Blitzstein slaying suspect Davi pleads guilty

Bill Gang

Tuesday, April 20, 1999 | 11:12 a.m.

In a deal cut just a week before he was to face a federal court jury over the murder of Las Vegas mobster Herbert "Fat Herbie" Blitzstein, Antone Davi has pleaded guilty to being one of two participants in the execution slaying.

The plea bargain, which requires Davi to testify as a prosecution witness against other defendants in the case, came to fruition late Monday, defense attorney Daniel Albregts said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Johnson said he will not recommend a sentence of less than 20 years, but the deal may have saved the 31-year-old defendant from having to spend the rest of his life in a federal prison if he were convicted.

Sentencing is set for July 23 in U.S. District Judge Philip Pro's courtroom.

Johnson said that Davi admitted he and co-defendant Richard Friedman were hired to kill Blitzstein in January 1997 and that he provided the weapon to Friedman, who prosecutors say was the triggerman.

Davi's plea -- the second major player in the case to plead guilty in the last two weeks -- means that former Metro Police officer, now convicted murderer, Ron Mortensen likely will not have to testify at the trial that starts Monday.

Mortensen, who shared a jail cell in 1997 with Davi, told federal prosecutors about their conversations during which Davi confessed his role in slaying of Blitzstein, who was once mob enforcer Tony Spilotro's right-hand man.

Although Davi has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, it is not certain that he will take the witness stand at Monday's trial, which involves four other co-defendants, Johnson said.

While Davi will testify against Friedman at his trial that is scheduled to start soon, Albregts said his client may have little to contribute against the four other defendants in Monday's trial.

"I don't think he knew those guys," Albregts said.

The four on trial Monday include reputed Buffalo mobster Robert Panaro, Stephen Cino, Louis Caruso and Anthony DeLulio.

Johnson said that seven defendants now have pleaded guilty. Trial for the seven other defendants still in the case of the original 19 is set for August.

A week ago a key defendant in the case, 72-year-old Alfred Mauriello, pleaded guilty to a single count of murder in aid of racketeering in a deal that also will require him to testify for the government.

Mauriello admitted he was paid $10,000 by Peter Vincent Caruso to arrange Blitzstein's murder and, in turn, he hired Davi and Friedman to carry out the assassination. Caruso, 58, died in January while in federal custody.

Mauriello's plea bargain with prosecutors was the second involving a major player. The first was Joseph DeLuca, who owned a Las Vegas auto repair business. He pleaded guilty to racketeering in 1997.