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July 01, 2007
Marie LaPinta's Brother, Leonardo Crociata, freed after 23 years
Killer of abusive husband to be freed
BY CARL MACGOWAN
Newsday
June 28, 2007, 5:51 PM EDT
A Brooklyn man who killed his sister's abusive husband will soon be released from prison after 23 years behind bars.
Leonardo Crociata, 73, was granted parole on Tuesday, a month after being resentenced for killing Michael La Pinta in his West Islip home in 1983. Crociata's conviction was overturned in March by State Supreme Court Justice Robert Doyle.
Crociata's sister, Marie La Pinta, had her murder conviction vacated two years ago. Doyle ruled that both received an unfair trial because they were represented by the same law firm and were not notified of the conflict of interest by the trial judge.
Crociata was "relieved, speechless, hopeful and just looking forward to being back with his family," said attorney Anthony La Pinta of Hauppauge, who is Crociata's nephew and Marie La Pinta's son.
"We felt that he served more than enough time for his actions," La Pinta said. "If his jury would have known about the family dynamic and the issue of spousal abuse in his family, the jury never would have reached the decision that they did."
Michael La Pinta was killed on March 27, 1983, during a scuffle in which his wife beat him with a baseball bat and Crociata shot him. Crociata and Marie La Pinta wrapped Michael La Pinta's body in a mattress and dumped it in a landfill.
In 1984, Crociata and his sister were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Marie La Pinta was released after her conviction was thrown out in 2005.
Crociata entered a new guilty plea in March and was sentenced in May to 15 years to life, making him eligible for parole because he already had served the minimum sentence.
Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota said last month that "no legitimate societal or correctional purpose" was served by Crociata's continued incarceration.
Crociata will be released in early August from Green Haven Correctional Facility in Stormville, Anthony La Pinta said. He will live in Bensonhurst with his wife, Lucy, with whom he has three grown children, La Pinta said.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lilapi0629,0,7486232.story?c
oll=ny-linews-headlines
Posted by lois at July 1, 2007 11:04 AM