Opinion ID: 654592
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The New Trial Motion

Text: 148 Gotti and Locascio argue that they are entitled to a new trial based on information casting doubt on Gravano's credibility disclosed to them after the original trial.
149 Several months after Gotti and Locascio were sentenced, one of the prosecutors, preparing for a different trial, was reviewing reports of information obtained from Alphonse D'Arco, a government witness in another trial (D'Arco report). The D'Arco report had been prepared by government agents who were not involved in the instant case, and included allegations about Gravano. At the same time, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York received from a prosecutor in another district an FBI report made in 1987 that also contained allegations about Gravano (FBI report). The FBI report had similarly been prepared by agents uninvolved in the investigation or trial of the defendants-appellants. Neither of these reports had been disclosed to the defense prior to the instant trial. 150 The D'Arco report included three separate uncorroborated allegations by D'Arco: (1) that Gravano had been responsible for the murder of Eddie Lino, a Gambino Family soldier; (2) that Gravano had gotten to (i.e., murdered) the prospective son-in-law of Nicky Corazzo; and (3) that Gravano had killed an individual named Harold, who owned an establishment known as the Adventurer's Inn, because of a financial dispute. 151 The FBI report contained allegations made by an inmate at a federal prison. The inmate alleged that he had been told by another inmate, who had been told by yet another source, that an individual named either Salvatore Gravano or Gravatto had aided in the disposal of the body of Pietro Inzerillo. 152 Gravano, in his plea bargain, had not confessed to any of these crimes, even though his plea bargain stated that he had admitted all the crimes with which he was involved. He also testified at trial that he had only committed the crimes referred to in his plea bargain. 153 The government states that, upon receiving these reports, prosecutors asked Gravano if he had in fact committed any of the alleged crimes. Gravano denied involvement in them. The government then confirmed that no member of the prosecution team in the instant trial had been aware of either the reports or the allegations, and disclosed the allegations to defense counsel. 154 On October 22, 1992, six months after trial was completed, while their appeal was pending before this Court, Gotti and Locascio filed a motion in this Court to remand the appeal of their convictions in order to allow the district court to pass on a motion for a new trial pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 33. The parties agreed that the district court would treat the new trial motion as filed in the district court. Gotti and Locascio raised two arguments: (1) that the two undisclosed reports demonstrated that the defendants-appellants had been convicted on the basis of Gravano's perjured testimony, since he had testified that he had committed no crimes except those admitted in his plea bargain; and (2) that the government had violated its discovery obligations by failing to disclose the allegations to the appellants. 155 The district court denied the motion for a new trial without an evidentiary hearing, finding that the information in the reports was untrustworthy and unsubstantiated, and that the government's failure to disclose the allegations to defense counsel did not violate the requirements of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). Specifically, the court ruled that the information was neither known to the prosecutorial team nor exculpatory in nature, and stated that the information did not 156 in any way tend to exonerate or exculpate either Gotti or Locascio of the crimes of which they were convicted. There is no dispute that at best, those reports would have provided trial counsel with an opportunity to cross examine Gravano about two more murders. 157 Following the district court's decision, the defendants-appellants obtained materials disclosed to the defense in another case. The information tended to bring into question the government's representation that no one on the trial team was aware of the D'Arco allegations against Gravano. The district court considered this information in a renewed motion for a new trial and without a hearing reaffirmed its earlier decision, relying on affidavits submitted by prosecutors denying that they had awareness of the allegations against Gravano. 158 Gotti and Locascio now appeal, arguing that the information: (1) indicates that Gravano perjured himself; and (2) should have been disclosed under Brady so that they could impeach Gravano, requiring a new trial. We note that Gotti and Locascio have raised in reply briefs yet another allegation of non-disclosed material, although this allegation was never heard by the district court.
159 Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 33 authorizes a district court to grant a new trial if required in the interest of justice. Such authority is only exercised, however, in the most extraordinary circumstances. SeeUnited States v. Imran, 964 F.2d 1313, 1318 (2d Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 626, 121 L.Ed.2d 558 (1992). A district court learning of newly discovered evidence after a conviction will only grant a new trial pursuant to Rule 33 if the evidence is material, noncumulative, and would probably lead to an acquittal. United States v. Gilbert, 668 F.2d 94, 96 (2d Cir.1981), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 946, 102 S.Ct. 2014, 72 L.Ed.2d 469 (1982); seeUnited States v. Siddiqi, 959 F.2d 1167, 1173 (2d Cir.1992). We will not disturb the district court's findings of fact in these matters unless clearly erroneous, and we will not overturn the district court's decision except for an abuse of discretion. SeeUnited States v. Gordils, 982 F.2d 64, 72 (2d Cir.1992), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 1953, 123 L.Ed.2d 657 (1993). 160 There was no such abuse of discretion here. Gotti and Locascio argue that the newly discovered reports concerning Gravano would have made a difference at trial, and that the government had a Brady obligation to disclose them. However, as the district court found, these reports would have had no effect on Gravano's credibility, not only because they were untrustworthy, but also because they would merely have been cumulative. Seeid. (holding that new evidence impeaching key government witness's credibility did not require new trial because it was cumulative of evidence already introduced); United States v. Gilbert, 668 F.2d 94, 96 (2d Cir.1981) (same), cert. denied, 456 U.S. 946, 102 S.Ct. 2014, 72 L.Ed.2d 469 (1982). Gravano had already confessed to numerous crimes, including murders, and was subject to withering cross examination for those actions. The addition of a few more allegations would not have materially affected the defense's cross examination of him. 161 Gotti and Locascio still maintain that, even if the evidence was cumulative, its suppression by the government requires a new trial. SeeBrady, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194; United States v. Stofsky, 527 F.2d 237, 243 (2d Cir.1975) (permitting new trials where the prosecutor suppressed or failed to disclose evidence), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 819, 97 S.Ct. 65, 50 L.Ed.2d 80 (1976). As the district court found, though, there was no suppression by the government. Even assuming the reports' materiality, there is no evidence that the prosecution team in the instant case was aware of the reports that have subsequently come to light. We will not infer the prosecutors' knowledge simply because some other government agents knew about the report. SeeMorgan v. Salamack, 735 F.2d 354, 358 (2d Cir.1984); United States v. Quinn, 445 F.2d 940, 944 (2d Cir.) (holding that knowledge on the part of one arm of government does not imply knowledge by the prosecutor), cert. denied, 404 U.S. 850, 92 S.Ct. 87, 30 L.Ed.2d 90 (1971). Moreover, the Brady argument defies logic. There would be no reason for the prosecution to withhold evidence of three or four more murders, considering that the jury had already heard evidence of 19 other murders committed by Gravano. 162 For these reasons, we hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion for a new trial and the renewed motion for a new trial. We will not consider the other allegations of non-disclosure made by Gotti and Locascio, for failure to raise those issues before the district court and make those allegations part of the record. SeeUnited States v. Clements, 992 F.2d 417, 420 n. 4 (2d Cir.1993). The defendants-appellants are therefore free to pursue the issue through whatever post-conviction remedies they may still have available to them. SeeUnited States v. Bianco, 998 F.2d 1112, 1115 (2d Cir.1993).