Evidence for Angelo DiPietro’s Innocence Builds

“A Fabricated Story By A Psycho”

Initially, Rising Times took a passing interest in the case of organized crime figure Angelo DiPietro, who is currently a life sentence in federal prison for kidnapping, extortion and robbery charges that he claims he never committed.

But a review of court documents, new testimony from witnesses, and the fact that the usual cast of characters in Westchester politics and the court system from 2001-2005 may be involved (Anthony Mangone, Zehy Jereis, Jeannie Pirro and Mo Sanginiti) makes it worthy for all of us to review and comment on.

The case against DiPietro stems from an alleged 2001 kidnapping of John Perazzo, who was running a Ponzi scheme with the mob and owed them $400,000.. At the 2005 trial of DiPietro and three others. Albanian mobster Mo Sanginiti testified that DiPietro kidnapped and held Perazzo hostage demanding payment. Sanginiti was a cooperating witness for the Feds, and helped put away DiPietro for life.

DiPietro has asked a Federal judge to overturn his conviction, based on the following new evidence.

I-New Witness Ricky Wieland: Investigator William Clutter filed an affidavit with the court regarding his interview with Weiland, conducted in April this year, which reads:

“Wieland confirmed that he was a witness to the events that occurred at Applebee’s and at the home of Angelo DiPietro. Wicland adamantly stated that John Perazzo was never kidnapped at Applebee’s Restaurant in the Cross County Shopping Center.

“Mr. Wieland stated that Maurizio Sanginiti’s testimony that Perazzo was pulled into a white van never happened- He stated that Angelo DiPietro owned a white van that he used for his painting business, but Angelo DiPietro was not at Applebee’s parking lot on the evening of June 29,2001.

“He stated that Angelo DiPietro was visiting his wife and was trying io reconcile his marriage when the meeting at Applebee’s took place. Mr. Wieland stated that John Perazzo got into Maurizio Sangintti’s vehicle at Applebee’s Restaurant.

“Wieland stated that once they arrived at Angelo Dipietro’s home, they went into the garage and talked- Wieland stated that the encounter with Perazzo was not intimidating or threatening. At one point, he, Angelo DiPietro and Joe Genua left to buy beer and pizza, which they brought back to the garage. When they got back, Angelo CapaJbo was there. According to Wieland, Capalbo was the only one who made any statements that could be construed as a threat. Capalbo raised his voice and stated that Perazzo had taken the money he was planning to use for his daughter’s college- Capalbo stated if he didn’t get his money back he would turn Perazzo into the District Attorney’s office and have him arrested.

According to Wieland, Angelo DiPietro lold Capalbo to lower his voice, because he had tenants upstairs. DiPietro stated that his wife Anna was planning to visit him and he suggested they all leave and go finish up their business at Capalbo’s restaurant. Sanginiti and Perazzo left together. Mr. Wieland stated that no one ever threatened Perazzo with a gun or fireworks while at DiPietro’s bouse. Wieland slated that Perazzo was neither stripped nor tied up to a chair, Wieland also stated that Angelo DiPietro’s son, Anthony, was never present that night,

“Richard Wieland also explained that several years after 2001, an FBI agent, who asked him questions about the alleged kidnapping of John Perazzo at Applebee’s Restaurant on June 29, 2001, telephonically interviewed hull. Wieland believed that the agent’s name was Eric Reese. Wieland recalled that be told the FBI agent that the allegation was “nonsense.” He stated that he told the agent that John Perazzo was not kidnapped nor threatened by anyone. Wieland said he told the FBI agent that there are security cameras hi the parking lot at the Cross County Mall Shopping Mall. He asked the agent, “Did anyone go get the video cameras to see if Perazzo was lying,” Wieland stated, “I told them from day one, that was a fabricated story by a psycho. He lied. They are innocent of this. That didn’t happen.”

