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Once Hero, Retired Cop By GREG B. SMITH In 1982, Detective Stephen Gardell was a hero cop, the guy who helped bust a mentally unstable Brooklyn man who mailed a deadly booby-trapped book to his own mother. Today, Gardell is accused of being a Mafia lackey, leaking law enforcement secrets to gangsters and getting them pistol-carry permits and even Police Department parking permits. In exchange, mobsters built him an $8,000 swimming pool at his Staten Island home, comped him at casinos and gave his wife a fur coat, according to an indictment unsealed by federal prosecutors Patrick Smith and David Esseks. Gardell, who joined the NYPD in 1968, retired June 1, just weeks before his indictment. He was not fired. According to the indictment, Gardell "corruptly leaked confidential information" concerning federal investigations of the mob to two accused mob associates, James Labate of the Gambino crime family and Salvatore Piazza of the Bonanno crime family, from early 1997 through April. Federal officials declined to reveal which investigations Gardell may have compromised. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White said that aspect of the investigation was continuing. Gardell allegedly used his position as a veteran detective to persuade authorities to drop state assault charges against Michael Grecco, a reputed Colombo associate. Gardell also allegedly obtained pistol-carry permits and NYPD parking permits for Labate and Piazza. Gardell also is accused of using his position as treasurer of the Detectives Endowment Association to invest the union's pension fund in mob schemes. The association released a statement assuring its members the union lost no money. Gardell was released last night on $500,000 bail. His attorney, Joseph Tacopina, acknowledged that his client knew Piazza and Labate but denied any wrongdoing. "He is bewildered by these charges," Tacopina said. "He is shocked that he could even be mentioned in this case."
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