Opinion ID: 1212404
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Interactions of Eppolito and Caracappa With Stephen Corso

Text: Stephen Corso, who testified at trial, was a New York accountant who had embezzled more than $5 million from his clients. Arrested without fanfare in 2002, he became a government cooperator, eventually posing as a Mafia associate. He moved to Las Vegas and began to frequent a restaurant that was a hangout for members of organized crime. There Corso met John Lombardozi, who described himself as an associate of the Gambino Crime Family; Lombardozi introduced Corso to John Mercaldi, who ran a prostitution business in Las Vegas and described himself as the right-hand man to Jerry Chili, the apparent successor to leadership of the Bonanno Crime Family. Corso subsequently had conversations with Chili, who told Corso to say he was with Jerry from the Fulton Fish Market (Tr. 1423). Mercaldi thereafter introduced Corso to others as `with us' and `very good friends with Jerry.' (Tr. 1425.) In the spring of 2003, Corso began wearing a wire to record his conversations with members of organized crime. Mercaldi introduced Corso to Gambino Crime Family member Michael Dibari; Mercaldi and Dibari introduced Corso to John Frate. John Frate's father, to whom Corso was also introduced, was Mike Frate, who identified himself as the right-hand man to Joe Bonanno, the then-head of the Bonanno Crime Family. In October 2004, Dibari asked Corso to meet with Eppolito.
Eppolito's name had not previously been mentioned by the authorities to Corso, who, by that time, had been wearing a wire for a year and a half. Dibari said he hoped Corso could help to raise money for the production of a movie written by Eppolito; Corso consulted FBI Special Agent Kevin Sheehan. Sheehan instructed Corso to tell Dibari that Corso had no interest in meeting Eppolito because Eppolito was a cop. A week or 10 days later, John Frate and Mike Frate arranged to meet with Corso. At that meeting, they handed him an envelope containing Eppolito's screenplay, called Murder at Youngstown. Corso told the Frates that he was hesitant to meet with Eppolito because Eppolito was a cop. Corso testified that in response, Mike Fr[ate] said that he understood my concern, but that Corso shouldn't worry because Lou was one of us.... (Tr. 1565.) Corso reported this meeting to Sheehan; a few days later, Sheehan gave approval for Corso to meet with Eppolito. Thereafter John Frate took Corso to meet Eppolito at Eppolito's home. Frate attended some of the ensuing meetings, as he wanted to be a part of the whole process of funding the movie. (Tr. 1445.) During the next few months, Corso met with Eppolito more than 20 times. As Corso continued to wear a wire, most of his conversations with Eppolitoand later with both Eppolito and Caracappawere recorded; at least one of the meetings with Eppolito was held in Corso's office, in which the FBI had installed recording equipment and hidden cameras. An early meeting of Corso, Eppolito, and John Frate to discuss funding for Murder at Youngstownfor which Eppolito said he needed $5 millionwas attended by one of Corso's clients who controlled a public company. The client suggested that his company could merge with Eppolito's film company and raise money through a public offering of stock. Eppolito was favorably disposed to that suggestion and said he would want some of his friends to receive stock in the offering; one of them was Caracappa. Corso was introduced to Caracappa at the end of January 2005. He attended several dinner meetings with Eppolito and Caracappa and noted that the relationship between Eppolito and Caracappa appeared to be very close. Corso testified that at one such meeting, Caracappa told Corso he trusted Corso, and that if he didn't trust [Corso, Corso] wouldn't be there and... wouldn't be meeting with Lou. (Tr. 1637.) Eppolito was also involved in other attempts to earn money. In addition to seeking $5 million to fund Murder at Youngstown, Eppolito told Corso he was willing to write a screenplay for or about anyone who would pay him $75,000; when Eppolito sold the screenplay, he would pay the investor 50 percent of all profits. When Corso asked if Eppolito cared what a potential investor did for a living or where the money came from, Eppolito responded, `[n]o, I don't give a fuck about nothing' (Tr. 1621); and, without Corso's having made any mention of narcotics trafficking ( see id. at 1621-22), Eppolito said that an investor could be the biggest drug dealer ... in the U.S. [, Eppolito] didn't care, so long as Eppolito did not have to transport the drugs ( id. at 1621; see also id. at 1622 (Eppolito said, `[s]eventy-five comes in a fucking shoebox [ i.e., in cash], that is fine with me, I don't care, I had people given [sic] me money before')). In December 2004, Corso, on instructions from Sheehan, told Eppolito that Corso had lined up an investor who would send $75,000 for Eppolito to write a script and to send the investor 50 percent of whatever profit resulted from its sale. Corso told Eppolito that the money was narcotics proceeds from Florida; Eppolito indicated that he did not care. Corso told Eppolito that the money might be coming from somebody in the Mafia (Tr. 1618); Eppolito indicated that he did not care. Eppolito said, `I got people from the Gambino family that call me all of the time. [They say, y]ou know, Louie, we got money, you know[;] I says it's not a question about your money, it's you don't have enough to make the movie.' (Tr. 1624.) Eppolito said Mike Frate had given him $25,000 in a cardboard box in cash for a partial investment in [a] $75,000 script. (Tr. 1617-18.) Eppolito also said he would have no objection if an investor in such a script did not use his real name in signing their contract. `He could sign it John Wayne'.... `I don't care what name he uses.' (Tr. 1627-28.) Corso also told Eppolito that in order to avoid the filing of currency transaction reports, federally required for wire transfers of $10,000 or more, the $75,000 would be wired in installments of less than $10,000. Eventually, wire transfers totaling $14,000 were made to Eppolito's account. Although Eppolito was initially unconcerned about the investment's fragmentation, he became irritated at the slow pace of its arrival, saying. `[a] re they in Florida. Why didn't he send a guy with a car [.] I would haveI would have flown there and drove back.' (Tr. 1640.)
Corso testified that at a dinner with Eppolito and Caracappa in mid-February 2005, he told them he was expecting a visit from four Hollywood clients, each of whom was interested in investing $75,000 in Eppolito!'s film project, and that his clients wanted to purchase `designer drugs' (Tr. 1587), specifically ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine. Corso testified that Eppolito responded that Tony, his son, could handle it; both Eppolito and Caracappa said that Guido Bravatti, a young associate of Caracappa's, could handle it. Later that night, Eppolito called Corso to give him Bravatti's telephone number. On the following evening, Corso had dinner with Tony and Bravatti. Corso told them that his clients wanted an ounce of crystal methamphetamine and six to eight ecstasy pills; Bravatti said there would be no problem. Tony and Bravatti indicated that they wanted to do all they could to facilitate investments by Corso's clients in Eppolito's film project. The next day, Tony and Bravatti made a partial delivery at Corso's office, saying that they had had some difficulty in obtaining what Corso requested. They handed him an envelope containing somewhat less than the requested ounce of crystal methamphetamine, and Corso paid them proportionately. The parties stipulated at trial that that envelope had contained 25.4 grams of 64-percent-pure methamphetamine. Tony and Bravatti never delivered to Corso ecstasy or any additional methamphetamine. On March 3, 2005, Corso had dinner with Eppolito, who was quite upset and told Corso not to call Tony or Bravatti any more. Eppolito refused to tell Corso why he was upset but became more congenial during the dinner. Corso did not again attempt to reach Tony or Bravatti. On March 9, 2005, Eppolito and Caracappa were arrested.