Mob’s Reach Is on View in Florida Murder Trial
The trial of Anthony (Big Tony) Moscatiello and Anthony (Little Tony) Ferrari, who prosecutors say arranged Mr. Boulis’s killing to end a dispute over his gambling interests, vividly illustrates the close connections between mob operatives and their endeavors in Florida, New York and elsewhere. Florida has had a heavy mob presence since the days when Al Capone bought a mansion on Palm Island in Miami in 1928.
Rife with details of internecine mob warfare, the trial has also included references to Mr. Abramoff, whose botched $147 million deal to buy Mr. Boulis’s SunCruz Casinos led in part to his incarceration in 2006. Mr. Abramoff, who was convicted of defrauding lenders in the deal but was not thought by prosecutors to have had a hand in the Boulis murder, is expected to testify soon from his lawyer’s office in Washington.
After years of delays, the trial began last month and could last several more weeks. But it almost fell apart Thursday when Mr. Moscatiello’s lawyer, David Bogenschutz, withdrew because of illness. Judge Ilona M. Holmes declared a mistrial for Mr. Moscatiello, 75, who is free on bail and will be tried later. The current trial will continue for Mr. Ferrari, 56, Mr. Moscatiello’s underling, who prosecutors say tried to persuade one of his bodyguards to kill Mr. Boulis and whom a witness described as having been near the shooting site. Mr. Ferrari remains in custody.