Four Secrets defendants to pay $24 million

Chicago mob bosses, convicted of racketeering and murders in the 2007 Family Secrets trial, have been ordered to pay more than $24 million in fines and restitution to their victims, according to stories by Mike Robinson of the Associated Press and Chuck Goudie of WLS-TV Chicago.

One defense attorney called the amount "ridiculous."

Judge James Zagel yesterday ordered Frank Calabrese Sr., Joseph Lombardo, James Marcello and Paul Schiro to pay $4.3 million as restitution to the families of 14 men who were killed by the mob. (Back in October, prosecutors calculated that the victims' families were owed $3.9 million in lost wages.) Calabrese, Lombardo and Marcello were found guilty of racketeering and murders. Schiro was convicted of racketeering. He was charged with racketeering murder, but a jury deadlocked on the question of his guilt.

The remainder of the $24 million, the judge said, "represents the total amount of proceeds acquired and maintained by the Chicago Outfit since the 1960s" in criminal endeavors charged in the Family Secrets trial.

Family Secrets defendant Anthony Doyle, convicted of racketeering but not charged with murder, was assessed a fine of $44,225.

Chicago's 'Twan' Doyle gets 12 years

The last of Chicago's Family Secrets defendants, former police officer Anthony "Twan" Doyle, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, according to a story by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Doyle (left), 64, was convicted of racketeering in the 2007 Family Secrets case. His four codefendants already have been sentenced. James Marcello, Joseph Lombardo and Frank Calabrese Sr., convicted of racketeering and murders, were sentenced to life in prison. Paul Schiro, convicted of racketeering, was sentenced to 20 years.

Prosecutors charged that Doyle was an associate of the Chicago underworld organization known as the Outfit since the 1960s. He became a member of the local police force in 1980.

"Joey the Clown" to prison for life

Chicago Outfit big shot "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, convicted of racketeering and the 1974 racketeering murder of Daniel Seifert, was sentenced yesterday to life in federal prison, according to reports by Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune and Mike Robinson of the Associated Press.

Lombardo (right), now 80, and four other defendants were convicted of racketeering in the landmark Family Secrets trial of September 2007. Lombardo, Frank Calabrese Sr. and James Marcello were also convicted of racketeering murders. Calabrese was sentenced last week to life in prison.

Before sentencing, Lombardo remarked, "I suppose the court is going to send me to a life in prison for something I did not do... I did not kill Danny Seifert."

Seifert was shot to death by masked men at his Bensenville plastics company, as his wife and son looked on. Seifert was expected to testify against Lombardo in a 1974 case. After Seifert's death, the charges against Lombardo were dropped.

Trial witnesses described Lombardo as boss of the Outfit's Grand Avenue crew and indicated that he extorted "street tax" payments from area businesses.

Feds call for $3.9 million from convicted mobsters

Five convicted Chicago mobsters owe $3.9 million in restitution to the families of their murder victims, federal prosecutors insist. The prosecutors say Frank Calabrese Sr., James Marcello, Joseph Lombardo, Paul Schiro and Anthony Doyle should be held jointly and severally liable for the restitution amount, according to a report by Chuck Goudie and Ann Pistone of ABC-7 in Chicago. The amount took into consideration an accountant's estimate of the lost earning capacity of 14 victims.

The five men were convicted in the Family Secrets case last year. They are waiting to be sentenced. After the initial racketeering verdict, Calabrese, Marcello and Lombardo also were found guilty of participating in 10 racketeering murders. A jury deadlocked on Schiro's involvement. Doyle was not charged with racketeering murder.

Lombardo (right) has challenged the restitution and called for a forfeiture hearing in front of a jury. The Family Secrets defendants had waived the right to a hearing. But Lombardo argued that his bad ears kept him from learning that his defense attorney had waived the right. Defense attorney Rick Halprin has acknowledged that he never discussed the matter with Lombardo before or during the trial.

