Syrian Chief Rabbi Hires Mob Boss's Attorney

Gerald L. Shargel, a tough litigator who defended mob boss John Gotti, was brought in last week to help represent Rabbi Saul Kassin.

After the big sting, the big guns are hired
TED SHERMAN • NJ STAR-LEDGER

Not long after Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano was arrested on corruption charges, he reached out to Joseph Hayden Jr., a former prosecutor and one of the state's top criminal defense attorneys.

When the name of Joseph Doria surfaced in the same ongoing federal corruption and money-laundering investigation, the state Community Affairs commissioner -- who has not even been accused of a crime -- abruptly resigned and retained John Azzarello of Chatham, a one-time Assistant U.S. Attorney and one-time counsel to the 9/11 commission.

And famed New York lawyer Gerald L. Shargel, a tough litigator who defended mob boss John Gotti, was brought in last week to help represent Orthodox Rabbi Saul Kassin, the 87-year-old spiritual leader of the Syrian Jewish community accused of laundering $200,000 through his associated charities.

The broad series of charges against 44 individuals including three mayors, two state legislators, more than a dozen appointed offices, and five rabbis -- has begun pulling in some of the state's top legal talent.

From the very first afternoon when the initial group of defendants began appearing in shackles in federal court in Newark not three weeks ago, many were already being accompanied by some of the state's most well-known lawyers, a fact not lost on observers like former New Jersey Attorney General Peter Harvey, who stopped to see what was going on.

"I saw all this talent coming up here and into this courtroom, I had to find out what was going on," he said, suggesting it looked like a gathering of the Who's Who of New Jersey's legal community.

Call them big guns or the "go-to" guys, they are the ones who always seem to be on the short list of those to call when one is in serious legal jeopardy.

Among those already in the case are Justin P. Walder, representing Rabbi Edmund Nahum, one of the money-laundering defendants; Henry Klingeman, a former federal prosecutor representing Jersey City political operative Joseph Cardwell; Michael Critchley, representing Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez; and Brian Neary, who represents Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini.

Several were reluctant to talk publicly about why they get called so often.

"It's like asking about the biggest fish someone caught," one demurred.

Hayden, who defended former NBA star Jayson Williams on manslaughter charges, was also reticent. "It sounds presumptuous to talk about it," he said, noting only that both he and Walder have been trying cases for over 40 years and have "a considerable amount of expertise as both prosecutors and defense lawyers."

Shargel's website, quoting a New Yorker profile, proclaims: "Gerald Shargel is considered one of the most brilliant criminal defense attorneys in America." Still, he was far more reserved when reached by phone.

"Honestly, it's for other people to say, not me," he replied, when asked why he gets the call so often.

A small circle

But John Farmer Jr., dean of Rutgers Law School and the former New Jersey attorney general, said it is not at all surprising to always see the same names in so many of the major federal cases.

"There's a relatively small circle of lawyers who do federal criminal defense work," he explained. "It can be an arcane field. Most lawyers understand federal practice is different, and those who haven't done it will often shy away and refer it to those who do."

For example, the discovery rules -- which mandate what defense attorneys can see of the evidence and witness statements before trial -- are different. The cases are also typically developed over a much longer period of time, making it more difficult to convince a jury of reasonable doubt.

"They are hard cases and the obvious names are all fantastic lawyers who are very good at winning close arguments," Farmer said. "You can't survive in that world where the odds are so stacked against you if you're not a really good lawyer."

They will also be facing some of the top people in the U.S. Attorney's Office. The case is being directed by Brian Howe, deputy chief of the Special Prosecutions Division; he is teamed with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark McCarren, Sandra Moser and Maureen Nakly, all of the Special Prosecutions Division, and David Bocian, the second-in-command and public corruption prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Trenton office.

Gerald Krovatin, who defended former state Sen. Joseph Coniglio (D-Bergen) in a corruption case earlier this year, said federal matters are often far more complex than those in the state courts.

"The trial of these cases is more difficult," explained Krovatin, who is not representing any of the 44 currently facing charges.

