Former Gambino crime family consigliere and underboss Frank (Frankie Loc) Locascio has failed to have his 1992 conviction overturned.
The 85-year-old mobster was arrested back in 1990 along with former Gambino family boss John Gotti and Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano and charged with racketeering. Gravano turned on his New York Mafia pals and became one of the most notorious rats in Cosa Nostra history. Both Gotti and Locascio were convicted of racketeering and conspiracy charges with the help of Gravano’s testimony and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Frankie Loc claimed he was innocent and has been searching for reasons to appeal ever since in an effort to regain his freedom.
“Frank Locascio”
In this latest appeal, Locascio’s lawyer Harlan Protass argued that Brooklyn Federal judge Leo Glasser who presided over the trial back in 1992 should have recused himself. He claims that Glasser should have revealed that his son was an assistant U.S. Attorney in Connecticut at the time of the trial because one of the racketeering charges Locascio was convicted on partially had to do with a Connecticut gambling operation according to NY Daily News report. Protass also noted that Glasser disqualified four defense lawyers from the case due to conflicts of interest. But court papers indicated that the defense had no specific evidence that Glasser’s son knew about the probes into the organized crime family or that he shared any information with his father in regards to the case.
Brooklyn federal prosecutors denounced the claims made by Locascio calling them a low blow. The Manhattan 2nd Circuit court agreed and said the argument for Glaser’s recusal would in no way establish Locasio’s innocence. Protass said they were once again disappointed in the result and that they were evaluating their appeal options.
