A prosecution witness who testified against three reputed mobsters in the killing of a New York City police detective - and then recanted -was found shot dead in the Bronx, the police said yesterday.
The body of the witness, Frank Simone, 30 years old, of 1665 Madison Street, Ridgewood, Queens, was found shortly before 11 P.M. Wednesday near Miles and Balcom Avenues in the Throgs Neck section, said a police spokesman, Sgt. Norris Hollomon. The victim had been shot once in the head, the spokesman said.
Mr. Simone was passing a diner in Ridgewood on Jan. 21, 1986, when Detective Anthony Venditti was fatally shot and his partner, Detective Kathleen Burke, was wounded.Mr. Simone identified Carmine Gualtiere, Federico Giovanelli and Steven Maltese as being at the scene and said Mr. Gualtiere was the gunman.
Federal and local investigators had identified the three as members of the Genovese crime family, and the detectives were following them as part of a routine surveillance.
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A 1977 trial ended in a hung jury. During the second trial, in April 1988, Mr. Simone recanted key parts of his testimony, saying he had seen Mr. Gualtiere fire two bullets into Detective Venditti's face. Mr. Gualtierre was acquitted, and the jury was unable to agree on the charges against the others.
All three were convicted last July on Federal racketeering charges stemming from the Venditti killing. (AP)
