At a decidedly one sided, 90-minute proceeding this week, Brooklyn Federal Judge Edward Korman postponed Paciello's impending release on $3 million bail that had been set by a Miami federal magistrate judge.

Paciello, whom assistant U.S. attorney Jim Walden described as "a ghost" -- with two names, three birth dates, two social security numbers, 13 addresses and two driver's licenses --has been locked up in Miami since his Dec. 1 arrest for racketeering and murder.

Korman ordered that the Generation X gangster -- his real name is Christian Ludwigsen and he's either 28 or 29 -- be transported to Brooklyn for a full blown hearing on Jan. 7 to determine if he should be held without bail until his trial that is now scheduled for April.

Paciello, who has dated Madonna and a bunch of other starlets and celebrities, is charged with taking part in a $300,000 bank job and the murder of a Staten Island housewife in a botched home invasion robbery seven years ago with  a Bonanno family crew.

Ingrid Casares, Paciello's partner in trendy South Beach clubs -- Liquid and Bar Room -- was in Brooklyn for moral support. When it became apparent that Korman was not buying noted defense attorney Roy Black's argument that Paciello was a "young man who's turned his life around" and should be released, she got up and walked out early -- managing to avoid reporters. Paciello and Casares are seen snuggling and mugging for the camera at a Bridgehampton, L.I. polo match in a Village Voice photo below right. 

Walden countered that Paciello "resorted to the power and authority of either corrupt officials …. or associates of the Colombo crime family" for help in his nightclub operations. He said the feds have nine cooperating witnesses, including several who are to testify at Paciello's trial, to back up the claim that Paciello is a danger to the community and should not be released. In addition to the crimes in the indictment, said Walden, Paciello was involved in at least 13 assaults -- one with a baseball bat -- and several murder threats, including one caught on  tape that is the subject of a continuing investigation.

Paciello also has millions of dollars in assets -- much of it allegedly made in the early '90's dealing drugs and ripping off drug dealers -- and is under investigation for money laundering and other crimes with Colombo mobsters, including  family boss Alphonse Persico, said Walden.

Persico, (left) who is suspected of ordering the killing of Colombo underboss William Cutolo (right) last spring, pleaded guilty two months ago to federal gun charges in Florida. Before Persico was jailed, said Walden, Paciello introduced him to an undercover Florida police officer who was pretending to be  corrupt and gained Paciello's confidence by tipping him off to a raid. (Ironically, sources said, FBI agents tailing Persico, spotted the trio, unaware that the third party in their sights was an undercover cop.)

Watts, who, according to court records, was involved in the slaying of Mafia boss Paul Castellano and a slew of others, had been charged with extortion for allegedly conducting a lucrative loansharking business from a federal prison where he was serving time for taking part in a murder for John Gotti.

The loansharking case was weak, so the feds allowed Watts to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of buying stolen jewelry. At his sentencing, the prosecutor asked Batts to impose the maximum 12-month term and make it consecutive -- tack it on -- to the 14 months he still has to serve.

Speaking for Watts, however, lawyer Gerald Shargel said there were five important reasons why the sentence should be concurrent -- served at the same time as the one he is currently serving. 

After waxing eloquently for a few minutes on the first four, all involving legal principles, Shargel ended with a flourish and a smile: "And fifth, It’s Christmas."