US judge awards $100 mln for unjust conviction

BOSTON, July 26 (Reuters) A federal judge ordered the US government today to pay more than 100 million dollar in damages for the wrongful 1968 conviction of four men of murder, the largest known award of its kind in the United States.

In a stunning reprimand of the FBI, US District Court Judge Nancy Gertner in Boston found the Federal Bureau of Investigation had repressed evidence that proved the innocence of Peter Limone, Henry Tameleo, Joe Salvati and Louis Greco in the March 1965 gangland murder of Edward ''Teddy'' Deegan.

Salvati and Limone, along with survivors of Tameleo and Greco -- who died in prison -- sued the FBI five years ago charging wrongful conviction. They claimed law-enforcement agents had covered up evidence showing that the murder was carried out by other men who were federal informants.

''I'm very happy for the judge's decision. She corrected a wrong and made it right,'' Limone, 73, told reporters. Still, he added, ''all the money in the world couldn't bring me back 33 years.'' Charles Miller, a spokesman for the Justice Department in Washington, declined to comment on the decision.

''We haven't seen Judge Gertner's order yet, so consequently we can't even begin our review until such time as we see the order,'' Miller said.

REUTERS SY BD2335