Dirty Cops.

Von Smallhausen · 6 Jun 2006 at 17:21

April 2005.

Two retired New York City detectives have been arrested and charged with murder on behalf of the US Mafia.
Stephen Caracappa and Louis Eppolito were paid "handsomely" for involvement in the murders and attempted murders of 11 people, the charge sheet said.

They disclosed confidential security information to their "mob benefactors" - the Luchese Mafia family, it said.

The two men were police officers from the 1960s to the 1990s. They were arrested in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

Contract killing

In announcing the indictment and arrest, US Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf said: "These corrupt former detectives betrayed their shields, their colleagues, and the citizens they were sworn to protect."

"For years, they were on retainer with the mob - they were paid handsomely for participating directly and indirectly in the murders and attempted murders of 11 individuals and for disclosing highly confidential law enforcement information to their mob benefactors."
Pasquale D'Amuro
FBI

The charges say the two were paid $4,000 (£2,083) a month to pass highly confidential law enforcement information to Luchese family underboss Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, after rival Gambino family associates tried to kill him in September 1986.

On one of four alleged murders, they are said to have accepted a $65,000 (£33,851) contract from Casso to murder Edward "Eddie" Lino from the Gambino family, who was suspected of involvement in the attempt on Casso's life.

The charge sheet accuses them of shooting Lino dead on 6 November 1992 after they pulled him over on Brooklyn's beltway.

Mr Caracappa was a former member of the New York Police Department's organised crime homicide unit, while Mr Eppolito - son of Gambino footsoldier Ralph "Fat the Gangster" - co-authored the 1992 book Mafia Cop: The Story of an Honest Cop Whose Family Was the Mob.

He also played the role of Fat Andy in the film Goodfellas.

Pasquale D'Amuro of the FBI's New York office said the pair "were not two good cops who went bad. It seems clear they were two bad guys who somehow became cops."

Eppolito

Caracappo

April 2006

Two retired New York policemen have been convicted of murder for participating in mafia killings.
Louis Eppolito, 57, and Stephen Caracappa, 64, were found guilty of working for the Luchese crime family while serving as detectives.

Assistant US Attorney Daniel Wenner called the case "the bloodiest, most violent betrayal of the [police] badge this city has ever seen".

A jury took two days to convict the two men, who face life imprisonment.

Eppolito and Caracappa, who were decorated for their efforts as detectives, were convicted of involvement in eight murders on behalf of the mafia between 1986 and 1990.

'Crystal ball'

Prosecutors said the two men carried out two killings themselves, after halting the victims' vehicles at traffic stops. Other victims were kidnapped before being handed over to the Luchese family.

The court also heard that on one occasion, the two detectives arrested a mafia figure only to hand him over to be tortured and murdered.

Prosecutors also said the pair provided inside information about informants, and were referred to by Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso of the Luchese family as his crystal ball.

Prosecutor Mitra Hormozi said each detective received a monthly payment of $4,000 (£2,300) from the mafia for handing over confidential police information.

The pair, who retired in the early 1990s, had denied the allegations. They declined to give evidence in court in their defence.

Eppolito played a bit part in the classic Mob movie Goodfellas, and then unsuccessfully tried his hand at Hollywood script-writing.

These men are an absolute disgrace to the job, the badge and to the public they are meant to serve and protect. The ultimate betrayal in my book, there is little worse than bent cops. This is no film but real life corruption within the NYPD.

I thought this might be of interest given the Mafia theme on the forums.

Links.

[EDIT- Just realised this is SC, might be better for GD ]

Von Smallhausen · 6 Jun 2006 at 19:39

Although there are some good eggs.

Serpico

6thElement · 6 Jun 2006 at 19:41

It's also good to know that lots of US police forces have huge problems with cops drinking while on duty. You didn't hear that from me though

Treefrog · 6 Jun 2006 at 19:46

Plus, of course, we need to be able to trust these people, and this shakes confidence in the entire force, not just the ones caught

Von Smallhausen · 6 Jun 2006 at 19:54

Treefrog said:
Plus, of course, we need to be able to trust these people, and this shakes confidence in the entire force, not just the ones caught

Yes, thats the sad thing. It's always the minority and it's all it takes to shatter confidence.

Examples over here are the Secret Policeman documentary where several racist ******* slipped through the net and it made stomach turning watching, more stomach turning because a lot of the public will see the whole force as being like that, which is completely untrue. ********* like that set the whole job back 20 years in terms of damage repair.

Visage · 6 Jun 2006 at 20:29

Von Smallhausen said:
Yes, thats the sad thing. It's always the minority and it's all it takes to shatter confidence.

Examples over here are the Secret Policeman documentary where several racist ******* slipped through the net and it made stomach turning watching, more stomach turning because a lot of the public will see the whole force as being like that, which is completely untrue. ********* like that set the whole job back 20 years in terms of damage repair.

....which is why we should have a zero tolerance policy for policemen who make mistakes, no matter how well intentioned.

KaHn · 6 Jun 2006 at 20:31

Visage said:
....which is why we should have a zero tolerance policy for policemen who make mistakes, no matter how well intentioned.

Oh just leave please.

KaHn

Visage · 6 Jun 2006 at 20:36

KaHn said:
Oh just leave please.

KaHn

Sorry. You're right. We dont need to do it all again.

Apols.

KaHn · 6 Jun 2006 at 20:37

Visage said:
Sorry. You're right. We dont need to do it all again.

