Investigating the Mafia by Carla Mooney

Author:Carla Mooney
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Greenhaven Publishing, LLC.

Joseph Valachi, one of the most famous Mafia informants, takes an oath before testifying on mob activity in September 1963.

The FBI believed that the killing was a turning point for Valachi. One special agent of the FBI said: “Valachi has no real remorse for anything he has done in his life, except this. Nothing crushed him more than the fact that he got the wrong man. It really plagues him. Getting a guy who was going to get him was the one satisfaction he was willing to settle for. If he had been successful, he probably never would have talked.”52

Now Valachi faced a murder charge. When he learned that prosecutors were going to ask for the death penalty,Valachi reached out to the government. He wanted to cooperate. In return, he was able to plead guilty to murder in the second degree.Valachi avoided the death penalty and instead received a life sentence.

To interview him, the government flew Valachi to the Westchester County Jail near New York City. They separated him from other prisoners to keep him safe. At first Valachi was reluctant to talk, but FBI agent James P. Flynn gained his trust and confidence. Once talking, Valachi answered all of the investigator’s questions. He talked about his entire thirty-year history with the Mafia. Valachi explained the Mafia’s organizational structure and initiation ceremonies. He named bosses and other members. He explained the roles of each person in the organization and how orders are followed.

Like many informants, Valachi was still a violent criminal. He did not talk to perform a good deed. “Revenge was a large part of it, but it was also a cold, calculated move for survival. Don’t think for a moment that this was a repentant sinner. He was a killer capable of extreme violence. He was devious, rebellious against all constituted authority, and he lived in a world of fear and suspicion,”53 said Flynn.

Although his testimony did not lead to the arrest of many Mafia leaders, it provided invaluable information. Valachi’s testimony also encouraged the government to increase the money and agents they devoted to investigating the Mafia.

Sammy the Bull Gravano Talks

Although Valachi may have been the first public Mafia informant, he was certainly not the last. For years Gambino boss John Gotti evaded law enforcement. He escaped conviction in the 1980s and 1990s through witness intimidation and jury tampering. His nickname, Teflon Don, grew because prosecutors were unable to make charges against him stick. That changed when trusted underboss Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano turned informant.

In 1990 the FBI once again arrested Gotti, along with Gravano. Gotti probably fully expected to beat the charges as he had in the past. This time, however, investigators had a recording of Gotti admitting to three murders. In the tape he blamed Gravano for instigating the murders. When agents played the tape for Gravano, he believed Gotti might turn on him in court. He decided it was time to save himself.

Gravano had his wife contact the FBI. In a secret meeting, he agreed to cooperate.

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