Thanks Mikey! It’s good to be back!
This is what I could find on Grasso, seems he’s a nephew of Angelo Bruno and has a decent criminal history over the last 40 years
In February of 2000, Grasso was indicted on mail fraud,
wire fraud and several hundred counts of money laundering in
Case from 1972
https://casetext.com/case/united-states-of-america-v-michael-grasso-jr-et-al1979 appeal for 1977 case
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/468/264/1806789/Early 2000s appeal for conviction in the late 1990s
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-3rd-circuit/1104713.htmlCase from 2017
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/united-states-v-michael-j-grasso-jrHere’s an article that mentions Grasso
Lawyer defends right to defend. Santaguida rebuts government claims he has mob conflict.
September 8, 2000
by Kitty Caparella
Philadelphia Daily News Staff Writer
Defense attorney Joseph Santaguida has asked a federal judge to dismiss government charges that could bar him from representing jailed mob underboss Steven Mazzone.
Last month, federal prosecutors cited five conflicts of interest in trying to disqualify Santaguida from representing Mazzone, the mob's No. 2 man.
In one allegation, the government cited an intercepted Aug. 22, 1995, telephone call in which onetime mob boss Ralph Natale boasted to Mazzone that he only made one phone call and a debt involving Santaguida and his son was resolved in a week.
Santaguida disputed that account as "false."
In a 22-page response filed last week, Santaguida submitted 12 pages of documents that showed he negotiated with real-estate mogul Michael Grasso on behalf of his son, Rocco Santaguida, for four months after Natale allegedly called Grasso to resolve the matter.
"Mr. Grasso has no recollection of any attempt by Mr. Natale to collect a debt," Santaguida added. Natale is cooperating with the government.
This conflict and four others, prosecutors have argued, could lead to an indictment, or at least put Santaguida's license to practice law in jeopardy.
U.S. District Judge Herbert J. Hutton has not issued an opinion.
Santaguida, however, challenged the government's facts and their view of specific incidents.
Santaguida submitted copies of five documents that showed his September though December negotiations, regarding Rocco's disputed real-estate commissions, with Grasso. They included:
A Sept. 13, 1995, memorandum to his file outlining Rocco's disputed commissions; an Oct. 9, 1995, counter-proposal to Grasso; Grasso's Oct. 17, 1995, response; a Nov. 22, 1995, counter-proposal from Santaguida, and a Dec. 7, 1995, general release signed by his son.
Rocco Santaguida, a real-estate salesman, initially was seeking $104,171.19 in rental commissions from Grasso's firm, U.S. Realty, but settled for $45,712.73.
"Perhaps, it is Mr. Natale who had sinister intentions; he obviously was not truthful."
Santaguida admitted that he asked several friends, including attorney Nicholas Nastasi, to help him resolve the issue.
"I don't know if Mr. Natale was present," he said.
The government also charged that Santaguida, jailed mob boss Joey Merlino's longtime attorney, had "divided loyalties" and could not properly represent Mazzone.
But Santaguida pointed out that Edwin Jacobs Jr. is Merlino's attorney of record, and Santaguida is representing Mazzone, who doesn't believe the government's allegations.
Santaguida said no conflict existed between Merlino or Mazzone, because both deny committing any of the crimes alleged in the upcoming murder-racketeering trial.
Mazzone's "choice of counsel is me and he is not willing to compromise this right," said Santaguida.
Another issue was Santaguida's visit to jailed mobster Gaeton Scafidi, shortly before he agreed to cooperate. Santaguida said he visited Scafidi "after he asked me to do so."
Before the visit, Santaguida said he called assistant U.S. Attorney Barry Gross because "I did not want to engage in potentially problematic behavior if Mr. Scafidi was cooperating." Gross did not state Scafidi was a government witness, and "spoke as if he did not care if I visited Mr. Scafidi," Santaguida said.
Regarding a March 1997 joint birthday party for Natale and Merlino, Santaguida said he was a guest.
To suggest that he could be a witness to those in attendance was "nonsensical," he said.
The government knew through surveillance or other law enforcement techniques who attended.
FBI Report from the 1960s that touches on Grasso...
