Gotti 'son' rats out judges, officials

Gotti 'son' rats out judges, officials
The New York Daily News by JOHN MARZULLI - April 8, 2008

Besides ratting out members of the Mafia, John Gotti's "adopted son" fingered three crooked judges and corrupt officials in Nassau County, the Daily News has learned. Lewis Kasman named two Queens Supreme Court judges in a written statement to federal prosecutors and the FBI, spelling out his knowledge of crimes and crooks, documents reviewed by The News show.

One judge is still on the bench; the other was booted after a felony conviction a decade ago. Kasman said an unnamed Nassau County judge took a bribe from the late mob lawyer Michael Coiro, who was a mentor to Kasman and introduced him to organized crime figures, including the late Gambino crime boss John Gotti. Kasman also claimed that associates of the Luchese crime family bribed officials in the Town of Hempstead to issue certificates of occupancy.

He named a corrupt "enforcement guy" in the town, and revealed that the son of a prominent former politician was on Kasman's "payroll." It's unclear what personal dealings Kasman had with the judges and town officials. His cooperation agreement confers immunity for "participation in bribery of various public officials from approximately 1986 through 1999." The feds identified Kasman in court papers as a rat two weeks ago, but the extent of his undercover work is just beginning to emerge. The FBI approached him in 1997, and he was receptive because he felt disrespected by Gambino crime family mobsters after Gotti went to jail.

After Gotti died in 2002, his brothers, Richard and Peter Gotti, squeezed him for money. Kasman recorded conversations with wiseguys, mob associates and lawyers; John A. (Junior) Gotti, and even Gotti's widow and daughter. The feds even gave Kasman a second chance after learning he stole $80,000 from a businessman in 2006 and lied to his FBI handlers about the scam.       jmarzulli@nydailynews.com