II-Phone Records: Investigator Clutter, in another affidavit, states: “I have reviewed Frank Taddeo’s cell phone records from June 29, 2001. The records provided by Cingular Wireless Inc., indicate that between 8:30 p.m. and 9:13 p.m. there were numerous phone calls between Frank Taddeo and Maurizio Sanginiti. In particular, between 8:48pm and 9:13pm, Taddeo had telephoned Sanginiti six times within a span of twenty five minutes.

“According to the trial testimony of an investigator for the Westchester District Attorney’s Office, who surveilled John Perazzo at Apptebee’s on June 29, 2001, Perazzo was observed entering Applebee’s at 8:24 p.m. Approximately 10 minutes later, the investigator went into the restaurant and discovered that Perazzo was gone.

“This timeline is consistent with the time period Taddeo was calling Sanginiti’s cell phone as they were driving separate vehicles. The cell phone records of Frank Taddeo corroborate the fact that there were two vehicles present on the evening of June 29, 2001. These records entirely undermine MaurMo Sanginili’s trial testimony that he and Frank Taddeo traveled together that evening in a white van from Applebee’s, Contrary to the government’s claim to the court and defense attorneys, Frank Taddeo’s cell phone records and proffer with the government on December 10 2004 do not corroborate Sanginiti’s testimony on this subject.”

III-Frank Taddeo–In a prior post we mentioned Taddeo, who was with Sanginiti, DiPietro and Weiland that day, and who also claims that the kidnapping never took place. Taddeo’s interviews with prosecutors were not produced as required under discovery, one of many allegations made by DiPietro’s attorney, Joseph Bondy, in court papers.

These 3 new pieces of evidence all discredit Sanginiti’s testimony that the four traveled in one car to Abblebee’s to kidnap Perrazo. One witness suggested to the Feds that they take a look at the surveilance cameras at the Cross County Shopping Center that day—we wonder if they still exist.

IV-The Westchester Connection: Around the time of the supposed kidnapping, Zehy Jereis was running wild through the chambers of county government and the courts. Sanginiti has testified that he paid Jereis $10,000 because Jereis had contacts in the DA’s office—(Jeannie Pirro was DA in 2001)that could make criminal cases “go away.” Sanginiti also testified that he paid Jereis $5,000 to find out if he, and DiPietro were being investigated by DA Pirro.

And the Mangone connection is??

Original report here





Justice served or justice severed?

Is Angelo Dipietro yet another victim of America's corrupt prosecution industry, or does he deserve to be incarcerated for life?

"In sum," Dipietro told the Libertarian News Examiner, "my father was framed for a crime that he did not commit. He is serving a life sentence because the government failed to turn over evidence which proved his innocence on many of the counts for which he was previously convicted.

Mr. Deeds and George Bailey are easy to defend but the elder Dipietro comes with baggage. The New York News called him "a former strip club owner" and "accused mobster" known as "Fat Angelo." He was sentenced for extortion and kidnapping after being convicted for "plotting to blow off a rival's genitals with an M-80 firecracker."

Son Anthony is so convinced of his father's innocence that it inspired him to become an attorney. "I start law school this Tuesday," he said in an email dated January 1.

And with the involvement of the Innocence Project, in the form of William Clutter, Director of investigations from the Illinois Innocence Project, the case for innocence gains immediate credibility. "Clutter gathered a substantial amount of evidence proving that the witnesses lied," the younger Dipietro insists, "including physical evidence, such as phone records that contradict their testimony."

That thread and more is covered in a Rising Times blog.

While some may still see America's legal system as a pillar of constitutional government that embodies the "search for justice" the prevailing libertarian view is a thoroughly corrupted institution in which the judge plays God rather than referee, prosecutors see defendants as stepping-stones on their political career paths and the overall mindset is convict at any cost, innocence be damned.

Angelo Dipietro may be a mobster as some say, or innocent as his son believes, but this much is certain; although it may take a thief to catch a thief, if it takes a corrupt government to catch a corrupt mobster there is no "search for justice" and everybody loses.

Original report here




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