Judge grants mobster an extension

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - A federal judge has given reputed mafia capo Anthony “The Saint” St. Laurent’s new attorney time to study up on the eve of a murder for-hire case.

In an order filed Friday, Judge William Smith granted Providence attorney Victor Beretta’s request for an extension after recently taking over on the case.

A June 18th filing with Beretta’s name marks a shift in legal representation.

St. Laurent, 68, was represented by public defender Olin Thompson when he was charged in January, but during a court hearing earlier this year St. Laurent informed Federal Magistrate Judge Lincoln Almond he’s hired famed mob attorney John F. Cicilline.

Beretta and Cicilline, father to Providence Mayor David Cicilline, share law office space at 381 Atwells Ave.; a basement law firm at the far end of historic Federal Hill. A receptionist tells Target 12 the two are not law partners.

Judge Smith has moved the case back a month. Pre-trial hearings are now slated for September.

In January the Target 12 Investigators broke the story of a failed assassination attempt by St. Laurent. Investigators say "The Saint" twice attempted to hire men to gun-down reputed capo regime Robert "Bobby" DeLuca.

Both tries were thwarted by agents from the FBI. Investigators used a wired informant as St. Laurent allegedly offered $20,000 for the first hit and a Massachusetts State Trooper posing as a thug for the second.

St. Laurent is currently serving 5 years at Fort Devens federal penitentiary in Massachusetts for the attempted extortion of two Massachusetts' men.

It was from his prison cell that St. Laurent allegedly tried to get someone to kill DeLuca a second time.