 13 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 3: what a federal judge decided. The alleged mob boss will 14 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 3: face charge of murder and racketeering. 15 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: The judge ruled that Giganty's public display of bizarre behavior 16 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: was all part of a campaign of quote persistent malingering, 17 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: and that, with the help of relatives, he had feigned 18 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,959 Speaker 1: mental illness for over twenty years as a means to 19 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:17,959 Speaker 1: elude prosecution. 20 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 3: For years, his lawyers have been saying he's insane, that 21 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 3: all he does is walk around outside in a bathrobe. 22 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 3: He must now appear in court next week. 23 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: In the ten years since the Commission trial, Giganty had 24 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: been the only New York mob boss to escape imprisonment. 25 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: But after this dramatic nineteen ninety six competency hearing, the 26 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: tables were starting to turn. 27 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 4: The government's witnesses, cops and agents would document the movements 28 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 4: of a saying, at least according to them, Vincent Giganty. 29 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 5: You're not with the mob because you want to be. 30 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 5: It's the gangster that decides whether y're his associated with. 31 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 6: If you like your life, you will vote to acquit. 32 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: I'm Aniseega Nicolazzi. 33 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 7: My father should have been a dead man. 34 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 1: From Wolf Entertainment and iHeart Podcasts. This is law and 35 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: order criminal justice system. In the years following the Commission trial, 36 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: Vincent Gigante had reached an almost mythical status among the 37 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: Five families. For most Gene's mobsters, it would have been 38 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 1: extremely rare to catch a glimpse of their reclusive boss, 39 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: let alone speak with him, unless, that is, you are 40 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:43,079 Speaker 1: responsible for engineering something new, something that would generate millions 41 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: of dollars. That kind of juice could earn you a 42 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: seat at the table. Taking advantage of a government subsidy program. 43 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: A savvy Genovi's associate by the name of Pete Savino, 44 00:02:55,280 --> 00:03:01,280 Speaker 1: had developed a scheme involving windows. Savino rig bids for 45 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:07,399 Speaker 1: the installation and replacement of windows throughout the city houses, buildings, 46 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: low rises, even skyscrapers. Much like the concrete racket. It 47 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: wasn't sexy, but it was extremely profitable and for the 48 00:03:17,080 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: next decade, netted the four participating families hundreds of millions 49 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: of dollars. 50 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 8: The government claims that since nineteen seventy eight, the mob's 51 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 8: control of the bidding, manufacture, and installation of replacement windows 52 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 8: resulted in the mafia getting three fourths of the one 53 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 8: hundred and ninety one million dollar replacement window business in 54 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 8: city housing projects. 55 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: Savino had become a money making machine for the Genevies, 56 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: and his reward was something rare, indeed, the confidence of 57 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: the boss. He was granted the privilege of meeting with 58 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: Gigante dozens of times over the years, eating dinner together, 59 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: meeting his family, even gaining access to Gigante's exclusive village hangout, 60 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: the Triangle Club on Si Sulli Street. A rare feat 61 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: from your associate, But as Jim Kostler points out, that 62 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: privilege also came with its fair share of risk, and 63 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: nothing could be more frightening than answering a late night 64 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: summons from the boss. 65 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 9: He got a phone call in the middle of the night, 66 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 9: two or three in the morning from Gigante's right hand 67 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 9: man telling him come to Sullivan Street right now, get 68 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 9: over here, right now. 69 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 1: So Vino had no choice but to obey. Given Gigante's reputation, 70 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: this might be a one way trip. 71 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 9: Told his wife, I guess I'll never see you again. 72 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 9: This is it. He's called me to come over. I'd 73 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 9: probably be dead by morning. We haf to two. If 74 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 9: you're told, if you join that your life is in 75 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 9: the hands of the mob. But he did what he 76 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 9: was told, and he came over to Sullivan Street and 77 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:56,040 Speaker 9: walked into the club. Gigante was sitting at the table, 78 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 9: and he goes over and Gigante takes out this catalog 79 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 9: and he says, see if you can get me three 80 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 9: pair of these sweatsuits, Oh my gosh. And he says, okay, 81 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 9: how get him? And he left and that's the kuy 82 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 9: The guy. He was scared his own people to death. 83 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: The fear he instilled in even his own men, including 84 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: favorites like Pete Savino, was critical to his unrivaled control. 85 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: Here's his daughter read it. 86 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 10: Giganty, Vito Genovies and some of the others. They were 87 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 10: ruthless and they would kill someone at the drop of 88 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 10: a hat. My father was not that way, but he 89 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 10: was very strict on There was a servant code and 90 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,920 Speaker 10: you had to follow the code, and if he didn't 91 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 10: follow the code, there were consequences, which is why. 92 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: When Paul Castellano was killed in front of Spark Steakhouse 93 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 1: without commission approval, Giganty swore revenge against the men behind it, 94 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: namely John Gotti, and while Gotti was able to escape retribution, 95 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: his co conspirators were not so lucky. In other words, 96 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: Vincent Giganti was not a man you wanted to cross. Ever, 97 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: to even think about cooperating with law enforcement meant risking 98 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: your life and possibly that of your families. But in 99 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty seven, that is exactly the dilemma Pete Savino 100 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:22,119 Speaker 1: found himself in after the FBI connected him to six 101 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: drug related murders. Savino was given a simple ultimatum, agree 102 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:31,599 Speaker 1: to cooperate or you're going to jail. Here's former FBI 103 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: agent might camp be Pete. 104 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 5: Savino became a cooperating witness on the Windows case, so 105 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 5: he was making recordings with regard to that whole window 106 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:47,080 Speaker 5: installation generated millions and millions of dollars for all families. 107 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: Once the up and coming favorite of the Genevese Boss, 108 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 1: Savino was now his biggest threat and if caught, it 109 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: would likely cost him his life, but incredibly, wearing a 110 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: wire was a risk he was willing to take, though 111 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: there were some within the family who suspected that Savino 112 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:09,160 Speaker 1: had flipped. As Mike can't be discovered in a bugged 113 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: conversation with a Genevie soldier. 