December 2, 2008
`Emotional' Gotti Offers Boy a Pup
John Gotti might be the Teflon Don when it comes to deflecting criminal charges, but his heart apparently has no protective coating when he hears about a little boy with a lost puppy.
Gotti read about 13-year-old T.J. Wolf, the Long Island boy with cerebral palsy who is distraught over the theft of his beloved beagle puppy, said Lewis Kasman of Woodbury, L.I., a close friend of Gotti. Gotti called Kasman shortly after reading the Newsday article in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan yesterday morning. "He was very emotional . . . Mr. Gotti himself is a dog lover," Kasman said. "He says to me, `Please, Lewis, get ahold of . . . the family and we'll get them five dogs if they want.' "
Gotti is the reputed boss of the Gambino crime family and has been in jail for more than a year awaiting trial on an 11-count federal racketeering indictment alleging murder, loansharking and obstruction of justice. Law enforcement sources say Kasman is one of Gotti's closest confidants. Kasman tried to put up bail for Gotti when he was arrested last December, but the judge refused to allow bail.
Gotti told Kasman yesterday to offer the Lindenhurst, L.I., family a Christmas tree, presents or anything they wanted, Kasman said. Gotti could not be reached yesterday.
"Whatever they need," Kasman said he was told by Gotti. Kasman called the family on Gotti's request, but was told by T.J.'s mother, Laura Brooks, that they just want to find their 8to 10-month-old puppy, named Sesame. The dog was stolen along with T.J.'s wheelchair from their car last Sunday when it was parked outside a Caldor's store in West Babylon. Brooks said she has turned down dozens of offers of money and other dogs, holding out hope that Sesame will be returned. "T.J. doesn't really need anything right now but prayers and help looking for his pup," Brooks said she told Kasman. "We're still looking. There's been a lot of calls, a lot of offers, but not our pup yet."
Brooks said she was touched by the generosity of strangers who are searching for the puppy and offering anything they can to brighten the family's holiday season.
Brooks also received a call yesterday from Eastport psychic John Monti. He will meet with the family today and try to locate Sesame. Monti has waived his standard $600-a-day fee.
T.J.'s family is asking anyone with information to call them at (516) 226-1042. The American Kennel Club of Manhattan has offered a $500 reward for the puppy's return.
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Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.
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