Joe Bruno on the Mob – Hector Pagan to Testify Against Vinny TV
According to an indictment brought by the Federal government, Vincent "Vinny TV" Badalamenti, an alleged top Bonanno crime family banana, dispatched three tough guys to "have a little chat" with mob informant Hector "Junior Pagan who was allegedly delinquent on a $5,000 loan. And the chief witness against Badalamenti in his upcoming trial is Pagan himself, who had been wearing a wire while talking to various alleged mobsters, including his ex-father-in-law Anthony Graziano, the father of Pagan's ex-wife Renee Graziano, one of the co-stars of VH1's "Mob Wives."
However, Badalamenti's lawyers expect to have a field day grilling Pagan on the stand when it comes time for Pagan's to perform his rat act in court.
"We intend to attack his credibility and expose his motive to testify falsely for the government," Ronald Fischetti, Badalamenti's defense lawyer, told the New York Post.
As was reported yesterday in this blog, Fischetti, along with his co-counsel Eric Franz, intend to allege that Pagan was involved in the murder of alleged Luchese crime family associate James Donovan in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn in 2010. In fact, Fischetti and Franz have written to Brooklyn federal prosecutors asking for information about "Pagan's role in Donovan's murder.
If there is evidence that Pagan was involved with Donovan's murder, Badalamenti's lawyers will allege that Pagan is just making up tales out of school in order to save his own skin.
It wouldn't be the first time a mob canary testified against former pals in order to get a reduced sentence. As far back as 1941, Abe "Kid Twist" Reles, one of Murder Incorporated's top killers, turned state's evidence and began testifying against his former associates. Reles' testimony helped put killers like Harry "Pittsburg Phil" Strauss, Mendy Weiss, and Louie "Lepke" Buchalter right into the Sing Sing electric chair. But on November 12, 194, before Reles could testify against other Murder Inc. alumni like Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, Frankie Carbo, and Albert Anastasia, Reles went flying out of the 6th floor window of the Half Moon Hotel in Coney Island, while supposedly under twenty-four hour New York City police guard.
The official NY police story was that Reles "fell" out of the window while trying to escape. But mob boss Frank Costello said years later that he spread $50,000 around the NY City police department in order to quicken Reles' demise. In fact, Costello said that the cops who were supposed to be guarding Reles, were the ones who actually flung Reles out the window.
But times have changed, and Pagan is now in the Witness Protection Program, safe as a newborn baby in his mother's arms.
Stay tuned for further developments.
You can view the article below at:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tv_mobster_shakedown_xAgSdPB1126xScBNvjc3qN
TV mobster shakedown
By MITCHEL MADDUX
Last Updated: 12:44 AM, February 14, 2012
Posted: 12:44 AM, February 14, 2012
The reputed acting street boss of New York's Bonanno crime family dispatched three tough guys to "chat" with a reality-show mobster who failed to pay back a $5,000 loan, the feds said yesterday.
Vincent "Vinny TV" Badalamenti, an alleged senior member of the Bonannos' ruling panel, allegedly sent the hoods to shake down Hector Pagan, a wiseguy-turned-rat who is featured on "Mob Wives" and is the ex-husband of star Renee Graziano.
The gritty details of the extortion could be laid bare in court if Pagan — a former Bonanno associate — takes the stand against Badalamenti.
The reputed mobster's attorneys said, however, that they plan to portray Pagan as a self-serving turncoat who will say anything to save his own skin.
"We intend to attack his credibility and expose his motive to testify falsely for the government," Ronald Fischetti, Badalamenti's defense lawyer, told The Post.
At yesterday's hearing in Brooklyn federal court, Fischetti told a judge that Pagan was recently linked publicly to the Mafia murder of a Luchese family associate in July 2010.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tv_mobster_shakedown_xAgSdPB1126xScBNvjc3qN#ixzz1mOjFJnNM
