By Edith Honan
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New Jersey dentist behind a schemeto steal body parts from corpses, including that of journalistAlistair Cooke, faced relatives of the dead in court onThursday and apologised for the anguish he caused.
Michael Mastromarino, 44, in March admitted to leading a$4.6 million (2.3 million pound) operation that stole bodyparts from funeral homes in New York, New Jersey andPennsylvania.
The ring dismembered more than 1,000 cadavers in unsanitaryconditions, and sold parts to doctors who transplanted theminto patients.
Mastromarino has pleaded guilty to body stealing, recklessendangerment and enterprise corruption. He faces 18 to 54 yearsin prison and was due to be sentenced on June 22.
"I am truly sorry for the pain that I have caused,"Mastromarino said, turning to face five people who were incourt to deliver statements. "May God have mercy on my soul."
Speaking outside the courtroom, relatives called his wordshollow and urged State Supreme Court Judge John Walsh to puthim in prison for the rest of his life.
"I felt like he had to say that. It wasn't from his heart,"said Anthony Dumaine, 43, whose father, Thomas, had his bodydesecrated by Mastromarino's ring in 2003.
"What people do for greed is unimaginable," said KarenDelRe. Her father, James Thornton, had body parts removed in2004.
One statement came from a recipient of the parts.
"The disgust factor is enormous," said Stephanie Berardini,36, who underwent periodontal surgery throughout her mouthusing tissue and bone implants from Mastromarino's cadavers.
As part of the scheme, a team of so-called cutters removedbones, skin and tendons in an unsanitary embalming room,prosecutors said.
There are three co-defendants. One pleaded guilty, anotherwas convicted at trial and the third was awaiting trial.
Cooke, the former newspaper foreign correspondent and hostof the PBS television show "Masterpiece Theatre" and BBC's"Letter from America," died in 2004 at age 95 in New York City.
(Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Daniel Trotta andXavier Briand)
