Pizza Connection Trial

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Turncoat witness Tommaso Buscetta (in sunglasses) is led into court at the "Maxi Trial", circa 1986 .
Turncoat witness Tommaso Buscetta (in sunglasses) is led into court at the "Maxi Trial", circa 1986 .

The Pizza Connection Trial was one of the largest criminal cases in United States history, taking place between October 24, 1985 and March 2, 1987.

Contents

[edit] Scope of the trial

The trial centered around a mafia plot to distribute heroin and launder the proceeds using a number of independently owned pizza parlors as fronts. The lead store in the scheme was "Al Dentes" in Forest Hills, Queens[citation needed], which remains open today, albeit under new ownership. (Coincidentally, Al Dentes is one block from a location used for a barber shop scene in the movie GoodFellas[citation needed].) It is estimated that $1.6 billion worth of illegal drugs was brought into the U.S. between 1975 and 1984[citation needed], when a number of the key drug traffickers were arrested in a Palermo airport trying to smuggle in huge amounts of cash. This resulted in a major crackdown primarily involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York City Police, with co-operation from Italian police.[citation needed]

[edit] Defendants

There were originally 32 mafia members and associates who were indicted in the case. Approximately 24 of the defendants were residing in America and presumed available for immediate prosecution. Out of those 24, only 22 defendants eventually stood trial - believed to be just a fraction of the number of Mafiosi involved in the scheme - all Sicilian born, and many of whom could not speak English. Approximately 8 other defendants were sought for arrest outside of America, but were never placed on trail in the United States. Prior to the start of the trial, one defendant was murdered, one died of natural causes and another was murdered during the trial. Each defendant had his own attorney for the historic trial, which made the courtroom especially crowded. One of the defendants was murdered before the trial even began and two others were shot during the course of the trial. Mafia turncoat Tommaso Buscetta testified at the trial against his former criminal associates; he had not been part of the Pizza Connection scheme himself, but he had helped establish the Sicilians' presence in the U.S. drug trade in the early 1970s and had been a close friend of many of the defendants.

[edit] Witnesses

Another key witness was Salvatore Contorno, a Sicilian mafioso who became a state witness following the example of Buscetta. He agreed to testify in return for entry in the United States’ Witness Protection Program after having been the target of an attempted murder by the Corleonesi and losing family members to the same. He gave the evidence that directly linked the defendants to heroin trafficking. On the witness stand, he told how in the spring of 1980 he was present at a meeting in the iron factory of Leonardo Greco in Bagheria, Sicily. Among those present were five of the defendants at the trial: Salvatore Greco, Giuseppe Ganci, Gaetano Mazzara, Salvatore Catalano, and Francesco Castronovo. Contorno watched as the men, "took out two plastic garbage bags and extracted packages of white powder in clear plastic envelopes, each bearing different tiny scissor cuts or pen or pencil marks to identify the individual owner. They poured samples of the powder into a bottle heating on a hot plate." These same marked samples would later be intercepted by the DEA as a seizure of 40 kilograms of 85 percent pure heroin which was "$8 million worth at Mafia importer’s prices and at least $80 million worth at street prices."

[edit] Verdict

The case proved especially difficult for the jurors, who were not allowed to take notes and were often asked to leave the court at important times, and for defendants, many of whom could not understand English.

The case was meant to strike a definitive blow to the drug trade in the U.S. and for this reason the costs and the sheer scale of the trial were allowed to escalate. The case ended up costing $50 million. The prosecution case alone took a year to present. Ultimately, however, despite most of the defendants being found guilty, the trial had little impact on the drug problem in the U.S.

[edit] Consequences

Gaetano Badalamenti, a former Mafia boss from Palermo, Sicily, was one of those convicted. He was given a 45-year sentence. He would eventually die of heart failure at the age of 80 at the Devens Federal Medical center located in Ayer, Massachusetts on April 29, 2004.

