Thomas “Tommy Shots” Gioeli the former action boss of the Colombo crime family and fellow mobster Dino “Little Dino” Saracino had their motion for a new trial denied. Brooklyn Federal Judge Brian Cogan ruled that the favorable defense evidence the defense claimed the government withheld was not at a level of importance to have upset the jury’s guilty verdicts. Gioeli was arrested back in 2008 on charges of murder and racketeering , he was acquitted of the six murder charges but was found guilty of racketeering and now faces up to 20 years in prison. Saracino was also convicted of racketeering and obstruction of justice but like Gioeli was acquitted on murder charges. Prosecutors are pushing for not only the 20 year maximum sentence for the racketeering charge against Saracino but also an added 80 years in prison for the obstruction of justice charges.
“Thomas Gioeli (left) and Dino Saracino (right)”
Judge Cogan said that even the most favorable of the new evidence presented by the defense which included tape recordings by an alleged participant in the murder conspiracy that Gioeli was part of was but a pebble on the mountain of material they already put before the jury. The judge said he remained confident in the previous verdict and was unmoved by the aspects of the defense motion. Gioeli is set to be sentenced on November 4 and Saracino on November 22. Many believe that both mobsters will receive fairly stiff sentences running closer to the maximum then the minimum guidelines. So looks like the Colombo family will be with out two more of its members for an extended period of time as the assault by law enforcement on the New York mafia continues.
