The Nation - News from April 10, 1989

Former Rep. Mario Biaggi of New York, convicted of taking a payoff and obstructing justice, headed for 2 1/2 years in a federal prison in Ft. Worth, his pride intact and protesting his innocence. The 71-year-old Democrat, who served 10 terms on Capitol Hill after becoming a highly decorated policeman, was convicted of accepting an illegal gratuity for taking two vacations with a girlfriend in Florida at the expense of Meade H. Esposito, a longtime friend and the former Democratic boss of Brooklyn. The government said the trip was a payoff Biaggi received for using his influence in Washington, while Biaggi has maintained he accepted the Florida vacation as a friend of Esposito. Biaggi was sentenced to 30 months in prison and a $500,000 fine.