114 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 5: He was forewarned that Savino was a rat, and he 115 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 5: was trying to warn others to stay away from him, 116 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 5: but others, because of the money being generated in that industry, 117 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 5: they ignored it. 118 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: Savino's Windows racket was a winner, and each of the 119 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,840 Speaker 1: families had reason to protect it. But the real reason 120 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: Savino was still alive was simple. He was Giganti's guide, 121 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,480 Speaker 1: and the Boss refused to believe he had been betrayed. 122 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 10: He trusted a man that he shouldn't have trusted, and 123 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 10: everybody told him, but he didn't listen. 124 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: In May of nineteen ninety, thanks in large part are 125 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: recorded conversations collected by Savino, fifteen mafia members from four 126 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: families were indicted on a Rico enterprise charge. Giganti was 127 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: arrested in his bathroom at his mother's apartment. Facing a trial, 128 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: it was time to see if Gigante's elaborate Insanity Act 129 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: would allow him to escape punishment for his crimes. Here's 130 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: prosecutor Andrew Weisman. 131 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 6: He had been indicted, but he had been severed from 132 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 6: the case because there was this issue about whether he 133 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 6: was competent to go to trial. 134 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: Gigante's lawyers were quick to submit psychiatric evaluations, deeming Giganty 135 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: to be mentally unfit to stand trial. While the court 136 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: considered it's ruling on his sanity, Giganty was released on bond. 137 00:08:35,880 --> 00:08:39,080 Speaker 1: He returned to Greenwich Village and to his bathrobe to 138 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: run the wealthiest crime family in America. 139 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 6: And so this whole case just sort of languished. He 140 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 6: was out on bail, and the case just sat there 141 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,839 Speaker 6: with the idea that he was incompetent and couldn't go 142 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 6: to trial. 143 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: It was clear that Gigante's long con had worked. He 144 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: had designed a sanity stalemate that would last decades. But 145 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: other secrets could not be kept as long, and exposing 146 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 1: them would ultimately prove to be his downfall. In the 147 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: relentless investigation into Genevi's boss, Vincent Gigante, the FBI left 148 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: nostone unturned, but they weren't the only ones uncovering family 149 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:31,319 Speaker 1: secrets about his double life. 150 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,560 Speaker 10: He did have another family, well, he had two other families. 151 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 10: He had the street family, and then he also had 152 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 10: another family that was living uptown. 153 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: Rita would learn all about her father's infidelity when she 154 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:47,559 Speaker 1: was a teen. Despite all she knew about her dad, 155 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,079 Speaker 1: it was this betrayal that was the most shocking and 156 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: most painful. 157 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 7: The name of the woman is the same name as 158 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 7: my mother, which is unheard of because it's not a 159 00:09:58,240 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 7: common name, not at all. It's so bizarre. 160 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 6: Vincent Giganty had a wife named Olympia in New Jersey. 161 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 6: He also had a girlfriend who you can't make this up, 162 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:12,239 Speaker 6: was named Olympia. 163 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: Coincidence maybe, But when it came to the odd father 164 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: people were convinced that the Genevese boss left nothing to chance. 165 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: Here's former prosecutor, Guilt Childers. 166 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 11: I thought that was the biggest piece of information that 167 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 11: showed he wasn't nuts. He was very smart. He couldn't 168 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:32,559 Speaker 11: get the name wrong no matter which woman he was with. 169 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,719 Speaker 11: His mistress was on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, 170 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 11: who he would spend more time with than actually his 171 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:39,200 Speaker 11: wife generally. 172 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 1: According to Rita, Giganti's betrayal took a very heavy toll 173 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:45,839 Speaker 1: on her mom. 174 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 10: My mom also experienced a lot of depression and anxiety. 175 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 10: They put her on valume at age thirty seven because 176 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 10: of the anxiety attacks that she was having because she 177 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 10: felt ashamed. 178 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: In addition to Olympia's five children, the other Olympia, Borgia Gante, 179 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: two daughters and a son, Rita's mother had known about 180 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 1: his second family for years, and along with as many 181 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:11,880 Speaker 1: other lies and crimes, she bore the burden of the 182 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:15,960 Speaker 1: secret until one day when she finally couldn't hold it 183 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 1: in any longer and confided in her youngest daughter. 184 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 7: I was like, no way, I just did not see 185 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:24,360 Speaker 7: my father as this guy. 186 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 10: I don't know why it runs in that whole gamut 187 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 10: of the world that he ran in, and yet I 188 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 10: did not see him as this man. 189 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 7: I just looked at her, like, what are we doing here? 190 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 7: Why are you still doing this? Like get out, you know, 191 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 7: like leave. 192 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 10: And I think the most she lasted was maybe three weeks, 193 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 10: and then she softened and missed him and went back 194 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 10: to it. And I had to come to the realization 195 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 10: that this is who she was. I had to accept that, 196 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 10: and eventually I just stopped trying to help or make 197 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 10: her see things a certain way, because I knew she 198 00:11:57,760 --> 00:11:58,839 Speaker 10: was never walking away. 199 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: For years, the FBI's Genov squad had been trying to 200 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: keep taps on the Boss, but tailing him was no 201 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:13,040 Speaker 1: easy feat. Every night, his chauffeur engaged in dangerous street 202 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: racing tactics, weaving his Cadillac through one way streets the 203 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: wrong way, ignoring speed limits, and blowing through red lights. 204 00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: But he had one routine that was regular as clockwork, 205 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: his visits uptown to the other Olympia. Eventually, the squad 206 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:31,839 Speaker 1: managed to follow him to the townhouse, and what they 207 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:34,839 Speaker 1: witnessed would prove to be the first chink in the 208 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:35,679 Speaker 1: Boss's armor. 209 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 4: Jigante was observed walking or being driven to his usual 210 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:42,959 Speaker 4: neighborhood haunts, the Triangle Club on Sullivan Street or the 211 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:47,199 Speaker 4: Upper east Side townhouse of his longtime girlfriend Olympia Esposito. 