Sammy 'The Bull' Accused of Trying to Kill Lawyer

PHOENIX (REUTERS) -- Mob turncoat Sammy "The Bull"  Gravano wanted to kill New York lawyer Ron Kuby because he dared  to represent the families of 19 people Gravano killed when he  was one of the Mafia's top hitmen, according to court papers  released Wednesday.  

The Arizona state Attorney General's Office disclosed in  court papers that indicted drug deal Philip Pascucci told them  that Gravano was plotting to kill Kuby, the partner of the late  civil rights attorney William Kunstler, because he was pushing a  lawsuit against Gravano stemming from his murderous days in the  Gambino crime family.  

"Gravano expressed his intent to kill the lawyer because he  was angry with him due to the litigation against Gravano brought  by his victims' survivors," said Donald Conrad, an assistant  attorney general, in a motion filed in court.  

Pascucci's alleged role in the scheme was to lure Kuby to  San Antonio, Texas, enticing him there "with a promise of a  drug defense case," papers said.  

Kuby said he takes the threat seriously and has contempt for  a system that let Gravano out of prison after five years despite  killing 19 people. The state made a deal with Gravano under  which he testified against Gambino crime family head John Gotti,  who thanks in part to that testimony is now in jail for life.  

"I have been threatened by a lot of people, but I have  seldom been threatened by somebody who so excelled in the art  of murder as Sammy Gravano," Kuby told Reuters.  

"This is not some crank who made a call from a pay phone."  

He said the judge in the case never should have allowed the  Mafia henchman to be released if he continued to pose a threat  to society. "I feel a great deal of anger at the federal judge  who released him, at the federal prosecutors who made a deal  with him and at the FBI who wrapped him in the American flag,"  Kuby said.  

Gravano is in jail on $5 million bond for allegedly helping  run and financing a large, multimillion dollar criminal  syndicate that peddled Ecstasy to Arizona youths. Authorities  also allege his wife, son, daughter and her husband were  involved.  

The court documents were filed as part of the state's  attempt to thwart defense attorney efforts to have Gravano's  bail reduced. Gravano attorney Larry Hammond could not be  reached for comment Wednesday.  

The papers, filed in Maricopa County Superior Court in  Phoenix, also say Pascucci told them he sold 7,000 Ecstasy  pills to Gravano from late 1998 through this February.  

Pascucci, convicted of mail fraud in 1994, apparently had  been talking to police for six months but only revealed  Gravano's direct involvement in the drug sales when he was  arrested June 12. Pascucci was taken into custody here on a  warrant after being indicted in Texas for allegedly  manufacturing and importing Ecstasy.  

Daniel Inserra, Pascucci's local attorney, said his client  is negotiating a plea deal with authorities but that no  agreement has yet been reached.

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