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Gravano's brother-in-law, Garafola was among 19 wiseguys and brokers charged in a classic "pump and dump" stock fraud and money laundering scheme that allegedly cost investors $41 million over a three year period. Garafola, 61, was specifically charged with trying to extort $100,000 from a stockbroker who, after pleading guilty to stock fraud charges, turned on his cohorts, just like Gravano did against John Gotti & Co.

Gravano, 54, and his entire family -- son, Gerard, 23, his daughter Karen, 27, and wife, Debra, 46 -- were arrested in Arizona two weeks ago and charged with trafficking in Ecstasy, the amphetamine-based drug that's the current rage among young party-goers. Mother and daughter were released to await trial, but father and son remain jailed.

Garafola and Gravano parted after Sammy Bull chose the feds over his hoodlum friends. But that's not the way it was supposed to be, according to Underboss, the best-selling book in which Sammy Bull told of his life of crime and his decision to testify against Gotti. (Courtroom sketch artist Ruth Pollack captured the historic moment -- Gravano was the first Mafia underboss to take the stand against his boss -- in the drawing at left.)

"Comes October (1991) and I'm still not even thinking of cooperating," said  Gravano."It's my whining brother-in-law Eddie, a whining motherfucker all my life, who puts the idea in my head. He's caused me nothing but trouble with his devious ways, always looking for the angle. A couple of guys in my crew

Gravano said it all began with a conversation with  his brother-in-law during a visit at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Gravano was being held without bail waiting for trial. Several law enforcement sources say it is true; Garafola obviously denies it, much more strongly than he denies his involvement in the alleged stock fraud.

"So now he comes in for a visit, whining one more time with that crying voice, 'Sammy, you're going down on this case.'

"I said, 'What do you suggest Eddie?'

"He says, 'I hate to say this Sammy, but maybe you should cooperate. I'll go with you. Me and you cooperate and we'll go into a whole other life. Take our families and run after it's over....We'll make another life, Sammy.'"

Gravano claims that he decided to act on Garafola's idea and put the plan in motion but when he told his brother-in-law, "he double crosses me. You know, it's like when you're kids standing by the edge of the pool, and it's one, two three, jump! Schmucko jumped, and he didn't."

Gravano faces drug conspiracy charges and a long prison stretch if convicted. But things always balance out. He got some news from a New York appeals court however that should help him cope with his growing legal bills.

The Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan ruled that Gravano will not have to forfeit any of the money he made from the sale of his book or movie rights to a state crime victims board.

In upholding a lower court ruling, a five-judge panel said that the state's Son of Sam law prohibiting criminals from profiting from their crimes, applies only to state convictions, not federal racketeering charges, even though the ones Gravano pleaded guilty to include many violations of state law -- like 19 murders. 

So, as Gravano stews in the Maricopa County jail, he's still earning royalties from his book and audio tapes, sales that have probably gotten a little boost from the news of his recent arrest.

The federal case includes many of the same crimes lodged against Agnello five weeks ago after he walked right into the middle of a sting operation and was caught threatening and trying to burn out cops who had opened up a scrap iron business near Shea Stadium in Queens.

Unlike the state charges, the federal indictment, which alleges crimes going back to 1996, also include extortion of a metal shredding business, a second arson conspiracy, an extortion of a distributor of sanitation trucks, and an extortion of a brokerage house.

Agnello, his brother Michael, his bookkeeper Debra DeCarlo, reputed front man John Sowulski, and three codefendants from a Queens indictment filed in January, Steven Scala, Mark Lomonaco and Joseph Burger, were named in a 35-count federal indictment filed in Brooklyn.

Agnello, who had been free on $2 million bail posted by his novelist wife Victoria and friends, was held without bail as a danger to the community until a detention hearing that is scheduled for today. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of $21 million from Agnello, Scala, Lomonaco, Burger and the New York Shredding Corporation, the Bronx-based firm that is the focal point of the case.