Human remains that may be tied to a decades-old Mafia murder have been dug up at the Queens home of “Goodfellas” mobster James “Jimmy the Gent” Burke, law-enforcement sources said yesterday.
“Unknown remains have been recovered and we are examining them,” said city Medical Examiner’s spokeswoman Ellen Borakove.
The discovery comes two days after FBI and NYPD investigators swooped in on the Ozone Park house of the late Luchese killer, who was made famous by Robert De Niro’s portrayal of him as “Jimmy Conway” in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film.
Working with pickaxes, jackhammers and sledgehammers and sifting through dirt placed in shallow boxes, investigators unearthed bones and other, unidentified materials, law-enforcement sources said.
“We’re piecing together exactly what we have,” said one source.
Another added, “It will be examined by the pathologist to determine precisely what it is.”
Authorities have not said whose body they may be looking for, but said it involves a cold-case mob murder that took place more than 30 years ago.
Burke, a tough Irish-American thug who died of cancer in prison in 1996, was the alleged mastermind of the 1978, $6 million Lufthansa cargo terminal heist at Kennedy Airport.
Mob lore has it that he killed off many of the men who helped pull off the heist to lessen the risk of anyone talking to cops. The Queens dig is not related to that case, sources said.
The Ozone Park triplex on 102nd Road is now owned by Burke’s daughters, Catherine and Robin, according to property records. Catherine is married to Bonanno crime capo and convicted hit man Anthony “Bruno” Indelicato. The Burkes have rented the house to another family for 40 years.
Regina Belardinelli, daughter of the longtime tenants, said her parents weren’t alerted to the dig and came home to find investigators at the house.
Probers told her they were also focusing on the home’s basement.
Burke’s widow, Mickey, who lives in Howard Beach, said she has “no idea” what — or whom — investigators might be looking for.