The far-ranging corruption case that broke open just two weeks ago will be particularly difficult for the defense before it even begins, Farmer suggested, because the continuing series of federal corruption prosecutions that has swept the state has the public convinced that most of those arrested are guilty.

"There is no presumption of innocence anymore," the law school dean said. "It's a major issue."

The latest case has been called one of the biggest federal sting operations to hit New Jersey. The two-tier investigation targeted politicians and public officials accused of taking bribes. Separately, religious leaders and others were charged in an international money-laundering scheme. And one man was charged with brokering black market kidney transplants.

All the charges were tied together through a single FBI informant, Solomon Dwek, a failed Monmouth County developer facing trial in a $50 million bank fraud. He allegedly lured politicians with payoffs and cash campaign contributions to facilitate purported development deals. According to the criminal complaints, he also laundered more than $3 million in money he claimed to be hiding from his creditors in bankruptcy court, doing so by writing large checks to charitable organizations associated with the rabbis. Dwek would receive the money back in cash, in exchange for a 10 to 15 percent cut of the transaction.

With the case still in the early stages, the players may yet change. Some attorneys concede privately they were asked to provide representation only for the initial court appearances and will not likely remain on board for the long haul. Clients and attorneys also do not always match well. And those defendants who opt for trial may seek a lawyer with a stronger trial background.

steep price to pay

At the same time, federal criminal defense work does not come cheap, and many of the public officials who were arrested have already lost their jobs and may have little in the way of resources. That became an issue during the trial of former Newark Mayor Sharpe James two years ago, when Raymond M. Brown of Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis, who represented James after he was indicted, asked to be removed from the case.

"Sharpe James has advised me "¦ that his personal funds will not be able to meet the projected budget for the hiring of this law firm," Brown stated in an affidavit. "Continued discussions of this matter have the capacity to erode the lawyer-client relationship and to interfere with providing effective assistance of counsel."

Within hours, James retained Thomas Ashley, another highly regarded defense attorney, to replace the firm.

Farmer said the cost of defense is always a consideration.

"One of the hard parts of doing criminal defense work is being sure you are getting paid," he noted. "Experience shows once the case is over, the incentive to pay pretty much evaporates."

Still, Maria D. Noto of Matawan, former president of the New Jersey Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said do not assume that those facing charges do not have resources to pay for their defense.

"When people are being charged with a criminal offense, it's like getting hit with a diagnosis that you have a life-threatening illness. They are going to talk to their family and friends and do whatever they can do to get the best possible care," said Noto, whose practice includes federal defense work. "They're probably terrified and will tap into any resources they have -- pensions, savings, 401(k)s, whatever."

Comments

[phillip]

Great mob lawyers to defend a Rabbi...
What is this Rabbi thinking.....

[Ben]

Rabbi need a great mob lawyer because he is an effective head of a mob.

[harold]

I see no problem with the hiring of Gerald L. Shargel. Any good defense attorney will have in their portfolio a slew of unsavory characters that they defended.

[L.Krawitz]

Well I guess a rabbi who behaves like a mobster, needs a mob boss's attorney.

[anycomment]

shargel is a well respected criminal defense lawyer, and a reasonable choice for a case like this.

to suggest that he limits his cases to mob cases or that R Kassin is in some way connected to the mob is ludicrous but typical of the bigotry and ignorance on this site.

[Yochanan Lavie]

From Marranos to Sopranos.

[the Monsey Tzadik]

He did not help much John Gotty

[L.Krawitz]

re - 'anycomment'

Kindly read the preceding posts more attentively and you will see that no one connected Rabbi Kassin to the mob per se.

The fact of the matter is that that the rabbi has behaved like a mobster by laundering money, and the irony is that he has hired an attorney who has dealt with mobsters and these issues before.

[anycomment]

re: L Krawitz:

Rabbi need a great mob lawyer because he is an effective head of a mob.

Posted by: Ben | August 16, 2009 at 07:44 AM

[harold]

is ludicrous but typical of the bigotry and ignorance on this site.

This is a site by and for angry self hating jews. No surprise here.

[Yochanan Lavie]

I hate lawbreaking and corruption, not my fellow Jews.

