Brother of John Gotti found guilty in Brooklyn court
By Ellen Wulfhorst
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal jury Monday found reputed crime boss Peter Gotti, brother of the late John Gotti, and six others guilty of extortion, bid-rigging and other crimes designed to control businesses on New York's waterfronts.
The seven men -- three of them Gotti relatives -- were convicted after seven days of deliberations by an anonymous jury in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
Prosecutors said they influenced dockworker union elections, rigged contracts, extorted money from businesses and dockworkers, ran illegal gambling operations and laundered illicit profits.
At the heart of the case -- laid out in a 68-count indictment of racketeering, money-laundering, conspiracy, fraud and loan-sharking charges -- were hundreds of tapes secretly recorded by government agents during a three-year investigation and played for jurors during the six-week trial.
The lengthy verdicts took 45 minutes to read aloud in court. A slight gasp went through the packed courtroom at the first guilty verdict for Gotti, but the convicted men remained expressionless.
Found guilty were Peter Gotti, 63, reputed head of the Gambino crime family and John Gotti's older brother, younger brother Richard V. Gotti, nephew Richard G. Gotti and four others.
"What are you going to do? My name is Gotti," Peter Gotti said after his conviction. "If my name wasn't Gotti, I wouldn't be here. All you have to have is the name. It's easy to convict."
Defense attorney Gerald Shargel had argued Gotti was tarred by sharing a last name with his notorious brother, who died in June 2002 of cancer while serving a life sentence in prison.
Peter Gotti, who with his loose jowls and ill-fitting suits bears only a slight resemblance to his late brother known as the "Dapper Don," will be sentenced later. Racketeering, the stiffest charge, carries a possible 20 year prison sentence.
He was acquitted when he last faced federal charges in 1991.
One witness in the trial was actor Steven Seagal who testified he was the victim of extortion threats by the Gambino crime family.
Prosecutor Katya Jestin, in her closing argument, said Gotti and his co-defendants were "cowards" who preyed upon hard-working immigrants and dockworkers.
03/17/03 16:05 ET
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...add one for the good guys!!!
God bless,
Mama san
,and one we can do without here at the forum.It's just a shame I am not part of the admin team,otherwise Tommy/Memphis wouldn't be around here any longer.