212 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 11: The surveillances would have him walking around the streets in 213 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,640 Speaker 11: his bathrobe doing all these crazy things, and then around 214 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 11: eleven o'clock or midnight, he'd come out of the residence, 215 00:12:56,960 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 11: not dressed in a bathrobe, but dressed in clothes, sometimes 216 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:04,640 Speaker 11: stepping out clothes and going up to his mistress and 217 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 11: doing other things, acting like a normal person, I suppose 218 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 11: to his daytime stick. 219 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: When Gigante was uptown, the enigma in a bathrobe would 220 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: drop the act and put on a whole new persona. 221 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 4: The cop testify that Giganti walked on assisted had numerous 222 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,719 Speaker 4: conversations contradicting the claim that Giganti is a paranoid schizophrenic 223 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 4: who needs constant attention. 224 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: For the FBI, it was proof that Giganti was not 225 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 1: just a liar or a philanderer, but that he was 226 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 1: more than capable of standing trial and answering to his 227 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: many crimes. For his daughter Rita. The revelations about his 228 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: secret family proved to be a tipping point in her 229 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: own life. 230 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 10: I started to realize at a certain age that I 231 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:56,160 Speaker 10: didn't believe all the things they were telling me about family, 232 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 10: about the Catholic religion and. 233 00:13:58,000 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 12: All of that. 234 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: In the midst her family chaos, Rita turned inward and 235 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,440 Speaker 1: revealed a secret of her own. 236 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 10: I knew at a very young age that I was gay, 237 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 10: and I also knew I couldn't speak to anybody about it, 238 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 10: although they all knew, but nobody wanted to talk about it, 239 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 10: and I was too afraid to come and talk about it. 240 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 10: So the more I didn't talk about my own truth, 241 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 10: the more sick I got. It's like, you either sacrifice 242 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 10: yourself for the family and not have a life, or 243 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 10: you make changes and you create a life for yourself. 244 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 10: And physically, my body was always telling me something's got 245 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 10: to change. At nineteen, I'm realizing there's so many secrets. 246 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 7: That went on in this family. I don't want to 247 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 7: carry any secrets. 248 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 10: It's not who I am. So I was like, Okay, 249 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 10: I'm going to do it. I'm going to just tell them. 250 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: Rito was terrified, but she knew it was time. 251 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 10: My father was visiting New Jersey at the time, and 252 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 10: I'm a wreck I'm shaking, my hands are sweating, you know, 253 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 10: my whole body's like forget it. But I knocked on 254 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 10: the door and I said, can I come in? I 255 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 10: really want to talk. They sat me down and they said, 256 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 10: what is it. 257 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 7: You look upset? What's going on? 258 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 10: Very simply, I said, I like women, I says, I've 259 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:12,280 Speaker 10: always felt this connection. I said, and I really wanted 260 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 10: to just tell you. 261 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 7: And all of a sudden, I saw their faces. 262 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 10: Right, it was like disbelief that I was actually saying it. 263 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 10: My mother, especially because I said it in front of 264 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 10: my father. I don't think she ever thought I would 265 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 10: have the bulls to do it. And I was like, 266 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 10: oh shit, oh god, if I could just pull the 267 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:32,440 Speaker 10: good words back of my mouth and not said anything. 268 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: After an excruciating silence, Rita looked to her mother for support, 269 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: but none came. 270 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 10: She just looked at him, and all of a sudden, 271 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 10: this calm came over him. I knew I was finished 272 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 10: after this, and he said to me, you know what, 273 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 10: all kids your age go through this. It's okay, You're 274 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:59,400 Speaker 10: just experimenting. I shut down after that because I knew 275 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 10: he could not accept it. The minute he finished the 276 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,840 Speaker 10: first line I just shut down and said, you know what, 277 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 10: You're right, I'm just going through something. 278 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 7: I said, thank you. 279 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 10: I got up and I walked out and I just 280 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 10: went into my room assopped because I couldn't follow through. 281 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,000 Speaker 1: In Vincent Gigante's world, there was just no place for 282 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: the truth. Survival had meant a lifetime of deception, but 283 00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,720 Speaker 1: his house of cards was about to come crashing down, 284 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 1: and my Campy was poised to knock the foundation right 285 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:37,359 Speaker 1: out from under him. 286 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 5: My focus was like, Okay, who's the next power base? 287 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 5: And if chin gets wrapped up in my case because 288 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 5: somebody wants to cooperate, I'll deal with it. 289 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: Then Campy and his fellow FEDS took aim at some 290 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: of Gigante's underlings, a roster of kappos and underbosses. 291 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 5: My pursuit was the acting administration. Jimmy Ida at that 292 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 5: time was the consigliere, and you had Barney Bolomo as 293 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 5: the acting boss and Mickey Domino is the acting Hunter Boss. 294 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 5: And there was a social club at one Sevenue, one 295 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 5: Mulberry Street controlled by Jimmy Ida at the time. It 296 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 5: took a while for me to have a title three 297 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 5: or bugs installed in that social club, but every day 298 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 5: they're discussing crime. 299 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:28,199 Speaker 1: And if Giganti proved elusive, his brain trust proved to 300 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:32,679 Speaker 1: be anything. But their meetings provided the Feds with investigative gold, 301 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: including the moment when one of their own, an associate 302 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: named Ralph D. Simone, was singled out for elimination. 303 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 5: When you're proposed for induction, that would also have to 304 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 5: be coordinated with Chin And when Ralph D. Simone's name 305 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 5: was passed around, the Lukeesi family identified him as being 306 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 5: a rat and Mickey Domino made a gesture with his 307 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 5: hand like a gun, saying we'll handle it. And it 308 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 5: was like a week or so later DeSimone, who was dead. 309 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 5: He was found in the trunk of a car at 310 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 5: in the airport. 311 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,640 Speaker 1: It was more than enough evidence for prosecutors to work with, 312 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: and with their next round of arrests, law enforcement delivered 313 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: a massive blow to the Genovese organization. 314 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 4: In New York, federal agents say for their first time 315 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 4: they cracked the top tier of the reputed Genevieve's crime family. 