U.S.

Mobster: Sammy The Bull Plotted Murder

June 21, 2000 / 12:42 PM EDT / AP

A man who says he sold large amounts of the drug Ecstasy to mob informant Sammy "The Bull" Gravano also claims the former hit man was plotting to kill a prominent New York lawyer, reports The Arizona Republic Wednesday.

According to the Arizona Attorney General's Office, 35-year-old Philip F. Pascucci of Phoenix began implicating Gravano after Pascucci was arrested June 12 on a federal drug warrant.

Prosecutors say Gravano asked Pascucci to lure Kuby, a noted civil rights lawyer and partner of the late William Kunstler, to San Antonio with the promise of a drug defense case.

"Gravano expressed his intent to kill the lawyer because he was angry with him due to litigation against Gravano brought by his victims' survivors," Assistant Attorney General Donald Conrad wrote.

Ron Kuby, who represents 12 survivors of Gravano's victims in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, was stunned at the revelation but conceded he has been "doing my best to make (Gravano's) life as miserable as I could."

In court papers, prosecutors say Pascucci claimed he sold 7,000 Ecstasy pills to Gravano from late 1998 through February of this year, when Gravano was arrested in Tempe.

Gravano and his attorney, Larry Hammond, could not be reached for comment Tuesday by The Republic.

Gravano testified against his boss, Gambino family kingpin John Gotti, and served just five years in prison. Gotti is serving a life sentence.

Kuby said he had no inkling of the murder scheme.

"What is most disturbing is that it was the government of the United States that gave (Gravano) the ability to do this," he added.

But he joked the plot was bound to fail because he hates Texas too much to travel there.

Hammond has previously argued that police have no direct proof of Gravano's involvement in Ecstasy deals, only a few hearsay conversations recorded by wiretaps.

The Attorney General's Office says Pascucci began providing information on Gravano about six months ago, but did not admit his own involvement in drug deals until after his arrest.

Daniel Inserra, Pascucci's lawyer, declined to discuss the case except to say his client is negotiating with authorities, but no plea agreement has been reached.

Gravano is being held on $5 million bail, accused of being the brains and bankroller of Arizona's largest Ecstasy syndicate. Police say his son, ex-wife, daughter and daughter's boyfriend also were involved.