Greg Scarpa Jr's Symbolic Appeal Victory Plucked Away
A New York federal appeals court ruled last Thursday that the 40-year sentence imposed on Gregory Scarpa Jr. in 1999 will be reinstated.
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the lower court judge "had overstepped his authority by shaving 10 years off the sentence," as the New York Times reported.
Scarpa, while imprisoned, helped the government find leftover explosives from the Oklahoma City bombing.
A retired NYPD homicide detective told us previously that Scarpa Junior was personally linked to 24 gangland hits.
"He's never getting out," the source told us. "They might have moved him to make him more comfortable now that everything has settled down."
In January 2016, we reported that Scarpa, who is dying of a terminal illness, had been given a reduction of 10 years from the 40-year prison sentence, his reward for assisting the FBI's anti-terrorism efforts. Scarpa Jr.
, 65, will most likely die before his release date, with or without the reduction.
Scarpa -- whose 2025 release date resets to 2035 -- has nasopharyngeal squamous cell cancer, which gives him a possible lifespan of four more years.
The father, aka The Grim Reaper, was a capo in the Colombo family who talked to the Fed's even before "Joe Cago" Valachi burst onto the scene. Scarpa offered intel on New York's five Cosa Nostra families on a periodic basis. Some of it was even accurate; all of it was self-serving.
Scarpa provided other services as well. In 1964, the FBI, under enormous pressure to solve the "MissBurn" case, sent Scarpa to Mississippi to locate the body of three civil rights workers. It wasn't the only time the Fed's sent Scarpa to Mississippi, either.
In return for his services, the FBI kept Scarpa out of prison. Specifically FBI agent Lin DeVecchio, Scarpa's last handler (his other, Anthony Villano, wrote Brick Agent
, basing two characters on Scarpa). Critics have speculated that DeVecchio's moral compass lost true north -- and that he may have even provided Scarpa with intel that enabled Scarpa to pull off key hits as part of the Colombo war of the early 1990s. (Apparently a federal judge also holds this dim view of the retired FBI agent.)
Junior passed on a plethora of intel about planned terrorist activity. Scarpa Junior also was set to testify for the prosecution in DeVecchio's trial.
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| Law enforcement pins 24 homicides to Junior. |
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the lower court judge "had overstepped his authority by shaving 10 years off the sentence," as the New York Times reported.
Scarpa, while imprisoned, helped the government find leftover explosives from the Oklahoma City bombing.
A retired NYPD homicide detective told us previously that Scarpa Junior was personally linked to 24 gangland hits.
"He's never getting out," the source told us. "They might have moved him to make him more comfortable now that everything has settled down."
In January 2016, we reported that Scarpa, who is dying of a terminal illness, had been given a reduction of 10 years from the 40-year prison sentence, his reward for assisting the FBI's anti-terrorism efforts. Scarpa Jr.
, 65, will most likely die before his release date, with or without the reduction.Scarpa -- whose 2025 release date resets to 2035 -- has nasopharyngeal squamous cell cancer, which gives him a possible lifespan of four more years.
Scarpa Junior, a former Colombo soldier, tipped off the FBI about a hidden stash of explosives, which the FBI initially had missed following a 1995 search of Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols's basement.
Scarpa Jr. told the Fed's about Nicols’ stockpiled explosives in 2005, after the duo served a stint in Colorado’s Supermax prison.
Scarpa also offered Intel regarding 1993 World Trade Cener bomber Ramzi Youseff.
By rewarding Scarpa (even if he dies in prison) the judge was seeking to give incentive to other potential informants behind bars to step forward.
One thing is certain here. The FBI will never recall either Gregory Scarpa with even a hint of fondness or nostalgia.
Scarpa Jr. told the Fed's about Nicols’ stockpiled explosives in 2005, after the duo served a stint in Colorado’s Supermax prison.
Scarpa also offered Intel regarding 1993 World Trade Cener bomber Ramzi Youseff.
By rewarding Scarpa (even if he dies in prison) the judge was seeking to give incentive to other potential informants behind bars to step forward.
One thing is certain here. The FBI will never recall either Gregory Scarpa with even a hint of fondness or nostalgia.
The father, aka The Grim Reaper, was a capo in the Colombo family who talked to the Fed's even before "Joe Cago" Valachi burst onto the scene. Scarpa offered intel on New York's five Cosa Nostra families on a periodic basis. Some of it was even accurate; all of it was self-serving.
Scarpa provided other services as well. In 1964, the FBI, under enormous pressure to solve the "MissBurn" case, sent Scarpa to Mississippi to locate the body of three civil rights workers. It wasn't the only time the Fed's sent Scarpa to Mississippi, either.
In return for his services, the FBI kept Scarpa out of prison. Specifically FBI agent Lin DeVecchio, Scarpa's last handler (his other, Anthony Villano, wrote Brick Agent
, basing two characters on Scarpa). Critics have speculated that DeVecchio's moral compass lost true north -- and that he may have even provided Scarpa with intel that enabled Scarpa to pull off key hits as part of the Colombo war of the early 1990s. (Apparently a federal judge also holds this dim view of the retired FBI agent.)Junior passed on a plethora of intel about planned terrorist activity. Scarpa Junior also was set to testify for the prosecution in DeVecchio's trial.
Critics speculate that since more than 75 trials of many mob figures depended on the retired agent's reputation, the decision was made to not credit Scarpa Junior for providing any assistance in terms of the terrorism intel he provided. He was labelled a scam artist perpetuating a hoax.
In its decision Thursday, the appeals court overturned the previous appeal, ruling that once a defendant has been sentenced, “the circumstances in which the court is authorized to reduce his sentence are limited.”
“The record in the present case amply supports the government’s contention that its refusal to make such a motion for Scarpa was based on legitimate government concerns,” the court wrote, adding that Scarpa had previously lied about Yousef, among other things.
“Such fraudulent cries of ‘Wolf’ not only cause the misallocation of government resources,” the court found, “but they also make less likely an appropriate government response if the man who cried ‘Wolf’ subsequently sounds an alarm that is genuine.”
Scarpa can ask the appeals court to reconsider or he can appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
In its decision Thursday, the appeals court overturned the previous appeal, ruling that once a defendant has been sentenced, “the circumstances in which the court is authorized to reduce his sentence are limited.”
“The record in the present case amply supports the government’s contention that its refusal to make such a motion for Scarpa was based on legitimate government concerns,” the court wrote, adding that Scarpa had previously lied about Yousef, among other things.
“Such fraudulent cries of ‘Wolf’ not only cause the misallocation of government resources,” the court found, “but they also make less likely an appropriate government response if the man who cried ‘Wolf’ subsequently sounds an alarm that is genuine.”
Scarpa can ask the appeals court to reconsider or he can appeal to the United States Supreme Court.