Thomas “Tommy Shots” Gioeli the former acting boss of the Colombo crime family was sentenced to 18 years in prison for multiple murder and racketeering conspiracy raps. Back in 2012 Gioeli was convicted of plotting gangland hits against rivals John Minerva and Frank Marasa along with a single charge of orchestrating violence against rivals to gain power. But the New York mafia leader was some how acquitted on several murder charges and avoided a probable life sentence. Although his lawyers argued before sentencing asking for leniency saying at the age of 61 a long term sentence would be equal to a life sentence.

“Thomas Gioeli”

Gioeli was cleared on murder charges which included the mafia hit on former NYPD cop Ralph Dols back in 1997 , who was killed because he married to ex-wife of former Colombo family consigliere Joel “Joe Waverly” Cacace. Tommy Shots along with fellow Colombo mobster Dino Saracino were also acquitted for the 1995 execution of mob associate Richard Greaves and the murder of former Colombo family underboss William “Wild Bill” Cutolo.

The mobsters attorney Adam Perlmutter argued that his client was not what the prosecution made him out to be as he read excerpts from letters of support which presented him as a lovable grandparent and community pillar. Perlmutter also noted that his client had already been behind bars for six years since he was charged with his crimes and no other punishment in his eyes was necessary.

But prosecutors reminded Judge Brian Cogan that the aging wiseguy has led a long and frightening criminal career and had spent more then a decade as a leading figure in the mafia. They labeled the crimes he committed on bahalf of organized crime as vicious and pointed out it took a vicious person to carry them out and he should receive the maximum of twenty years under the sentencing guidelines.