316 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 2: Among eighteen people. 317 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:26,680 Speaker 9: Under arrest is Barney Bellomo, the Mom's alleged number two. 318 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: This indictment took down the genevese acting boss under a boss, 319 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: and sixteen other members for a slew of rico charges. 320 00:18:36,359 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: Gigante's power base was eroding. His insanity bluff had been called. 321 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: The FEDS also had three new defectors with intimate knowledge 322 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 1: of the at father's past, giving the courts an opportunity 323 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,639 Speaker 1: to rebuild the Windows case. So the Eastern District appointed 324 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: Deputy Chief Andrew Weisman to breathe new life into the 325 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: long dormant case. 326 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 6: The two prosecutors of the case had since left the office, 327 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 6: so it got reassigned to me and my colleague, George 328 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 6: stan Bealitis. He and I had tried a whole slew 329 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:16,200 Speaker 6: of Columbus cases together. Obviously it was flattering to be 330 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 6: given the case in the sense that it's the boss 331 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 6: of incredibly powerful family. But the case had been languishing 332 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 6: and we didn't know anything about its merits. We didn't 333 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 6: know anything about the witnesses. 334 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:29,639 Speaker 12: You know. 335 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 6: It was a little bit of a mixed blessing when 336 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 6: we first heard it. 337 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: Despite the nerves that come with a high profile case, 338 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 1: Andrew and his trial partner George were up for the task. 339 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:44,160 Speaker 1: But before heading into court, the first turtle to jump 340 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,359 Speaker 1: was convincing a judge what they already knew that Vincent 341 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,199 Speaker 1: Gigante was mentally fit to stand trial. 342 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 6: No judge had decided that issue. So our biggest issue 343 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 6: when we first got the case was what is the 344 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:02,199 Speaker 6: proof that he's in competent or competent. We had this 345 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 6: competency hearing. It lasted many months, lots of medical testimony. 346 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 6: We had our own medical expert. We also had the 347 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 6: defense's expert. 348 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: The competency hearing was a culmination of years of back 349 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 1: and forth legal wrangling stemming from Giganti's first indictment back 350 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:21,840 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety. 351 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 6: So the evidence that was presented by the defense was 352 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,240 Speaker 6: that Vincent Giganti it was basically a vegetable. For the 353 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 6: last twenty five years. He couldn't read, he couldn't count, 354 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 6: and his condition had stayed the same. We then presented 355 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 6: our own evidence through cooperating witnesses who said at the 356 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,000 Speaker 6: time that you had just heard he was supposed to 357 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 6: be a vegetable. He was having conversations with him. We 358 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,159 Speaker 6: had Pizzaviino within the Genevese family, Salvato Garvano from the 359 00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:56,159 Speaker 6: Gambino family. He had had interactions personally in commission meetings 360 00:20:56,280 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 6: with Vincent Scanty, so we had cooperating withnesses who could 361 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 6: talk about the fact that he was not incompetent, but 362 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 6: that would require the judge to believe our cooperating witnesses. 363 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 1: A common line of defense for Gigante's lawyers was if 364 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: throughout these gangsters' lives they would lie, cheat, and steal, 365 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,359 Speaker 1: how could you possibly believe them. Now, we had. 366 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 6: A really fantastic piece of evidence that put this entire 367 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 6: issue to bed. One day, I'm sitting in my office 368 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,120 Speaker 6: and I remember an agent in the Columbus squad came 369 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 6: in and said, well, I assume you're going to call 370 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 6: Charlie Bodwin in your competency hearing, and I'm like, what's 371 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 6: a Charlie Bodwin. Charlie Bodwin was an FBI agent with 372 00:21:43,119 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 6: very good eyesight who was on the Genevies squad and 373 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 6: years earlier, the FBI wanted to go up on a 374 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:55,040 Speaker 6: bug in this townhouse that Vince Scanty lived in from 375 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:57,359 Speaker 6: time to time with his girlfriend. 376 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: To get a wire tap, approved, agents had to show 377 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:04,959 Speaker 1: probable cause that illegal activity was occurring in the townhouse, 378 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 1: which they did not have so the government went old 379 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: school and used street surveillance. 380 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 6: Charlie Bodwin's job for about three months was to at 381 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 6: night go to the townhouses on the back side of 382 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 6: that street and look into the back of the townhouse 383 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 6: with a patent pencil and just record what he was seeing. 384 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: And what the surveillance team observed was not the bumbling 385 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,399 Speaker 1: odd father of Greenwich Village. 386 00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 6: I remember Charlie when he came to my office was saying, 387 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 6: I don't know that this is going to help you. 388 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 6: I didn't see anything criminal, and I said, don't worry 389 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 6: about that. Tell me what kind of things you saw, 390 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 6: and he's like, well, you know, he was talking to people, 391 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 6: he was reading the newspaper, he was counting. 392 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: Money, hardly the activities of a man in a vegetative state. 393 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 6: He was doing things that were completely inconsistent with what 394 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 6: the defense doctor said it and we had already got 395 00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:06,199 Speaker 6: the defense doctors to agree that if he could do 396 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 6: those things, they had been fooled. So we put him 397 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 6: on in the competency hearing and it was basically game 398 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 6: over because not only was a very credible witness, but 399 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,160 Speaker 6: he had contemporaneous notes. 400 00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: You had to record all of this in court, Gigante's 401 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:26,200 Speaker 1: defense attorney tried to undermine this surveillance agent's credibility unsuccessfully. 402 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 6: Barry Slotnik, who was representing Vincent Scanty at the time, 403 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 6: went to the back of the courtroom and said, is 404 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 6: this about how far the distance was? And I remember 405 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,840 Speaker 6: Charlie going, yeah, it's about right, like thirty yards away. 406 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 6: And I remember Judge Nickerson then putting on the record 407 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 6: exactly how big the courtroom is, and Charlie was only 408 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:48,680 Speaker 6: like a foot off. He kept on digging and making 409 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:52,240 Speaker 6: it worse because Barry then held up a US note 410 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 6: to see whether Charlie could see what it is, and 411 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:58,200 Speaker 6: he holds up this bill. I couldn't see it. Charlie goes, oh, yeah, 412 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:01,159 Speaker 6: that's a twenty dollars bill. Back of the courtroom and 413 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 6: Charlie's on the witness stand and Judge Nickerson goes, mister Slotnick, 414 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 6: come up here. We're going to mark that as an exhibit. 