Joe Bruno on the Mob – Mob Boss Mark Rossetti Sought FBI Protection.
And the beat goes on.
Reputed New England Mob boss and FBI informant Mark Rossetti had such a cozy relationship with the FBI, his FBI handler allegedly told him, when Rossetti said he feared he would be arrested, "Don't worry. My job is to keep you anonymous and keep you safe. You don't have anything to worry about if things down the road happen. But if that happens, we'll have to deal with it as it comes. I will have to start working it out.''
Hmmmm. Sounds an awful like the FBI was maybe bending the rules a little to keep Rossetti, who allegedly ran an organized crime mob with over 30 members, safe and singing like a canary. This is the same thing the FBI did 20-30 years ago, when they had a warm and fuzzy relationship with Whitey Bulger, the head of Boston's Winter Hill Mob. Disgraced FBI agent John Connolly is presently serving what amounts to a life sentence in prison for his connections to Bulger.
The FBI, for it's part, released a statement that said "No FBI guidelines had been violated." But they said the same things years ago about Bulger, and that proved not to be the truth.
Who should we believe here? The FBI now, or their past history dealing with singing mob bosses?
I'll let you decide.
The Article below appeared on Boston.com
Reputed leader of Mafia sought FBI protection
Posted: 25 Aug 2011 09:07 AM PDT
Mark Rossetti, a reputed leader in the New England Mafia and an FBI informant, thought he would be protected by the bureau after his alleged crime ring was targeted by State Police investigators, according to documents filed in Suffolk Superior Court.
And, according to taped conversations contained in the court documents, Rossetti's FBI handler told him not to worry, that "my job is to keep you anonymous and keep you safe.''
"You don't have anything to worry about if things down the road happen, but if that happens, we'll have to deal with it as it comes,'' the handler told Rossetti. "I will have to start working it out.''
Rossetti's relationship with the FBI has come under scrutiny since court documents were filed indicating he had been working as an FBI informant while allegedly running a crime ring that engaged in violence, extortion, debt collection, and drug dealing. He is also suspected in at least six homicides, law enforcement officials told the Globe.
The FBI is bound by guidelines regulating the use of informants, including requirements that an informant be referred for possible prosecution for engaging in violence.
The guidelines, which also require that the US attorney's office be made aware of the use of informants, were adopted following the scandal two decades ago involving the FBI's use of James "Whitey'' Bulger as an informant when, all along, he was allegedly committing crimes including murder.
The FBI has released a joint statement with the State Police saying that it cooperated with state investigators once it became aware of the alleged crimes and that at no times were any guidelines violated.
But the statement fails to describe Rossetti's relationship with the FBI, how long it lasted, and whether it yielded any fruitful information. The charges that Rossetti ran a widespread crime ring, with more than 30 members indicted last year, also raises questions about how closely the FBI was monitoring him, and whether the bureau was aware of the extent of his alleged activities. Katherine Gulotta, an FBI spokeswoman, said yesterday that the agency would not comment beyond the original statement.
The latest Suffolk Superior Court documents were submitted by lawyer Robert A. George on behalf of clients Joseph Giallanella and Michael Petrillo, two lower-level members of Rossetti's alleged crime ring who were indicted last year on drug charges. They do not identify Rossetti by name, but previous documents clearly identify Rossetti as the informant at issue, through a description of his role in the alleged crime ring.
Source: articles.boston.com
