The Michael Marcello sentencing was held and he was sentenced to 102 months, which is within the guideline range of 87-108 months. Some may think this was too much and others may say not enough. The federal guidelines are a funny set of rules. There are these things called "grouping" where a judge can find different crimes can be grouped together and in effect cancel each other out and become equal in the equation. Sentencing guidelines also use tax losses to calculate the range. The more mula (money) the more time.
Guidelines can be tricky and even courts, prosecutors, probation officers, and defense lawyers can have different views on their application. The Supreme Court recently ruled judges can depart from the guidelines and impose sentences not in violation of a statutory minimum. This is a new direction in which courts can depart. We as lawyers (prosecutors and judges are lawyers) get used to one system and then another one is put in its place. As the guidelines fade away so do the sentences. We have more people in prison than any other country. Are lawyers losing that many cases?
Joseph "The Shark" Lopez
Friday, March 14, 2008
Enhanced Evidence Revealed in Tinley Park Executions
Tinley Park Murders: It's been six weeks since five women were brutally killed inside a Lane Bryant clothing store in a south Chicago suburb. Now, AMW 
has teamed up with some of the best experts in the country to analyze evidence and help track down the killer. We are now releasing images of two cars that may be linked to these gruesome murders -- and an enhanced recording of the killer's voice caught on tape.
William Balser: Until February 18, 1998, most people thought Bill Balser was a respectable family man. He was well-educated and even had a photographic memory. In his free time he enjoyed exercise and playing jazz trumpet. However, police say that Balser and his girlfriend, Robin Lee Robinson, abused drugs, alcohol -- and her two daughters.
Robin Robinson: Robin Lee Robinson's two daughters withstood eight years of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of Robin's boyfriend, William Lloyd Balser. Cops say what made matters worse is the fact that Robinson was aware of it and did nothing. Since 1998, she's been on the run and cops are hoping that she'll soon be behind bars.
Mark Earhart: Police in Tennessee are on the hunt to track down an alleged sex offender who they say skipped town. Cops say Earhart may be working on a barge and is known to have experience with towboats.
Faarah Iiman: On December 14, 2007, cops say that an argument over a Playstation 2 ended in an attempted murder in Portland , Maine . Police tell us that suspect Faarah Iiman accused his friend of taking the video game console, and he wanted it back -- at any cost.
Jose Reyes-Sanchez: His nickname is "Angel," but cops say Jose Ramon Reyes-Sanchez won't be fitted for his wings any time soon. According to police, he killed two men following an argument, then hit the road with an unlikely partner -- his 12-year-old son.
Joseph Duran: Police in Vacaville , Calif. are on the lookout for an 18-year-old suspect in the shooting of one of his former friends. Cops say that Joseph Stanley Duran shot and killed 19-year-old Angelo Hurst during a drive-by shooting on June 20, 2007. Authorities tell AMW that Hurst wasn't the intended target -- Duran was aiming for someone else and Hurst was simply caught in the crosshairs in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, Duran's on the run and cops are hoping that AMW viewers can help to pinpoint his whereabouts.
Tammy Vincent: Almost 30 years have passed since police were called to an isolated beach 20 miles north of San Francisco to investigate a grisly murder scene that centered around the charred remains of a teenage Jane Doe. For years, cops tried to identify the girl and figure out the events surrounding her death, but it wasn't until AMW lent a helping hand that parts of the puzzle began to fit together. Authorities now know that the murdered girl -- 16-year-old Tammy Vincent -- was the girl embroiled in the middle of a state's case against a sleazy Seattle strip club whose owners, cops believe, had her killed for the things she knew.
Jon Schillaci: The FBI top ten list is generally reserved for terrorists and other violent criminals. But, the bureau - and AMW - believe that sexual predators should be part of the list as well. That's why the hunt is on for Jon Schillaci, a convicted child sexual predator. He is now on the top ten list. Cops say the ex-con was offered a new chance at life after serving time in Texas , but instead repaid one family's kindness with a parent's worst nightmare.
Chi Du: When a jealous ex spotted his former girlfriend with another man, he decided that if he couldn't have her, then no one would. Police say a brutal attack soon followed, and Chi Du left two stunned victims behind.
