# United States v. Alfano, 838 F.2d 158 (6th Cir. 1988)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/courtlistener-us-v-alfano-838-f2d-158/

Sixth Circuit opinion of January 29, 1988 reversing an order that suppressed wiretap evidence in a Detroit-area prosecution, part of an investigation of alleged heroin and cocaine importation from Italy. It describes Gaetano Badalamenti as a man "whom evidence shows to be the leader of an international drug smuggling conspiracy."

United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, No. 85-1845; decided January 29, 1988. Before Jones, Milburn and Boggs, Circuit Judges. The government took an interlocutory appeal from an order of District Judge Ralph Freeman, in the Eastern District of Michigan, suppressing tape recordings made under a wiretap warrant issued on February 3, 1984 by Chief Judge John Feikens.

The opinion describes an "extensive government investigation and surveillance of an alleged conspiracy for the importation of large quantities of heroin and cocaine from Italy, involving the cooperation of a number of Americans in New York, Illinois, Wisconsin and other states." The warrant application rested largely on pen-register records of telephone calls among defendants in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Long Island. In describing the parties, the court refers to one defendant's family tie to Gaetano Badalamenti, "whom evidence shows to be the leader of an international drug smuggling conspiracy. Badalamenti resides in Sicily."

The court held that the warrant "carefully complied with the requirements" of 18 U.S.C. § 2518(3) and reversed. The opinion decides a question of probable cause for a warrant, not anyone's guilt, and it does not use the name "Pizza Connection"; the Second Circuit's [Casamento](/items/courtlistener-us-v-casamento-887-f2d-1141/) opinion lists defendants of the same names in its account of the government's theory.

## Sources

- CourtListener (Free Law Project), text of the opinion: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/500738/united-states-v-pietro-alfano-salvatore-evola-girolamo-vito-palazzolo/