[WoolSilkCotton]

++harold | August 16, 2009 at 07:46 AM++
I'll agree with your 7:46 comment, harold, but that will probably be one of the few times we'll ever agree, and so I celebrate this moment that the two of us share.

[L.Krawitz]

re - 2nd posting by what appears to be a very angry 'anycomment'

It is unfortunate, but it would appear that irony is simply not part of your perceptual-framework.

Pity.

Although it is true that the term 'mob' in Ben's comment could, with a great stretch of the imagination, be read as the literal head of a 'mob', as in the Italian mob. aka - the mafia.

It was clear, that is to most educated and literate English speaking people, that it was simply Ben's attempt to play (albeit very unsuccessfully in your and harold's eyes), - on the word 'mob' - in the sense that this rabbi, who did launder money like a mobster, could be said to be the head of a 'mob' as opposed to the usual collective nouns, such as - 'community' or congregation.'

[anycomment]

LK

I'm not angry but simply recognizing that this is a biggoted site that villifies the Orthodox.

The site censors those who try to portray a more objective view or a view in favor of the Orthodox.

This is not a site that focuses on the negatives and positives of Orthodox Jews, rather only the negative and always speaks of the Orthodox in derogatory terms.

Just making sure the site recognizes that it has these objectives and tolerates references to Orthodox Jews and its leaders in offensive terms, while anyone objecting to those practices are censored.

As the saying goes ; it is what it is.

[Shmarya]

Just making sure the site recognizes that it has these objectives and tolerates references to Orthodox Jews and its leaders in offensive terms, while anyone objecting to those practices are censored.

That is a lie.

Dozens of commenters leave pro-haredi, pro-Orthodox comments here. They also leave comments critical of me, of theis blog, of other commenters.

The problem isn't open access.

The problem is you do not and cannot make your case.

[steve]

in the sense that this rabbi, who did launder money like a mobster,

By cutting a check made out to another legitimate charity organization, this rabbi became a merchandise counterfeiter, a bankruptcy court defrauder and a money launderer. All these allegations, which I believe are the result of overreaching by the FBI, have yet to be substantiated in a court of law. Personally, I don't think they will see the light of day. Nevertheless, when we refer to these charges, let's at least put the words "alleged" or "accused of" before the term "money launderer" or "criminal" are attached to this rabbi. In other cases, such as SMR, Leib Pinter and the CW where there is overwhelming evidence of premeditated crime and corruption, there is no need to evoke "innocent until proven guilty". However in this case, let's use a little bit of discretion and put the allegations in their proper perspective. At most, Rabbi Kassin is guilty of poor judgment. I do not see any premeditated criminal activity here. From what I undersatnd, his charity organization raises millions of dollars to help feed the poor. Had he understood the legal issue of exchanging checks with the CW, he would certainly have foregone the $2500 that was netted for his charity.

[anycomment]

guess your censoring me as well

[WoolSilkCotton]

The orthodox do a fine job vilifying themselves, and don't need help from anyone here.

To anycomment and harold, perhaps I could recommend that you should first read www.vosizneias.com each day, where there is always a rosy picture of all things orthodox, and then come here afterward for potentially differing and more critical viewpoints on matters concerning the Jewish community.

You will find additional comfort at VIN by the butchering of the English language that seems to go with the territory there.

You should also check your dictionary for the definition of 'censor' versus 'censure'. Some folks here are indeed censured, but they are not censored. There's an important difference between those two words.

[Shmarya]

guess your censoring me as well

Nobody is censoring you.

But if you keep lying and saying we are, I'll ban you.

[ah-pee-chorus]

WSC- 'censor' versus 'censure'.

i think you hit it right on the head.