415 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 6: It's very slot that thinks, okay, maybe he just got lucky, 416 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 6: and he tries it again and goes, what's this and 417 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 6: he goes, that's a five dollar bill, And at some 418 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 6: point Judge Nickerson goes mister Slotnick how much money are 419 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:28,399 Speaker 6: you going to lose? It was just devastating. So the 420 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:31,760 Speaker 6: judge ruled that he was competent, so we were off 421 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 6: to the races in terms of then preparing the case 422 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 6: for trial. 423 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: There was just one more hitch. Giganty was scheduled for 424 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,400 Speaker 1: heart valve replacement surgery and the trial wouldn't be able 425 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: to start for another year, pending his recovery. According to Rita, 426 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: this wasn't another charade, and although she wouldn't put it 427 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: past him, her father's heart condition was real. 428 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,679 Speaker 10: We saw him before he actually went in for the 429 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 10: heart surgery, we saw him in the hospital when he 430 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 10: was recovering. But then he decided to go stay with 431 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 10: the other family. 432 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: Just a few weeks before the trial was finally set 433 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: to start, Giganty and his defense team took one last 434 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 1: shot at proving his incompetency, but this time around they 435 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:18,159 Speaker 1: crossed a line. 436 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 6: A new application comes in saying that their client has 437 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 6: advanced Alzheimer's, to which I still want to Judge Nickerson saying, 438 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 6: and you just noticed you don't just happen to get 439 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:38,399 Speaker 6: advanced Alzheimer's. Judge Nickerson decides that he just could not 440 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:44,160 Speaker 6: deal with hearing evidence about that because his wife at 441 00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 6: the time had advanced Alzheimer's. 442 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 7: Which is a brutal disease. 443 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:53,600 Speaker 6: Brutal and brutal. To watch somebody you love going through that, 444 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 6: I think it's a very very hard decision for Judge Nickerson, 445 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 6: and I think he just could not put himself through it. 446 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 6: So the case got reassigned to Judge Weinstein, who the 447 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 6: two of them had known each other for decades. We 448 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 6: go to court the first appearance before Judge Weinstein and 449 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,639 Speaker 6: he says, okay, would the defense like to be heard 450 00:26:17,119 --> 00:26:22,160 Speaker 6: on the motion with respect to his condition? And they said, Judge, 451 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 6: are we withdraw that? 452 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 13: What? 453 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 12: Yeah? 454 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:29,719 Speaker 6: I mean it was so despicable. George Weinstein says, okay, 455 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:33,880 Speaker 6: is there anything else from the defense? No, your honor, okay, 456 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 6: the defendant is remanded. 457 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: Getting remanded means being imprisoned while waiting for the trial. 458 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:44,320 Speaker 1: The defense may have caused one judge to voluntarily leave 459 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:48,120 Speaker 1: the case, but the rules of law would prevail and 460 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: the case moved forward without further delays. The trial e 461 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 1: Vincent Giguanty would finally begin, and the list of charges 462 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 1: against him was formidable Giganty faced charge charges that included 463 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: being the boss of the Genevese crime family, the windows 464 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 1: extortion racket, authorizing six murders in Philadelphia, and the attempted 465 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:14,200 Speaker 1: murder of John Gottie for his daughter Rita. Gigante's criminal 466 00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 1: resume was staggering. 467 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,919 Speaker 10: They had a list. I remember reading the list and 468 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 10: I remember thinking, holy shit. 469 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 7: It was just. 470 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 10: Unbelievable for me to actually say, Wow, he did all 471 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 10: of this, even if he didn't pull a trigger. 472 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 7: He gave an order to do that. 473 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: On June twenty fifth, nineteen ninety seven, seven years after 474 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: the original indictment, court came to order in the trial 475 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,359 Speaker 1: of Geneve's boss, Vincent Gigante. 476 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,680 Speaker 6: I still remember the first day of the actual criminal 477 00:27:57,720 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 6: trial of friend of a jury. He showed up wheelchair 478 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,400 Speaker 6: and to Kane and they placed him right in front 479 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 6: of the jury. We started the trial by putting on 480 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 6: all the evidence that he was faking. By day three, 481 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:13,400 Speaker 6: they had him as far away from the jury as possible. 482 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,840 Speaker 1: It became apparent that his insanity act was losing steam, 483 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: but there was no turning back now. Day in and 484 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 1: day out, Gigante stared blankly into space, mumbling to himself 485 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: as the prosecution played tapes of multiple mobsters, including John Gotti, 486 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 1: identifying him as the boss. But the biggest hurdle for 487 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: the prosecution remained the fact that Giganty himself was never 488 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: caught on a recording. According to co operator Piete Savino, 489 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,920 Speaker 1: it was because Gigante was so careful when they needed 490 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: to talk business. The Boss would take him into the bathroom, 491 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: turn on the water faucet, and whisper into his ear. 492 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: Andrew would have to convince the jury of Gigante's guilt 493 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: without the proverbial smoking gun. 494 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 4: Miles of audio tapes, some barely audible, that was secretly 495 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:08,400 Speaker 4: recorded by the FBI at mob clubs contain obscure references 496 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 4: to the chin, but so far, not one agent has 497 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 4: admitted hearing Gigante's voice on tape or observing him in 498 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 4: the vicinity of their surveillances. 499 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,680 Speaker 1: One of the strongest pieces of evidence came from a 500 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: recording made from Savino's wire when he was meeting with 501 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: Gigante's underboss Benny Eggs Mgano. Before that fateful meeting, Savino's 502 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:34,680 Speaker 1: FBI handler asked him to purposely break a Genovie's cardinal rule. 503 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 6: We had him mention Vincent's name. He did that, and 504 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 6: then what we got on tape was Mengano saying, don't 505 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 6: ever do that. That's a violation. That was really good 506 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:50,680 Speaker 6: evidence that it was sort of useful as establishing his 507 00:29:50,960 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 6: role and this rule in the organized crime family. 508 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: Next came the star witnesses. First up was the former 509 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: Lucia underboss Al Diarco. 