More of the Mafia Cops
Sep 30th, 2005 by Mark
For 19 years Barry Gibbs sat in prison for a crime he did not commit.
“One thing that was clear to us was this was a bad case. … But we didn’t have the evidence to prove it,” [Gibbs Attorney Barry] Scheck said.
A Judge set aside his conviction, and released him yesterday.
“I knew I was innocent,” Gibbs, 57, said at a crowded news conference at his lawyers’ office. “I just had to make people believe.”
What brought about the miraculous turn of events? The “Mafia Cops” here in Vegas. No, they were not ‘good Samaratins’, they were arrested in June. Yes, arrested, and released.
During the 80s and 90s detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa are alleged to have been part-time Lucchese (crime family aka ‘mob’) “hit men”.
The investigation into their “moonlighting” during the 80s and 90s brought scrutiny to their cases. One of the cases was that of a murdered hooker. A hooker that Mr. Gibbs was accused of, and convicted of murdering.
Following Eppolito’s arrest, Gibbs’ lawyers urged federal agents and prosecutors to re-examine his case.
Gibbs was the perfect patsy.
Gibbs, at the time a postal worker who was struggling with a drug problem, admitted he had once had an “encounter” with the woman but said he never harmed her. Still, he was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
The attorneys were unable to get the evidence they needed.
The discovery of an old homicide file on the prostitute’s killing in the former detective’s Las Vegas home raised suspicions further.
The lead investigator was Det. Eppolito, who is now believed to have murdered the prostitute.
Under recent questioning by the FBI, the witness recanted the story, claiming Eppolito had bribed and intimidated him into identifying Gibbs, authorities said. Investigators have speculated the former detective may have been trying to deflect attention away from mobsters who were the actual killers.
Of course the detectives tell a different story.
An attorney for Eppolito, Bruce Cutler, denied any wrongdoing, and accused prosecutors of trying to “discredit my client’s remarkable police career.”
Both Eppolito and Caracappa are indicted on several charges, and the feds are looking for more.
Makes you wonder how many other cops in NYC are dirty. They have looked the other way for so long, that there is no way to say they are not at least some what corrupted. Not sure they really want to fix the problem any way.
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