Prosecutors answered the challenge by pointing out that recent Supreme Court opinion has viewed forfeiture as an element of sentence, beyond the scope of the jury's responsibility.

Family Secrets sentencing dates approach

Sentencing dates for a number of Family Secrets Case defendants are coming up, according to a blog entry by Steven Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times. Sentencing dates have not yet been set for several key defendants. Warmbir drew the following information from the docket of Judge James Zagel's U.S. District Court at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago.

Nicholas Calabrese, Sept. 24, 2 p.m.
Anthony Doyle, Oct. 1, 2 p.m.
Thomas Johnson, Oct. 6, 11:30 a.m.
Frank Calabrese Sr., date not set.
Joseph Lombardo, date not set.
James Marcello, date not set.
Paul Schiro, date not set.

Already sentenced:
Nicholas Ferriola sentenced yesterday to 3 years in prison.
Dennis Johnson sentenced to 6 months in prison.
Michael Marcello sentenced to 8 and a half years in prison.
Joseph Venezia sentenced to 40 months in prison.
Frank Schweihs died before trial.

Secrets: Three defendants guilty of 10 murders

Calabrese, Lombardo, Marcello
could be sentenced to life in prison
Jury deadlocked on Schiro charge

The jury in Chicago's Family Secrets trial on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007, convicted three aging mob bosses of ten gangland murders, according to an Associated Press story by Mike Robinson.

Frank Calabrese, Sr., 70 (at right, top); James Marcello, 65 (at right, second from top), Joseph Lombardo, 78 (at right, third from top); and already facing long prison sentences in connection with racketeering convictions, now face the possibility of life behind bars for the racketeering murders. The jury deadlocked on whether Paul Schiro, 70 (at right, second from bottom), was guilty of murder. Family Secrets defendant Anthony Doyle, 62 (at right, bottom), was not charged with involvement in the racketeering murders. Schiro and Doyle still face significant jail time - up to 20 years each - due to their racketeering conspiracy convictions in the case.
The five defendants were convicted of racketeering conspiracy on Sept. 10. Jurors then deliberated for eight days on the murder charges, which relate to slayings as long ago as 1970.
Joseph Lopez, attorney for Calabrese, complained of the media circus surrounding the case and promised an appeal, according to a story by Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune. "I don't think anybody charged with a case like this could get a fair trial anywhere, because of the publicity prior to trial," he said.

• Calabrese was convicted of seven murders: the 1980 shotgun deaths of William and Charlotte Dauber, the 1981 car-bombing of Michael Cagnoni, and the slayings of John Fecarotta, Michael Albergo, Richard Ortiz and Arthur Morawski. Calabrese was earlier convicted of racketeering conspiracy, extortion, running an illegal gambling enterprise. He was initially charged with 13 racketeering murders.
• Marcello was convicted of participating in the June 1986 beating deaths of brothers Anthony and Michael Spilotro. Marcello was earlier convicted of racketeering conspiracy, obstructing a criminal investigation, running an illegal gambling enterprise and tax fruad conspiracy. He was initially charged with three racketeering murders.
• Lombardo was convicted of the 1974 shooting death of Daniel Seifert, who was expected to testify in a federal investigation of Lombardo. Lombardo was earlier convicted of racketeering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. He was charged only with the Seifert murder.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the remaining eight murders, including the 1981 slaying of Nicholas D'Andrea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Mars noted that jurors seemed to have difficulty convicting on just the testimony of mob turncoat Nicholas Calabrese.
"It seems that they... wanted to have some solid corroboration for our main witness," Mars said. "So it seems they're broken down along the lines of Calabrese's testimony."
Some of the murder charges were supported through statements on surveillance tapes and/or forensic evidence, he noted.

Secrets: Jurors break until Sept. 20

The Family Secrets trial jury, now considering whether four defendants were responsible for 18 Chicago mob murders described in the case, will not deliberate again until Thursday, Sept. 20, according to a story in the Chicago Tribune.

