Genovese mobster seeks a speedy trial and some updates on the January Bid-Rigging case
The late ex-wife of Gambino mobster Louis Astuto played an integral role in a massive bid-rigging scheme that stole more than $5 million from a major Manhattan developer.

Before her death at age 57 in December 2020, Cynthia Astuto worked with her ex-husband and Gambino capo Frank Camuso to falsify business records, according to a search warrant affidavit that was obtained by Gang Land. The records allegedly "were used to create the appearance of legitimate business expenses" that were used to facilitate the eight-year-long scheme.

Camuso, Astuto and 22 other mob-tied defendants were arrested in January for stealing millions through a complex bribery scam involving dozens of construction firms that received $100 million worth of contracts for building projects from 2013 to 2021.

The Gambino family duo and 21 of their codefendants, who were released without bail after they pleaded not guilty, are now waiting for the huge 83-count indictment to meander to a conclusion in the next year or three. But the other accused made man in the case, Genovese wiseguy Christopher Chierchio, has professed his innocence, and has asked for a speedy trial.

The search warrant affidavit, dated February 21, 2020, states that the wiretapped cell phone that Camuso used during the probe by the Manhattan DA's office, was registered to Cynthia Astuto. The affidavit also states that she wrote "checks from Astuto's accounts to Camuso and his family" and that Camuso's wife, Christine, "meets with Cynthia Astuto regularly to pick up the checks."

Investigative sources say that the 13 months of tape recordings and other evidence obtained in the four-year probe indicate that Christine Camuso's role in the case was limited to picking up and depositing checks, a task she carried out as "the wife" of a defendant and "not as a participant" in any criminal activity.

Jeanine Garafola was a manager of Earth Structures Inc. of Staten Island, and her husband, Gambino associate Mario Garafola, was a "principal" of the firm that received contracts worth $9 million from the Rinaldi Group in 2017 and 2018, according to the affidavit. They were charged in January with funneling $238,000 in kickbacks to Camuso.

In his request for a severance from his codefendants and a very speedy trial, Chierchio's attorney told Acting Supreme Court Justice Felicia Mennin that his client will be unavailable for trial for about five years beginning May 2. He is slated to be sentenced that day for conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his involvement in the $80 million ripoff of three Lottery winners in 2020.

Lawyer Gerald McMahon wrote that Chierchio will "likely be sentenced to 60 months on May 2," the maximum prison term called for by his guilty plea, since the minimum sentencing guidelines for the crime is 78 months. McMahon argued that his client would be unduly prejudiced if he were forced to trial five years after an indictment which comes three years after he refused to plead guilty to any charges.

The lawyer noted that "on at least three occasions," in 2018, 2019, and in 2020, he was told at "in-person meetings" with assistant district attorney Meredith McGowan and other ADAs and investigators that Chierchio "would be indicted and arrested unless he 'came in and pleaded guilty.'"

McMahon stated that Chierchio refused to plead guilty, because he is, in fact, not guilty of any of the four charges contained in the indictment.


Michael "Mikey Spat" Spataro
In an open letter to a federal judge, Mike Pizzi evoked a stellar 35-year career as a law and order man that included his appointment by President Clinton as U.S. Marshal in Brooklyn, in his last-ditch effort to win a compassionate release for a mob associate who has been jailed for 18 years so he can care for his mentally failing and cancer-ridden 89-year-old dad.

Pizzi who is an ex-U.S. Marshall claims to have accumulated a substantial amount of documents that will undoubtedly prove Spataro's wrongful conviction for a mob rubout in 2001.

This letter was mainly about compassion: For Spataro, 56, who's due for release a year from now, and for his dad, a former professional boxer who took many blows to the head, both before and after he served honorably in the Korean War. The elder Spataro, Pizzi wrote, "is in very poor health" and living with a 78-year-old brother who "is unable to provide the attention and care" that his son "would be able to provide."

Pizzi was the chief deputy marshall in 1988 and supervised the arrest of Gregory Scarpa Jr.

"There's no reason why Mike Spataro should remain locked up any longer," Pizzi told Gang Land yesterday. "DeMartino is home. Campanella spent a few days in the hospital and has been free more than 20 years. And the three defendants who Mike supposedly conspired with, were all acquitted. And even my government concedes he wasn't at the scene of the shooting."


Gravano and Gene Borrello
Initially, Sammy refused to comment on Borrello's situation, but he eventually decided to give his opinion to Gangland News.

"That's nuts," he said. "I got violated once, got busted after I came out," he said. Then he paused, apparently to think about how to describe that fact that he got arrested in Arizona for dealing Ecstasy with his son and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for it.

Finally, he said: "But I never got busted for stupid shit, like threatening my girlfriend's family, or threatening to beat people up. I can't figure out what's up with him."

Borrello goes to trial on May 9, 2023.

Gravano says he never was busted for "Stupid shit" but that Arizona arrest was as dumb as Borrello himself. Gravano had at least 2 businesses (A restaurant and a construction company) and he had walked away with a sweet deal. His son tells him that he has friends selling drugs, Gravano asks to meet them and demands they let him be boss of their ring. He gets not only his son involved, but his wife and his daughter. He then winds up in prison.

Many rats return to be a criminals and often was kicked up from witsec; why work honestly when you can made more money making crimes?

He was making more money with his businesses.

https://www.cosanostranews.com/2022/01/our-deep-dive-into-gravanos-ecstasy.html?m=1

He made 300k a week with drug operation. If he would made better with his businesses why start a drug ring?

Furio, if that figure of 300,000 of a week is correct, which I doubt, he was making more money with the ecstasy sales. If so, in my opinion he was still an idiot to do it. He was making way more than the average person with his construction company and restaurant, so he had no financial need to get into the drug ring. He also would not have risked his son, daughter, and wife going to prison. Yet Gravano did. Plus he blew the deal of a lifetime to get out of prison for 20 murders and other crimes to just wind up in prison anyway. I think that as dumb as Borrello is, Gravano can't point fingers.

That what is said a criminal remain a criminal. They aren't able to be honest.

I've been and eaten in Uncle Sal's, you hardly can turn a profit in a place like that, trust me. The construction company, who knows.

Remember, money stolen is twice as sweet as money earned

I bet Gravano had millions stashed away that the wife had access to, all he had to do was lay low and stay clean