United States v. Dominic Phillip Brooklier and Samuel Orlando Sciortino

In 1974 Dominie Brooklier and Samuel Sciortino were indicted for several counts of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-1968 (1976). Count I charged them with conspiring to conduct an extortion ring in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962 (d) (1976). One specific charge was that the defendants had conspired to extort money from Sam Farkas, a bookie. Several overt acts, including those resulting in the actual extortion from Farkas, were cited as being in furtherance of the conspiracy. On April 19, 1975, pursuant to a plea bargain, the defendants pled guilty to Count I and the other charges were dismissed.

Four years later the defendants were again indicted for violating RICO. Count II of the new indictment charged them with violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1962 (c) (1976). Most of the charges related to threats, extortion, and murder occurring after the 1975 conviction. One charge, however, revived the Sam Farkas incident. The government alleged that:

In or about the Spring of 1973, in Los Angeles, California, the defendants extorted and caused the extortion of United States currency from Sam Farkas .... Both the 1974 and 1979 charges…