Apols.

Also this is a totally differnt case, these cops didnt go to work in the morning and go "oh in the line of duty i killed an innocent man" they went to work to execute people for money.

Its two totally differnt issues and the fact you are trying to back up your initial arguement this this is just laughable at best.

KaHn

DAVEM · 6 Jun 2006 at 20:50

Von Smallhausen said:
April 2005.

Eppolito

Caracappo

April 2006

These men are an absolute disgrace to the job, the badge and to the public they are meant to serve and protect. The ultimate betrayal in my book, there is little worse than bent cops. This is no film but real life corruption within the NYPD.

I thought this might be of interest given the Mafia theme on the forums.

Links.

[EDIT- Just realised this is SC, might be better for GD ]

Whilst I see your point I also see that being paif peanuts for years, an then the ole Paris Hilton getting paid millions for gershow, I can see why they do it,,, it's wrong, and I would never do it, but TBH come one you'd be tempted!

David

Visage · 6 Jun 2006 at 20:54

KaHn said:
Its two totally differnt issues and the fact you are trying to back up your initial arguement this this is just laughable at best.

Im not backing up, im just not going to go down a road which will lead to:

a) a flamefest
and
b) no-one changing their minds about anything.

So im going to back out of the thread, verrrrrrrry slowly, ok?

Chris [BEANS] · 6 Jun 2006 at 20:59

Visage said:
....which is why we should have a zero tolerance policy for policemen who make mistakes, no matter how well intentioned.

Whoa there, mistakes are mistakes. Acts of criminality or prejudice, fair game, but what do you class as a mistake???

Chris [BEANS] · 6 Jun 2006 at 21:01

Visage said:
So im going to back out of the thread, verrrrrrrry slowly, ok?

Not yet, i'd appreciate a reply to the above just to clarify what you were getting at if it's ok?

KaHn · 6 Jun 2006 at 21:07

Chris [BEANS] said:
Not yet, i'd appreciate a reply to the above just to clarify what you were getting at if it's ok?

Chris look at the thread on the terror raid in london.

KaHn

Von Smallhausen · 6 Jun 2006 at 23:57

Visage said:
....which is why we should have a zero tolerance policy for policemen who make mistakes, no matter how well intentioned.

FFS Visage, what is the link ?

One is out and out corruption and one is a tragedy and a failure in intelligence and communication. Are you seriously suggesting that bent cops, on the payroll of the mob, are in the same club as armed cops who shot an innocent man after collective failings ?

I can't believe that comment, I really can't. The very idea or suggestion is ridiculous.

Nitefly · 7 Jun 2006 at 00:00

Von Smallhausen said:
FFS Visage, what is the link ?

One is out and out corruption and one is a tragedy and a failure in intelligence and communication. Are you seriously suggesting that bent cops, on the payroll of the mob, are in the same club as armed cops who shot an innocent man after collective failings ?

I can't believe that comment, I really can't. The very idea or suggestion is ridiculous.

If you were wearing a monocle I bet it popped out.

Von Smallhausen · 7 Jun 2006 at 00:03

Nitefly said:
If you were wearing a monocle I bet it popped out.

Well it might have mate, it might have.

Davey_Pitch · 7 Jun 2006 at 00:08

Von Smallhausen said:
Examples over here are the Secret Policeman documentary where several racist tossers slipped through the net and it made stomach turning watching, more stomach turning because a lot of the public will see the whole force as being like that, which is completely untrue. Dickheads like that set the whole job back 20 years in terms of damage repair.

That documentary was very harsh in some respects. Lynnie is related to one of the guys exposed in it, and they were very clever with the editing of the video. They got the guy drunk (as he knew his interviewer and thought they were just having a bevvy), the interviewer said something to him, which he repeated without even thinking about. You can of course say it's no excuse, but from what I've been told that documentary was close to entrapment in some ways. I've met the guy and he's as far from racist as you'll get.

/off topic

Von Smallhausen · 7 Jun 2006 at 00:13

Davey_Pitch said:
That documentary was very harsh in some respects. Lynnie is related to one of the guys exposed in it, and they were very clever with the editing of the video. They got the guy drunk (as he knew his interviewer and thought they were just having a bevvy), the interviewer said something to him, which he repeated without even thinking about. You can of course say it's no excuse, but from what I've been told that documentary was close to entrapment in some ways. I've met the guy and he's as far from racist as you'll get.

/off topic

Well Davey, the media is a powerful tool as we know and if the guy wasn't a racist, then the media made an awfully good job of portraying him as one.

Either way, it was very bad PR for the force and there was only one outcome once it was aired. I remember watching it though and it was cringing stuff. I can't really comment further on a personal level as I don't know the bloke, but if entrapment was the game then the media won game, set and match.

Davey_Pitch · 7 Jun 2006 at 00:16

Von Smallhausen said:
Well Davey, the media is a powerful tool as we know and if the guy wasn't a racist, then the media made an awfully good job of portraying him as one.

Either way, it was very bad PR for the force and there was only one outcome once it was aired. I remember watching it though and it was cringing stuff. I can't really comment further on a personal level as I don't know the bloke, but if entrapment was the game then the media won game, set and match.

Indeed they did win. He had to quit the job he'd wanted all his life (despite the fact his bosses knew the situation and knew he wasn't a racist) as a result of that program.

The sad fact is that you can find racism pretty much everywhere if you look hard enough for it.