An heir to the Gambino crime family has called the FBI and its former director, James Comey, 'weasels' who 'abuse their power' after the release of a once-classified memo.

Giovanni Gambino told Dailymail.com that the agency has a long history of corruption, particularly when it comes to members of his own community.

He said: 'Many Italians have been [dishonestly] convicted by the FBI. The FBI [arrested] my father with dishonesty and misleading information. I have a message to Comey and the FBI. Times [sic] up.

'American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars (like the FBI) never hold the field, so long as good people (like trump) stand up.'

Giovanni Gambino (pictured, right, with Hillary Clinton) an heir to the Gambino crime family has called the FBI and and its former director, James Comey, 'weasels' who 'abuse their power' after the release of a once-classified memo

Gambino told Dailymail.com: 'I have a message to Comey and the FBI. Times [sic] up. 'American history shows that, in the long run, weasels and liars (like the FBI) never hold the field, so long as good people (like trump) stand up' (Pictured, left, Gambino undated, and right, Comey in June 2017

Gambino is a pizzeria owner and author of two novels whose kingpin father Francesco 'Ciccio' Gambino was convicted as part of a massive drug round-up in the US and Italy alongside fellow mafiosos Salvatore Mannino, Antonio Mannino, Grace Mannino and Enzo Varisco.

During his trial in 1987, prosecutors claimed Francesco was the leader of the Sicilian Mafia drug network. He died in prison while serving his 30-year-sentence.

Giovanni Gambino is cousin to Carlo, who was the founder of the Gambino crime family.

Born in Sicily, Carol immigrated to the United States in 1921 as a ship stowaway, settling in Brooklyn and becoming a gang member under Joe 'the Boss' Masseria.

He then worked for Salvatore Maranzano, Philip and Vincent Mangano, and finally, from 1951, Albert Anastasia. He inherited the crime syndicate when Anastasia was murdered.

In 50 years of crime Carlo only served 22 months in prison. He was indicted for hijacking in 1970 and an order for his deportation was upheld in the same year, but severe heart attacks deferred trial or deportation.

More heart seizures led to his death by natural causes six years later.

The four-page document released on Friday contends that the FBI, when it applied for a surveillance warrant on a onetime campaign associate of President Donald Trump, relied excessively on an ex-British spy whose opposition research was funded by Democrats.

At the same time, the memo confirms that the investigation into potential Trump links to Russia actually began several months earlier, and was 'triggered' by information involving a different campaign aide.

Trump, however, tweeted from Florida, where he was spending the weekend, that the memo puts him in the clear

The four-page document released on Friday contends that the FBI, when it applied for a surveillance warrant on a onetime campaign associate of President Donald Trump, relied excessively on an ex-British spy whose opposition research was funded by Democrats.

President Donald Trump (pictured, Friday) took to Twitter on Saturday to claim complete vindication from the memo that released on Friday

Trump's tweet called the Russia probe a 'Witch Hunt' and once again denied Russian collusion

'This memo totally vindicates 'Trump' in probe,' he said. 'But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on. Their (sic) was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!'

The FBI this week expressed 'grave concerns' about the memo and called it inaccurate and incomplete.

Democrats said it was a set of cherry-picked claims aimed at smearing law enforcement and that releasing the memo would damage law enforcement and intelligence work.