[itchiemayer]

anycomment - If we don't recognize our shortcomings, we can't expect to be able to fix them. I have discussions with Rebbeim who are in a state of denial about the moral and ethical depths to which we, the Jewish people have sunk. I expect for us to be the most honorable, ethical, moral people. I have stated on this site that I believe those individuals that posess a Jewish Neshama (either through a biologically Jewish mother or thru conversion (orthodox)) are capable of reaching the greatest heights in spirituality, thus helping us achieve our obligation to be an or l'goyim, a light unto the nations of the world. In order to accompllish this, we have to be the most yashar, "straight" people, moreso than any other group. Sadly,we are falling woefully short, and I'm tired of the orthodox world failing to recognize this, and therefore, their overall failure to address these problems. Whether it be in the area of child sexual abuse, business ethics, or overall despicable behavior such as the Yerushalayim riots, we need to address these issues. There are plenty of places you can visit which will sugarcoat things and tell you how great a people we are, so this site provides some balance. I am a Torah observant Jew, and I am pained by how low we have sunk. As the world still exists, this is proof to me that true Torah lishma and true righteousness do still exist. However, we need to right the ship in order to save us from ourselves. Indeed, we are our own worst enemy.

[ah-pee-chorus]

++ If we don't recognize our shortcomings, we can't expect to be able to fix them.++

itchie- so true. in the article :

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2009/08/letter-from-long-beach-we-are-all-scapegoats-sefardic-rabbi-says.html

rabbi bibi himself left a post where he apologized for his poorly thought out letter to the jewish star, after reading the unfettered criticism right here on failed messiah. that says something about the benefits of a truly uncensored look at these issues. long live failed messiah.com

[itchiemayer]

In truth, there has been some censorship. Granted, warnings were issued, but I would still like to see George Jefferson's neighbor return.

[steve]

Itchiemayer,

You're post is right on. I am the last one to be an apologist for criminals and criminal activity in the Orthodox world. However, in this case, I see a grave injustice being done to this man.

[itchiemayer]

Steve - with regard to Rabbi Kassin, the picture of him being led away breaks my heart. I do hope he is innocent in the matter. Not just "not guilty" because of some technicality, but I pray he is truly innocent. Admittedly, I'm not optimistic that this is true. Remember, as a community leader, his standards need to be the highest of the high.

[steve]

Itchie,

Agreed that his standards need to be the highest. His biggest crime was allowing that criminal into his living room after what the guy defrauded his own community members out of millions. He should have put him in cherem three years ago. For that mistake he is paying dearly now.

[itchiemayer]

spc - I'm so glad you mentioned the letter from Rabbi Bibi, because I had not seen it. It seems like Shmarya is putting up new threads right and left, and sometimes it causes me to leave an older thread behind. Yes, his post does vindicate FM. I am glad he pays attention to it. Kudos to him for clarifying things, although he really wasn't able to defend the goat story.

[itchiemayer]

of course, I meant "apc", and not "spc".

[ah-pee-chorus]

no he didnt do much at all and if he had responded to the last post i would have posted more, but i think he said his piece and no more. but where else but here could bibi have seen the "other" side, and been able to respond?

[WoolSilkCotton]

Itchie, as you may recall, our friend Archie was removed after he intentionally revealed personal information about people who were friends of our host Shmarya. It was obviously an attempt to expose them to harassment from other black-hatted trolls, identity thieves, credit-card fraudsters, and other such types who thrive on making life miserable for those who dare to criticize the ultra-orthodox world.
It was not the first time that Archie tried to find and expose personal information about people here with whom he disagreed, including me. On one of his last postings prior to being banned, he mentioned several pieces of personal information about me that he had obviously collected and remembered over the course of several months, including my true first name, where I lived and where I worked.

His seemingly nonstop barrage of insults aimed at so many of us here was forgiven over and over. His racism was also let slide time and time again.

Archie's occasional strong work and insights into some of the issues of the day were solid work, and I learned a lot from reading those contributions.
Ultimately, however, he became his own worst enemy. That's why he's gone. Perhaps he will start his own blog.

If you really think his absence from here is censorship, then I would ask you to review your definition of that word.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Could SPC mean SUPER-ah-pee-chorus?

APC, thanks for pointing out that posting from Bibi. The letter from Nativ after it is also worthwhile.

[state of the Jews]

Steve
I would agree w you about Rabbi Kassin and use of the word "alledge" w regard to charges ...except for one troubling piece of informaqtion: that the Feds have alledgedly been following the money laundering for more than 10 years! I find this quite troubling. We'll have to wait and see.

