Brooklyn, NY – Jurors sat riveted in Brooklyn Federal Court yesterday, as crime family associate Burton Kaplan delivered a full day of damaging testimony against Mafia cops Eppolito and Caracappa, who are accused of participating in eight murders and other racketeering acts during their decorated police careers.
Kaplan who was working for Mafia underboss Anthony Casso, said he first did business with his pal Santoro, when he told him that his cop cousin and his partner will do some business for them.
At that time in 1986, when underboss Casso decided that a jeweler named Israel Greenwald had become a liability, Santoro told Kaplan, that the two cops would do the “job” for them for a $25,000 contract.
Kaplan told him that he was involved in a racket with a Hasidic banker from Williamsburg named Joe Banda, who could help turn stolen Treasury bills provided by Casso into cash.
With the help of Greenwald, Banda laundered a bill in Europe that netted a quarter of a million dollars for Casso and Kaplan.
But Casso became convinced Greenwald was going to rat out the operation, Kaplan said. So Kaplan turned to Santoro, to tell his cop cousin and his partner to go ahead with the contract.
Kaplan said Santoro told him it would be easy “without any doubt.”
“They would take him on the highway. They would pull him over with the flashing light, they would say he was wanted for a hit-and-run,” and Kaplan said then they finally took Greenwald to a parking garage, where Santoro said he shot him.
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A few years later, after Santoro was killed, Kaplan became close to the cops. One day they met in a cemetery, and recalled the Greenwald hit.
Kaplan said yesterday that Caracappa had one question. “Just off the top of my mind, what did you pay Santoro for that thing we did?” Kaplan said, quoting the cops.
Kaplan said he lied and told the detectives he paid $30,000.
“Frankie only told us $25,000,” Caracappa allegedly responded.
Israel probably gave more charity in his short life and helped more people then you who post terrible things in your miserable lives. After he was murdered there were families who suddenly lost their anonymous support which of course turned out to be Israel. Zecher Tzadik LeBracha.
To all who try and judge when they do not know the true story, may you get the same treatment in life. I wonder how you would feel if you were used unwittingly and the murdered at 34 years of age, leaving a wife and two young kids behind to fend for themselves. How would you feel being shot in the head and buried somewhere where your own family can’t visit you. Think twice before you judge without the facts, think twice.
DONT TALK WHEN YOU DONT KNOW NOTHING.
THE TRUTH IS THAT A JEWISH SOUL WAS MURDERD BY SOME DIRTY COPS AND HOPE THAT HEY WILL BIRN IN HELL BEACUSE THAT IS WHERE THEY BELONG.
you should all shut up beacuse you have no idea what you are talking about .
the fact is that an innosent jewish man was murderd and i know for a fact beacuse i know his family very well. and Israel Greenwald was accually set up by a Satmer chassid from williamsburg who was involved with the Mafia boss. And when Israel was approuched by the FBI to testify againts whoever set him up , he wasnt sure what to do if to be a Moser or not. beacuse the person who set him up was a jew. But unfortunitly the fbi did not protect him and the mob dirty murderes cops murdered him in cold blood,
For these cops a life of any person is worth nothing. they murdered many more and have no remorse for thier actions.
But i am sure that they will be burning in hell for a long time.
so please dont make your own conclutions about a jewish soul that was slaughtered and taken away from his young life and left a wife and children in limbo for 19 years not knowing what happened to him.
one thing i can tell you . that in the short life that Israel lived he did alot of tzdakah and chasadim, and many people had surfased after his tragic death and told the family how Israel had given and helped many families without anyone knowing.
When you sleep with dogs you get fleas or cement shoes.
briderlach, stop playing G-d.
but chayiv meeseh iz er nisht gevehn
Spilling jewish blood is still something hashem avenges for if it was not justified, and it was definitely not justified here.
he might of done wrong but he did not deserve for that to be killed he was murdered.
The only innocents here were his wife and daughters.
sorry, but the last thing he was is ” innocent “
A jews innocent blood is never forgotten!
The most important civilian testimony, according to the opening remarks of Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitra Hormozi, will be that of Peter Franzone, a hardworking family man with a sixth-grade education who was terrorized into digging a grave for a slain diamond merchant, Israel Greenwald.
Yesterday, Kaplan testified that he paid $30,000 to Mr. Eppolito; the detective’s cousin, Frank Santora, whom Kaplan had met in prison, and to Mr. Caracappa for the murder of Greenwald, whose name he couldn’t recall. The jeweler, whom Kaplan had dragged into a stolen Treasury bill scheme, had become a target of Interpol, and Kaplan feared he would cooperate with authorities and help send Kaplan back to prison.
On February 10, 1986, Ms. Hormozi told the jury, Mr. Franzone, who owned a towing business and did repair work on the side, saw Mr. Eppolito and Santora drive into a Brooklyn parking lot/garage he managed and park their car facing out. Mr. Franzone knew both men. He had done some work on cars for Santora, and had met Mr. Eppolito though his cousin.
Mr. Eppolito remained in the car, Ms. Hormozi said. Mr. Franzone saw Santora and a “thin man he later recognized to be Caracappa” pass his office and lead a man “wearing a yarmulke, the skull cap of an Orthodox Jew,” into an enclosed single-car garage and close the door behind them. Minutes later, the door opened, and Santora and Mr. Caracappa walked out of the parking lot. Mr. Eppolito drove off.
Soon after, Ms. Hormozi said, Santora drove his white Cadillac into the lot, walked into Mr. Franzone’s office, and escorted him to the garage: “When they opened the garage door, Franzone saw Greenwald slumped over dead. Santora ordered Franzone to help him dig a grave for the dead man. Franzone was shocked. Santora was merciless.
It amazes me how people with no first hand knowledge of the story are ready to offer their “expert” testimony and condemn Israel Greenbaum, offering their cynical smirking comments. Haposel b’mumo posel.