The nephew of a reputed Gambino crime family soldier avoided jail yesterday on assault charges, but his lawyer claimed he faces a stiffer sentence in the world of gangland justice.
Nicholas Gambino, 20, was sentenced to five years’ probation for assault.
One of the five people Gambino assaulted outside the now-defunct Metropolis nightclub in Queens on Aug. 4, 2000 was Anthony Federici, the son of alleged Genovese mobster Anthony “Tough Tony” Federici.
Gambino pleaded guilty after a jury acquitted him of attempted murder for stabbing Federici.
“I know how hard this has been for me and my family,” Gambino said in court, as he addressed the Federici family.
“And I can only imagine how much harder it’s been for you and your family and for this I am truly sorry.” Gambino’s lawyer, Raphael Scotto, sought special protection for his client. Investigators from the NYPD’s Intelligence Division could not substantiate the threats.