Eddie Harrington: Both the FBI and police in Columbus , Ga. have issued arrest warrants for the abduction of three children. Authorities say that Eddie Harrington, 28, got into an argument with his wife and kidnapped his three children from their home: twin sisters Aliyah and Agna Battle, 1 year old, and Cedric Harrington, 3 years old. The police are concerned about the safety of both the children and Harrington -- and he has a history of mental health issues.
Perry Griffin Killers: The family of Perry Griffin is trying to come to terms with why Perry, 37, was gunned down outside his office in Dothan , Ala.
has teamed up with some of the best experts in the country to analyze evidence and help track down the killer. We are now releasing images of two cars that may be linked to these gruesome murders -- and an enhanced recording of the killer's voice caught on tape.William Balser: Until February 18, 1998, most people thought Bill Balser was a respectable family man. He was well-educated and even had a photographic memory. In his free time he enjoyed exercise and playing jazz trumpet. However, police say that Balser and his girlfriend, Robin Lee Robinson, abused drugs, alcohol -- and her two daughters.
Robin Robinson: Robin Lee Robinson's two daughters withstood eight years of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of Robin's boyfriend, William Lloyd Balser. Cops say what made matters worse is the fact that Robinson was aware of it and did nothing. Since 1998, she's been on the run and cops are hoping that she'll soon be behind bars.
Mark Earhart: Police in Tennessee are on the hunt to track down an alleged sex offender who they say skipped town. Cops say Earhart may be working on a barge and is known to have experience with towboats.
Faarah Iiman: On December 14, 2007, cops say that an argument over a Playstation 2 ended in an attempted murder in Portland , Maine . Police tell us that suspect Faarah Iiman accused his friend of taking the video game console, and he wanted it back -- at any cost.
Jose Reyes-Sanchez: His nickname is "Angel," but cops say Jose Ramon Reyes-Sanchez won't be fitted for his wings any time soon. According to police, he killed two men following an argument, then hit the road with an unlikely partner -- his 12-year-old son.
Joseph Duran: Police in Vacaville , Calif. are on the lookout for an 18-year-old suspect in the shooting of one of his former friends. Cops say that Joseph Stanley Duran shot and killed 19-year-old Angelo Hurst during a drive-by shooting on June 20, 2007. Authorities tell AMW that Hurst wasn't the intended target -- Duran was aiming for someone else and Hurst was simply caught in the crosshairs in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, Duran's on the run and cops are hoping that AMW viewers can help to pinpoint his whereabouts.
Tammy Vincent: Almost 30 years have passed since police were called to an isolated beach 20 miles north of San Francisco to investigate a grisly murder scene that centered around the charred remains of a teenage Jane Doe. For years, cops tried to identify the girl and figure out the events surrounding her death, but it wasn't until AMW lent a helping hand that parts of the puzzle began to fit together. Authorities now know that the murdered girl -- 16-year-old Tammy Vincent -- was the girl embroiled in the middle of a state's case against a sleazy Seattle strip club whose owners, cops believe, had her killed for the things she knew.
Jon Schillaci: The FBI top ten list is generally reserved for terrorists and other violent criminals. But, the bureau - and AMW - believe that sexual predators should be part of the list as well. That's why the hunt is on for Jon Schillaci, a convicted child sexual predator. He is now on the top ten list. Cops say the ex-con was offered a new chance at life after serving time in Texas , but instead repaid one family's kindness with a parent's worst nightmare.
Chi Du: When a jealous ex spotted his former girlfriend with another man, he decided that if he couldn't have her, then no one would. Police say a brutal attack soon followed, and Chi Du left two stunned victims behind.
Eddie Harrington: Both the FBI and police in Columbus , Ga. have issued arrest warrants for the abduction of three children. Authorities say that Eddie Harrington, 28, got into an argument with his wife and kidnapped his three children from their home: twin sisters Aliyah and Agna Battle, 1 year old, and Cedric Harrington, 3 years old. The police are concerned about the safety of both the children and Harrington -- and he has a history of mental health issues.
