Friends of the Family (36 page)

A second year passed without the Court of Appeals issuing a decision.

After leaving Hynes’s office for the second time, Tommy Dades continued teaching boxing at the Police Athletic League gym on Staten Island—and his kids won two NYC Golden Gloves championships in 2008. Joe Ponzi continued supervising more than a hundred investigators, each of them working as many as twenty-five cases. And Mike Vecchione was finally ending the last of the funeral home ghouls prosecution when the Court of Appeals issued its verdict at last.

In October 2007 the Second Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments from prosecutors and the defense attorneys. Representing the government, Mitra Hormozi contended that the conspiracy never ended because Eppolito and Caracappa continued to look for illicit ways to make money—and shared the secrets of their crimes. The three-judge panel then took almost another full year before finally reaching its seventy-page decision. “We reject the district court’s view that…the enterprise that began in the 1980’s and continued into the early 1990’s could not be considered the same enterprise that engaged in the Las Vegas conduct…”

It was a long, carefully constructed decision, replete with numerous precedents that weaved a tight rope around the necks of the dirty cops. Guilty. Guilty of the worst crimes ever committed by New York City police officers. Guilty of murder and betrayal. Although defense lawyers promised an appeal to the Supreme Court, Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa will spend the rest of their lives in prison. Ironically, there remains the possibility that eventually they will be assigned to Supermax—where, after all these years, they will finally get to meet Gaspipe.

As always, after the final verdict was announced, Tommy got on the phone with the mother. Betty Hydell had finally gotten justice. “How you feeling?” Tommy asked her.

There was no celebration in her, just quiet satisfaction. “I’m okay,” she said. And finally they could begin talking about the future.

Mike Vecchione would like to acknowledge the following people:

To my boss, District Attorney Charles “Joe” Hynes, without whose confidence in me this investigation could never have happened. To George Terra and the Detectives of the Special Investigation Unit of the Brooklyn DA’s office for their great work and dedication to this case and countless others I have worked on with them. To the men and women of the Rackets Division in the Brooklyn DA’s office, simply the best of the best. To my Uncle Louie, my mentor, role model, and the inspiration for me to become a lawyer, and Uncle Fred, the godfather, who always made me laugh and to whom I literally said my first words—keep fighting! I love you. And Aunt Jo, my second mom! I love you. To Jimmy Murphy, a great detective who brought me into the DA’s office and whose stories inspired me. To Jerry Schmetterer, one of my newest and best friends, for his advice and for lending me an ear, and Morty Matz, for sharing with me the wealth of his experience and for all the lunchtime advice and support. To Ronnie, for being a wonderful mother to our sons. I couldn’t have done law school without her. To Joe Petrosino, “grandpa,” my great friend and my partner in the DA’s office. To Anne Gutmann, a great lawyer and the best friend I could ever
hope for, and The Cabal, for simply being my friends. To Brian Maher and Steve Bondor, for being there at the beginning in the homicide bureau—great detectives both. To Juliet P., for caring, you are truly “one of the great ones.” And to Frances Mercurio, my great assistant, a true lady who does it all for me and who brightens every day I see her. To Chief Joe Ponzi, for his selfless contributions to this case, this book, and for his greatness as a detective. And to my friend Tommy D., for always being there for me and for his steady supply of “Dades specials.” We kicked some ass!

Tommy Dades would like to acknowledge the following people:

To Jim Walden, Jimmy DiPietro, and Randy Mastro, thank you is an understatement. I’ll never forget. God bless all of you and yes, Jimmy D., you are the best defense attorney I’ve ever faced!

