By KATELYN HRUBY
An associate of the notorious Gambino crime family testified for the prosecution Tuesday against a high-ranking fellow mobster in a 32-year-old double murder case
BartolomeoVernace is on trial in the 1981 murders of Richard Godkin and John D’Agnese, co-owners of the Shamrock Bar. The rubouts occurred allegedly over a spilled drink.
When the case broke charges were dropped after key witness, Linda Gotti – neice of the late “Dapper Don” John Gotti — recanted her identification of the three suspects, Vernace, Frank Riccardi, and Ronald Barlin.
Vernace was put back in the dock after Linda Gotti recently air max thea femmes recanted her recantation, saying she perjured herself because she was intimidated by the family.
The turncoat witness, Anthony Ruggiano said the Gottis, who held control of crime family in the early 1980s were furious over Linda’s admission, pressuring her to withdraw her statement.
“They were up in arms about what Linda did,” he said on the witness stand in Brooklyn Federal Court. “We’re taught not to help law enforcement at all.”
Ruggiano confirmed the prosecution’s allegations against Vernace, saying that Vernace’s cohort Riccardi confided to him about the crime after fleeing the scene. Ruggiano said Riccardi came to his crew’s Polish Bar after the murder “to wash his face and hands.”
Ruggiano, who has an extensive criminal history himself, testified in compliance with his cooperation agreement, which drops Ruggiano’s list of offences down to two—murder and bookmaking.
On cross-examination, defense attorney Charles Carnesi tried to impeach Ruggiano’s credibility, citing Ruggiano’s struggles with cocaine addiction and pending murder trial—the murder of Ruggiano’s own brother-in-law.
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