510 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 6: Al Diarco, he came in because people in his family 511 00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:10,239 Speaker 6: thought that he was cooperating when he wasn't, and there 512 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 6: were efforts underway to kill him because of that. He 513 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 6: was like, these people are so despicable. I wasn't a rat, 514 00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 6: but now I was being called a rat. Those were 515 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 6: his words, and he's just like, that's it. I'm done. 516 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: On the stand, Diarco's candor about the mafia proved invaluable 517 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 1: to the prosecution's case. Asked what the mob would do 518 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 1: with somebody that was mentally incompetent, Diarco didn't mince words. 519 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 6: He said, oh, we would have killed them. And we're 520 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:41,600 Speaker 6: like why, and he said, we couldn't take the risk 521 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 6: that they would go to the police or they'd say 522 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 6: something that would implicate people, especially somebody who was a leader, 523 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,360 Speaker 6: who would know all of those secrets. And I remember 524 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 6: looking over in one of the jurors was writing that 525 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,080 Speaker 6: down and I thought, Okay, that's a good sign. 526 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: To Gante's attorneys attempted to discredit to your go by 527 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: highlighting his long list of past crimes. 528 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 6: Altiarca. I think was so hard to cross examine because 529 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 6: he was so open about who he was and what 530 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 6: he regretted in his life. Very very good defense lawyer 531 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 6: Gus Newman kept on going over all of the things 532 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:18,720 Speaker 6: he'd done, and who was like, you murdered this person, 533 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 6: you murdered that person, You did these awful things. So 534 00:31:21,360 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 6: of course he's admitting everything. And I looked over at 535 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,840 Speaker 6: the jury and the jury looked bored as hell. They 536 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 6: were like, we know he was the acting boss of 537 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:32,200 Speaker 6: the Ukasey family. None of this is surprising. 538 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,600 Speaker 1: Ever since the commission trial, the mafias sworn oath of silence, 539 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: Omerta had been slowly eroding, and as the FBI closed in, 540 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 1: mobsters like Diarco and Savina were opting for self preservation 541 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: over loyalty to the family, and there was perhaps no 542 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:53,719 Speaker 1: bigger turncoat than the one about to take the stand. 543 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 12: My name is Salvatore Gravano. I became a made member 544 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 12: of the Gambino family in nineteen six. At that time, 545 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 12: pol Castellano was the boss of the Gambino family. John 546 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 12: Gotti I, along with some others, murdered Pole Castellano. We 547 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 12: took over the family. I decided to cooperate before we 548 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 12: went to trial. 549 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: Sammy the Bull Gravano was a Gambino underboss and a 550 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 1: newly minted media darling due to his testimony in John 551 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: Gotti's trial five years before. 552 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 6: Federal prosecutor said they planned to call Sammy the Bull 553 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:31,560 Speaker 6: Gravano to the stand to testify against the Gin. He's 554 00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 6: the mob rat whose testimony said John Gotti away for life. 555 00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: Gravano was scheduled to fly in the night before he testified, 556 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,840 Speaker 1: leaving Andrew very little time to prepare his witness. 557 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 6: There was a huge storm. Sammy was late coming into 558 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 6: the city because of the storm. I ended up with 559 00:32:51,480 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 6: about one hour to meet with Sammy to go over 560 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:58,640 Speaker 6: what questions they're going to ask him. But once Sammy's 561 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 6: on the stand, he was an extremely effective, good witness. 562 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:06,959 Speaker 6: Say he was completely candidate about organized crime, about the 563 00:33:07,040 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 6: life he was in, and didn't make excuses for it 564 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:10,640 Speaker 6: at all. 565 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,200 Speaker 4: Gravano told a jury that he first met Fitza Gigante 566 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 4: in nineteen seventy six. According to Gravano, although the chin 567 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 4: was unshaven and wore pajamas in a row at this meeting, 568 00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:21,280 Speaker 4: he spoke normally. 569 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 10: Sammy the Bull testified. All these people are testified. They 570 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 10: turned state seven as they rated all of this. These 571 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 10: are people that are walking around that murdered thirty thirty 572 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,760 Speaker 10: five people. You know, like, how do I understand? Like 573 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 10: what makes that okay? It still doesn't sit right with me. 574 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,160 Speaker 10: They all did what they did. But you're going to 575 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 10: let one go because he gives you this one. That's 576 00:33:42,560 --> 00:33:44,120 Speaker 10: just how it went. That's how they did it. 577 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 4: Giganti is charged with six murders and conspiracy to commit 578 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 4: several others. The star witness against him is Sammy the 579 00:33:50,280 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 4: Bull Gravano, an admitted killer of nineteen people. 580 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 9: You're a Jura, you're listening to this and say, wait 581 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:58,080 Speaker 9: a minute. Here's a guy who did nineteen homicides and. 582 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 11: He's accusing this guy won and he's on the streets 583 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:01,800 Speaker 11: and they want to pull him in. 584 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 1: Darco and Gravano were high ranking mobsters, pointing the finger 585 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:10,040 Speaker 1: at Gigante as the boss of bosses, but it was 586 00:34:10,080 --> 00:34:14,800 Speaker 1: Pete Savino, the low level Genevie's associate, whose testimony proved 587 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:15,760 Speaker 1: most compelling. 588 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 6: He was dying. He would really wanted to testify, but 589 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:23,880 Speaker 6: by the time this case went to trial, he was 590 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:28,320 Speaker 6: in a hospital. The doctors would not let him travel. 591 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,719 Speaker 1: Savino was bedridden with cancer and could barely speak. So 592 00:34:33,800 --> 00:34:36,240 Speaker 1: prosecutors came up with an innovative idea. 593 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:40,440 Speaker 6: Remember this is nineteen ninety seven. There was no zoom, 594 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 6: that technology didn't exist, and we proposed to the court 595 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:49,600 Speaker 6: that there be a closed circuit television where there would 596 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:53,400 Speaker 6: be a camera on Peter Savino in his hospital. A 597 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:57,160 Speaker 6: defense lawyer and a prosecutor would be there. They would 598 00:34:57,160 --> 00:35:00,160 Speaker 6: bring exhibits and things that they wanted to show him 599 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 6: and that would get beamed into the courtroom, and there 600 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 6: were television sets all around the courtroom. 601 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,880 Speaker 1: In an attempt to avoid sympathy end level the playing 602 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:14,600 Speaker 1: field for the defense, Judge Weinstein gave the prosecution a 603 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: strict directive. 