Perry Griffin Killers: The family of Perry Griffin is trying to come to terms with why Perry, 37, was gunned down outside his office in Dothan , Ala.
How Joe Pistone and the FBI Used Intel to Stop the Mob
Dominick “Sonny Black” Napolitano just couldn’t believe it.
On July 26, 1981, he and his fellow wise guys learned that Donnie Brasco—who they knew as a small-time jewelry thief and burglar, who they thought was their partner and even their friend, who they were about to officially induct into the Bonnano crime family—was actually FBI Agent Joe Pistone.
Pistone had fooled them all with a masterful acting job that had begun in 1976 and lasted six long years. He had appeared in “Little Italy” in New York City as a stranger and outsider, slowly meeting and making friends with a series of mobsters, gaining their trust, making it look like he was participating in their life of crime—all the while secretly gathering vital intelligence on the Mafia and its criminal ways.
It wasn’t easy, to be sure. Pistone had to think, talk, and act like a crook (he spent two full weeks, for example, studying the jewelry industry). He had to know the rules of the Mafia game. He had to tell lies—lots of lies—convincingly, about who he was and what he was up to. He had to make friends with mobsters and criminals and be separated from family and friends for long stretches of time, even on holidays.
It was incredibly dangerous work as well. While playing his part, Pistone could have been seen with the wrong person or been recognized by someone he knew. His various recording devices could have been exposed or gone haywire and given him away. He might have let a word slip. The slightest mistake or accident could have cost him his life. His mission was so secret that only a handful in the FBI knew about it.
The decision to put Pistone into this undercover role was made by our office in New York City, home of the five main Mafia families—Bonanno, Gambino, Colombo, Genovese, and Lucchese. In years past, we’d had some success in gathering intelligence on the mob, but typically only around the edges. The core—the leadership—was often untouchable because of the Mafia's code of silence. Agents in our New York office decided to try out a longer-term undercover operation—one of the first of its kind. But even they had no idea that it would end up lasting so long and bearing so much fruit.
And what an intelligence goldmine it was. The operation gave us a window into the inner workings of the Mafia generally and the Bonanno family specifically (and to a lesser degree, some of the other families), not only in New York, but in Florida, Michigan, and elsewhere. We learned firsthand who the players were, what kinds of rackets they were running, and what rules they played by. And it ultimately led to more than 100 federal convictions.
The end game. The tool that Pistone and a small band of agents bravely pioneered in the ‘70s was used again and again with great effect over the next three decades, generating intelligence that helped us target and take down major criminal enterprises and deal a serious blow to the Mafia. And it became a staple of our intelligence tradecraft, a crucial arrow in the quiver we use to protect the American people.
Thanks to the FBI.
On July 26, 1981, he and his fellow wise guys learned that Donnie Brasco—who they knew as a small-time jewelry thief and burglar, who they thought was their partner and even their friend, who they were about to officially induct into the Bonnano crime family—was actually FBI Agent Joe Pistone.
Pistone had fooled them all with a masterful acting job that had begun in 1976 and lasted six long years. He had appeared in “Little Italy” in New York City as a stranger and outsider, slowly meeting and making friends with a series of mobsters, gaining their trust, making it look like he was participating in their life of crime—all the while secretly gathering vital intelligence on the Mafia and its criminal ways.
It wasn’t easy, to be sure. Pistone had to think, talk, and act like a crook (he spent two full weeks, for example, studying the jewelry industry). He had to know the rules of the Mafia game. He had to tell lies—lots of lies—convincingly, about who he was and what he was up to. He had to make friends with mobsters and criminals and be separated from family and friends for long stretches of time, even on holidays.
It was incredibly dangerous work as well. While playing his part, Pistone could have been seen with the wrong person or been recognized by someone he knew. His various recording devices could have been exposed or gone haywire and given him away. He might have let a word slip. The slightest mistake or accident could have cost him his life. His mission was so secret that only a handful in the FBI knew about it.