Confidential Irtf'ormarit T-1 advised that on~ Deceliiber 20, 1963;· )ie lea.rned. that c!luririg tria day 'MICHAEL GRASS0 .con..: tacted Attorney· HERMAN.BL00M anel instruct~d-him.to meet with ANGELcr BRJ:JNO at Ralph's restaurant 'located ·on'9th.street , ;· north of Christiarr Street ·at 1 p.m. Subsequently, iri,f.ormant lear·ned that at 1~55 p~·m., BLOoM; GRASSe> and BRUNO were· seated a.t a table on the premises ,of Ralph's R~st~urant. · · Informarit advised that BRUNO's conv~rsation with GRASSO and
BL00M indicated th9.t GRASSO owes· BL00M a ceJrtain · a,m,Ot,m~ of money unknown to informant for services r•endered; and that B~TmO was also attempting to get BL00M bail money for · unknown per$ons. ·
Confidential Informant T~l learned .tbat
on Ja11uary 20, 1964, MIC~LGRA$S09 JR~,·contacted. Attorrie~s HERMAN BLOOM and GABRIEL. BERK and in~tructed them to be at GRASSO's .office 'at 3 p.m.~ ·t.o 'see ~~~Oo · ·
T-1 ·advised that on Februaey·5, 1964, ANGELO
BRUNO met with MICHAEL GRASS0~ ~HERMAN "BLeOM and ·M~f·H.. SCHWAR'rZ·at Piccalo's.500.elub,.Iltn.·a.no..Christian,::;treets:-· Bawo d i s c u s s e d w i t h . BLOOM th~ 'prerei@nt fif.d!e)ral ca~e(, imtolvfrig his a~sociate, PHILIP TESTA, and the conduct or Philadelphia . attorney JACOB KOSSMAN. in.attempting toobtainT~STA's
release ft"oin prison. BL00M ·asked BRUNO if .K0SS~~·-~ r6sponsibilities with. JA.MES Ra HOFF.Jt' s ca$~&, +~. ~~I}nessee were too demanding to permit KOSSMAN to give TESTA~the proper attention and BRUNO defended KOSSMAN's.QQQ.Q.14ct on this poihto BRUNO also indicated that he (j,etSired to .have Attorney BLOOM hcmdle the numbers ca.~e: involving BRUNO's · associate F·~a.D~c-Informant_ stated that h~. ~E?amed· subsequen~ ·r ,g . . same day that, subsequent .to a con- versati.on with bail bondsman ALBERT SCHWARTZ.~~ BRUNO changed his mind and a_ssigned Attorney.ROBERT GABRIEL to.,.J.?.~ndle the ca~e invQlving FRA~ NJ:\RDlJGCI. . , . ~
Confidential Informant T-1 a.l~o ad.vised that BLOOM indicated when asked by BR,UNO how much money TE,STA owed_t<L ·- him for hi~ legal servic~e . that he, BLOOM, handle4 TESTA's Internal Revenue Se.rvice caste and hre. r~pru~~ented TES':f'-8.' ~ .
-11-
rc- •Pll -92'-444
sister, _ who-~ going ts be cited tor dG,nt®mpt. when she .refused.
to· testify concerning her ·stolen a:utomobil~~- -_·Irifo:Nnant· .stated that- BRUNG then handed BLOeM an tinknown.amount-or·
money on behalrer PHILIP TESTAo ' The :informaht further :·-· · s,tated 'that''BRIJN0' direct~d:· RALPH'SCHwARTZ, his office -~ager . a.~ Perin Jerfiey .-Ve_qdin·g _Cothpariy;:· to ·:tasu~ ·a check -on -Penn- --.- Jerr:aef Vending to -BLOOM fo't' -an ad.ditiona! '$150. for the · work ·
BL09M d'id in sel;ting · the eE).uipme:nt·, or Penn.·J·ers~y Vendirig" _
C:Ompany, _Inc~, t o RA,~QN]) MARTORANO o f Jahrl~ IVU\.RT0RA,NO .pl1rchased:·B~Jm0' s s~rvice contract Vending Ce_mpanyo