The jury break was announced Friday by U.S. District Judge James Zagel's office. Four days earlier, the same jury convicted defendants James Marcello, Joey "the Clown" Lombardo, Frank Calabrese Sr., Paul "the Indian" Schiro and Anthony "Twan" Doyle of racketeering conspiracy.

Marcello, Lombardo, Calabrese and Schiro could be sentenced to life imprisonment if found guilty of the racketeering murders.

The defendants:

---

James Marcello
Guilty of racketeering conspiracy, obstructing a criminal investigation, running an illegal gambling enterprise, and tax fraud conspiracy. Charged in connection with three racketeering murders.

---

Frank Calabrese Sr.

Guilty of racketeering conspiracy, extortion, running an illegal gambling enterprise. Charged in connection with 13 racketeering murders.

---

Joey Lombardo
Guilty of racketeering conspiracy, obstruction of justice. Charged with one racketeering murder.

---

Paul Schiro
Guilty of racketeering conspiracy. Charged with one racketeering murder.

---

Anthony Doyle
Guilty of racketeering conspiracy. Doyle is not facing charges in connection with the racketeering murders.

'Secrets' jury finds all guilty

Second round of deliberations

to focus on 18 gangland murders

The five defendants in Chicago's Family Secrets trial were convicted on all counts today, according to a story by Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune.

A federal jury convicted James Marcello, 65; Joey "the Clown" Lombardo (below right), 78; Frank Calabrese Sr. (left), 70; Paul "the Indian" Schiro, 69; and Anthony "Twan" Doyle, 62, of racketeering conspiracy. Doyle is a former Chicago police officer who was charged with providing secret details of a federal investigation to the mob. The other four defendants reputedly served in leadership positions in the Chicago Outfit.

After a trial of 10 weeks, the jury deliberated for four days before reaching the verdict. Jurors' names are being kept confidential.

The panel's responsibilities are expected to continue tomorrow, when they will hear arguments relating to 18 gang murders - including the 1986 slayings of brothers Anthony and Michael Spilotro - charged to the defendants. A second round of jury deliberations will follow.

Any subsequent convictions could result in imprisonment for life.

The defendants were among 14 indicted for racketeering conspiracy in April 2005.

One of the key witnesses in the case has been Nicholas Calabrese, brother of defendant Frank Calabrese Sr. Just before the trial opened, Nicholas Calabrese pleaded guilty to participating in at least 14 mob murders. Other defendants, including Nicholas Ferriola and Joseph Venezia, reached plea deals with prosecutors before the trial began.

Defendant Frank "the German" Schweihs was severed from the trial because of poor health. Authorities say Schweihs appears to have made a miraculous recovery from cancer, and a separate Schweihs trial is planned for April.

Secrets: Prosecution's closing arguments

Assistant U.S. Attorney Markus Funk assailed defendant Frank Calabrese Sr.'s character during closing arguments in Chicago's Family Secrets trial yesterday, according to a story by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun Times.

Funk played the jury clip after clip of Calabrese's secretly recorded conversations. "You can hear that man laughing, laughing about the murders," the prosecutor said at one point.

Calabrese (right) is charged with involvement in 13 mob murders. The prosecutor also outlined the evidence against the other defendants in the trial, Joseph "the Clown" Lombardo, James Marcello, Paul Schiro and former police officer Anthony Doyle.

Funk noted that, in order to believe the stories presented by defendants who took the stand, the jury would have to accept that several of them were unlucky enough to be caught by federal eavesdropping devices as they play-acted, according to a story by Rob Olmstead of the Chicago Daily Herald.

When Lombardo took the stand, he testified that he merely acted the part of a mob boss from time to time. He insisted he had no connection to the underworld.

The prosecutor urged jurors to stand up for the rule of law: "Who gives them the right to take the lives of other human beings? How is it that they can just walk into a business and demand money?"

Funk was scheduled to complete his closing remarks today. Closing arguments are expected to continue through Thursday.

