Mob lawyer turned rat dodges jail

A one-time mob lawyer who ferried murderous messages between the jailed head of the Bonanno crime family and its street boss escaped a jail term Friday in return for his work as a government witness.

Thomas Lee, 51, who grew up among the mobsters of the Bronx, was sentenced to time served by Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis after prosecutors extolled the defendant’s work for the feds. Lee spent just three days in prison and faced a possible term of 121⁄2 years after his guilty plea to racketeering.

He testified against former acting boss Vincent “Vinny Gorgeous” Basciano (photo) and Bonanno capo Patrick DeFilippo while providing “invaluable information that significantly contributed to the government’s effort to dismantle the Bonanno family,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Busa in urging Garaufis to impose a more lenient term.

In late 2003 and early 2004, Basciano sought the go-ahead from imprisoned Bonanno boss Joseph “Big Joey” Massino to whack DeFilippo over fears that the family captain could flip and work for the feds. Lee acknowledged carrying messages between the two men.

Lee, a graduate of Seton Hall Law School, faced a jail term of 121 months to 151 months before prosecutors vouched for his evolution from crooked attorney to solid citizen.

“There was a time when I was very comfortable speaking in court,” said Lee, who was accompanied to Brooklyn Federal Court by his wife. “Today is not that day. I want to make very clear that I don’t blame my upbringing, I don’t blame my neighborhood, I don’t blame my father’s drug addiction. I don’t blame Mr. Basciano. I don’t blame Mr. Massino.

“I’ve been forced to live on the fringes of society, and I don’t blame any one but myself.”