Anthony “Skinny” Santoro a reputed soldier in the Bonanno crime family is making a rather curious bid for a better plea deal offer from the feds. In a letter to Judge Melissa Jackson Santoro describes his propensity to talk crazy and even stupidly at times is actually a therapeutic technique he learned and that prosecutors are inaccurately trying to portray him as being violent. He claims this technique actually keeps him from acting out in a negative way and he is simply misunderstood.
He is locked up on charges of enterprise corruption, illegal gambling, and extortion and is looking at a plea deal of 9 to 18 years behind bars which he deemed as outrageously high. In his letter he implores for the judge to step in and settle things fairly since he doesn’t believe he is guilty of enterprise corruption and is ready to plea to one of the underlying charges. Wiretap evidence tells a different story of these “therapy” sessions that the New York mafia soldier claims to have according to prosecutors.
The 52 year old mobster was recorded on wiretap talking to a mob associate saying “I’m gonna split his f–king head with a hatchet,” he fumed to an associate about one foe, according to court papers.“I’ll put two holes in his f–king forehead. I’ll double-tap his forehead right now!” Although defense laywer Tim Parlatore that his client simply describes himself as being tough but is all bark and no bite and is really nothing more then a big cream puff.
Santoro was busted along with fellow mobsters including Bonanno family captain Nicky “Cigars” Santora back in 2013. Santora inspired the character played by now deceased Bruno Kirby in the hit mafia movie “Donnie Brasco” back in 1997.
