‘Jimmy the Weasel’ Loses U.S. Protection

The government is dropping former organized crime leader Aladena (Jimmy the Weasel) Fratianno from its witness protection program nearly a decade after he became an informer, a Justice Department spokesman said today.

Fratianno, one-time acting boss of the Los Angeles crime syndicate, will be dropped Friday from the government program that provided him with a stipend, a new identity and protection in exchange for his testimony against other organized crime figures, department spokesman John Russell said.

Russell initially said Fratianno would have his protection by U.S. marshals cut off and no longer would receive the payments to cover his routine expenses. Later, however, Russell said only the payments would be ended.

“We’ll still provide security if there’s a threat on his life, and we’ll relocate his residence if needed,” Russell said.

The government has spent more than $1 million to cover Fratianno’s housing, utilities, household insurance, auto insurance and real estate taxes during the 10 years he has been in the program, Russell said.

Fratianno, 74, has lived at an undisclosed location since entering the witness protection program. He has said he entered the program after learning that “the Los Angeles family put a contract out on my life” and prosecutors had confronted him with a variety of potential charges.