The sensational allegation that ex-NYPD detectives Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa carried out even more murders came from the same blockbuster informant whose evidence led to their arrest Wednesday night in Las Vegas, the sources said.
The informant, a mob associate who is now in protective custody, told investigators that the brazen rogues led a double life on the mob's payroll.
The dirty cops allegedly carried out the hit of Gambino crime family wiseguy Eddie Lino — who whacked Gambino boss Paul Castellano outside Sparks Steakhouse in 1985, bringing John Gotti to power. And they hand-delivered another mobster to his death and passed over confidential information that led to the murder of six others, the feds charge.
But the informant also talked about a litany of other violence committed by the duo while they were on the force and after they retired, sources said.
The cooperating witness told investigators that Eppolito, a highly decorated cop who later appeared in mob movies like "GoodFellas," and partner Caracappa, a former major-case detective, killed "several" other people in New York whom "they were doing business with," and a person in Colorado.
In each case, the informant described the killings in "a general way" and said that the cops were the triggermen.