604 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:20,799 Speaker 6: We were not allowed to tell the jury that Peter 605 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:24,880 Speaker 6: Savina was dying. That judge said it would be too prejudicial, 606 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 6: and what he meant by that was it would be 607 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:31,319 Speaker 6: too damning that he was clearly telling the truth, you know, 608 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:33,319 Speaker 6: if he was about to die, Like, why would you 609 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:34,040 Speaker 6: lie about this? 610 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: Savino suffered through questioning and did very well, but he 611 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:43,320 Speaker 1: constantly needed breaks. He appeared a shadow of his former self, 612 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:47,320 Speaker 1: but with his image projected throughout the courtroom, he delivered 613 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: the final blow against Gigante. 614 00:35:50,360 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 6: I remember Peter was wearing a red shirt, and so 615 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 6: all around the room there were these screens with this 616 00:35:56,320 --> 00:36:01,879 Speaker 6: bright red shirt. He looked terrible, drunk down his testimony 617 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:05,319 Speaker 6: to be as concise as possible. At every break, I 618 00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 6: just remember the judge going, you have to go faster. 619 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:11,400 Speaker 6: At lunchtime, he goes, you need to end your direct 620 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:15,240 Speaker 6: We need to get to cross. This witness cannot go past. 621 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:20,040 Speaker 1: Today Savino became the most convincing witness of the trial. 622 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:25,040 Speaker 6: Peter was so happy that he was able to do 623 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 6: this because he had been living with us for so long. 624 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,359 Speaker 6: He wanted to do it before he died, and within 625 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 6: a month after the verdict he was dead. 626 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 1: Andrew made sure the jury understood the full measure of 627 00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:41,879 Speaker 1: the reco charge, and. 628 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 6: I remember making that point insummation and saying, don't let 629 00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:48,480 Speaker 6: a boss get off just because he wasn't at the 630 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 6: scene of the crime. That is the advantage of being 631 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 6: the boss. 632 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:56,759 Speaker 1: But as the defense was quick to point out, how 633 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:01,120 Speaker 1: could the government prosecute Deganty as the boss, insisting that 634 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:04,359 Speaker 1: fat Tony Salerno was the boss. During the commission trial 635 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:09,200 Speaker 1: twelve years before, Andrew decided to address the issue head on. 636 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,440 Speaker 6: And I said, look, at the time that that happened, 637 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 6: Sammy Gravano was not a cooperating witness. Aldi Arco was 638 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 6: not a cooperating witness. Peter Savina was not a cooperating witness. 639 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 6: They didn't have these tape recordings. But that's not really 640 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:24,920 Speaker 6: what's going on. You know what is absolutely true. The 641 00:37:24,960 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 6: government does make mistakes. No one's going to sit here 642 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:30,840 Speaker 6: and tell you the government doesn't get things wrong. But 643 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:34,360 Speaker 6: you have seen all of the evidence. I just explained 644 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 6: that to the jury. We had such a good jury, 645 00:37:36,680 --> 00:37:39,560 Speaker 6: they were so smart, it didn't cause them any concern 646 00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:42,080 Speaker 6: at all. And I do think that's a real lesson 647 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 6: of don't hide from issues and just be straight with 648 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 6: the jury and trust their intelligence. 649 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 1: Concluding a month long trial, the anonymous jury filed into 650 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:57,480 Speaker 1: the jury room for deliberations, and after three days they 651 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 1: returned with a verdict. 652 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 6: When the jury comes out, you can tell there's a 653 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:07,120 Speaker 6: conviction because I have noticed that the jury is more 654 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:10,720 Speaker 6: dressed up on the day of the verdict, which always 655 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:12,719 Speaker 6: to me is a sort of sign of the solemnity, 656 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:17,239 Speaker 6: And they don't look at the defendant as they're walking out, 657 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 6: so you have a very good tell on both fronts. 658 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:26,320 Speaker 1: Giganty rolled his eyes as the fore women announced the verdict. 659 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:29,680 Speaker 1: He was found guilty for his role as boss of 660 00:38:29,719 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 1: the Genopes family, for the window scheme and conspiring to 661 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:36,600 Speaker 1: murder his rival John Gottie, but he was acquitted for 662 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 1: the six Philadelphia gangland murders, which proved to be little consolation. 663 00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:46,719 Speaker 1: After decades of unimpeded criminal Tyranny Vincent the Jin Giganty 664 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:50,680 Speaker 1: was finally brought to bay, and while grateful that justice 665 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:53,799 Speaker 1: was served, many had to tip their hats out of 666 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:57,400 Speaker 1: respect for the odd father, including James Leonard. 667 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:04,200 Speaker 13: His run was absolutely legendary. The matter in which he 668 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,759 Speaker 13: fooled the FBI and the matter in which he evaded 669 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 13: the criminal justice system for decades. 670 00:39:12,239 --> 00:39:12,959 Speaker 2: There's a guy. 671 00:39:13,280 --> 00:39:17,319 Speaker 13: If there is a mount rushmore of gangsters, that should 672 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:22,480 Speaker 13: be the first face etched into it. Vincent the Chin Gigante, 673 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:26,960 Speaker 13: absolutely Hall of Fame gangster. 674 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:33,560 Speaker 1: After a lifetime of lies, Rita Giganty had vowed to 675 00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:37,120 Speaker 1: never go to the uptown home of her father's mistress, 676 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:40,400 Speaker 1: but in the end, she did visit the townhouse once 677 00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: where she saw her ailing father for the very last time. 678 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:47,879 Speaker 10: One time, my mother begged me to go and see 679 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,800 Speaker 10: him before they put him away. So I went once 680 00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:53,880 Speaker 10: to their townhouse. I would not go unless I knew 681 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:57,399 Speaker 10: nobody was home, especially the other woman, because I would 682 00:39:57,400 --> 00:39:58,520 Speaker 10: never disrespect my mother. 683 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:01,839 Speaker 7: But I went to visit him there After that. 684 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:05,080 Speaker 10: It was letters that went back and forth, or sometimes 685 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:07,200 Speaker 10: he would call on the phone and it would be 686 00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:09,280 Speaker 10: like when I was a kid, how do you feel? 687 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 7: How's your mother to carry your mother? That would be it. 688 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:17,360 Speaker 1: With all the bizarre happenings brought by the Gigante saga, 689 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:21,200 Speaker 1: it wouldn't be complete without one more surprise, which came 690 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:21,960 Speaker 1: at his sentencing. 691 00:40:23,080 --> 00:40:27,920 Speaker 6: Jech Weinstein at sentencing did something a little odd. Vincent 692 00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:31,760 Speaker 6: Giganti was relatively old at the time, but not ancient 693 00:40:32,360 --> 00:40:35,640 Speaker 6: did judge sort of looked at the actuarial tables and 694 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:38,320 Speaker 6: based his sentence off of that and gave him. 695 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:43,000 Speaker 4: Twelve years, Calling Giganty an inveterate gangster who committed his 696 00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 4: life to crime and not getting caught dodging legal bullets 697 00:40:46,080 --> 00:40:48,279 Speaker 4: left and right. The sixty nine year old head of 698 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 4: the Genovies crime family, the most powerful mobster in the nation, 699 00:40:51,960 --> 00:40:54,600 Speaker 4: was sentenced to twelve years in jail and a one 700 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:56,400 Speaker 4: and a quarter million dollar fine. 701 00:40:57,800 --> 00:41:01,000 Speaker 6: But the sense that was called for was life, So 702 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:05,720 Speaker 6: I disagreed with him on the sentence in the Eastern 703 00:41:05,719 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 6: District of New York, though out of respect for the 704 00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:12,080 Speaker 6: role of the court and sentencing, we were trained that 705 00:41:12,080 --> 00:41:16,080 Speaker 6: that is a court function. Our job was to present 706 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 6: the evidence, but we did not take a position on 707 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,200 Speaker 6: what sentence should be given by the court. 