Seems harsh IMHO, 28 years. I never heard who testified against him or what evidence they had. I certainly didn't hear the Salemme or Duluca or anyone past associate testified against him. I thought he'd get 10-12 years just from the lack of first hand evidence.


Impassioned letters of support from Idahoans who knew on-the-lam Boston hit man Enrico M. Ponzo as a doting father, cattle rancher and neighborhood activist failed to convince a federal court judge to spare Ponzo 28 years behind bars for his role in two botched mob hits and other crimes.

“He was known as Mr. Mom, because you never saw him without his children,” wrote Marilyn Diaz, a neighbor of Ponzo’s in Marsing, Idaho, where he was known as Jay Shaw. “From what I know and have seen of him and his interactions with the community I believe he has rehabilitated himself and would not have a problem with him returning to this area and in fact being a neighbor again.”

U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton sentenced Ponzo to 28 years — less than the 40 requested by prosecutors — with three years of supervised release, after administering a tongue-lashing to Ponzo, 45, for his role in the 1989 attempted murder of New England mob boss Francis P. Salemme and the 1994 attempted murder of Joseph Cirame, both of whom were shot and seriously injured.

“You can run, but ultimately you can’t hide from your sordid past in organized crime,” Gorton said, noting Ponzo was part of a mob faction that “imposed a reign of terror on the city of Boston.”

Gorton added, “You were no better than today’s terrorists in the Middle East or the fascist dictators of the past century. … You are the personification of a career criminal.”

In his November trial, Ponzo was found guilty of two attempted murder counts, racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana, conspiracy to use extortionate means to collect a debt, unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, money laundering and attempted witness tampering.

U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said, “This case should send a clear message that we take seriously our commitment to hold violent criminals accountable for their actions, even after many years on the run. The severity of today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his actions and I believe that it adequately addresses the violent nature of his crimes.”

Ponzo acted as his own attorney during his sentencing hearing, pleading more than 60 objections and bringing proceedings to a halt several times as he sifted through documents he lugged in a box into the courtroom. He cited the support letters from Idaho neighbors, and his role as a homeowners association manager who fought the local water district for restricting supply to his subdivision.

“Everybody talked about my selfless dedication to the community,” Ponzo told Gorton.