FATAL HOUR. This is the photo of Dominick
Curra nine months ago. Although he accepted to be photographed
during the interview, his current photo could not be published
because the penitentiary authorities do not allow it.
File /La Nacion |
Interview to Dominick Curra,
in prison
No government will be able to stop the
game
Admits to know "consigliere"
Joseph Caridi
Translated from
Dominick Curra was accountant of legendary
the gangster John Gotti. Curra's smooth speaking and with the unmistakable
accent of the Italians of New York, assures that no government will be
able to stop the game and describes as "rats" the two, according
to him, set a trap for him, along with the FBI, to sen him to jail.
During an interview with La Nacion made in
the Unit of Admissions at tje San Sebastiαn jail - San Jose ' -, Curra
broke nine months of the silence, after being detained March 13 2002
by the Federal Office of Investigations (FBI, of the United States).
During chat he admitted to know Joseph
Caridi, consigliere of the gangster family Luchese, arrested December 12
2002 in New York.
Caridi is accused in the United States to
handle in Costa Rica, an internet gambling house, extortion and cocaine
trafficking, among other charges.
While he waits his extradition to the US is
resolved, this man - of 57 years, born in Calabria, Italy is recovering
from a cardiac accident that he suffered few days ago and assures that he
does not belong to any criminal organization and who the American
authorities persecute him by his friendship with Gotti.
An extract of the interview:
- How would define you your profession?
My business is the game, the bets; I am
a gambler
- When it was arrested, where you working
in sportsbook?
At a sportsbook in Pavas, but cannot
remember the name.
- How were you connected to this business
of Costa Rica?
In New York I knew several people who
had sportsbooks here. One of them invited me to participate in the
business, I was told that to this was a paradise to make bets, with very
friendly people and a very pretty country.
"I want to clarify that the Government
of the United States says that I am captain of one of the organized crime
families in New York. I am not nothing of that, I am a businessman, who
was friend of John Gotti, who peacefully rests, and already I went to the
jail for the deals that I made with John Gotti ".
- How many times were you imprisoned in the
US for similar charges?
In 1986 and soon in 1998. The first time
credit card fraud and the second time to taking interstate bets.
- How it is the gambling business?
People love betting; for that reason no
government is going to stop the game. It is much easier to control and to
regulate this business than to destroy it, because everybody likes to bet.
- How did you know John Gotti and what type
of relation did you have?
I knew him many years ago, we became
friends and all the dealings that I had with him were by friendship. I was
not part of organized crime.
- What's the name of those who invited you
to come here?
The two rats that send me here (to Costa
Rica and to jail), are Steve K, that has a last name of Jewish origin
which I do not know to write, and guy known as Greg. I believe that both
returned to New York with the aid of the FBI. The made a deal with the
Government (of the United States); now I do not know where they can be.
"the Government started all of this
because I am Italian and friend of John Gotti. In my case a cent not a
cent has been lost, there is no swindle and nobody was hurt. The case is
based on the two rats who have in the past swindled $50 million from their
friends ".
- one says that the real reason for your
trip was to receive pending debts of the Gotti family here '... Did you
come to assure the collection debts?
No, and I have not given interviews
before because until now in its accusations the FBI has said many lies. I
came to Costa Rica to work to maintain to my family.
- Know you these people (read the names of
the people caught in New York the December 10 2002)?
Yes, I know Joseph Caridi.
- Joseph Caridi is friend of yours?
I know him, lives near my house.
- Was Caridi also a friend of John Gotti?
Yes, it knew him, we are all Italians.
Perhaps I lunch with him occasionally.
- Do you know the FBI says that he is one
of consigliere of the Lucchese gangster family?
I knew him as a gambler.
- How many employees had the sportsbook you
managed?
There were 35 computers and during the
week there were about 15 employees, but the weekends all the machines were
busy.
- Which was the average value of the bets?
Between $500 and $1.000.
- From where did the money come from?
It was not my money, and I do not know
from where it came from.
- Did you open a bank account here'?
No. I received payments strictly in
cash, it's always better... Supposedly they were going to pay me $1,500 a
week, but never got it '; they gave me much less.
- Do you know if sportsbooks made some
payments to politicians in Costa Rica?
No, I do not know anything about that, I
free only three months here.
- Do you know if more well-known persons
from New York came to invest in sportsbooks here?
I believe that Costa Rica is losing the
attractiveness for this business because the tico Government is robbing to
sportsbooks, that is what they are doing. This it is a good business for
people and the economy since it puts the money in circulation.
- Are you in agreement with which the
extradition to the United States or prefer to remain here, in Costa Rica?
I prefer that they send to me to the
United States.
"Initially I did not accept the
extradition because I knew that there are laws and treaties between the
United States and Costa Rica, but I realize those laws are not worth
anything. I have been nine months stuck in a cell next to 35 people.
"No one from the US embassy have
come to see me, not that I want to see them. But I asked to them if they
were going to help me in case that I needed medical attention, they said
that I had to speak with the Italian Embassy of since I entered Costa Rica
with an Italian passport.
"It is indignant; that I have lived
all my life in New York, served as sergeant in the US army, paid taxes and
I spent my money during 49 years, not in Italy.
- How did you know your lawyer?
One of them, Luis Enrique Salazar
Sanchez, I knew through Steve K.
"When they arrested to me, 15
lawyers presented themselves to offer their services for free. I chose
Luis Enrique (Salazar Sanchez) because I knew him from before and the
other, because he was imprisoned here and I considered that he knew the
system from the inside.
- How will you be able to pay him?
I don't pay him.
- Works for free?
No.
The tica connection
Several accusations indicate that
the Mafia has businesses here
1998. The general prosecutor of New
York, Dennis Vacco, accused five members of the mafiosas families Gambino,
Luchese, Bonnano and Genovese, to operate illegal gambling in Costa
Rica.
2002. March 13th, in an
operative, the Fuerza Publica and the FBI stopped in Sabana Norte - San
Jose ' - Dominick Curra.
2002. The 4th of June, the FBI and
the office of the public prosecutor of New York arrest 17 members of the
Gambino family. Seven are accused of supervising Internet gambling in
Costa Rica.
2002. The 12th of December the
public prosecutor of New York, Rosalynn Mauskopf, detained 17 people
tied to the families Gambino and Luchese. Three are accused of handling
electronic bets in Costa Rica.
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