Mike looked at Madonna, who had returned to his chair. “We will check on that.”
Dave said “So how about telling us why you are here in the States in the first place? In particular, why are you living in a small suburb of a small city rather than in a large city with a sizeable Italian population where you could blend in. I mean, let’s face it, you stuck out like a sore thumb around here.”
“I was trying to hide from the Nuova Famiglia, so that my family and I would not be targeted by them. You saw how they came after me at the wine store. This war of the Camorristi has been terrible, hundreds killed every year.”
“Are you telling us that’s the only reason you’re in the States?”
“Si!”
Because we have heard that Cava might well be acting under orders of your own don, Raffaele Cutolo. Why would Don Cutolo want you dead?”
“I…know nothing of this. Cava is NF. I am feeling tired now. I wish to return to my cell. Again, thank you for saving my life.”
It was clear that the interview was over, so Guy motioned to the Corrections Officer outside the door and Madonna was escorted back to his cell.
Two days after the interview, the three were briefing ADA Drake on Madonna’s disclosures.
“That detail about the guitar string is pretty compelling. How else would he know about that?” Peter was beginning to think that they might have a viable murder case after all.
Dave nodded, “Yeah. The only alternative idea we came up with was that someone else wanted to frame DiGiorno, using his signature weapon.”
Mike agreed. “While that’s possible, we think it unlikely. It’s always bothered me that he claimed to be a soldier in the Caruana-Cuntrera family, and yet he had all this detailed information. When I worked undercover in the City, and became a soldier in the Irish mob, there is no way I’d be told that much or allowed to overhear it. If I did overhear that much detail, they’d assume I was a snitch or worse, and I’d get whacked for sure.” Dave and Guy agreed with the assessment.
Guy offered, “I called down to our OC expert, Giovanni Falcone, and he had heard of the reputation of DiGiorno, including the bit about the guitar string. Back in the day, DiGiorno was famous, and dangerous.”
Peter said, “For what it’s worth, I think it’s time to re-interview Mr. DiGiorno. In the meantime, I will check on how to extradite someone from Canada. I understand that it is surprisingly difficult on some crimes and fairly easy on others. So what do you guys think of Madonna’s claim that he was only here because of the war between his NCO and the NF? There’s something about it that just doesn’t ring true to me.”
“The delegation of Italian prosecuting judges and carabinieri that interviewed him last week, had the same feeling. They even tried to talk to him about the Cirillo affair, but he sidestepped all of that.” reported Mike.
Dave concluded, “We’re with you, Peter. But we may never know for certain.”
With Madonna’s sentencing coming up soon, Peter met with Madonna’s attorney, Bill Dier. Peter explained that there would be no Witness Protection Program for Madonna, because of his sporadic and selective cooperation. Peter was only willing to recommend a reduction in the sentence from 3-6 years to a 2-4 year bid. That meant that Madonna would be eligible for parole and deportation back to Italy in about a year, due to the credit for his time in jail while the charges were pending.
Inv. Tanner Saint drove back up to Laval, north of Montreal to re–interview DiGiorno, only to discover that the old man had died of a heart attack the previous morning. When he asked to look at DiGiorno’s belongings, he was surprised to learn that a moving company crew had already packed up his things and emptied his room. Even the trash can had been emptied.
Tanner got the name of the moving company and descriptions of the men, but was certain that this was a dead end and that he would not be able to trace them. His “family” did not want to leave anything embarrassing behind. They’d even arranged for the body to be cremated in record time.
Madonna was one of a dozen defendants whose cases were going to be heard in this Special Term. When his case was called, he was led out of the holding cell area and walked up to the defense table, where he stood next to his attorney. Before the judge had a chance to start, Peter spoke quietly to Madonna, telling him about DiGiorno’s death. Madonna said nothing in response, just nodding his head. The guilty plea and sentencing went without incident. At the end, just before he was led away, Drake told the Court that there was one more small matter. Dave, Mike and Guy walked up to the prosecution table and handed Peter a Styrofoam box, which he held up for Madonna to see.
“The task force that worked on your case was impressed by your efforts to locate your uncle and learn his fate. Each of us felt, that we would have done much the same as you to locate him. Since there is still some slight question that the man we named Wally was your uncle, we contacted the forensic pathologist who examined Wally. He took some body samples that he believes contain Wally’s DNA.
As Dr. Haggard explained it to me, within the next couple of years, this DNA will be able to be compared with others to establish family connections. With a small blood sample from you, a lab will be able to compare the DNA in this box with yours and confirm that he was your blood uncle. We will hold this sample and refrigerate it until you return to Italy. When you are ready, you write to me and we will send the sample to you for testing. Then you will know.”
Bowing slightly to the four, Enrico Madonna thanked them for their kindness, and then shuffled back to the holding area, his leg chains jingling.
Realizing that Madonna would likely be murdered before he would be able to write that letter, Peter recalled the quote from Winston Churchill: If you are going to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.
