This Week In Gang Land
Stevie Is Blue: He Got Bad Legal Advice, But It's His Fault He's Serving A Life Sentence For Murder
Two
federal judges say Bonanno soldier Stephen (Stevie Blue) LoCurto "received
objectively deficient (legal) advice" about "his sentencing exposure" when
he opted to go to trial back in 2006 for the so-called "smoking gun murder."
But he cannot now get a plea offer of 20 years because he "was committed to
going to trial" even before he got the bad advice, Gang Land has learned.
"LoCurto has failed to establish that he suffered any prejudice" by going to trial on federal racketeering charges that included a1986 gangland-style slaying he was acquitted of in state court, stated another judge. LoCurto "never had — and still does not have — any legitimate willingness to plead guilty" to the murder, added the judge who conducted a full-blown hearing on the issue.
"The evidence shows that he was determined to proceed to trial" as soon as he was hit with federal murder charges and at that time, Stevie Blue "was fully aware" he could be sentenced to life "if convicted at trial," U.S. Magistrate Judge Sanket Bulsara stated in a 34-page decision denying the mobster's motion to vacate his conviction due to ineffective assistance of counsel.
Bazoo Still Wants A Do-Over In The Naked City Loansharking Case To Prove His Innocence
In
a request for a second chance to prove his innocence, Bonanno soldier John
(Bazoo) Ragano accuses federal prosecutors with using "false testimony" from
their key witness to spin a "false narrative" about his tape-recorded
confrontation with the wiseguy in order to obtain a guilty verdict against
him in the Naked City loansharking case.
Big Joe DiNapoli Checks Out At 89
Scores
of relatives, neighbors, and friends from all around the town said good-bye
last week to Joseph (Big Joe) DiNapoli, a well-respected, former Luchese
consigliere. The ailing old-school wiseguy died at Jacoby Hospital after he
was taken there after a fall. He was 89.