Secrets: Lombardo says he was just pretending

Joey "the Clown" Lombardo told the Family Secrets Trial jury that he has never been a member of an organized crime society and only occasionally acted the part of a mob enforcer in order to assist friends in debt collection, according to stories by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times and Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune.

"...Like James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson," 78-year-old Lombardo (right) testified in a Chicago courtroom yesterday.

Lombardo, on trial with other men accused of running the Chicago Outfit criminal organization, was ready with answers to all of his apparent underworld links as he took the stand in his own defense.

Asked about a photo that shows him at a restaurant table with underworld characters including former Outfit boss Tony Accardo and Joey Aiuppa, Lombardo responded that he had just gone in to the restaurant "to get a sandwich" when an old friend called him over to say hello.

Asked about the killing of Daniel Seifert, who was prepared to testify against Lombardo in a union corruption case, Lombardo responded that he had "no idea Mr. Seifert was gonna testify against us."

Asked about his use of the word "we" when he and alleged racketeer Louis "The Mooch" Eboli discussed retribution against a business that didn't pay the mob "street tax," Lombardo said he merely misspoke.

Secrets: Lombardo will testify in his defense

"Joey the Clown" Lombardo, one of the defendants in Chicago's Family Secrets trial, intends to testify in his own defense, according to a story by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Lombardo's attorney Rick Halprin made that announcement in court on Wednesday. Lombardo (right), 78, is expected to testify about his alibi on the day that Daniel Seifert was killed. He insists he was reporting a stolen wallet to the police at the time Seifert was murdered by a shotgun blast in 1974.

Other defense attorneys are expected to reveal Monday whether their clients will also step up to the witness stand.

Chicago 'Family Secrets' trial

Trial updates:

- Roy L. McDaniel, a retired FBI fingerprint analyst, testified that reputed crime boss Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo's fingerprint was found on a car title document for a vehicle used by the 1974 killers of Daniel Seifert, according to a story by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times. Seifert was set to testify that Lombardo was stealing funds from a Teamsters Union pension fund.



- Ronald Seifert, brother of murdered Daniel Seifert, testified that Daniel's wife told him she suspected Lombardo's involvement in the murder, according to Sun-Times coverage. Emma Seifert earlier testified that she was able to identify Lombardo among her husband's masked assassins by his build and his stride. Defense attorneys pointed out that she did not reveal her suspicion to police investigating the murder. She responded that she remained silent out of fear for her family. Ronald Seifert said Emma told him of her suspicions on the day of Daniel's death.

- Joel Glickman, an acknowledged bookmaker, refused to testify against defendant Frank Calabrese Sr. on July 2 despite a grant of immunity from prosecution, according to stories by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times and Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune. Glickman, 71, was asked if he had paid a "street tax" to Calabrese. He responded "I respectfully refuse to testify." Judge James Zagel found Glickman in contempt and sent him to lockup. He is expected to spend at least the duration of the trial behind bars. Prosecutors expected Glickman to testify that he paid between $1,300 and $2,000 a month for permission to run his gambling operation.

- Jim Stolfe, owner of Chicago's Connie's Pizza chain, testified Tuesday that he was approached in the early 1980s with a demand for a $300,000 "street tax," according to a video report by John Drummond of CBS-2 in Chicago. When Stolfe approached Frank Calabrese Sr. with the problem, Calabrese arranged for Stolfe to pay $100,000 instead. Later, he realized that Calabrese was behind the extortion racket.




- On Tuesday, Frank Calabrese Jr. (above) took the stand and began testifying against his father, a reputed bigshot of the Chicago Outfit., according to a story by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times. The younger Calabrese recalled being caught after stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from his father's underworld enterprises. Frank Sr. "pulled out a gun, and he stuck it in my face and told me, 'I'd rather have you dead than disobey me.'" Frank Jr. recalled going out with his father and his uncle Nick Calabrese on collections, and he testified that his father had him set fire to a garage. The theft from his father was in support of a cocaine habit, Frank Jr. revealed on the stand.

