‘Oldfella’s Lament Caught on Tape

BY ALEXANDRA SEMENOVA AND JOHN SAKELOS

A recording played at the trial of former mob chieftain Vincent Asaro in Brooklyn Federal Court Thursday highlighted his contention that his alleged collaborator in the 1978 Lufthansa heist, fellow gangster Jimmy “the Gent” Burke, kept all of the stolen money – $5 million in cash and nearly $1 million in jewels.

“Jimmy kept everything,” the 80-year-old “Oldfellla” was heard complaining on the tape, portraying himself as broke and friendless after a life filled with scores.

As Asaro, in his preppy navy blue sweater and showing no sign of his wiseguy past, sat behind a team of defense attorneys in the courtroom, the tapes also featured associates such as Danny Rizzo, Gary Vincenti, and Burke as main players of the famous robbery that went unsolved for decades.

Testimony as the trial has showcased features of the Mafia code, such as “never rat on your friends, and always keep your mouth shut,” taboos that were violated by Gaspar Valenti, who returned to the witness stand for the third day on Thursday.

“I called the FBI,” said Valenti, who became an informant and wore a wire to tape his conversations with Asaro in exchange for the government to pay his rent and bills. The recordings showed Asaro complaining that he wished he’d received a larger cut of the Lufthansa money.

After 30 years of silence, the 68-year-old self-styled snitch first testified against his cousin Vinny, the Bonanno crime family captain, earlier this week, giving detailed accounts of the airport theft and decades of hiding bodies, stealing money, and other racketeering activities.

“I had a enough of that life,” said the Mafia turncoat to the courtroom. “I was tired. I had a lot of remorse. A lot of nightmares from situations I was in.”