5 Guilty of Plot to Kill Mafia Boss Gotti

NEWARK, N.J. — A federal jury today convicted five men of forming a Mafia faction that shot to death a mob-linked businessman in a restaurant and plotted to kill John Gotti, boss of a rival crime family.

Louis A. (Bobby) Manna, a reputed consigliere, or No. 3 leader, of the Genovese crime family, was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, planning to kill Gotti and arranging the murder of businessman Irwin Schiff.

Gotti, boss of the Gambino family, was a target because of a turf struggle, authorities said. His brother, Gene, also allegedly was a target. The FBI tipped Gotti off about the murder plan, which was not carried out.

The 350-pound, free-spending Schiff was shot to death in 1987 while having dessert at a restaurant on New York City’s fashionable Upper East Side.

Prosecutors said Schiff may have threatened to expose Genovese activity or could no longer be trusted with a $25 million to $40 million mob money-laundering operation.

Also convicted were Martin A. (Motts) Casella, Richard (Bocci) DeSciscio, union official Rocco J. Napoli and former Hoboken Police Lt. Frank (Dipsy) Daniello.