708 00:41:24,520 --> 00:41:27,560 Speaker 10: The surprise was twelve years. We thought definitely he was 709 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:30,040 Speaker 10: going in for life. Everybody was like, oh my god, 710 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:32,839 Speaker 10: he could still get out. You know, we never thought 711 00:41:32,880 --> 00:41:34,160 Speaker 10: we would getting a gift like that. 712 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:39,000 Speaker 1: Despite the short sentence, Andrew was proud of what they'd 713 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,840 Speaker 1: achieved and grateful he'd been chosen for the task. 714 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:45,960 Speaker 6: I don't know that there's anybody who's been an assistant 715 00:41:46,000 --> 00:41:49,160 Speaker 6: the United States Attorney who doesn't say the same thing 716 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:52,480 Speaker 6: about the first time you stand up in front of 717 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:55,400 Speaker 6: a jury and you say, my name is Andrew Weisman, 718 00:41:55,800 --> 00:41:59,719 Speaker 6: I represent the United States, that you don't feel to 719 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 6: your core the enormous privilege and responsibility that comes with 720 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:05,400 Speaker 6: that statement. 721 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:12,920 Speaker 1: As the years continued to pass, Rita slowly became ready 722 00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,280 Speaker 1: to live life on her own terms. 723 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:19,400 Speaker 10: Not until I was twenty four did I actually fully 724 00:42:19,440 --> 00:42:21,240 Speaker 10: come into my own where that was concerned. 725 00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:23,080 Speaker 7: I had to make the choice. 726 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:26,360 Speaker 10: If I could have stayed in that victim energy and 727 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:28,319 Speaker 10: said this is what they did to me, this is 728 00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:29,960 Speaker 10: why I am who I am today and hold on 729 00:42:30,040 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 10: to that, or I could have chosen to move forward, 730 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,239 Speaker 10: and that's what I did. I went to my mother 731 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:37,799 Speaker 10: and I said, you could tell him. They don't have 732 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:39,799 Speaker 10: to tell him. I says, I don't want to speak 733 00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:41,400 Speaker 10: to him about it. I said, but this is my 734 00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:44,440 Speaker 10: life and I'm living it. She hugged me and she 735 00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:47,239 Speaker 10: said she understood, although she prayed every day that I 736 00:42:47,239 --> 00:42:49,399 Speaker 10: would change my ways because she. 737 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:51,400 Speaker 7: Was so afraid of my soul. That's what it was. 738 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,399 Speaker 10: She was so embedded in the Catholic religion and all 739 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:56,399 Speaker 10: of that that she was more afraid of my soul 740 00:42:56,480 --> 00:42:59,640 Speaker 10: than she was anything. And she loved everyone that came 741 00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:01,960 Speaker 10: into me life. All the women that came into my 742 00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,680 Speaker 10: life she loved, and my wife being the last that 743 00:43:04,800 --> 00:43:06,600 Speaker 10: she know, just adored her. 744 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:11,440 Speaker 1: Reflecting on her father's half century climb from the streets 745 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:14,520 Speaker 1: little Italy to the top seat on the Mafia Commission, 746 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:18,040 Speaker 1: Rita couldn't help but wonder what it was all for. 747 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:21,319 Speaker 10: You know, he was always looking over his shoulder. I mean, 748 00:43:21,360 --> 00:43:23,799 Speaker 10: the man went on vacation once in his life, on 749 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:26,399 Speaker 10: his honeymoon, three weeks and that was the end of it. 750 00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:27,960 Speaker 7: They went to Florida, came home. 751 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:30,880 Speaker 1: He never left, which is interesting because he had so 752 00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:31,440 Speaker 1: much money. 753 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:34,920 Speaker 10: Well, the money never matted as much as the power. 754 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:39,200 Speaker 10: Money was his way of keeping people close and being 755 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:42,440 Speaker 10: able to manipulate them. But to have that kind of 756 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:46,799 Speaker 10: power that he wielded, the ego just immediately took over. 757 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:51,080 Speaker 1: It was an ego that earned him millions of dollars, 758 00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:54,680 Speaker 1: respect from the criminal underworld and a prison sentence that 759 00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:57,400 Speaker 1: would keep him locked away for the rest of his life. 760 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:00,640 Speaker 1: But there was still some fight left the seventy year 761 00:44:00,640 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: old mobster, and rumor had it that Giganti was determined 762 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:07,680 Speaker 1: to run the Genovese family from behind bars, with his 763 00:44:07,880 --> 00:44:12,280 Speaker 1: own son serving as his intermediary. But there was someone 764 00:44:12,320 --> 00:44:15,719 Speaker 1: else poised to take Giganti's crown, a man who had 765 00:44:15,760 --> 00:44:19,560 Speaker 1: been steadily amassing power for over a decade, the very 766 00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:22,960 Speaker 1: man who helped orchestrate the nineteen seventy nine slang of 767 00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:28,240 Speaker 1: Carmine Galante. His name was Joe Messino, and in time 768 00:44:28,480 --> 00:44:31,000 Speaker 1: he would be known as the last down. 769 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:43,000 Speaker 2: Next time on Law and Order Criminal Justice System. 770 00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:45,759 Speaker 7: They needed something to keep him there, otherwise he was 771 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:46,360 Speaker 7: getting out. 772 00:44:46,640 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 6: We ended up bringing a second charge against Gigante for 773 00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:55,279 Speaker 6: lying repeatedly about his mental condition. The bananas were an 774 00:44:55,280 --> 00:44:59,239 Speaker 6: absolute mess. To put it buoyantly, they had had problems 775 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:01,040 Speaker 6: going back to the nineteen sixties. 776 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:03,880 Speaker 5: The gun was so close to Durso's head, at the 777 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:05,680 Speaker 5: speed of the bullet, as soon as it hit the 778 00:45:05,719 --> 00:45:06,920 Speaker 5: scullt came down his. 779 00:45:07,000 --> 00:45:09,680 Speaker 6: Neck, everybody knew there was a lot more to it 780 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:12,240 Speaker 6: than just some guy got shot in the social club. 781 00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:19,759 Speaker 2: Law and Order Criminal Justice System is a production of 782 00:45:19,800 --> 00:45:25,160 Speaker 2: Wolf Entertainment and iHeart podcasts Our host is Anna Sega Nicolazi. 783 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:29,920 Speaker 2: This episode was written by Chandler Mays and Anna Sega Nicolazi. 784 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:35,040 Speaker 2: Executive produced by Dick Wolf, Elliott Wolf, and Stephen Michael 785 00:45:35,239 --> 00:45:40,960 Speaker 2: at Wolf Entertainment on behalf of iHeartRadio. Executive produced by 786 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:46,000 Speaker 2: Alex Williams and Matt Frederick, with supervising producers Trevor Young 787 00:45:46,160 --> 00:45:50,920 Speaker 2: and Chandler Mays and producers Jesse Funk, Noms Griffin, and 788 00:45:51,040 --> 00:45:56,680 Speaker 2: Rima Alkali. This season is executive produced by Anna Sega Nicolazi, 789 00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:02,960 Speaker 2: story producer Walker Lamond. Our researchers are Caroline Talmadge and 790 00:46:03,080 --> 00:46:08,000 Speaker 2: Luke's Dents. Editing and sound designed by Jesse Funk. Original 791 00:46:08,080 --> 00:46:13,719 Speaker 2: music by John O'Hara, original theme by Mike Post, additional 792 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:17,759 Speaker 2: music by Steve Moore, and additional voice over by me 793 00:46:18,239 --> 00:46:22,880 Speaker 2: Steve Zernkelton. Special thanks to Fox five in New York, 794 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:27,880 Speaker 2: A b C and CBS for providing archival material for 795 00:46:27,960 --> 00:46:32,600 Speaker 2: the show. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio and Wolf Entertainment, 796 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:37,280 Speaker 2: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 797 00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:39,880 Speaker 2: to your favorite shows. Thanks for listening.