[ah-pee-chorus]

itchie and WSC: glad u liked it. had i known he would be reading it, i would have been a littls less vicious and more polite just as i would be in person. oh well..

[anycomment]

itchiemayer

I agree with you that unfortunately there have been too many instances recently when those holding themselves out as Orthodox have apparently not lived consistently with Orthodox values and halacha.

This site, however, is one dimentional -- recognizing only the negative incidents w/i Orthodoxy, trying to portray as negative any positive steps by Orthodox to address those incidents and failing to recognize anything positive about Orthodox Judaism.

Shmarya consistently labels as a liar anyone objecting to his villification of the Orthodox, and then censors their posts -- once he has decreed that they're liars.

While censoring those that defend the Orthodox, he tolerates or encourages those that refer to the Orthodox and its leaders in profane terms. Shmarya does not attempt to have guidelines for posters, rather he acts as the arbiter of whats right -- anyone villifying the Orthodox may say what he chooses while anyone consistently objecting to his villifying the Orthodox is termed by Sharmya as unfit to post.

In short, there are many who post on this site that clearly hate all Orthodox, want to restrict Orthodox from practicing the way we choose (even if it has no effect on them), look for every opportunity to provoke the Orthodox and blame every negative incident involving the Jews on teh Orthodox -- even where the Orthodox were not involved. This site is replete with examples. If you need to be convinced feel free to have a group of objective ppl review the site to determine if in their view this site is biased against the orthodox or not. It's not even a close call.

Shmarya hates the Orthodox and is no less bigoted than racist or White Supremacist sites.

[Shmarya]

Shmarya consistently labels as a liar anyone objecting to his villification of the Orthodox, and then censors their posts -- once he has decreed that they're liars.

While censoring those that defend the Orthodox, he tolerates or encourages those that refer to the Orthodox and its leaders in profane terms. Shmarya does not attempt to have guidelines for posters, rather he acts as the arbiter of whats right -- anyone villifying the Orthodox may say what he chooses while anyone consistently objecting to his villifying the Orthodox is termed by Sharmya as unfit to post.

This is an absolute lie as anyone reading this site for a few days – or a few years – clearly knows.

Now either stop lying or I really will ban you.

[steve]

SOJ,

I'm sure the feds have been investigating money laundering involving Jewish organizations for a while. However, it was Dwek who set up Rabbi Kassin. I don't believe the feds had anything on him. Dwek cut a deal with them by offering to set up rabbis in his community in exchange for a lighter sentence/fewer indictments. Of course the feds were happy that he set up the chief rabbi, which makes for bigger headlines. My guess is that Dwek had a personal vendetta against Kassin because of the RW/LW struggle in the community, which Shmarya alluded to in a previous post.

[ah-pee-chorus]

anycomment: why do you keep using the word censor? definition: to suppress or delete as objectionable .

your posts seem to be making it on the board. are some of your posts rejected or deleted?

[ah-pee-chorus]

according to some of the reports, one of the rabbis was caught on tape detailing the existing network for laundering money, with the client deciding how many different layers of laundering the money would undergo, and how each charity or synagogue would receive a cut along the way.
now i dont know if kassin's charity was one of the regular stops on that train, but it seems like it was. if so, then it cannot be chalked up to a single instance of bad judgement. that would be big trouble.

[steve]

Anyone interested in buying a golf course in Deal? How about the Brooklyn Bridge? Read about one of Dwek's scams where he convinced investors that he was buying a golf course, which of course was never for sale:

http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/dwek/CharlesIshaySolomonDwek.pdf

[itchiemayer]

WSC - Archie shouldn't have done that, I know. Did he do investigative work on you, or did he take bits and pieces that you had posted at one time or another and put them together. I know that I have given bits and pieces of information about myself, and I recognize when I am doing it, that my identity could possibly be ascertained. Generally, that does not bother me. However, if I felt physically threatened by it, that would be different.
I actually never saw the info he posted, or it didn't register with me at the time.
Nevertheless, and I understand that it is what it is, but there was a lot more activity on here with Archie around. I miss the plethora of frenzied activity. I also understand that at times he went over the line, so I will try (bli neder) not to invoke his name anymore.