Previous related post:

• Secrets: Widow points finger at Lombardo 07-01-07

Secrets: Widow points finger at Lombardo

Emma Seifert believes that Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo (left) was one of two masked gunmen who murdered her husband in 1974, according to stories by Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune and Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times.



Testifying in the federal Family Secrets trial last week, Seifert described the killing of her husband Daniel on the morning of Sept. 27, 1974. Two masked men burst through the door of the office she shared with her husband. "I screamed, but obviously not loud enough," she said.

Daniel Seifert, a former friend of Lombardo's who was set to testify that Lombardo robbed funds from Teamster pensions, was struck, chased and shot to death. After being knocked to the ground, Seifert scrambled to his feet and ran from the office through a parking lot to his fiberglass factory. A bullet took him down. One of the gunmen approached and delivered another shot to his head.

After Seifert's death, the case against Lombardo fell apart.

Emma Seifert believed she recognized Lombardo by his build, his height and his stride. At the time of her husband's murder, she did not tell police of her suspicion that Lombardo was involved.

Related MobNews posts:

• Secrets: Shakedown video and the Clown's driver
• 'Secrets' witness provides Outfit history 06-26-07
• Opening statements at 'Secrets' trial 06-21-07
• Chicago 'Secrets' trial opens 06-19-07
• Schweihs severed from 'Secrets' trial 06-18-07
• Chicago mobster paid hush money 06-18-07
• Ratting out the Outfit 06-08-07
• Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates 05-24-07
• TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial 05-15-07
• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07
• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07
• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07
• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07
• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07

Secrets: Shakedown video and the Clown's driver

Jurors in Chicago's Family Secrets trial on Tuesday were shown a videotape of an Outfit "street tax" collector at work. Frank "the German" Schweis, whose case was severed from the current trial because he is ill, was shown trying to persuade adult-bookstore owner William "Red" Wemette to pay the $1,100 a month tax, according to a story by Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune.

Cooperating with authorities, Wemette told Schweis (right) that an underworld competitor was already taking protection payments from him. Schweis suggested that no one would dare to compete with the Outfit. He recalled one competitor who was eliminated: "Lumbo made it real [expletive] clear to him."

Prosecutors say "Lumbo" is a nickname for Family Secrets defendant Joseph Lombardo.

On Wednesday, the jury heard from a former driver for Lombardo (left). Alva Johnson Rodgers, 78, was brought into the Outfit in 1973 after helping Chicago gangster Marshall Caifano in a successful legal appeal. Rodgers, a habitual criminal, and Caifano once shared a cell in Atlanta federal prison, according to a Coen story in the Tribune.

Rodgers recalled when Lombardo was promoted over Caifano within the Outfit. Rodgers then went to work as Lombardo's driver. Soon after, Rodgers and Caifano started a peep-show business in Chicago and moved to monopolize the porn industry in the city under Outfit control.

Prosecutors on Wednesday also played an audio tape of Lombardo threatening the life of a casino owner who failed to pay back a loan.

Related MobNews posts:

• 'Secrets' witness provides Outfit history 06-26-07
• Opening statements at 'Secrets' trial 06-21-07
• Chicago 'Secrets' trial opens 06-19-07
• Schweihs severed from 'Secrets' trial 06-18-07
• Chicago mobster paid hush money 06-18-07
• Ratting out the Outfit 06-08-07
• Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates 05-24-07
• TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial 05-15-07
• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07
• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07
• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07
• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07
• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07

'Secrets' witness provides Outfit history

Jurors in Chicago's "Family Secrets" trial were briefed yesterday on the history of the local Outfit by James Wagner, president of the Chicago Crime Commission, according to a story by Jeff Coen of the Chicago Tribune.

Wagner's history went back to the Prohibition Era and the reign of Al Capone. Wagner is a former FBI supervisor who spent his career investigating organized crime. He participated in investigations of the Genovese and Gambino Crime Families in New York before being assigned to study the Chicago Outfit beginning in 1976.

Wagner described the one-way membership of the organization, saying, "There are no provisions for getting out once you're in." That statement could be important to the prosecution of five accused Chicago mobsters.

