The lawyer in question is Joseph Corozzo, who is representing his father, Joseph, 66, a reputed crime family consiglieri, in a case involving last month's 62-defendant Gambino crime family indictment. Brooklyn federal prosecutors have charged that attorney Corozzo was essentially acting as "house counsel" for the Gambino family and took part in some criminal activities.
Corozzo, 41, has denied wrongdoing and is expected to put up a vigorous defense. The stakes are huge for Corozzo, who has been the target of potential prosecution for obstruction of justice in the past but has never been charged. The Manhattan defense attorney couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.
Kasman's decision to help the FBI came as a shock to Gotti's wife and children, who viewed him as a member of the family. But it was unclear Wednesday to many defense attorneys if Kasman's information had any great importance to anyone other than Corozzo and a few Gambino family members he taped.
The still-unanswered question is why Kasman, 50, decided to help the government after being such an avowed loyalist to Gotti for so many years. Lawyers' theories range from Kasman's anger at the Gotti family to feeling slighted by some Gambino crime family members.
Suspicion about Kasman being a cooperator existed well before this week's disclosure. In one case, Kasman showed up in 2006 at a wake in Howard Beach and was heard asking pointed questions about whether Gotti had any hidden wealth left behind, said sources who didn't want to be identified.
Now it appears those hunches about Kasman were correct.
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Years ago, when he was a favorite of the late mob boss John Gotti, Garment District businessman Lewis Kasman had a friendship with the Gambino crime boss that few people experienced.
"Kasman would carry on like it was some Broadway play with Harvey Fierstein, speaking to Gotti in a way , for anyone else, would incur Gotti's wrath," remembered defense attorney Gerald Shargel, who once met with Gotti at Kasman's zipper company.
Though Kasman, 50 -- Gotti's self-proclaimed "adopted son" -- drifted from the front pages when the mobster died of cancer in 2002, he is now back with a vengeance.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn revealed earlier this week that since 2005, Kasman has been a cooperating witness for the FBI, taping a number of reputed mobsters and associates. Prosecutors intend to use Kasman and some of his evidence in a special hearing Thursday in federal court in Brooklyn aimed at getting a controversial lawyer disqualified from a major mob case.
The lawyer in question is Joseph Corozzo, who is representing his father, Joseph, 66, a reputed crime family consiglieri, in a case involving last month's 62-defendant Gambino crime family indictment. Brooklyn federal prosecutors have charged that attorney Corozzo was essentially acting as "house counsel" for the Gambino family and took part in some criminal activities.
Corozzo, 41, has denied wrongdoing and is expected to put up a vigorous defense. The stakes are huge for Corozzo, who has been the target of potential prosecution for obstruction of justice in the past but has never been charged. The Manhattan defense attorney couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.
Kasman's decision to help the FBI came as a shock to Gotti's wife and children, who viewed him as a member of the family. But it was unclear Wednesday to many defense attorneys if Kasman's information had any great importance to anyone other than Corozzo and a few Gambino family members he taped.
The still-unanswered question is why Kasman, 50, decided to help the government after being such an avowed loyalist to Gotti for so many years. Lawyers' theories range from Kasman's anger at the Gotti family to feeling slighted by some Gambino crime family members.
Suspicion about Kasman being a cooperator existed well before this week's disclosure. In one case, Kasman showed up in 2006 at a wake in Howard Beach and was heard asking pointed questions about whether Gotti had any hidden wealth left behind, said sources who didn't want to be identified.
Now it appears those hunches about Kasman were correct.
