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Gotti Plotted Tampa Moves For Years, Prosecutors Say

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 25, 2008

Updated: 09/25/2008 07:23 pm

TAMPA - John A. "Junior" Gotti plotted with his father and other high-ranking members of the Gambino crime family to establish a foothold in Tampa by secretly investing in local businesses as far back as 1989, federal prosecutors say in a new court filing.

In addition, after Gotti was arrested last month on federal charges handed up in Tampa, investigators disrupted a local plot by someone to kill one of the government's cooperating witnesses, prosecutors disclosed in today's court filing. Prosecutors, however, say there is "no proof that Gotti was involved" in the plot.

Gotti and five other men are charged with participating in a vast conspiracy of murder, drug trafficking and witness tampering under the auspices of the Gambino organized crime family.

His attorneys have asked that the case be moved to New York, arguing, in part, that Gotti has never set foot in Tampa.

Prosecutors countered in their response that Gotti "traveled to the area more than once to survey personally his illegal business investments, to scout for other illegal business investments, to scout for other illegal business opportunities, and for other criminal purposes."

"That's news to me," said Gotti's attorney, Charles Carnesi, when told by telephone about the prosecution's court filing. "I don't think it's accurate."

Carnesi said he couldn't respond in detail because he hadn't yet read the document.

Prosecutors disclosed, for the first time, that the current Gambino crime family investigation is rooted in local investigations that date back to 1992 "when a confidential source provided information to a Tampa Police Department detective that Gotti and one or more members of his crew were traveling to Tampa for an illegal purpose."

Prosecutors also assert there was a "TOS contract," or a contract to "terminate on sight" one of the government's cooperating witnesses in the case. In connection with that, investigators intercepted two items in an unidentified "local holding facility" shortly after the recent Gambino indictments were unsealed.

The prosecution filing does not identify the cooperating witness it says was the target of the contract. Prosecutors also do not say how they know the items are related to such a contract.

The items were a note on a rag and a letter, according to the government filing. The rag note reads, "Almighty Latin King + Queen Nation."

The hand-written letter, which is included in the prosecution court filing, reads, "My brotha I cum to u wit my right hand 2 my chest. 2 get 2 da point the TOS is in lock down now. How iz u gunna get to him now?! We gave you an order and u did not comply you had a chance to start freash. Now what u gunna do we know hes locked up in Pine County. Pep in da street is payin good to get the job done. U don't want both sides against u. So finish that TOS ASAP

"Location:3fcc"

The note is signed, "King Midas."

The prosecution argues that the fact that local federal authorities were "quickly able to intercept" the two notes demonstrates that local officials are equipped to efficiently deal with any efforts by Gotti to influence or threaten jurors. The prosecution contends Gotti was able to tamper with New York juries "by leveraging upon his imbedded network of criminal associates in New York City."

That would be more difficult in Florida, the prosecution maintains, because the Gambino family's "footprint is less historical and significant in this district, and the necessary criminal network is more tenuous here."

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.

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