"There are no provisions for getting out once you're in."

At least one defendant, Frank Calabrese Sr., could employ a statute of limitations defense. In an opening statement, Calabrese's attorney Joseph R. Lopez argued that Calabrese left the Outfit back in the 1980s.

Prosecution witness William "Red" Wemette described what Chicago businesses gained by paying the "street tax" assessed by the Outfit: "Basically it's permission to be in a business without being hurt by someone or possibly being burned down." Wemette said he split the profits from his Wells Street "peep show" business with defendant Joe Lombardo because he didn't want to have an "accident."

The other defendants in the case are James Marcello, Paul Schiro and former police officer Anthony Doyle.

Related MobNews posts:

• Opening statements at 'Secrets' trial 06-21-07


• Chicago 'Secrets' trial opens 06-19-07


• Schweihs severed from 'Secrets' trial 06-18-07


• Chicago mobster paid hush money 06-18-07


• Ratting out the Outfit 06-08-07


• Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates 05-24-07


• TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial 05-15-07


• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07


• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07


• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07


• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07


• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07

Opening statements at 'Secrets' trial

Opening statements were heard today in the case of U.S. vs. Calabrese, et al., better known as the Chicago "Family Secrets" trial.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully opened for the prosecution, speaking for just under an hour. He outlined the crimes detailed in the indictment against five alleged racketeers.

An image of each of 18 murder victims was projected onto a screen in front of the jury as Scully described the murders and indicated who among the defendants the government believes is responsible. Thirteen of the murders were attributed to defendant Frank Calabrese Sr. (left).

"This is not 'Sopranos,'" he told the jury. "This is not 'The Godfather.' This case is about real people and real victims." The Chicago crime family known as the Outfit, he said, is "corrupt, it's violent, it's without honor."

Curiously, the prosecutor named John DiFronzo as a conspirator in the 1986 murders of the Spilotro brothers. DiFronzo was not indicted in the case, though he is widely regarded as a leader of the Chicago Outfit. (See televised report by NBC5 in Chicago.)

Calabrese's defense attorney Joseph R. Lopez, apparently using the same statute of limitations defense that was employed successfully in the John A. "Junior" Gotti trial last year, insisted that his client has been out of organized crime since the 1980s.

Lopez attacked two close Calabrese relatives who are to testify for the prosecution. The attorney charged that Calabrese's brother Nicholas, who has confessed to multiple murders and turned informant, was the real mob boss of the family.

"People reported to Nick Calabrese," Lopez said. "When Nick Calabrese was in prison, crew members came to see him."

Lopez stated that his client's son, Frank Jr., was motivated by greed to testify against his father.

Rick Halprin, attorney representing defendant Joey "the Clown" Lombardo, postponed his opening statement until the start of the defense case. That could be some time off. The trial is expected to last through the summer.

Joining Lombardo, 78, and Calabrese, 70, at the defense table are accused racketeers James Marcello, 65; Paul "the Indian" Schiro, 69; and Anthony Doyle, 62. Doyle, a former police officer, has not been charged in any of the murders. All five men insist they are innocent.

Related MobNews posts:

• Chicago 'Secrets' trial opens 06-19-07
• Schweihs severed from 'Secrets' trial 06-18-07
• Chicago mobster paid hush money 06-18-07
• Ratting out the Outfit 06-08-07
• Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates 05-24-07
• TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial 05-15-07
• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07
• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07
• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07
• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07
• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07

Chicago 'Secrets' trial opens

Jury selection began today in Chicago's "Family Secrets" trial. The racketeering conspiracy trial of five defendants is expected to take up to four months and to involve evidence of 18 gangland murders, including the 1986 beating deaths of the Spilotro brothers.

U.S. District Judge James B. Zagel ordered that jurors' identities remain secret.