The decision to put Pistone into this undercover role was made by our office in New York City, home of the five main Mafia families—Bonanno, Gambino, Colombo, Genovese, and Lucchese. In years past, we’d had some success in gathering intelligence on the mob, but typically only around the edges. The core—the leadership—was often untouchable because of the Mafia's code of silence. Agents in our New York office decided to try out a longer-term undercover operation—one of the first of its kind. But even they had no idea that it would end up lasting so long and bearing so much fruit.
And what an intelligence goldmine it was. The operation gave us a window into the inner workings of the Mafia generally and the Bonanno family specifically (and to a lesser degree, some of the other families), not only in New York, but in Florida, Michigan, and elsewhere. We learned firsthand who the players were, what kinds of rackets they were running, and what rules they played by. And it ultimately led to more than 100 federal convictions.
The end game. The tool that Pistone and a small band of agents bravely pioneered in the ‘70s was used again and again with great effect over the next three decades, generating intelligence that helped us target and take down major criminal enterprises and deal a serious blow to the Mafia. And it became a staple of our intelligence tradecraft, a crucial arrow in the quiver we use to protect the American people.
Thanks to the FBI.
How Would Youse Like to be in a Mob Movie?
Dare to Dream films is holding a casting call next week for the new movie: "Little Chicago".
Their looking for women ages 21 through 40's. You're encouraged to bring either a headshot or a recent up-close photo.
The casting call is Monday and Wednesday from 2 to 7 p.m., at the Chameleon Lounge in Endicott, NY For more information, call (607) 743-0851.
Little Chicago Plot Summary:
Little Chicago is not in the state of Illinois. It's 75 miles from Niagara Falls, New York.
Stefano Magaddino, cousin of Joseph Bonanno, and his brother Antonio stood by the roaring waters of Niagara Falls on a freezing day in January of 1920, a day that changed the drinking habits of Americans. This was the day the Volstead Act -- Prohibition -- went into effect.
"We’re going to be rich, Antonio," Stefano said, looking over the Niagara River. "I'm glad I voted Republican."
They made a fortune moving alcohol, the golden key of bootleg whiskey, across the Canadian border. Magaddino would become the man to be reckoned with in Western New York. No one would dare cross one of the last "Dons" in America.
Like a giant conglomerate, the illegal booze racket ran wild. Speakeasies saturated the landscape, small-time hoods battled for power and Wild-West-style gang wars raged in small towns in Western New York and northern Pennsylvania.
The smell of big money reached the noses of ambitious young thugs.
Murder numbers ran out of control. It was a wide-open franchise as long as the Magaddinos received a generous return.
Out of the gunsmoke surfaced Al Ritchie, an ex-boxer and small-time thug who was given a gold badge by the district attorney and ran a successful bootleg operation.
The main character, Richie, an outside Mafia renegade, was behind many of the 14 unsolved murders in "Little Chicago." When he came to town he was a tall, handsome, 26-year-old Italian immigrant. He was a womanizer with a hypnotic charm. His jet-black hair, deep set eyes and slender build gave him a Valentino appearance. He always wore expensive suits and a $1,000 diamond pin in his lapel. He was the target of at least five attempts on his life but always walked away unscathed. To stay alive, he had to be clever, cunning and ruthless. He always wore a smile on his face, but kept a sinister hate in his heart. He trusted no one. His involvement with a 16-year-old beauty was taken as a passing fancy, but the affair carried a dark shadow with it. Rose Parente, a wide-eyed cupie-doll high school senior, was a constant companion of Ritchie’s.
Al Ritchie would go on to live his immigrant dream. He made a fortune with bootleg booze, ran a nightclub, the Sunset Inn, a few miles outside of Olean. He had cars, clothes, action and a reputation to be reckoned with. What more could one ask out of life?
He was a Robin Hood to the poor and downtrodden, but a chilling person to his enemies.
The movie is based on the true story described in a chapter of the book “Invisible Ink" by Carl A. Veno.
Their looking for women ages 21 through 40's. You're encouraged to bring either a headshot or a recent up-close photo.
The casting call is Monday and Wednesday from 2 to 7 p.m., at the Chameleon Lounge in Endicott, NY For more information, call (607) 743-0851.
