A motor mouth mobster who gave the feds oodles of insight about the inner workings of the Luchese crime family last year as he talked tough on FBI wiretaps has decided to keep talking to the government – this time face to face – Gang Land has learned.

Vincent (Vinny Baldy) Salanardi, (right) whose loose lips on two wiretapped cell phones led to racketeering charges for him, his father, girlfriend, step daughter, brother-in-law and 22 others in December, began cooperating officially last Thursday, according to sources on both sides of the law.

That’s when officials moved him out of general population at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and transferred him to a special prison unit for cooperating witnesses, sources said.

“The FBI asked his wife if she wanted to go into the Witness Protection Program with him and she told them, ‘tell Vinny to fuhgeddaboudit,’” said one source, adding: “She was adamant. She said, ‘No thanks. Tell him to take his girlfriend.’”

But Salanardi, 39, may be hard pressed to convince Stacy Dileo, 31, to join him. Not only did he get her indicted as part of his drug ring, but Dileo was overheard complaining on an FBI tape that he punched her out, breaking her nose and collarbone, sources said.

Vinny Baldy’s propensity for violence is underscored in numerous anecdotes prosecutors filed in a successful effort to detain him without bail following his

arrest for shaking down the owners of Hudson & McCoy, a popular Freeport L.I. eatery, among a slew of other charges.

Authorities say the shakedown began last year after the Luchese family – at the request of the restaurant owners – had ousted investor Lewis Kasman, a longtime John Gotti pal who had gained financial control, and began draining the place of up to $10,000 a night.

Luchese consigliere Joseph Caridi, (left) capo John (Johnny Sideburns) Cerrella, (right) and five others have already pleaded guilty to various charges that arose out of a yearlong investigation that featured over 1000 hours of taped conversations.

“If I stick my foot down your fucking throat and break your fucking jaw and forget about the $5000, are you going to be happy,” Salanardi was overheard telling one debtor. “Make sure you’ve got the whole balance you owe me on fucking Friday, you understand, or fucking Saturday you’re gonna be planted in the fucking hospital.”

To another loanshark customer who was begging for more time to come up with his payment, Salanardi bellowed: “I’m tired of your stories, I’ll break your fucking hole.”

Sources said Vinny Baldy, who was inducted into the crime family in 1998, has admitted extortion, drug dealing, witness tampering, and the frequent use of violence, but insists that he never killed anyone during an otherwise full life of crime.

“The old rules have changed,” said one law enforcement source, citing a decade-old Mafia Commission directive that bans murders except under

extreme circumstances. “Nowadays, you have to agree to whack someone if you’re called upon, but you don’t have to prove it up front.”

Salanardi, whose use of wiretapped phones enabled the FBI to nab fugitive wiseguy Joseph Datello last year, also gave the feds a big boost in late 1994 when he convinced Luchese soldier Frank Gioia Jr., a cousin who was then jailed awaiting trial for racketeering and drug dealing, to defect during a jailhouse visit.

Salanardi tipped Gioia that the Lucheses were going to kill his father, a gangster who had fallen out of favor with family leaders, and that led him to cooperate, making a deal that included a new identity for his father and other relatives, according to court records.

But Vinny Baldy’s deal, sources said, contains no provision for his old man, Peter, 61, (right) his girlfriend, his step daughter Desirae Rizzo, 25, or brother-in-law, Arthur (Harvey) Tarzia, 42.

“Peter has no idea what’s going on,” said his lawyer, Michael Handwerker. “If his son is cooperating, Peter is not aware of it and has nothing to do with it.”

Meanwhile, Vinny Baldy’s lawyer, Jerry L. Tritz, was mum on Salanardi’s status. So were assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Seigel and Nicolas Bourtin, who refused to confirm or deny that the one-time Luchese soldier was cooperating.

Despite the defection of five Bonanno wiseguys – an underboss, two capos and two soldiers – in six months, recent goings on at the Brooklyn federal lockup indicate that the feds have serious concerns about the case against Mafia boss Joseph Massino.

The exact nature of the concerns depends on your perspective.

FBI agents, federal prosecutors, and prison officials have ratcheted up the pressure on capo Frank (Curly) Lino – charged along with Massino (right) with the 1981 murder of Dominick (Sonny Black) Napolitano – to join former underboss Salvatore Vitale and the others.

Twice this month, FBI agents brought Lino to the office of prosecutor Greg Andres, who told Lino that the feds have tons of evidence against him, and encouraged him to join “Team America.”

In addition, defense sources say, the feds used a diabolical plot designed to convince people that Lino was cooperating. They placed him in solitary confinement 30

days ago, failed to notify him about four separate codefendant strategy meetings, while at the same time informing his codefendants and their lawyers each time that Lino (left) had chosen not to attend the sessions.

Suspecting foul play by the feds, defense lawyer Gerard Marrone visited Lino on Sunday and informed him of a codefendant meeting the following day. Lino promised to attend. The following day, however, as Massino and his codefendants, along with private investigator Vic Juliano, and lawyers Marrone, David Breitbart, and Scott Leemon all waited in a first floor conference room, Lino was a no show.

After a call to Lino’s ninth floor cell block, the first floor guard reported that Lino had again demurred. But when Marrone went to the ninth floor to check, Lino, sporting a clean shave, said he was eager to attend but had not been told the meeting was underway.

Half an hour later, Lino was brought to the first floor, and took part in a long session with several defense lawyers. Questioned about the obvious snafu, prison officials told the defense lawyers it had been an honest communication breakdown.

Prosecutor Andres and Lino’s lawyer Barry Rhodes declined to discuss the matters. Law enforcement sources said Andres made “pro forma” cooperation requests of Lino, but insist the primary purpose of those sessions was to warn Lino not to threaten any potential witnesses, as the FBI heard he had planned.

Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti

Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti – the book it took yours truly and Gene Mustain 17 years to do – tells the complete saga of John Gotti, from his treacherous rise to his defiant downfall. Although we didn't know it at the time, we began working on "Mob Star" in 1985, when we began covering the Gotti story as news reporters.

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    Not Really For Idiots

Whether you're a Gang Land regular or an occasional visitor, you'll enjoy  "The Complete Idiot's Guide to The Mafia," a book I wrote for Alpha Books. It's filled with real stuff about real wiseguys and insight about the ways that mobsters make their money. It's 343 pages of true stories of life and death, honor and betrayal. Get it at your local book store, or at Gang Land's favorite, Amazon.com, where the powers that be have knocked the price down to $13.27, so low I am concerned that the Godfather of online booksellers has forgotten about my end.