Domenico Lo Galbo, another of the bosses, convicted in absentia and sentenced to 18 years, died on 30 December 2005 in his bed in Bagheria (near Palermo). Relatives called the police to denounce the death, pretending he had returned from the United States to Sicily a few days before in order to die in his bed.

The lead prosecutor was future FBI Director Louis Freeh. He was responsible for the novel use of actors who read and acted out the English translations of the transcripted dialogue between the defendants.

Rudy Giuliani, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who would later become Mayor of New York and modern Republican U.S. presidential candidate, also played a key role in the prosecution case.

[edit] The Defendants

The United States of America vs Badalamenti et al.

  • Pietro Alfano - aka "Peter" or "The Nephew", Oregon Illinois. Sicilian mafiosi and Don Tano Badalamenti's nephew. Arrested in Madrid, Spain in 1984, while meeting with his uncle and cousin. Shot and crippled, while shopping in Greenwich Village, New York on February 11, 1987 a month prior to the trial verdicts being announced. Eventually he was sentenced to 15 years and served out 7 years.
  • Baldassare Amato - aka "Baldo", Brooklyn, New York. Sicilian mafiosi and Bonanno crime family caporegime. Not sentenced until May 3, 1988, a 14 month delay made possible by his lawyer. Amato was sentenced to 5 years and given 3 month conditional bail to put his affairs in order. He was eventually freed, but he has recently been convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence.
  • Gaetano Badalamenti - aka "Don Tano", "The Uncle or "The Old Man", Sicilian mafiosi and former Cinisi capo-mafia (boss). Sentenced to 45 years, died in an American prison hospital in 2004.
  • Vito Badalamenti - Sicilian mafiosi and son of Gaetano. 1 of 2 defendants to be acquitted on the drug related charges. Presently on Italy's 30 Most Wanted List of mafia members.
  • Cesare Bonventre - aka "The Tall Guy", Sicilian mafiosi and Bonanno crime family caporegime, murdered in 1984 prior to the indictment.
  • Giovanni Cangialosi - aka "Johnny", Baldwin, Long Island. Sicilian mafiosi. Sentenced to 12 years.
  • Filippo Casamento - aka "Tizio", Brooklyn, New York. Sicilian mafiosi and Bonanno crime family associate. Sentenced to 30 years for his second heroin distribution conviction. Casamento was eventually released, but in early 2008 he was once again indicted for criminal activities in Operation Old Bridge that targeted mobsters in Sicly and America.
  • Frank Castronovo - aka "Ciccio l'Americano, Parlin, New Jersey, Sicilian mafiosi and brother-in-law of Tommy Mazzara. Sentenced to 25 years.
  • Onofrio Catalano - aka "Oliviero", Sicilian mafiosi and cousin of Salvatore.
  • Salvatore Catalano - aka "Toto" or "The Baker", Sicilian mafiosi and Bonanno crime family caporegime. Sentenced to 45 years, due out of prison 11-14-2009 according to the Federal BOP website.
  • Lorenzo De Vardo - aka "Larry", Queens, New York. Sicilian mafiosi, 1 of 2 defendants who plead to a lesser during the trial. Sentenced to 4 years for possession of a revolver.
  • Samuel Evola - aka "Salvatore" or "Sam", Temperance, Michigan. Sicilian mafiosi and Don Tano Badalamenti's nephew. A known member of the Detroit Partnership. On the last day of trial Evola decided to plead guilty and received 15 years, cutting 5-10 years off his possible sentence.
  • Giuseppe Ganci - aka "Pino" or "Bufalone", Sicilian mafiosi, who died of cancer before the start of trial on February 11, 1986.
  • Salvatore Greco - Oakhurst, New Jersey. Sicilian mafiosi and brother of Bagheria capo-mafia (boss) Leonardo Greco. Sentenced to 20 years.
  • Giuseppe Lamberti - aka "The Brother-in-Law", Sicilian mafiosi, brother-in-law of Mazzurco and cousin of Salvatore. Sentenced to 30 years.
  • Salvatore Lamberti - aka "Toto", Woodmere, Long Island. Sicilian mafiosi and cousin of Giuseppe. Sentenced to 20 years for narcotics conspiracy.
  • Giovanni Ligammari - aka "Johnny", Saddle River, New Jersey. Sicilian mafiosi, sentenced to 15 years. Upon his release in 1995 after serving 8 years he returned to his Bergin County home in suburban N.J. where he lived until he and his son Pietro were found hanging in the basement of the home on May 21, 1999. It was ruled a double suicide.
  • Gaetano Mazzara - aka "Tommy", Sayerville, New Jersey. Sicilian mafiosi, murdered on December 1, 1985 during the trial.
  • Salvatore Mazzurco - aka "The Little One" or "The Cousin", Sicilian mafiosi. Sentenced to 20 years for narcotics conspiracy and 15 years on his RICO conviction. Sentences to run concurrently.
  • Emmanuele Palazzolo - aka "Manny" or "The Brother-in-Law", Milton, Wisconsin. Sicilian mafiosi and Don Tano Badalamenti's nephew, brother-in-law to Peter Alfano. Sentenced to 12 years on narcotics conspiracy.
  • Francesco Polizzi - aka "Frank" or "Ciccio", Belleville, New Jersey. DeCavalcante crime family caporegime and Sicilian mafia associate. Sentenced to 20 years. Presently deceased.
  • Vincenzo Randazzo - aka "Enzo", Milan, Italy. Sicilian mafiosi and Don Tano Badalamenti's nephew. Extradited from Zurich, Switzerland to New York for the trial. 1 of 2 defendants who plead to a lesser charge before trial began.
  • Salvatore Salamone - aka "Sal", Freeland, Pennsylvania. Sicilian mafiosi, 1 of 2 defendants to be acquitted on the drug related charges, but was convicted on currency violations that carried up to 5 years in prison. He was later retried on gunrunning charges, convicted and sentenced to 18 years.
  • Giuseppe Trupiano - aka "Joe", Olney, Illinois. Sicilian mafiosi and Don Tano Badalamenti's nephew. Sentenced to 1 year for narcotics conspiracy.
  • Giuseppe Vitale aka "Joe" Paris, Illinois. Sicilian mafiosi and Don Tano Badalamenti's nephew. Sentenced to 5 years.

