A Gambino capo already facing life in prison for the 1981 murders of two Queens bar owners was a no-show in court on Thursday for an appearance in which he was expected to cop a plea to racketeering charges.
Due to some scheduling confusion, Bartolomeo “Bobby” Vernace failed to appear in Manhattan federal court to formally plead guilty to charges of extortion and helping the mob run illegal sports betting operations and illegal poker games.
Judge Richard Berman made the announcement in court after speaking with Vernace’s lawyer by phone and rescheduling the plea hearing for Oct. 24.
Vernace, 64, is still expected to take the plea deal that calls for him serving 24 to 30 months behind bars, his lawyer Charles Carnesi told the Post afterwards.
But he has much bigger troubles.
He faces life in prison when he’s eventually sentenced in Brooklyn federal court after being convicted in April for a series of charges that include participating in the 1981 murders of bar owners John D’Angnese and Richard Godkin.
He had previously beaten the charges in state court in 1998. The murders were in response to an argument at the Shamrock Bar on Jamaica Avenue that broke out after a drink spilled on a wiseguy’s girlfriend.