As it always seemed to do, life chugged on as always and the only difference for ADA Peter Drake was that he had less and less contact with the task force team members, who likewise returned to their normal work routines. Peter especially missed spending time with Dave Grace, Mike Connolly and Guy Lorenz. He was not one who made friends easily and the bonds that connected them to him…well, he would miss them.
Chapter 18
Although he couldn’t remember where he had heard it, Peter was vaguely aware that Madonna had been returned to Italy, as had Biagio Cava.
Three years later, Peter was a bit older, a bit more experienced, a bit plumper and thoroughly enjoying his life, both at work and at home. He and Eileen even had a larger family, with wee Terri arriving about a year ago. Then, unexpectedly, he received a large envelope in the mail, from Dave Grace, who was now working in the U.S. Border Patrol up near the Canadian border. The envelope contained Italian newspaper clippings, INS translations and a note from Giuseppe Martini
Enrico Madonna, who had returned to Italy to live in his hometown of Avellino, had recently been killed in an ambush as he drove back from visiting his mother. The grainy photo of his car clearly showed the numerous bullet holes of automatic weapons’ fire.
The note from Martini, the INS Italian organized crime expert was brief, but surprising. Three days before his death, Madonna had contacted a Naples-based journalist, telling him that he was willing to be interviewed and would tell all, about the Cirillo affair. Martini’s note went on:
“I have enclosed several newspaper articles, together with translations.”
Enrico Madonna, the attorney and “consiglieri” of the Camorra Boss Raffaele Cutolo, assassinated by Camorra hit-men. Four hit-men approached Madonna’s car and fired several shots to him and to one of his friends who happened to be in the same car, Madonna tried to escape running away but he was captured by the Camorra killers and shot in his neck. His friend was also killed. Madonna was near his house.
Madonna, after his extradition from the United States, was imprisoned in a maximum security prison in Sardinia. He was granted house arrest in August, 1993 due to his health. According to cooperating witnesses, Madonna knew all the secrets
of the Camorra Group headed by Raffaele Cutolo.
IL MATTINO
“There is considerable speculation about his death and who is responsible. It seems clear that it is directly connected to his involvement in the Cirillo affair. A number of sources have told me that Madonna was Cutolo’s personal representative in the meetings with the Red Brigade, negotiating the release of the kidnapped Cirillo. This might well make Madonna a target of unhappiness by members of the ruling Christian Democrat party, as they would not want it to be widely known that they had to rely on organized crime to deal with negotiations with the kidnappers.
“There is also a rumor that Cutolo and his New Camorra Organization had played both ends of the deal. That they realized how profitable the role of negotiator could be, so they actually helped the Red Brigade to kidnap Cirillo, and then offered their services to the government to get him released. It is said that they received part of the ransom from the Red Brigade, as well as the negotiator’s fee from the government. Since Cutolo was in prison, it is likely that Madonna had a hand in setting all this up. His talking to the press now would be seen as a threat to the Christian Democrats, to Cutolo and to the Italian secret service, which set up the meetings for the negotiations. Then there is the Nuova Famiglia, which has now won the turf war and is the largest, most deadly organized crime group in Italy, if not all of Europe. As for who killed him, take your pick.
“On an ironic note, these same newspapers carry an article announcing the arrest of Antonio Cava, Biagio’s cousin. According to the newspapers, Antonio is the number two man to his cousin in a large Camorra clan located in the Lauro Valley outside Naples. Biagio Cava is a fugitive, being sought for murder, along with other crimes.”
Peter laid down the note and considered his own brief, minor role in this alien world. At least a part of the blame for Madonna’s death could be laid at his feet. After all, he had refused to endorse the Witness Protection Program for Madonna and the set him up for deportation back to Italy. No! He was one of the dominos in the line that fell over and hit the next one, but it was Madonna himself, and the life he chose to live, that lined up the dominos in the first place. He could not imagine what it must be like to live such a life. At that moment, Peter Drake’s phone rang, and he returned to his work, leaving Enrico Madonna behind. The call was from Investigator Bud Lancaster, from the State Police, and it immediately knocked thoughts of Madonna right out of Peter’s head.
“Peter. I need to meet with you. I just got back from answering a call from a foster parent, who had me interview a young girl named Nicole, who is staying with the foster parent. Nicole is about ten years old and is telling us bits and pieces of how she was raised by her father, Charlie Bennett up in Hague. If a tenth of what she is saying is true, then it was the scariest home life I have ever heard of, and her little brother is still there with the father.”
“I’ll be over in fifteen. Ask Mike to put some coffee on, please.”
When you turn the page, Kindle will give you the opportunity to rate this book and share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. If you believe the book is worth sharing, would you take a few seconds to let others know about it?
I have truly enjoyed writing this book, sharing a view of a prosecutor’s life and having the excuse to look up old friends and colleagues to make this all happen. It has been more fun than I ever could have imagined. It has also allowed me to recall my good fortune and blessings. Always worthwhile, that!
I would appreciate your opinion – good, bad or indifferent.
John
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Wiseguys in the Woods Page 26