Vincent Asaro awaits jury verdict in Lufthansa heist trial

The fate of 80-year-old Vincent Asaro, the alleged gangster accused of taking part in the famous $6 million Lufthansa heist at JFK Airport in 1978, is now in the hands of a federal jury.

Jurors were instructed late yesterday by U.S. District Judge Allyne R. Ross, who then asked the panel to begin deliberations in earnest today.

Asaro has been on trial in Brooklyn for about three weeks, accused of being part of a racketeering enterprise, namely the Bonanno crime family, and participating in the airport robbery that became the inspiration for the movie "Goodfellas" as well as murder and extortion. The Lufthansa ripoff netted the mob millions in cash and jewelry.

Prosectors gave their closing statements Friday. Monday, defense attorney Elizabeth Macedonio gave a summation in which she attacked the reliability of government witnesses, primarily Asaro's cousin Gaspare Valenti.

A down-and-out mob associate, Valenti testified that he was broke and disillusioned with mob life when he decided to cooperate with the FBI and give evidence against Asaro.

In her two-hour closing statement, Macedonio attacked Valenti's credibility, arguing that he was like other cooperating government witnesses who had been bought and paid for by the federal government, which footed their relocation and living expenses.

Valenti is a crucial government witness because he secretly made tape recordings of Asaro that prosecutors insist showed the octogenarian mobster admitted being deeply involved in the planning and activities surrounding the Lufthansa ripoff, as well as the murder in the late 1960s of mob associate Paul Katz.

"Sometimes the government gets it wrong," Macedonio said about the case. "When you are left on the words of Gaspare Valenti, you have reasonable doubt."

By rejecting Valenti's testimony and version of events, the case falls apart, Macedonio insisted to the jury.

But in the government's rebuttal, assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Argentieri said there were a number of other witnesses who corroborated Valenti's evidence on the Lufthansa case.

She pointed out that former Bonanno crime family underboss Salvatore Vitale had testified how he and former boss Joseph Massino received jewelry from the robbery. Another cooperator, Anthony Ruggiano, noted that his late father also received some Lufthansa jewelry to fence through his Manhattan store, said Argentieri.

While the defense said that Asaro was a man who marched to his own drumbeat, Argentieri insisted that he was still a part of the band, referring to the crime family.

An Asaro tattoo which read "Death Before Dishonor" showed that he was wedded to the Cosa Nostra way of life, said Argentieri.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.