Court Throws Out Spilotro Case Evidence

A federal appeals court Friday refused to allow the government to use evidence seized for a racketeering case against a brother and two associates of reputed underworld leader Anthony Spilotro.

The decision “cuts the heart of the case out” against Spilotro’s brother John, Herbert Blitzstein and Joseph Blasko, a former Las Vegas police officer, said Federal Public Defender A. K. Kramer.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the search warrant issued against the three in 1978 was “hopelessly general,” affirming a lower court decision.

Anthony Spilotro, reputed overseer of the Chicago mob in Las Vegas, was a defendant in the case, but was found beaten to death in June along with another brother, Michael, in an Indiana cornfield.

The FBI applied for warrants to search Spilotro’s Gold Rush jewelry store in an effort to find evidence of loan sharking and bookmaking, according to the court decision.

But agents discovered instead large amounts of jewelry allegedly in the process of being altered. Authorities believed the gems were stolen. They seized the jewelry and records found at the scene.

The warrant was successfully challenged because it failed to specify the criminal conduct of which the men were suspected.

“It knocks out the jewelry as evidence,” said Raymond Smith, attorney for John Spilotro.

Attorney Oscar Goodman, who represented Anthony Spilotro, said the government “has nothing” left of its case. “It’s just too bad my client is not around to enjoy the decision.”

However, a government prosecutor said he intended to proceed.