Peter Gotti’s 25-year prison sentence was upheld in the Federal Appeals Court this month.
Gotti received the sentence after ordering a failed hit on Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano. Gravano testified against Gotti’s brother, John Gotti, which ultimately doomed Gotti to die in prison, the Associated Press reported.
Peter Gotti, 67, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy in December of 2004. The late Federal Judge Richard C.Casey, who sentenced Gotti to the 25-year sentence, also made a stipulation that Gotti was to serve the 9 1/2-year sentence from the racketeering case before he was to start the 25-year sentence, according to the AP.
An appeals court panel that consisted of three judges concluded that Casey acted properly in letting the jury hear the evidence of the murders that had been carried out by the Gambino family, led by John Gotti. Although the killings were not carried out by the defendant, it did prove that the existence of criminal activity in which the defendant was part. Evidence that was also relevant was for the panel to hear were statements the Gotti brothers made to one another while in prison regarding Gravano, as reported by the AP.
Gravano was the key witness in the conviction of John Gotti. The “Teflon Don,” Gotti’s nickname, was convicted and his fate set after the under boss, Gravano, left the Gambino crime family and went into the Federal Witness Protection Program. Gravano did admit that he had been involved in at least 19 murders. After turning state’s evidence, Gravano served five years in prison and was relocated to Arizona, as reported by the Associated Press.
During Peter Gotti’s trial, evidence showed that Gotti had used his power to order the murder of Salvatore Gravano and a payout of $70,000 to carry out the hit. According to prosecutors, Peter Gotti and Thomas Carbonaro, another mob figure, conspired in 1999 and 2000 to kill Gravano in Arizona with a homemade land mine or hunting rifle. The plan to kill Gravano failed after Gravano was arrested on drug charges in February 2000. Gravano was then convicted and sentenced to 19 years in the Arizona State Prison for leading an ecstasy ring, according to the AP.
Prosecutors in Peter Gotti’s trial stated that he had been out for revenge against Gravano since his testimony was devastating to John Gotti’s trial. The appeals court also agree that Peter Gotti should not spend less time in jail just because of his age as well as his health, according to the AP.
The appeals court stated that it found “nothing unreasonable in the sentence,” according to the AP.
SOURCE : Appeals court : No reason to disturb Gotti’s conviction, sentence – Larry Neumeister – Associated Press
