STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A reputed Staten Island Bonanno consigliere claims a mob snitch is stalking his family on social media by hurling homophobic and racially-charged attacks at him and his daughter in an attempt to get his racketeering indictment tossed -- again.
John (Porky) Zancocchio, 61, an alleged Bonanno mobster set to go to trial later this month with six other defendants, said one of the government’s cooperating witnesses threatened his daughter in a Jan. 27 Facebook post, saying she “should have another n----- baby” in a reference to her bi-racial daughter, according to federal court records.
The snitch, identified by Gangland News as Steven Sabella, also allegedly went after Zancocchio in a vile and discriminatory rant, calling him a “stuttering f—moron."
According to the filing, the turncoat told Zancocchio’s daughter, a teacher, “if dad ever has balls to meet up with me ono [sic] on one I would love it but he a f-- blow jog [sic] that be hind [sic]bars for a while lol.”
Sabella and another government witness were also caught on a recorded call referring to the defendants as “n----’s in the woodshed,” said the court papers.
Zancocchio’s lawyer, John Meringolo, argues the Facebook posts constitute witness tampering, bullying, harassment and the court should intervene with either sanctions or a dismissal of the indictment.
“Clearly, a Government agent stalking the Zancocchio family on social media in order to intimidate them warrants a swift and severe response from both the Government and, since the Government has proved unwilling to adequately rein him in, from the Court," Meringolo wrote.
The lawyer also charges in the court papers that FBI agents called the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge the “G-----gangplank,” in a biased reference aimed at the Italian defendants in the case.
“The defense regrets that it appears such language has gone unchecked and unprotested by the Government, and that, even worse, the Government is undisturbed by the prospect of putting such obviously biased and prejudiced individuals on the stand to testify – allegedly objectively — against the defendants in this case,” Meringolo said in the filing.
Prosecutors had not filed a response to the Facebook charges at the time of this publication.
In previous filings, Zancocchio claimed the feds planted a “spy” to extract defense secrets and strategies for an upcoming Bonanno mob trial. The cooperating witness and his longtime lawyer, Vincent Martinelli -- who represents Albert (Al Muscles) Armetta -- discussed the strategy and strength of the case, as well as confidential information about co-defendants and other cooperators, according to one filing.
The reputed wiseguy also alleged the feds provided a testimony "cheat sheet’' to a mob snitch from Tottenville to use at the upcoming trial. The defense claims prosecutors handed over pertinent wiretap calls and texts to Staten Island reputed mobster Peter (Pug) Lovaglio, the government’s other cooperating witness.
Zancocchio is one of several alleged Bonanno members, including Joseph (Joe C) Cammarano Jr., charged with racketeering conspiracy involving a wide range of crimes, including extortion, loansharking, wire and mail fraud and narcotics distribution, authorities said.
A hearing will be held Thursday.