Little Chicago Plot Summary:
Little Chicago is not in the state of Illinois. It's 75 miles from Niagara Falls, New York.
Stefano Magaddino, cousin of Joseph Bonanno, and his brother Antonio stood by the roaring waters of Niagara Falls on a freezing day in January of 1920, a day that changed the drinking habits of Americans. This was the day the Volstead Act -- Prohibition -- went into effect."We’re going to be rich, Antonio," Stefano said, looking over the Niagara River. "I'm glad I voted Republican."
They made a fortune moving alcohol, the golden key of bootleg whiskey, across the Canadian border. Magaddino would become the man to be reckoned with in Western New York. No one would dare cross one of the last "Dons" in America.
Like a giant conglomerate, the illegal booze racket ran wild. Speakeasies saturated the landscape, small-time hoods battled for power and Wild-West-style gang wars raged in small towns in Western New York and northern Pennsylvania.
The smell of big money reached the noses of ambitious young thugs.
Murder numbers ran out of control. It was a wide-open franchise as long as the Magaddinos received a generous return.
Out of the gunsmoke surfaced Al Ritchie, an ex-boxer and small-time thug who was given a gold badge by the district attorney and ran a successful bootleg operation.
The main character, Richie, an outside Mafia renegade, was behind many of the 14 unsolved murders in "Little Chicago." When he came to town he was a tall, handsome, 26-year-old Italian immigrant. He was a womanizer with a hypnotic charm. His jet-black hair, deep set eyes and slender build gave him a Valentino appearance. He always wore expensive suits and a $1,000 diamond pin in his lapel. He was the target of at least five attempts on his life but always walked away unscathed. To stay alive, he had to be clever, cunning and ruthless. He always wore a smile on his face, but kept a sinister hate in his heart. He trusted no one. His involvement with a 16-year-old beauty was taken as a passing fancy, but the affair carried a dark shadow with it. Rose Parente, a wide-eyed cupie-doll high school senior, was a constant companion of Ritchie’s.
Al Ritchie would go on to live his immigrant dream. He made a fortune with bootleg booze, ran a nightclub, the Sunset Inn, a few miles outside of Olean. He had cars, clothes, action and a reputation to be reckoned with. What more could one ask out of life?
He was a Robin Hood to the poor and downtrodden, but a chilling person to his enemies.
The movie is based on the true story described in a chapter of the book “Invisible Ink" by Carl A. Veno.
Plea for Mercy Reduces Mobster's Sentence
Saying he was swayed by a family's plea for mercy, a federal judge sentenced a mob figure to 8 1/2 years in prison Tuesday for passing information to his imprisoned half-brother, a reputed Outfit boss.
U.S. District Judge James Zagel said he had planned to impose an even stiffer sentence until Michael Marcello's son, Sam, and others spoke of his dedication to his family.
"He's a decent man, he's remorseful and he's very conscious of his actions," the son said of Marcello, who pleaded guilty in June to racketeering and conspiracy to conduct affairs with organized crime. "He's always insisted I conduct myself with principle. "
Zagel said Marcello's loyalty had made him an exceptional family member but may also have led him down "the disastrous path" to his mob activities.
"Maybe one of your principles is one of your problems," the judge said. "Maybe you were too good of a brother."
Zagel said he had intended to sentence Marcello,58, to more than nine years—the maximum called for under federal sentencing guidelines.
Thanks to Azam Ahmed
U.S. District Judge James Zagel said he had planned to impose an even stiffer sentence until Michael Marcello's son, Sam, and others spoke of his dedication to his family.
"He's a decent man, he's remorseful and he's very conscious of his actions," the son said of Marcello, who pleaded guilty in June to racketeering and conspiracy to conduct affairs with organized crime. "He's always insisted I conduct myself with principle. "
Zagel said Marcello's loyalty had made him an exceptional family member but may also have led him down "the disastrous path" to his mob activities.
"Maybe one of your principles is one of your problems," the judge said. "Maybe you were too good of a brother."
Zagel said he had intended to sentence Marcello,58, to more than nine years—the maximum called for under federal sentencing guidelines.
Thanks to Azam Ahmed
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