A 95-year-old Genovese mobster, previously involved in a plot to kill John Gotti, has been granted compassionate release.

A 95-year-old former mobster, Louis “Bobby” Manna, is set to spend his remaining days at home, following a compassionate release order granted by a federal judge. Manna, who once held the esteemed position of consigliere in the Genovese Crime Family, has spent approximately 36 years serving an 80-year sentence for racketeering after his arrest in 1988. His request for a similar release was previously denied in 2020.

On April 16, New Jersey District Court Judge Robert Kirsch granted Manna’s compassionate release under the First Step Act, citing his deteriorating health condition as a significant factor. Manna’s medical issues include Stage II metastatic lung cancer, chronic kidney disease, a history of stroke, and a recurring infection, all of which prompted the judge to consider the application favorably. Judge Kirsch noted Manna’s severe health challenges as “extraordinary and compelling reasons” for the release, stating his condition warranted a more humane environment for the final stages of his life.

Manna has been under constant medical observation at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester since September, where he was placed in a specialized “Fall Watch” room designed for closely monitoring ill inmates. As part of the conditions for his release, Manna will face five years of supervised release, including 24-hour home confinement with electronic monitoring. He will only be allowed to communicate with designated custodians and probation officials.

Throughout his criminal career, which began in the early 1950s, Manna was a significant figure within organized crime, leading a faction of the Genovese family that reported to notable figures such as underboss “Fat” Tony Salerno and boss Vincent “Chin” Gigante. Manna was notorious for never cooperating with law enforcement, even in the face of lengthy prison sentences. He notably escaped reduced penalties by resisting becoming an informant, reflecting a strong adherence to the code of Omertà within organized crime circles.

Manna was convicted for conspiring to assassinate John Gotti, the notorious head of the Gambino crime family, during the late 1980s. Law enforcement had intercepted the plot through wiretaps placed in a Hoboken restaurant, where Manna was heard discussing the hit. The plan, however, did not materialize after authorities tipped Gotti about the scheme. Manna was also linked to the murder of Irwin Schiff, an FBI informant, further solidifying his reputation in the criminal underworld.

Manna’s sentence in 1989 was handed down by Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, the sister of former President Donald Trump, who later signed the First Step Act into law. This act enables greater discretion for the compassionate release of inmates, a provision that ultimately led to Manna’s recent order for release. As he prepares to return home, Manna’s case stirs reflection on the implications of aging and health on criminal sentencing and justice reform in the United States.

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