My understanding is that the tapes were the cornerstone of the case. He talked in such detail, and with such verbosity in that apartment that there was no mistaking what he was saying. At a minimum this was a guy who was aware of murders happening under his watch. At a bare minimum he basically gave them a RICO conspiracy case. The tapes alone were enough to give you say a 98% chance of giving them 25 to life
Gravano’s testimony was more corrobation of what Gotti himself had already said on those tapes. Gravano flipping was just the icing on the cake that turned that “98%” certainty of a conviction into 100%. But without the tapes, Gravano’s testimony could’ve been written off or, at least, discredited to a degree by a skilled lawyer
Gotti, in essence, unwittingly ratted himself out. His voice on tape was the trial’s star witness
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. True. Gotti was both stupid and a blabbermouty so he essentially sunk himself. Like you said Gravano was just a corroboration
Was he really a blabber mouth?
Or did he just make a HUGE mistake that cost him a life sentence?
He broke a major rule that cost him everything your not supposed to talk about a murder after you commit it.
With that said the Govt spent $100MM to get Gotti, tapes or not they would have eventually sank his ship.
They didn't have tapes and they figured out a way to nail Massino.
The Gov't machine is unstoppable.
i am sure there are more however, the only guy that comes to mind that actually "BEAT THE GOV'T" is Jr Gotti,
4 Trials and he beat them all and walked out of the doors a free man.
And was never charged again.
I dont know of any other gangster that beat the Gov't at 4 consecutive trials.
Thats the reason they released the info on the proffer to destroy him and possibility get him killed or fear of being killed so he would run to them for cover.
