Former Mafia lieutenant charged with gambling

Vincent M. Ferrara, former lieutenant in the New England Mafia Family, has been charged with participating in a Boston area gambling ring, according to a story by Shelley Murphy of the Boston Globe.

Ferrara, 59, served almost 16 years in prison after a federal racketeering conviction. He was released from prison in May 2005. The gambling offense - a misdemeanor - generally carries a potential penalty of up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. However, the penalty for Ferrara could be much higher, as he remains on federal probation. If a federal judge decides that he violated conditions of his release, Ferrara could be sent back to federal prison for three years.

Ferrara was one of 13 people indicted April 29 by a Norfolk County grand jury. The grand jury charged Dominic Santoro, 62, of Quincy, of serving as leader of the gambling ring, according to the Boston Globe.

Ferrara' s federal prison sentence was shortened after U.S. District Judge Mark L. Wolf ruled that prosecutors were guilty of misconduct in his case. U.S. attorneys did not reveal to defense attorneys that a key witness had backed away from a statement linking Ferrara with the 1985 murder of Vincent "Jimmy" Limoli. Ferrara said he was uninvolved in the Limoli killing, but he pleaded guilty to racketeering and murder charges in a plea deal.

Judge asks that federal prosecutor be punished

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf of Boston's federal court is seeking a disciplinary hearing for federal prosecutor Jeffrey Auerhahn for withholding evidence in a New England Mafia trial, according to an AP report published on SouthCoastToday.com.

Auerhahn reportedly failed in the early 1990s to tell defense attorneys for accused killer Vincent Ferrara that a key witness had recanted a statement linking Ferrara with the 1985 murder of Vincent "Jimmy" Limoli.

When Judge Wolf learned of Auerhahn's actions in 2005, he freed Ferrara, who was serving a 22-year prison sentence. Now the judge wants Auerhahn to receive more than the letter of reprimand he was given by the Justice Department. The judge asked the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers to conduct a disciplinary hearing. That board has the power to disbar an attorney.