Senators see alleged ‘fence’

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32666, 23 July 1971, Page 13

Senators see alleged ‘fence’

(N Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) WASHINGTON, July 22. A suave and smiling New Yorker, identified by a mail thief as a gangland fence and a dangerous man, refused 60 times today to answer senators questioning him about underworld murder and the workings of a SI 00 million airport theft ring.

Mr Gregory Scarpa, aged 43, of Staten Island, wearing a slim diamond-studded watch nn his arm. broke the ritual-like invocation of the Fifth, Amendment only to soar with the chairman. Senator John McClellan (Democrat. Arkansas) telling him at one point: “I smile, Senator, because von have a pleasant smile also.” Mr Scarna said that he had not bothered to listen to the testimony of a self-confessed mail thief who earlier pointed him out as a man with a fearsome reputation in organise'’ crime who had handled millions o’ dollarc in stolen ’ew“ls and securities for the theft ring headed by Robert Cv'tsk.

The mail thief, James Schaefer, now serving a fivevear prison term supplied details of Seama’s alleged career as an organised crime fence in a story which Senator McClellan said nosed the distinct possibility of criminal prosecution. Schaefer who has been eranted immunity from further nrosecut’on said that he traded with Scarna onlv because he feared he might he barmed if he went elsewhere to seek a fairer price. Schaefer said earlier that

he and a previous witness, William Ricchiutti, stole $2l million in securities and travellers’ cheques in a still officially-unsolved robbery on ; June 13,1968, at John F. Ken- | nedy Airport in New York. Ricchiutti, aged 46, is at ’ present serving a seven-year ■ gaol term for mail thefts at I airports in New York and . Chicago. He was brought before the Senate Investigations SubI committee and invoked the ) Fifth Amendment against selfincrimination 88 times in de- ' dining to testify. He spumed a direct invitation from the committee to

testify in exchange for an immunity grant. A staff investigator said that Mr Scarpa was known to have associated with a mob figure Charles Lacicero and his nephew Richard at a time when the latter was believed to have infiltrated a Wall Street security firm to steal stocks and bonds.

The investigators -said that Richard Lacicero was stabbed 100 times and killed after he testified before a Grand Jury in New York. Mr Scarpa declined to comment on the case.

A mystery witness, identifled only by the name, George

White, appeared after Mr Scarpa to give the intricate details of now he said millions of dollars in securities were stolen from Wall Street investment houses and disposed throughout the country by organised crime figures.

Mr McClellan refused to allow “White” to be photographed. U.P.I. reported that Mr Scarpa was wearing the lapel pin of Joseph Colombo’s Italian-American civil rights league, when he appeared before the sub-committee. Colombo was shot down recently during a parade organised by the league.