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The feds will try to prove that the former leader of the Westies fixed the jury in the 1986 racketeering trial of John Gotti without calling their only witness to the crime - turncoat underboss Salvatore (Sammy Bull) Gravano.

Instead, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have dispatched teams of FBI agents to Serbia to see if they can bring back a few witnesses who can point a damning finger at onetime Westies boss Bosko Radonjich.

Until recently, sources said, the feds had intended to use their prize turncoat, even though Gravano was recently arrested in Arizona on drug trafficking charges. But the feds now feel the arrest would severely damage his credibility on the witness stand.

As the hoopla about the arrests of Gravano and his family continued all over the country, the feds decided that Radonjich's trial would turn into a media circus if Gravano took the witness stand. Winning a conviction with Gravano was far from a sure thing anyway, sources said.

"When he took the stand, you would have the daughters and sisters and mothers of Sammy's victims, and their lawyers, sitting in the first row, giving interviews, and doing whatever they could to screw up the case," said one Gang Land source. Numerous relatives of the victims have filed wrongful death suits against him, and several attended Gravano's last 

appearance as a witness, against Vincent (Chin) Gigante in 1997. Several have written the judge in Gravano's drug case asking him to keep him in jail.

The driving force in the jury tampering scheme was a corrupt juror, George Pape, who was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison.

"Sending a corrupt juror to jail is a deterrent. Sending Bosko to jail would be nice -- he deserves it -- but it wouldn't deter any gangster the next time," the source said.

Without Gravano, "the government has a circumstantial case, one that is difficult, very tough, but it is not impossible," said another source, declining to reveal any specifics.

At Pape's trial, Gravano said Radonjich was the middleman in a bribery scheme in which Pape was paid $60,000 to vote to acquit the Dapper Don and try to get the jurors to follow suit, which they did. Witnesses had also testified that Pape and Radonjich were friends and that Pape had testified for Radonjich in a federal bombing case in Chicago. Gravano first testified about the jury tampering plot in Gotti's   racketeering and murder trial in 1992. (Sketch by Ruth Pollack at left)

"In light of Gravano's recent arrest, it is unlikely that the government will call Gravano as a witness at trial," assistant U.S.

They also noted the difficulty in prosecuting an eight year old case involving crimes committed 14 years ago, and asked Glasser to delay the trial -- now set for Apr. 3 -- for 30 days.

"We are currently in the process of locating additional witnesses and evidence, much of which is located overseas," said the prosecutors,  adding that Radonjich lived in Serbia for the last nine years.

During that time, said Dorsky and Schoeman, Radonjich "spoke with numerous people about the charges in the indictment and, the government believes, made material admissions to them."

Glasser refused to sign an order delaying the trial, scheduling a hearing for Mar. 24.

"We're filing papers in opposition," said Radonjich's lawyer Lawrence Hochheiser, adding that he had already written Glasser opposing a delay.

"We wanted to give Judge Glasser notice at the earliest possible moment of our vigorous opposition," said Hochheiser. "We want to emphasize that our client is incarcerated, detained without bail. The longer this takes to try, the longer he stays in jail, unless the judge eases the pain and releases him on bail. We would still oppose it, but that would ease the pain."

Seems that what prosecutors are really saying is that their only witness stinks and they need time to find some new ones.

"Exactly," said Hochheiser. "And that's not a valid reason for a delay, in my judgment."

Ida, a Genovese capo who authorities say has gotten away with murder and other mayhem during a life of crime, pleaded guilty to criminal usury charges Monday, admitting only that he collected more than 25% interest on a loan he made on July 1, 1998.

Working out of Bova's Meat Market in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, Ida, 63, and his crew allegedly charged up to 250% annual interest on $500,000 in loans they made over a five-year period.

According to a deal worked out between assistant district attorney Patricia McNeill and defense lawyer James DiPietro, Ida will receive six months home detention and forfeit $75,000 when he is sentenced on May 3.

Two Ida underlings in the scheme, Genovese associates Ernest Colelli, 55, and Michael Squicciarini, 53, each will get six months to be served in jail, not at home. Ida got off easier because, unlike his henchmen, he has no prior criminal record.