Originally Posted By: artichoke
I remember other people being convicted of Marfeo Melei murders by a jury and sentenced to double life in Rhode Island. Robert Almonte F lee Bailey represented him. They let him out after a couple years and Paul Rico came up with Kelley. Go figure this New England FBI. Any body know anything about this other case?

I think Luigi Manocchio was indicted for this too, but for some reason they gave him a couple of years only when he pled guilty to lesser charges. Doesn't make sense imo: lesser charges or not, if it involves at least some degree of complicity in a double murder, 2,5 years like for a theft is weird.

And it's for a long time already I try to figure out what's exactly the difference between "first degree murder" and "conspiracy to commit murder" in similar cases? I thought that "1st degree murder" always involved a direct participation, like pulling the trigger or at least being on the scene, while "conspiracy to commit murder" could also be applied to murders that were prevented from happening. But then, for example Vic Orena or Tony Provenzano were convicted for 1st degree murder, not conspiracy, even though they weren't even near the scene when it happened (and they got life in prison), while Patriarca was convicted for conspiracy in a double murder that was successfully carried out, yet got 10 years only and was paroled after serving less than a half, and Tameleo got only 5 years on the same charges; at the same time, the triggerman in the same double murder, Maurice Lerner, got life in prison even though it was later overturned.
But then, for example in Tampa in the 70s, Santo Trafficante's underboss Frank Diecidue got about 40 years for conspiracy to commit murders that weren't successfully carried out (several bombings where the victims survived), even though it was later overturned. How does it make sense compared to Patriarca and Tameleo that got only several years for conspiracy in a double murder that WAS successfully carried out?
Or let's take Nicky Scarfo: for the Frank D'Alfosno murder on state charges he got life in prison (later overturned), but on federal charges with several murders he got a shorter sentence (40 years). I could think this means federal sentences are less severe than state ones, but then we have the Commission trial where everybody got 100 years on federal RICO charges for the Galante + 2 bodyguards murder.

Could anyone please explain this mess to me? If we compare the cases I quoted, it doesn't seem logical at all.

Last edited by Dwalin2011; 09/27/17 10:03 AM.
Willie Marfeo to Henry Tameleo:

1) "You people want a loaf of bread and you throw the crumbs back. Well, fuck you. I ain't closing down."

2) "Get out of here, old man. Go tell Raymond to go shit in his hat. We're not giving you anything."