An alleged Genovese offense family member from Yonkers, New House of York has been sentenced to Little Joe years inward a federal prison house on illegal gambling and blockage charges, The Journal News reports.
Prosecutors had wanted to assign John Tortora, aka “Johnny T.”, aside for off and racketeering. But that vitrine collapsed after governance lawyers failed to establish his complicity in the 1997 violent death of 29-year-old landscaper Richard Ortiz.
Ortiz was stabbed to demise alfresco the Mill, a Yonkers bar. Four days after the killing, constabulary arrested a former convict, Abdill Saez. But the charges were later dropped for want of evidence.
Prosecutors originally contended that Tortora had ordered the bang on the 29-year-old. He suspected him of stealing from play machines Tortora had installed inward surface area bars. But the evidence didn’t pile up.
‘Bragged About Killing’
The murder-for-hire point was mostly based on the testimonial of Carmine Francomano Jr., a reputed Lucchese associate. Francomano claimed Tortora had directed Saez to defeat Ortiz.
But Tortora’s lawyers argued it was Francomano’s own play machines that had been robbed, and the prosecutors’ asterisk informant was the unity who had ordered the hit.
Additionally, Ortiz may have failed to pay off for drugs he was dealing for Francomano, and may hold he told authorities virtually an after-hours debar he operated, according to the defense.
Francomano had been inward the John Mill at the clip of the slaying and had driven Saez aside from the scene. He was an betimes surmise and was yet supercharged with the crime inwards 2015.
Tortora’s lawyer, Barry Levin, produced attestant statements from individuals who said they had heard Francomano talking virtually the killing.
“Francomano also bragged near the dispatch to many people o'er the years, never formerly mentioning Tortora’s involvement,” Levin told the court. “None of this had anything to ut with Tortora.”
Destroying Evidence
Ultimately, Tortora was allowed to plead hangdog to the lesser crimes. The obstruction burster related to the destruction of surveillance footage at his check-cashing business. That was after federal investigators witnessed Genovese family police captain Book of the Prophet Daniel Pagano visiting the premises inwards Oct 2018, and requested the tape.
The illegal play bill stemmed from Tortora’s 20-year involvement in an illegal sports betting ring.
According to documents filed by the defense, Francomano and Saez hold at present admitted their complicity in the killing. But The Journal News noted thither is no more record inwards the federal court database of arrests or shamed pleas from the pair.
“At the end of the day, to tour from cladding the dying penalty for a dispatch you had aught to come with to a four-year term, we’ve come a long way,” Levin, told The Journal News. “On the other hand, the administration had no case.”