The mobsters, both on federal parole and prohibited from any contact with each other, deserved to go back to jail because they were talking about $1.2 million they had stolen during an armored car robbery, according to the FBI.

But in this case the feds apparently talked a good game, but couldn't come up with the goods.

It all began on Mar. 25, 1988. A Rapid Armored Truck Co. vehicle was relieved of $1.2 million in cash when the drivers stopped for breakfast. The truck was coolly driven off in a smooth operation that had the look and feel of an inside job. The fact that an employee, who had been recently hired,  was tied up and otherwise left unharmed in the empty armored vehicle didn't convince anyone that it wasn't.    

Four years later, with information from former Luchese acting boss Alfonse (Little Al) D'Arco (left) and an accomplice, the FBI arrested Daidone, Argentina, his brother Peter, associate Alan Taglianetti, and the inside man, Robert Molinelli. None of the loot was recovered.

All five defendants were acquitted of robbery and weapons charges.  Daidone, Ray Argentina, Taglianetti and the inside man were convicted of robbery conspiracy and sentenced to five years. They did their time, got out in 1996, and were ordered not to speak to persons with criminal records for three years.

The day before their federal supervision was due to end, Daidone and Argentina were charged with talking to each other 30 times from Feb. 10, 1997 through May 9, 1997 "concerning the $1.2 million."

The men telephoned each other from their jobs -- Argentina at a used car lot and Daidone at an air freight company -- to discuss the loot which they had invested "in loansharking and in the stock market," according to court papers filed with Judge Carol Amon.

They pleaded not guilty and Argentina's lawyer David Breitbart immediately went on the offensive. He subpoenaed a potpourri of FBI and telephone records, charging that FBI agents may have cloned the men's phones and made the suspect calls from "remote stations."

Breitbart also notified prosecutors that Argentina  and his probation officer would testify that Argentina (right) had regularly turned over his home and work telephone records and they contained no questionable calls.

The probation officer would also testify that he constantly warned Argentina that "telephones he used were being monitored" and that his client was not  so "exceedingly foolish" that he would ignore the warnings.

The next time they showed up in court, assistant U.S. attorney Stephen Kelly dismissed the charges.

"I guess we can talk to each other now," said a grinning Daidone as he and an equally giddy Argentina shook hands and congratulated Breitbart and co-counsel Anthony Lombardino for jobs well done. They've probably stopped talking by now but the FBI is still searching for the cash.

When James Sims Jr. and Michael Sims were offered plea deals to settle charges they used minority labor coalitions to extort cash from construction companies, they didn't make the mistake Trevor Johnson (right) did.

The brothers, whose father had paved the way when he formed Black and Latin Economic Survival (BLES) 25 years ago, jumped at the chance to plead guilty to one count of using threats of violence to interfere with commerce, instead of standing trial on extortion charges. The charge doesn't sound as dastardly as extortion, and federal  sentencing guidelines tend to favor those who plead guilty over defendants convicted at trial. And since the feds dropped other charges, the Sims brothers made out like bandits.

Johnson went to trial, was convicted and got 20 years while three of his codefendants got 17 years. James Sims, 29, (left) however, was sentenced to 30 months and Michael, 33, (right) received 15 months for essentially the same crimes.

According to the indictment, from 1992 to last year, the Sims brothers stormed construction sites with busloads of goons, who used their fists, bats, pipes, boards, knives and steel tipped work shoes to assault and intimidate contractors and laborers to extort payoffs from builders and contractors.

Michael is due out early next year; James gets out in June, 2001.

Their lawyer Murray Richman concedes that the brothers occasionally got a little rough but claims that BLES got more jobs for minority workers than all the established, mainstream civil rights groups, combined.

Gioia testified that Francesehi told him: "Just take me with you, I'm a capable guy. I've done some work. ... Years ago, me and Vinny, we killed a cop."