FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2006 (202) 514-2008
WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888
April 6, 2006
Contact:
Robert Nardoza
United States Attorney’s Office
(718) 254-6323
Two Former Nypd Detectives Who Secretly Worked as Mafia Associates Convicted of Racketeering
Defendants Found Guilty of Committing Eight Murders, Two Attempted Murders, One Murder Conspiracy, Obstruction of Justice, Drug Distribution and Money Laundering, and Repeatedly Disclosing Sensitive Law Enforcement Information to Mob Bosses
Following three weeks of trial and two days of deliberations, a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, today returned a verdict convicting two retired New York City Police detectives, STEPHEN CARACAPPA and LOUIS EPPOLITO, of serving as mafia associates for years while working for the NYPD, during which time they directly participated in, or aided and abetted, eight murders, two attempted murders, and one murder conspiracy. In addition, the jury found that the defendants routinely passed confidential law enforcement information to high ranking members and associates of the Luchese Crime Family that disclosed the identities of numerous cooperating witnesses and compromised several state and federal investigations, and engaged in several instances of obstruction of justice, drug distribution, and money laundering.
“Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa perverted the shield of good, and turned it into a sword of evil,” stated ROSLYNN R. MAUSKOPF, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “The citizens of this City gave them that shield, their power, and expected protection from evil. Instead, the defendants themselves were evil personified. Today, a jury of the very citizens the defendants were sworn to protect has held these two men accountable for their stunning betrayal of the badge, for disgracing the finest police department in the world, and for abusing in the most heinous way imaginable the privilege and power of public service. The good men and women of law enforcement who investigated and prosecuted this case recognize what it means to carry out the privilege and responsibilities given to them by the citizens of this City. Today’s verdict is a credit to their work.”
Immediately after the jury’s verdict was announced, U.S. District Judge Jack B. Weinstein revoked the defendants’ bail and ordered them remanded into the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service. When sentenced by Judge Weinstein on May 22, 2006, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on the racketeering charge, 20 years’ imprisonment on each drug distribution charge, and EPPOLITO faces 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering charge.
The evidence at trial established that the defendants began their criminal activity in the early 1980s, while serving as New York City Police Department detectives. As a member of the Major Case Squad of the NYPD, CARACAPPA was uniquely positioned to access information regarding organized crime informants, homicides, and investigations. After retiring from the NYPD in the early 1990s and relocating to Las Vegas, both defendants engaged in drug distribution, and EPPOLITO also engaged in money laundering.
At trial, the government established:
(1) In February 1986, CARACAPPA and EPPOLITO, acting on behalf of Luchese Family associate Burton Kaplan, lured jeweler Israel Greenwald into his car by claiming to need him for a line-up, drove him to a garage in Brooklyn, executed him, and left him to be buried there. His remains were recovered from a makeshift grave as part of this investigation in April 2005.
(2) In September 1986, Luchese Family underboss Anthony “Gaspipe” Casso was shot by several Gambino Family associates. Thereafter, with the assistance of the defendants and others, Casso exacted revenge on four people whom he believed were responsible for his attempted murder in 1986. Specifically:
In October of 1986, EPPOLITO and CARACAPPA kidnaped James Hydell, a Gambino Family associate and delivered him to Casso. Casso extracted from Hydell the identities of others involved in the hit, then killed him. Hydell’s remains have never been found.
Nicholas Guido was murdered in a case of mistaken identity. The intended target, “Nicholas Guido,” was a Gambino Family associate who lived in the same neighborhood as the victim, and shared his name. The defendants provided Casso with the name Nicholas Guido. On Christmas Day, 1986, Casso dispatched a hit team to the victim’s house, and murdered him.
From 1987 to January 1993, Casso paid EPPOLITO and CARACAPPA $4,000 a month for highly confidential law enforcement information.
In November of 1990, the defendants accepted a $75,000 contract from Casso to murder Edward “Eddie” Lino, a captain in the Gambino Crime Family who was also believed to be associated with the crew that had participated in the attempt on Casso’s life. On November 6, 1990, EPPOLITO and CARACAPPA followed Lino from his social club, pulled him over as he drove down the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, and shot Lino dead.
(3) The defendants compromised investigations by providing Casso with law enforcement information about suspected government witnesses and cooperators, leading to the murder of three victims and the attempted murder of another:
In 1987, the defendants obstructed the government’s investigation into “The
Bypass Gang,” a notorious safe-cracking burglary crew, revealing the identities of two suspected cooperators, John “Otto” Heidel and Dominic Costa. On Casso’s orders, Heidel was murdered, and Costa was repeatedly shot, but survived.
The defendants disclosed to Casso and others the existence of a federal indictment returned by an Eastern District of New York grand jury involving mob control of the window replacement industry in New York City. As a result, Casso and Vittorio Amuso, another high-ranking Luchese soldier, evaded capture for nearly two years.
The defendants disclosed to Casso confidential law enforcement information regarding Luchese Family soldier, Bruno Facciola. In August 1990, Facciola was murdered.
(4) The defendants helped Casso in his struggle to gain and maintain control over the Luchese Family:
After becoming underboss of the Luchese Family, Casso summoned various soldiers and associates to meet with him. Anthony Dilapi, a Luchese Family soldier, refused to meet him. The defendants provided Casso with information helping to locate Dilapi, and on February 4, 1990, Dilapi was murdered.
(5) Both defendants distributed methamphetamine, and EPPOLITO invested drug
proceeds in the purchase of a house and accepted purported drug proceeds from Burt Kaplan, a Luchese Family associate.
United States Attorney MAUSKOPF expressed her grateful appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York, for their outstanding and crucial assistance in this case.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert W. Henoch, Mitra Hormozi, and Daniel Wenner, under the supervision of Assistant United States Attorney Mark Feldman, Chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force.
The Defendants:
Name: STEPHEN CARACAPPA
DOB: 11/12/41
Name: LOUIS EPPOLITO
DOB: 7/22/48.