To members of the groups D22 and D44 NY office DEA: Eric, Myron, Hunt, Brizz, Drew, Moran, Al, Cip, and all the rest of the boys. Thank you, a bunch of pros—no better. To Jimmy DeStefano and Gary “J” Pontecorvo, on both a personal and professional level; I’m proud to know you guys and thank you for letting me tag along. Thank you FBI–C38 NY office. Thank you Matt Tormey, C-31 FBI office NY, “What fun!” To Detective Nick Traffacenti and Detective John Votto (Ret.). I learned from the best. To Sergeant Larry Ponzi (Ret.), the epitome of a squad boss. I love you. To Detective Robert Maladonich (Ret.). Thanks for your friendship and guidance both as a detective and as a boxer. To Jr. “Poisons” Jones, you will always be the champ in my eyes. To ADA Chris Blank of the Brooklyn DA’s office—for all your hard work and for understanding me, thank you. To Detective Greg DeBor of the Brooklyn DA’s office, for always being there; you’re a great cop and friend. To “JC,” friends for life. To “LM” the best of luck. To “GS,” thank you for trusting me. To “SG,” my partner on the same hit list—they missed! To Captain William Plackenmeyer (NYPD Ret.), words can’t explain what I owe you, both personally and professionally. To Chief of Detectives William Allee, it was an honor to work for you and learn from you, the “cop’s cop.” All the best. To Supreme Court Judge Laura Ward, thanks for your friendship. To Chief of Rackets Michael Vecchione, the book says it all but we could have written a hundred more. God bless you. To Chief Joe Ponzi, what is it, five calls a day? I’m blessed with your friendship. To Detectives Mike Galletta and Jimmy Harkins, my partners for eleven and seven years. I miss you both—great partners, great detectives, and great friends. “We were sur
rounded by assassins”; you were right, Jimmy. To Chief Terra, “crazy as a fox.” To Chief Anne Guttman, a sincere thank-you. To Chief Suzanne Corhan, thank you. To Sergeant Joe “Joe the Boss” Piraino, you drove me crazy, but I love you. To Inspector John Lynch (NYPD Ret.) who could have played a police inspector in any movie—a role you were born to be. God bless you. To Sergeant Pat Russo (Ret.), nobody has a bigger heart than you, you’re a man’s man, thank you, Patty! To Terence Meyers, thank you for letting me train you all those years and for bettering yourself. You’re the poster boy for what the PAL is and for what its coaches do for the youth of our city. Keep punching and have a great life. To Detective Jimmy Sanseverino (Ret.), a gentleman, a great detective, and a good friend. To Nwachi Hartley, may you rest in peace. C-ya soon pal, I miss you. To Marty Ricco, I miss our talks; it seems like yesterday. I know you watch over me; I love ya, Rick. To my grandparents “Blackie” and Rosie, thank you for taking care of me. I would not be here if not for both of you. To Detective Joe Simone, Detective Patty Magiorie, and Angela Clemente. Three great friends; may God grant justice—never lose faith in Him. To New York Supreme Court Judge Leslie Crocker Snyder, thank you for showing integrity and that the system can be fair when in the hands of someone like you. To childhood friends Melfi and Pickett, to be your friends for thirty-five years is an accomplishment in itself—we’re the last three standing. And to Jerry Capeci, I enjoy our friendship, you’re a good man. To Sergeants Chris Straum and Jack Cucci, thank you for believing in me. You are two great bosses. To my godson, Frankie, I love you, God bless you. To Detective First Grade Frank Pergola, the epitome of a detective, lots of love and all the best.

David Fisher would like to acknowledge the following people:

I would like to thank our editor, Mauro DiPreta, for his confidence, his persistance, and his efforts to make this the best possible telling of the worst crimes in NYPD history. I would also like to thank my friends Penny Farber and Jerry Stern for the use of their cyberspace, as well as Frank Biondo, Bart Reich, and Joe Maresca, my friends of a lifetime. I would like to thank our agents, Frank Weimann of the Literary Group and Peter Sawyer, for their efforts and their expertise. I also would like to thank Chief Joe Ponzi for his enthusiasm, his time, and his efforts to tell this story as
accurately as possible. I would like to thank Patty Lanigan, George Terra, Josh Hanshaft, and those people I can’t name who gave graciously of their time. I’d like to tell my sons, Jesse and Beau Stevens, how much I love them and appreciate their understanding of me. As always, I would like to thank Suzanne Copitzky and her staff at the Karmen Executive Center of Seattle, Washington, for their continued hard work and good humor. And I would like to add that working with Mike Vecchione and Tommy Dades, two of the most dedicated public servants I’ve ever met and two men I admire greatly, has been a great pleasure.

And last on the page, but first in my life, I would like to acknowledge my wife, Laura Stevens, who brightens my life with her endless support and enthusiasm. I am so lucky to have found her.