The son-in-law of the late John Gotti and father of the Dapper Don’s reality-TV grandsons will be released from prison next week after serving nearly nine years on federal racketeering and tax-evasion charges, The Post has learned.
Carmine “The Bull” Agnello, 49, who was divorced from Gotti’s daughter, Victoria, in 2002, is expected to be transferred as early as Monday from the Allenwood medium-security jail in Pennsylvania.
He is likely to be assigned to an undisclosed halfway house in the New York metropolitan area, where he will complete the final six months of his prison term.
Agnello, of Old Westbury, L.I., ran one of the country’s largest, multimillion-dollar metal shredding plants in The Bronx before he was arrested for strong-arming potential competition, including a fledgling Queens operation run by undercover NYPD cops, which Agnello tried to torch.
At his October 2001 sentencing, Agnello – who had already done about three years in jail awaiting trial – issued a statement apologizing “to his family” and saying he was looking forward to finishing his jail term and “spending time with the three most important people in my life, [sons] Carmine, John and Frank.”
Agnello did not mention his then-estranged wife, Victoria – secret government recordings during the investigation revealed Agnello was having an affair with his secretary, who was also snared in the probe.
The blond-haired Victoria, a novel writer who had a canceled cable show, “Growing Up Gotti,” has “definitely moved on with her life as far as it relates to Carmine, and wishes him well,” a source said.
Although imprisoned, Agnello remained “extremely close” with his boys – “they talked all the time,” a source said. The gel-haired, preening mob scions appeared with their mother on TV, clashing and laughing about everything from tattoos to curfews.
While in a halfway house, Agnello can leave the facility to work, but must return within curfew. It was unclear what type of job he will have, but “it will be matched with his skill sets,” a source said. Agnello will also be on three years of supervised probation.
In addition to owning a metal shredding business, Agnello was also involved in auto salvage, working closely with his former brother-in-law, John A. “Junior” Gotti, who also served time for mob-related activities, but is now free following several high-profile mistrials.
While in jail, Agnello met a woman who became a “serious” girlfriend, a source said.
Agnello was ordered to forfeit $10 million in scrap company assets and he agreed to pay $950,000 in restitution to victims and $150,000 to the IRS. He still owes $8 million.