United States v. Orena

876 F. Supp. 20, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7102, 1995 WL 53050
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedJanuary 31, 1995
DocketCR 93-1366
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 876 F. Supp. 20 (United States v. Orena) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Orena, 876 F. Supp. 20, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7102, 1995 WL 53050 (E.D.N.Y. 1995).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

NICKERSON, District Judge:

The defendants, alleged to be aligned with the Orena faction of the Colombo Organized Crime Family (the Colombo Family), have been indicted (1) for conspiracy to murder members of the Pérsico faction of the Colombo Family in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5), and (2) for using and carrying firearms during and in relation to the crime of violence charged in the first count, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1).

The defendants have made various motions, some of which this judge, by order dated January 20, 1995, referred to Judge Edward R. Korman. The motions now before this judge are for the following relief.

1. To dismiss the indictment on the ground of double jeopardy (made by Victor M. Orena and John T. Orena).

*22 2. To dismiss Count Two of the indictment on the ground of double jeopardy (made by Paul Bevacqua).

3. To dismiss Count One on the ground that 18 U.S.C. § 1959 is unconstitutionally vague (made by Thomas Petrizzo).

4. To require the government to plead and prove (a) every element of every state offense underlying the offense charged under 18 U.S.C. § 1959, (b) all defenses and the corroboration of any accomplice testimony (made by Thomas Petrizzo).

5. To dismiss the indictment for failure to provide defendants sufficient specifics to put them on notice (made by Thomas Petrizzo).

6. To strike paragraphs Ten and Eleven of the indictment as containing prejudicial surplusage (made by Thomas Petrizzo).

7. To require the government to provide material required by Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963), a witness list, and information as to the beneficial treatment of witnesses (made by Thomas Petrizzo).

8. To require the government to preserve the originals of handwritten notes of law enforcement interviews with witnesses (made by Thomas Petrizzo).

9. To require the government to file a bill of particulars (made by Thomas Petrizzo).

10. To dismiss Count Two on the ground that there will not be sufficient evidence to support it or in the alternative to inspect the grand jury minutes (made by Frank Polite).

11. To require the government to play certain tapes without giving the jury transcripts (made by Frank Polite).

12. To suppress a beeper seized from Frank Polite.

13. To suppress evidence found on the person of Rocco Miraglia and in his auto.

14. To suppress statements made by Vincent Cascio.

15. To suppress evidence seized from Paul Bevacqua and from his auto.

16. To strike the alias of Paul Bevacqua from the indictment.

Various defendants incorporate in their papers to the extent applicable the motions of them co-defendants.

I.

In an introduction to all counts the indictment recites, in substance, the following. The members of the Colombo Family constituted an enterprise as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961(4) and 1959(b)(2), that is, a group of individuals associated in fact. The Colombo Family is organized in a hierarchical structure and is part of a nationwide criminal organization known as the Mafia or La Cosa Nostra. Carmine Persico had, been boss of the Colombo family for more than ten years but in 1986-1987 was sentenced to a lengthy term of imprisonment. In May 1988 he selected Victor J. Orena, who had been a captain for one year, as acting boss.

Defendant Victor M. Orena, the son of Victor J. Orena, and defendant Thomas Pe-trizzo are captains in the Family, and the other defendants are soldiers, except defendant Miraglia who is an associate.

The principal purpose of the enterprise was to generate money for its members and associates through various criminal activities, including the operation of illegal gambling businesses, loansharking, the generation of income from businesses through illegal means, including the exploitation of the Family’s corrupt control of union officials. Among the means and methods by which the members furthered its criminal activities were threats and actual use of violence including murder.

The members and associates of the family engaged in conduct designed to prevent government detection of their identities and their illegal activity. That conduct included a commitment to murdering persons, particularly members and associates of the Colombo Family who were perceived as potential witnesses against the Family.

In the months prior to June 1991 various Colombo Family members and associates became disenchanted with Victor J. Orena as boss. He announced his intention to become the official boss. But Pérsico wished that position to be filled by his son, Alphonse *23 Pérsico, then scheduled to be released from prison in 1993. In June 1991 a split between the Pérsico and Orena factions escalated into an internal war for control of the Colombo Family. Each faction formed armed hit teams to monitor the movements of the other faction and to assassinate its members and associates.

In April 1992 Orena was apprehended and in May 1993 was sentenced to a lengthy term of imprisonment. The Orena faction, led by a committee, continued at war with the Pérsi-co faction.

The seven defendants in this case were aligned with the Orena faction and were active participants in the war.

The first count says, in substance, that between June 1991 and the date of the filing of the indictment for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing their positions in the Family, these defendants and others knowingly and intentionally and in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5) conspired to murder members of the Pérsico faction in violation of New York Penal Law §§ 125.25 and 105.15.

Count Two charges that, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(1), the defendants together with others used and carried firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, the crime charged in Count One.

II.

Victor M. Orena and John T. Orena move to dismiss the indictment as violative of their rights under the Double Jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
876 F. Supp. 20, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7102, 1995 WL 53050, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-orena-nyed-1995.