He goes on to write:
But despite those dramatic turnarounds, there was little contest for top Gang Land story of the year. That was the bizarre suicide of a virtually unknown Gambino family soldier who, after cooperating with the feds, went briefly back to his murderous gangster ways before taking his own life.
Capeci writes that Stefanelli doubled crossed his colleagues by agreeing to wear a wire in cases involving people in multi-states. In exchange, the feds let him skate in some drug case.
Capeci then writes:
In what knowledgeable law enforcement sources now believe was a macabre grand scheme the wiseguy concocted to avoid going back to prison, Stefanelli killed himself with a self-inflicted drug overdose when agents informed him that his undercover work was ending and he would soon begin his public role at the trial of Philadelphia mob boss Joseph (Uncle Joe) Ligambi.
“It looks like he never had any intention to take the witness stand,” said one law enforcement official
In his latest postings, Capeci gives Colombo soldier Charles (Moose) Panarella the Oldest, Craftiest Living Hoodlum Award.
Why?
Because he arranged to receive an award for 50 years of service from the International Union of Operating Engineers, a construction industry union Capeci says Panarella allegedly extorted for 20 years.
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