Murder suspect prepares his case

Kim Smith

Monday, Aug. 6, 2001 | 10:14 a.m.

A murder suspect who claims his victim was a mob enforcer out to kill him alleges the Clark County district attorney's office has ties to the Gambino and Gotti organized crime families.

According to court documents, Anthony Cuccia Jr. wants federal officials to look into alleged ties between his prosecutors and the mob. He is scheduled to bring the matter before District Judge Donald Mosley on Tuesday.

Cuccia is scheduled to go to trial Aug. 13 in connection with the shooting death of Philip Greenspan.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Owens has taken over the case from William Koot, who retired recently.

According to witnesses who testified at Cuccia's preliminary hearing last year, Cuccia shot Greenspan, 59, at point-blank range at the Stardust's sports book on Feb. 7, 2000.

Witnesses testified that Cuccia, 60, fired a shot into Greenspan's chest and then shot him again in the back as he tried to flee. Greenspan collapsed and died outside the casino.

Cuccia told police he believes Greenspan, who once lived in the same New York borough as Cuccia, had been sent to kill him. He told police that Greenspan is a former mob hitman, but police say they have no reason to believe that to be true.

Cuccia spent several weeks at a state mental health facility after the arrest because of comments he made afterward. He was declared incompetent in federal court several years ago after he threatened a judge.

Cuccia, who is now believed to be competent, has been afforded the right to represent himself at his trial.

Deputy public defenders Scott Coffee and Steve Immerman have been appointed to stand by Cuccia's side at his trial should he need them to step in. Cuccia, however, has said during numerous court proceedings that he dislikes the attorneys because they believe he is delusional.

Under Nevada law a person can be both legally competent and delusional. People who are competent are those whom doctors believe understand the charges against them and are able to aid in their own defense, according to the law.

According to his motion for a federal investigation Cuccia says that a friend warned him that at least one of his prosecutors is being "influenced and controlled" by the new ruling heads of the Gambino and Gotti families.

Cuccia describes the four Corozzo brothers, who he says run the Gambino and Gotti families.

After finishing his somewhat vague descriptions, Cuccia writes:

"Therefore, a blind person could see that the possibility of outside interference and/or corruption here is greater than a mere reasonable likelihood, and since claims and accusations of corruption and courtroom influencing and controlling are of such a serious nature, it cannot be overlooked by the court."

Cuccia says that his source has always proven reliable, but "to ask the name of my source of information is a waste of time, since naming him would actually be killing someone helping me. Only prosecutors kill people who help them, not me."

Owens said the motion is the latest in a series of interesting motions filed by Cuccia.

Although defendants who represent themselves are not entitled to stand-by counsel, Owens fought to keep the public defenders office involved in the case.

He told Mosley he wanted the public defenders present so they could take over the trial should Cuccia disrupt it. Owens said he has no intention of bringing up Cuccia's mental status, unless Cuccia does so first.