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| July 15, 1999 |
| By Jerry Capeci |
| Gambinos In Free Fall |
 The Gambino crime family
under onetime cover boy and fashion plate John Gotti and his college-educated son is in
virtual free fall, plummeting like a limo full of capos going off the Brooklyn Bridge.The swashbuckling Dapper Don who thumbed his nose at the law after beating three indictments has called jail his home since 1990 when he was nailed for three murders and assorted racketeering crimes, most of which he admitted on an FBI bug in one of his favorite meeting places.
Gotti's fall had a domino effect on the Gambinos. Frank (Frankie Loc) Locascio, who served as a capo, acting underboss, acting consigliere and Gotti's whipping boy and close confidante, was convicted with Gotti and got the same sentence, life without parole.
Of the 21 Gambino capos (or captains) heading crews of soldiers and doing other gangster-type things in 1991, only five have avoided prison or
death: 13 have been convicted of state and/or federal crimes, one of them died in prison; and three others dropped dead before they could be prosecuted.
Some 35 made (inducted) members and countless more associates (cut throats and gangsters who have not been formally inducted into the Mafia) are jailed, including three capos who succeeded some of those who were convicted and taken off the streets. They've also paid over $10 million in fines.
Melissa (Ravenna) Angelini, an unabashed Gotti supporter and creator of the "John Gotti Tribute Page" has thrown in the towel after four years of singing Gotti's praises on the Internet. "Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end," she wrote on July 6, saying she still supported Gotti but that the vagaries of her daily life now prevent her from updating the site. The tribute page is still on the web with its
upbeat pictures and stories about
"My father was in solitary confinement for seven years," Junior said, wagging his finger at reporters at the White Plains Federal Court last week. "Don't you think he's entitled to a little frustration. Do you think that's fair, what you put in the paper? Listen to the whole conversation. Don't just print what they give you." He failed to mention, of course, that he or his father would never in a blue moon give anybody a transcript of the damning jailhouse diatribe.  On the sort of positive side, Junior's lawyer
Gerald Shargel managed to use his client's growing cash flow problem to put off his
sentencing until Sept. 3. As part of his plea bargain, Gotti (left) was supposed to fork
over $1 million 20 days before his sentencing date. Shargel told Judge Barrington Park
that Junior was having trouble raising the fine money and asked for a postponement,
pointing out that the government had more than enough to cover the amount in Gotti assets
that have been frozen, if Junior failed to come up with the cash.
Assistant U.S. attorney Bart Van de Weghe objected to a delay, but when he confirmed for the judge that Shargel’s remarks were correct, Parker asked the prosecutor rhetorically, "Why are you so insecure?" Then he rescheduled the sentencing for Sept. 3, telling Junior to come up with the dough by Aug. 18, or else. By hook or by crook, we know he will. |
| Loose Lips Everywhere |
 The Gottis did some pretty dumb things to help the feds take
them off the streets, but they don't have a monopoly on stupidity, especially among
father-son teams in the Gambino crime family. Consider this meeting between Gregory, 67, and Craig DePalma, 33, who have both pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in Junior Gotti's case and are serving 70 and 87 months, respectively. Craig told his father (right) that he had just received several thousand dollars from an associate involved in several of their gambling, loansharking and extortion rackets, according to a transcript recently filed by the feds.
"Your car? You didn't say nothing, right?" said Gregory, concerned about a possible bug in the car, never dreaming that the state Organized Crime Task Force had planted one in the room in his home where he and his son always discussed their criminal activities and mob business. "No," said Craig, explaining loudly and forcefully how he had made sure he wasn't overheard. "Then he started talking. I said, 'No, no. Come outside.'" He and his father went on to discuss other payoffs Craig had collected, "including $32,000 from Benny," and where Craig was going to meet Junior that night, ostensibly to give him his cut. Even over at the DePalmas', the walls have ears. |
| Spero Free to Fly Right |
 After spending six weeks cooling his heels
at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, reputed Bonanno consigliere Anthony
Spero (right) went home to Staten Island last week to await trial for murder and
racketeering. Spero, 70, was released on $10 million bail, secured by $3.5 million in property and a personal recognizance bond for the rest by his daughter Diana, who also pledged her lucrative car service business to guarantee her father would behave himself. Spero, who's been breeding and racing pigeons for 50 years, is under strict house arrest conditions, so he won't be able to visit the champion birds he keeps on the roof of Diana's Big Apple Car Service in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, however, not even on his way to Brooklyn Federal Court for a pre-trial hearing later this month. Daughter Diana is sure he'll be there eventually, though. "I'm confident he'll be acquitted at trial," she said. |
His anointed successor, son John A., better known as Junior,
is about to go to prison for up to seven years after pleading guilty to racketeering and
lying on a mortgage application. And John (Jackie Nose) D'Amico, (left) a longtime Gotti
loyalist and Gambino capo, was sentenced last week to 20 months in prison, his first jail
time in a life of crime. 
Gotti's No. 2, his reprobate underboss, Salvatore 
Many key capos are still languishing in jail, including
Thomas Gambino, (left) the son of Carlo Gambino, the long time boss for whom the family is
named; their cousin, John Gambino; Carlo's former bodyguard/chauffeur James (Jimmy Brown)
Failla, and Gotti's brother Gene. 
And to add insult to injury, the family is taking a beating
in cyberspace.
Gotti, 
Meanwhile, Junior is defending his father for calling him
stupid during a videotaped, one-sided 
"What did he give you, all hundreds?" said
Gregory.
