Feds want 'mob' lawyer Joseph Corozzo taken off latest Gambino case
Image via WikipediaThe lawyer, Joseph Corozzo, is the son of reputed Gambino consigliere Joseph (JoJo) Corozzo and the nephew of reputed capo Nicholas (Nicky) Corozzo.
Prosecutors say Corozzo functions as "house counsel" for the syndicate and questioned why he has been retained to represent accused Gambino associate Michael Scarpaci.
In a letter to Manhattan Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan, prosecutors said Corozzo's sudden arrival on the scene came days after the feds freed Scarpaci, 34, to attend his daughter's baptism.
The temporary release "might have been construed - correctly or not ... as a sign the defendant might be cooperating with the government," prosecutor Steve Kwok said.
He asked Kaplan to determine whether the Gambinos were paying Corozzo - presumably to stop Scarpaci from ratting - and whether Scarpaci was "forced to retain an attorney foisted upon him by the Gambino family."
They noted that Corozzo's name surfaced in 2004 mob tapes as a possible contender to become a "made man," though other mobsters allegedly balked at admitting a "legitimate" lawyer, "a professional guy."
Corozzo said the bulk of the allegations in the prosecutors' letter are old, and many have been rejected by federal judges in other courts.
He said he's being paid by Scarpaci alone.
"The government will always try to disrupt the defense any way they can," he said, adding that he will file a response this week.
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