Morelli v. United States

OPINION

BASSLER, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court upon the Petition by Anthony Morelli to vacate his conviction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255. In 1995, Morelli and other defendants were charged, tried and, following a five-month trial before this Court, convicted for participating in a “daisy chain” scheme to evade excise taxes on the sale of fuel. At trial, the prosecution established that Morelli was a captain of the Gambino crime family who supervised a group of Gambino mob members in extorting a “mob tax” from the bootleg sales of motor fuel. United States v. Morelli, Crim.…