[edit] Other Defendants Sought During Trial

(America, Italy, Switzerland and South Africa)

  • Franco Della Torre -
  • Leonardo Greco - capo-mafia (boss) of the Bagheria cosca (crime family), brother of Salvatore.
  • Faro Lupo - Sicilian mafiosi, nephew of Randazzo who lived with Alfano until 1984 when he returned to Europe.
  • Salvatore Miniati -
  • Vito Roberto Palazzolo - Sicilian mafiosi and money launderer based in South Africa and involved in Swiss banking operations. A member of the Cinisi cosca (crime family) and a relative of Don Tano Badalamenti. No relation to defendant Manny Palzzolo.
  • Filippo Salamone - Sicilian mafiosi, related to Salvatore.
  • Giuseppe Soresi - Sicilian mafiosi from Borghetto, Palermo. Suspected of heroin trafficking with American associates.
  • Oliviero Tognoli - Sicilian mafia money launderer based in Italy. Financial adviser and investor for Leonardo Greco and other Cosa Nostra leaders whom he held numerous Swiss bank accounts for.
  • Benny Zito - Philadelphia pizzeria owner and associate of Joe Ganci who led authorities directly to the Catalano-Ganci Consortium in New York. Zito was not charged in the Pizza Connection, but he was charged in a separate drug related case by authorities in Pennsylvania. It was Zito who led authorities into the heart of the Pizza Connection heroin network and to the Sicilian mafia members who oversaw the drug and money laundering operations. He was suspected of fleeing prior to the indictments being handed down, but possibly he was murdered by his associates due to the fact he has not been seen or heard from to this day.

[edit] References

[edit] External links