Bonanno crime family capo Vincent Asaro could be facing up to 15 years in prison if a judge sides with federal prosecutors.
The 82-year-old mobster plead guilty to arson in June admitting to ordering the torching of a car that belonged to a motorist that had cut him off back in 2012. According to court documents Asaro allegedly tasked a Bonanno family associate with the job and he, in turn, brought in John J. Gotti and another man both who are also believed to be New York mafia associates to help. Gotti is the grandson of the late Gambino crime family boss John Gotti and has already plead guilty to being the getaway driver. The arson charge carries a five to six-year sentence according to federal guidelines but the defense believes Vincent should be sentenced to time served.
“Vincent Asaro”
But prosecutors want the judge to weigh Asaro’s previous conduct and criminal history into his current sentence. He was acquitted of racketeering charges that included his alleged role in the infamous 1978 Lufthansa heist just two years ago. Prosecutors also noted his recent behavior while behind bars awaiting trial which included alleged talk of killing a prosecutor and boasting about getting away with the Lufthansa caper. Court documents filed last week said “Asaro has lived a literal life of crime and, for most of his life, evaded punishment” according to a NYdailynews report. Prosecutors also said, “Asaro has participated in racketeering, murder, robbery, extortion, loansharking, gambling and other illegal conduct, he has served less than eight years in jail.”
Asaro will have approximately two years deducted from whatever sentence Judge Allyne Ross hands down because of his time in jail awaiting trial for the Lufthansa case. An extended sentence anywhere in the neighborhood of 15 years could mean life behind bars for the aging Cosa Nostra mobster.
I would be kind of surprised if he was hit with such a harsh sentence as 15 years and seems like the feds are still pissed that he beat them on that Lufthansa case. But if the judge does lean their way and hits with even an 7-9 year stretch it would def be a long hard road for a guy that age even with the 2 years of time served he has already. But we have seen plenty of these aging mobster go in with what seems like it could be life yet still walk out standing so who knows.
Asaro is just too much!!! I remember we were talking about him a while back when the incident first occurred. Here you have a Made guy who has been called a “Brokster”! Nobody ever even heard of the guy except maybe local NYC folks but nowhere else. The Lufthansa thing comes along and all of a sudden he’s a somebody just because the movie “Goodfellas” and all that had happened in the mean time. He’s very cocky by risking a trial but pulls it off and in the process puts a giant target on his back for the Feds. We all know the FBI’s rep is hurting and losing to a clown like him makes it worse. He could have faded away and had a solid gangster rep for the end of his career. Instead he loses it over obsurd road rage and then schemes with young Gotti flunky. You can’t write stuff this good. Only in real life. This is a guy who is doing everything possible to go to prison at a time when the Feds are just aching to send him there. I’m no genius but this guy seems like a total moron!
II’s definitely a stupid move, but 15 years when guidelines call for five or six? Wtf?!. They also want to use his aquittal on the Lufthansa case against him in sentencing! He was found Not Guilty!!! Is this America!? Goes to show you the prosecutors are low life scum bags with no integrity and no concern for the Constitution and the rule of law they took an oath to uphold. I don’t have faith in the judge to do the right thing either but we’ll see…
I agree with you there. Granted he should know by now how badly the Feds wanna put him away but it does not excuse shady behavior on their part either. Just cuz they lost the last trial does not make it ok to go outside the sentencing guidelines as you said. It’s exactly that type of cutthroat tactic that we’ve been talking about here for months. Overly ambitious prosecutors going for the Jugular. A Federal Judgeship or a nice book deal seems to be the endgame for some of these sharks. Check out that whole Devechio fiasco. Books written by several involved parties. Testimony given and then recanted. Major internal dissent within the FBI over who supported which camp. The Scarpas in the center of it all. Who knows what the fuck to believe with that mess!!!
He’s going to federal prison.
Guy’s a nobody anymore, has no respect on the streets, hasnt in years. Pure stupidity what he did with the Gotti kid.
It’s as if he almost wants to go back to prison? Maybe he does.
True,but it was the associate that brought Gotti on. Then again maybe he did know and didn’t care as long as his wishes were carried out. Either way THIS was a stupid “job” he wanted carried out