NCJ Number
169896
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1998) Pages: 42-45
Date Published
1998
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Enterprising surveillance techniques using sophisticated listening devices enabled the FBI to record conversations that produced the conviction of organized crime leader John Gotti and to plant listening devices inside the heavily guarded mansion of the late Paul Castellano, another organized crime leader.
Abstract
The FBI intercepted a lengthy 1989 conversation between Gotti and his associate Frank Locascio. The hour-long conversation focused on the structure of the Gambino crime family that Gotti led, the chain of command and protocol within the ranks, murder and murder conspiracy, labor racketeering in the construction industry, interaction between families of La Cosa Nostra, control of labor unions, and control of the carting industry. Two years later Gotti was convicted of murder, racketeering, loan sharking, gambling, and jury tampering. Planting an eavesdropping device in such cases can take several months or even years. It also entails relying on informants and monitoring the suspect's daily routine. When the FBI is reasonably certain that the location is safe on a given date, a Federal court order is obtained. The court order is sometimes restricted to 30 or 60 days. Spotters who look like people in the neighborhood surround the target. An expert locksmith followed by a small team of electronic surveillance technicians enter the premises. The process can take less than 12 minutes. The successful efforts directed against Gotti and Castellano demonstrate the roles of the investigative techniques coupled with the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, stiff Federal sentencing guidelines, and a new willingness of informers to talk.