# United States v. Brooklier, 685 F.2d 1208 (9th Cir. 1982)

Canonical: https://mobfiles.org/items/courtlistener-us-v-brooklier-685-f2d-1208/

The Ninth Circuit affirmed RICO convictions of Los Angeles defendants. It describes Aladena "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno, "an FBI informant," testifying to the internal organization of La Cosa Nostra, holds his accomplice testimony sufficient on the Sturman extortion charge, and upholds admission of his plea agreement.

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, argued and submitted in January 1982 and decided September 3, 1982. The appeal was from the RICO convictions of Dominic Brooklier, Samuel Sciortino, Louis Tom Dragna, Michael Rizzitello and Jack Locicero.

The court wrote: "Aladena "Jimmy the Weasel" Fratianno, an FBI informant, described the internal organization and operations of La Cosa Nostra as an ongoing enterprise engaged in racketeering," and "gave details on meetings, orders, and actions of the entire organization, including plans to murder Frank Bompensiero, an informant." It recounts his testimony that Brooklier and Sciortino, "with the approval of Dragna, the top man," sent him to Cleveland to arrange an extortion through two Cleveland men. Because he was an accomplice whose testimony on that count was uncorroborated, the defendants argued it was insufficient; the court held: "Fratianno testified at length on many subjects and he was thoroughly cross-examined. ... We hold Fratianno's testimony meets this standard."

The defense at trial called him "a perjurer, paid informant, and murderer who escaped the death penalty by cooperating with the FBI"; in rebuttal the government introduced his plea agreement, "which required Fratianno to testify truthfully," and the court found no reversible error. On the wiretap issue, the court noted the government's application did not disclose that Fratianno was a paid informant, the government's answer being that "when the conversation with Brooklier was taped, Fratianno was still under investigation." The judgment was "AFFIRMED." The opinion does not print the trial date.

## Sources

- CourtListener (Free Law Project), text of the opinion: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/407643/united-states-v-dominic-phillip-brooklier-samuel-orlando-sciortino-louis/