Philadelphia Mob Retrial Heads To Closing Arguments
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Closing arguments are set Monday in the retrial of reputed Philadelphia mob boss Joseph "Uncle Joe" Ligambi.
A jury last year had deadlocked on the central racketeering charge against Ligambi, while convicting others in the gambling and loansharking case.
The 74-year-old Ligambi has remained in prison, along with nephew George Borgesi, who is also being retried.
Defense lawyers plan to argue that the government fell short on the evidence after a 13-year investigation, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports Sunday.
Defense lawyer Edwin Jacobs calls Ligambi the victim of an FBI "witch hunt."
The 50-year-old Borgesi has been in prison since a racketeering conviction in 2000, but prosecutors say he has continued to run rackets from behind bars.
His lawyer says Borgesi wants to put his criminal past behind him.
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