John Pappa, a notorious figure within the Colombo crime family, has been denied compassionate release by a federal judge in Brooklyn, after displaying a troubling history of violence and brutality.
The 50-year-old Pappa is serving two life sentences plus an additional 65 years for his involvement in four gangland murders during the 1990s.
Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Pamela Chen issued the ruling, highlighting the grotesque nature of Pappa’s crimes and expressing skepticism regarding the remorse he exhibited at a hearing last year.
Judge Chen characterized Pappa’s actions as ‘brutal and senseless,’ asserting that the defendant’s attempt to convey remorse felt disingenuous.
‘After observing and listening to the defendant over the course of the two-hour April proceeding, the court cannot shake the impression that he feels no remorse about committing the four murders nor empathy for the victims or their families,’ she wrote, adding that his statements appeared ‘hollow and performative.’
Pappa’s notorious reputation in the criminal underworld is underscored by the tattoo across his back, which reads ‘Morte prima di disonore’ — translating to ‘death before dishonor.’
His violent history culminated in the 12th and final murder of the bloody Colombo civil war in the early 1990s. Pappa was known to have killed a fellow mobster out of a desire for recognition and credit within the criminal enterprise.
The details of Pappa’s crimes emerged in Judge Chen’s ruling, which was filed on May 30.
Pappa, along with another mobster named John Sparacino, was part of a three-man hit team led by Eric Curcio. On October 20, 1993, they ambushed Colombo underboss Joseph Scopo, attacking him as he arrived home in Queens.
While Sparacino opened fire on Scopo’s vehicle, Scopo managed to escape on foot, but Pappa chased him down, shooting him three times to ensure his death.
Following this murder, tensions rose in the crew, particularly when Sparacino began to take credit for the kill. Angered by Sparacino’s actions, Pappa and Curcio plotted to take him out as well, starting with a hit on Rolando Rivera, a friend of Sparacino’s.
On June 7, 1994, Rivera found himself a target when he mentioned to his girlfriend that Curcio had warned him away from Sparacino.
In a grim twist of fate, Pappa and Curcio drove Rivera in a stolen van to Staten Island, where they shot him four times and disposed of his body by throwing him from the moving vehicle.
Although an off-duty police officer found Rivera alive, he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
Pappa’s vendetta against Sparacino escalated after he learned of an insult directed at him and Curcio at a nightclub.
They enlisted the help of Calvin Hennigar, who lured Sparacino to his Staten Island home under false pretenses.
There, Hennigar shot Sparacino in the back of the head.
Once they executed the murder, Pappa and Hennigar transported Sparacino’s body in a stolen vehicle and set it on fire, leaving it in an isolated area on Staten Island.
An autopsy later revealed the horrifying details of Sparacino’s death; he had been hog-tied and mutilated, with significant injuries, including his severed penis forced into his mouth.
Pappa eventually turned on Curcio as tensions further escalated, feeling unappreciated for his role in the Scopo killing and suspecting Curcio had killed one of his close friends.
On October 4, 1994, Pappa ambushed Curcio outside his place of business, firing more than ten rounds at him.
In 1999, Pappa was convicted for all four murders, while Hennigar was also found guilty of participating in the murder of Sparacino.
In 2022, Pappa sought compassionate release, citing a troubled upbringing marred by crime. He pointed to the murder of his father, a Genovese gangster by members of the Colombo crime family, and the imprisonment of his stepfather as factors that led him down the path of organized crime.
His lawyer, Shon Hopwood, argued that Pappa was drawn into a life of crime as a means of filling the void left by the absence of a father figure.
During a tense hearing, the family members of Pappa’s victims expressed their outrage at the possibility of his release.
Michelle Gedz, who was pregnant at the time of Rivera’s murder, delivered a powerful statement, condemning Pappa: ‘You’re a phony, you’re a fake, you’re a loser, and you’re a killer, and that’s all you’ll ever be. You’ve taken lives. … You deserve nothing but suffering like we’ve suffered.’
In April 2024, Pappa attempted to convey to Judge Chen that his time in prison had been transformative, declaring, ‘It’s been productive. It’s been transformative… I now see things clearly, act correctly, and my actions are positive, effective, and completely unselfish.’
However, his words were met with cynicism as Sparacino’s brother, Salvadore, interrupted, sarcastically stating, ‘And the Oscar goes to you.’
Despite Pappa’s attempts to renegotiate his future, Judge Chen’s ruling stands firm, ensuring he remains behind bars for his horrific crimes.
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