The two men were bonuses last week in an otherwise routine mob gambling case in which dozens of suspects were arrested.

Police officer Richard (Pasta) Sacco, 28, (left) was a runner for a sports betting and numbers bank controlled by Genovese soldier Federcio (Fritzy) Giovanelli, (right) according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. Sacco, a cop for seven years, picked up bets from high rollers on his beat at the state courts in Brooklyn.

Giovanelli was acquitted of murder in the 1986 slaying of NYPD detective Anthony Venditti. Giovanelli, 68, was Sacco's ultimate boss, said Brown, but since there wasn't enough evidence to charge Fritzy  with illegal gambling, the feds busted him for violating parole for hanging out with criminals and being an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the gambling operation.

"His (Sacco's) interest was simply the making of money," said Brown  who did not directly link the cop to Giovanelli.

Sacco was released on bond after he pleaded not guilty to the charges. Giovanelli is in a federal lockup awaiting a hearing for parole violation. 

Venditti was killed when Giovanelli mistook him for a rival gangster outside a Queens diner. Ever since, Giovanelli has been a prime target of state and federal law enforcement officials.

His first two murder trials in Queens -- in 1987 and 1988 -- ended with hung juries, with a majority of jurors favoring acquittal. The following year, the feds lumped the killing into a racketeering indictment and convicted him. He was sentenced to 20 years, but his prison term was cut in half when an appeals court threw out the murder conviction.

In October, 1994, as his mandatory release from prison drew near, Brown reinstated the state murder charge, but Giovanelli was acquitted.

"Obviously, it's not an easy case," Brown said at the time, "but it seems to me that I have an obligation as a prosecutor to continue to bring those responsible for the murder of a detective to justice."

Brown (left) still feels the same way, obviously. It's a good bet the feds do too, and that Giovanelli gets the maximum 42 months for parole violation, or close to it.

"Frank, the years go by my son but the tears never stop," she said in a paid memorial notice like so many that have appeared on his birthday and the anniversary of his death. "The pain never ends and the longing for you remains always in our hearts. Loving you always, Mom and Dad."

His four brothers and sisters and their families expressed similar sentiments to  Frank, who was killed when he drove a motorized minibike into the path of a neighbor's car.

"Happy Anniversary in heaven," said one from brother John, his wife, and four children. "It was a short time you were with us and those times we shared will never be forgotten. We hold those memories so close to our hearts. Your beautiful smile and the warmth of your eyes will always be remembered. We miss you deeply and you are forever in our hearts."

Gang Land Contest

Because of the overwhelming interest, Gang Land is having its first ever contest. There are two prizes. First prize is an autographed copy of Murder Machine. Second prize is an autographed copy of Gotti: Rise and Fall.

The rules are simple: One guess per person, via e-mail, of course. Anyone caught submitting more than one guess will be rubbed out -- with all entries eliminated. Submit first and last names for all nine wiseguys. Here's a hint. Paul Castellano is No. 1; the wiseguy seated at the right is No. 9.

The contest ends Wednesday, April 1, at midnight, Eastern Standard Time. For those on the West Coast, it's 9 PM. You folks in England, Australia, Malaysia, and elsewhere will have to do the math yourselves. This is not an April Fool's joke. It's a real contest. All employees and relatives of Gang Land, The Daily News and The Smoking Gun are ineligible to win a prize. We will, however, list all who correctly name all nine. If more than two contestants name all nine wiseguys, we'll choose the two prize winners at Random, a small town near Hoboken, N.J.

ASK ANDY

This week, Andy -- pictured at right with Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti, one of his all-time favorite Mafia books -- is on spring break, trying to recapture his youth. He'll be back next week.