Friends of mine: Louis Eppolito, Stephen Caracappa
Daddy's dearest is coming to the rescue again.
The daughter of convicted Mafia cop Louis Eppolito has fired off an emotional letter to Brooklyn Federal Judge Jack Weinstein, attacking the government's case, dissing her father's lawyers and begging the judge to set aside his conviction. In short, the dark-haired beauty launched the kind of defense her father claims he didn't get at his trial.
"There were so many things that I thought would have come out in trial, so many pieces of information and evidence that would have shown reasonable doubt and let the jury know that my father and Steve Caracappa are innocent," Andrea Eppolito said in a four-page missive made public yesterday.
"I don't know why the lawyers didn't do certain things, ask certain questions, or take a more aggressive defense. Your Honor, please do not punish my father and our family for those mistakes," she added.
A year ago today, Eppolito made front-page news when she unexpectedly waltzed in front of a bevy of microphones and delivered an impassioned defense of her father after a routine courthouse appearance.
This time around, Eppolito, a 29-year-old marketing specialist from Las Vegas, wrote Weinstein she was appealing to him "on behalf of my father, my family, and in the name of justice."
She implored the judge to set aside the April 6 verdict in which her dad and Caracappa, his former NYPD partner, were convicted of being linked to eight mob murders.
The disgraced ex-detective also ripped defense lawyers Bruce Cutler and Bettina Schein for not allowing him to testify and not aggressively defending him. Weinstein will hold a hearing Monday to determine whether Eppolito needs new counsel.
In her missive, Andrea says her dad's 1992 biography, "Mafia Cop," in which Eppolito admits his father, uncle and cousin were in the Mafia, revealed a family history that was largely kept secret from her as a child.
"My father walked away from a life of crime that was filled with easy money, easy hours, lies, deceit, coercion, murder and many other degrading acts, to wake up early, put on a uniform or suit and carry a badge.
"Please do not condemn him, do not force him to pay for the sins of his father and the family that came before him."
Thanks to John Marzulli
I sympathize with Andreas' feelings toward her father nd agree that Louis was
ReplyDeletenot represented by Cutler professionally. Why? Possibly because the U.S. gov't won't allow it, based on guys like FBI DeVecchio who clearly had dealings
with scum like Scarpa; scum that WORKED FOR THE U.S while still out dealing and killing. I've written to Louis at USP Tuscon and rec'd letters back twice. I feel for the man and pray someone sees the light.
For years I’ve avoided “history” of my family. Now, I’m tired of the comments I’m seeing online. People claiming to be a part of a mafia family, our mafia family that never were! Andrea may not remember me, as I am almost 5 years older, and we moved from NYC after my grandmother Gloria passed from cancer. She was the family glue and the voice of reason. That all changed when she got sick. And, I can honestly say, when her father, my 2nd cousin, Louie says we were shielded as children from what little or if any of the mafia involvement within the family is 1000% truthful. The investigations into our family in the 80s took a serious toll on a very large, very family & community oriented loving Italian catholic family. We became fragmented and separated as a result. It’s been heartbreaking to say the least. To this day, I’m shocked by details of events that took place when I was a child growing up in Brooklyn, NY. As I recall a very different life than that of what has since become very public and controversial, in part due to the stings. And, It breaks my heart when I see such things exploited in docuseries and documentaries made for entertainment media. I NEVER knew my cousin to be anything other than my mom’s savior. Many times, I remember my mom taking us to the park by the precinct where Louie worked to play while she leaned on him for emotional support during her toughest times as a young mother dealing with her dying mom and well…a husband that really wasn’t much of one. That said, while rumors have swirled since the 90s and early 2000s around our families “ties”, I will choose to remember Louie as my mom’s favorite cousin. There’s about 8 years between them, and while my mom had her older brother Carmine to support her too, Louie and her shared a special bond. He was her champion and rock when she was faced with challenges most 25-28 year olds couldn’t fathom. I will also choose to remember my great grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins as my big beautiful Italian family and nothing more!!
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