A Bronx man who orchestrated a "Godfather"-inspired witness-intimidation campaign was acquitted of murder Thursday.
Daniel Carbuccia - who plotted to steal a scene from the iconic mob movie to terrify a star witness out of testifying - was cleared in the Jan. 2004 murder of bordello bouncer Robert Quintana, 25.
Carbuccia's two alleged accomplices, Carlos Santos and Robert Rivera, were also acquitted.
"It's disgraceful that a movie gangster's plan worked for these fools," said Quintana's pal David Hernandez, 33. "I can't believe the jury knew Carbuccia tried to silence a witness and still voted not guilty."
Jurors in the six-month trial heard tapes of Carbuccia calling friends from Rikers Island, urging them to pack the courtroom to scare the prosecution's key witness.
In one call, Carbuccia and his uncle agree to mimic Michael Corleone's plan to intimidate a mob rat by inviting his brother to the proceedings.
The death threats didn't stop the the real-life witness from eventually testifying against Carbuccia and his pals.
Jurors said the men were no real-life Corleones.
"We looked at all the evidence and there were some doubts," one juror said.
Daniel Carbuccia - who plotted to steal a scene from the iconic mob movie to terrify a star witness out of testifying - was cleared in the Jan. 2004 murder of bordello bouncer Robert Quintana, 25.
Carbuccia's two alleged accomplices, Carlos Santos and Robert Rivera, were also acquitted.
"It's disgraceful that a movie gangster's plan worked for these fools," said Quintana's pal David Hernandez, 33. "I can't believe the jury knew Carbuccia tried to silence a witness and still voted not guilty."
Jurors in the six-month trial heard tapes of Carbuccia calling friends from Rikers Island, urging them to pack the courtroom to scare the prosecution's key witness.
In one call, Carbuccia and his uncle agree to mimic Michael Corleone's plan to intimidate a mob rat by inviting his brother to the proceedings.
The death threats didn't stop the the real-life witness from eventually testifying against Carbuccia and his pals.
Jurors said the men were no real-life Corleones.
"We looked at all the evidence and there were some doubts," one juror said.