Most of the original 14 defendants in the case have reached plea deals with prosecutors. The remaining defendants are: Joey "the Clown" Lombardo, 78; James Marcello, 65; Frank Calabrese Sr. (right), 70; Paul "the Indian" Schiro, 69; and Anthony Doyle, 62. All five have pleaded not guilty.

Frank Calabrese's brother Nicholas, earlier named as a codefendant in the case, is scheduled to appear as a witness for the prosecution.

Related MobNews posts:

• Schweihs severed from 'Secrets' trial 06-18-07
• Chicago mobster paid hush money 06-18-07
• Ratting out the Outfit 06-08-07
• Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates 05-24-07
• TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial 05-15-07
• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07
• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07
• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07
• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07
• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07
  
  

Schweihs severed from 'Secrets' trial

Ferriola, Venezia reach plea deals on eve of trial

Frank "the German" Schweihs will not be with his Family Secrets case codefendants when trial begins in Chicago tomorrow, according to a story by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times. Due to Schweihs' poor health - he reportedly has cancer - he was severed from the case and could eventually stand trial separately.

In Family Secrets, Schweihs (left) was charged with the 1974 killing of Daniel Seifert. Prosecutors also suspect him of involvement in the 1985 murder of Pasquale Ricciardi and other killings.

The Sun-Times also noted that Family Secrets defendants Nicholas Ferriola, 32, and Joseph Venezia, 64, reached plea deals removing them from the case today. They pleaded guilty to gambling-related charges. That leaves five defendants for trial starting tomorrow. Four other defendants have already entered guilty pleas.

Fourteen men were indicted in April 2005 in connection with the federal Family Secrets investigation. Last week, Michael Marcello and Thomas and Dennis Johnson pleaded guilty to paying hush money to a murder witness. In May, Nicholas W. Calabrese, 64, admitted involvement with 14 killings. He is expected to testify against the remaining defendants, including his brother Frank Calabrese Sr.

The remaining defendants are:
- Joey "the Clown" Lombardo, reputed former boss of the Outfit.
- James Marcello, who prosecutors say was the reigning Chicago boss at the time of his arrest.
- Frank Calabrese Sr., an alleged member of the Outfit's 26th Street crew.
- Paul "the Indian" Schiro, alleged loan shark.
- Anthony Doyle, former Chicago police officer.

Related MobNews posts:

• Chicago mobster paid hush money 06-18-07
• Ratting out the Outfit 06-08-07
• Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates 05-24-07
• TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial 05-15-07
• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07
• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07
• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07
• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07
• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07

Ratting out the Outfit

WLS-TV (ABC7) in Chicago this week provided a preview of the Family Secrets Trial testimony of ex-mobster Frank Culotta. Culotta (left), an ex-convict, turned on his former Chicago Outfit associates 25 years ago and has been a professional government witness since that time. The Family Secrets case involves 14 defendants, including Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo.

( Click for video )
Related MobNews posts:

• Chicago mobster admits 14 killings, cooperates 05-24-07
• TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial 05-15-07
• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07
• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07
• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07
• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07
• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07

TV report previews Chicago Outfit trial

A video report by investigative reporter George Knapp of KLAS-Las Vegas summarizes the U.S. government's case against the Chicago Outfit in the upcoming "Family Secrets" trial.

The trial was originally scheduled to begin today, but it has been delayed two weeks.

Fourteen defendants - including reputed mob boss "Joey the Clown" Lombardo - have been charged with numerous crimes, including the 1986 murders of Vegas gangster Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro (left) and his brother Michael. The killings were made famous in the movie "Casino."

Related MobNews posts:

• Family Secret jurors' names secret 04-25-07
• Feds look for $500K from Lombardo 04-24-07
• Witness list of Chicago Outfit trial revealed 04-23-07
• Deputy marshal charged with aiding mob 01-13-07
• Chicago commission papers subpoenaed 01-10-07

See also:

• U.S. Grand Jury Indictments in Family Secrets Case
• The American Mafia website article on Spilotro
• LasVegasNOW: Former wiseguys talk about Spilotro murders