Secrets: Glickman reconsiders, testifies

After several days in downtown Chicago's Metropolitan Correctional Center, bookmaker Joel Glickman agreed to testify Monday in the Family Secrets trial, according to a story by Steve Warmbir of the Chicago Sun-Times. On the stand, Glickman said he previously refused to testify because he feared retaliation.

Glickman (left) testified that he paid street tax to the Chicago Outfit amounting to as much as $400,000 over the years for the right to take bets. The gambling bookmaker stated that he took out a $20,000 loan from defendant Frank Calabrese Sr. in the late 1960s.

Before family, before God

Frank Calabrese Jr., son of the reputed Outfit bigshot, testified about the instructions his father gave to him with regard to underworld membership. "One of the rules of the Outfit was... the Outfit family came before your blood family... it also came before God," the younger Calabrese told the jury.

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Isgro works on Luciano film bio

The Los Angeles Times reports that producer Joseph Isgro, once branded a Gambino Crime Family member by the FBI, is now preparing for a movie biography of Charlie "Lucky" Luciano. Isgro previously produced the film "Hoffa," starring Jack Nicholson and Danny DeVito.

Alleged Springfield MA killers plead not guilty

Adolfo Bruno

Fotios A. "Freddy" Geas, 40, of West Springfield MA, and Brandon D. Coteau, 29, formerly of Springfield, yesterday pleaded not guilty in the 2003 murder of local mob boss Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno, according to a story by Stephanie Barry of the Springfield Republican.

Bruno (right), who led western Massachusetts rackets for the New York-based Genovese Crime Family, was shot to death outside an Italian social club on Nov. 23, 2003.

Frankie Roche

Authorities believed years ago that they had Bruno's killer. On the eve of his murder trial, defendant Frankie A. Roche (left) became a government witness. His trial was postponed indefinitely.

Geas and Croteau were subsequently indicted. Authorities say Geas and his brother Ty C. Geas once served as enforcers for Bruno's successor Anthony J. Arillotta.

Superior Court Judge Tina S. Page ordered both defendants held for trial. Croteau is already imprisoned for a drug crime. Geas' attorney attempted without success to arrange for a release on bail. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Jan. 9.

Russian mobsters tried for murder

Two alleged Russian mobsters are on trial in Brooklyn Supreme Court for 1992 killings, according to a story by Nancie L. Katz of the New York Daily News.

Marat Krivoi, 37, and Vitaly Ivanitsky, 33, both immigrants to the U.S., are on trial for the underworld executions of Boris Roitman in August 1992 and Thien Diep in December of that year. Informants provided law enforcement with evidence in the slayings just last year.

Krivoi, imprisoned since 1993 for two other killings, is reportedly the son-in-law of Russian Mafiya bigshot Boris Nayfield.

Jury learns of Basciano-Massino friction

Richard "Shellackhead" Cantarella, once an underboss in the Bonanno Crime Family, told a federal jury last week that defendant Vincent Basciano wasn't a favorite of former boss Joseph Massino, according to a story by Stefanie Cohen of the New York Post.

Massino did not see eye-to-eye with Basciano (right), who took over the family's top spot when Massino was sent away to prison. "He was always leery of Vinny," Cantarella said. "He didn't know how he made his money. He thought he was too quick, too hot-headed."

Massino (left) steered clear of a favorite restaurant, Casa Blanca in Queens, whenever he thought Basciano might be around, Cantarella added.

The two Bonanno bigshots expressed contrary underworld philosophies during an induction ceremony. Basciano felt that prospective Mafia members should have to commit a murder for the organization in order to be considered for full membership. Massino felt good earners should get a pass on that traditional requirement.

Basciano, already imprisoned on a racketeering conviction, is on trial for the racketeering murder of Frank Santoro. Last year, a jury deadlocked on the Santoro murder charge.

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Former NE underboss to be paroled

Gennaro Angiulo, former underboss of the New England Mafia family, is due to be paroled on Sept. 18, according to a story by Shelley Murphy and Megan Tench in today's Boston Globe.

Angiulo (right), now 88, has been serving a 45-year federal sentence for racketeering. That sentence will not expire until May 2010. Angiulo is now confined in the prison hospital at Devens. The U.S. Parole Commission granted his latest parole request on June 22 but remained mum. The Globe obtained confirmation of the parole from a commission spokesman yesterday.

Based in an office at 98 Prince Street in Boston's North End, Angiulo was a najor force in Boston-area organized crime from the 1960s through the early 1980s, specializing in gambling and loansharking. His rise coincided with the reign of New England boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca, who was based in Providence, RI. Angiulo was brought down through federal electronic surveillance of his hangouts.

Angiulo and his three brothers - Donato, Francesco and Michele - were convicted of racketeering offenses in February 1986. Michele served three years in prison and died last year of lung cancer. The remaining brothers are in their 80s. Francesco, 86, has been out of prison since 2000 and living in the North End. Donato, 84, freed in 1997, is living in Medford, MA.

Police battle gangs in Kenya

Police in the African nation of Kenya are battling politically linked organized criminal groups, according to recent press accounts.

A report from Nairobi yesterday indicated that police had killed 10 suspects in shootouts within the capital city. Three suspected gang members were shot to death in the Ngon'g district. Police ordered the three to stop, but instead they opened fire. The remaining fatalities occurred in the Huruma, Gachie and Kayole neighborhoods within Nairobi.

Police are tangling with the fundamentalist religious Mungiki sect, which has been officially banned. That group is charged with committing more than 40 murders since March. A dozen of the murders have involved beheadings. The Mungiki had been a religious order known for its rejection of western civilization. It has reportedly deteriorated into a politically motivated criminal organization advancing itself and its aims through murder and extortion.

LA grocer charged with racketeering

George Torres, owner of a chain of Numero Uno groceries in Los Angeles, pleaded not guilty this week to federal racketeering charges, according to an AP story by Andrew Glazer published in the Monterey Herald.

Federal prosecutors say Torres, 50, murdered rivals, intimidated employees and bribed public officials as he expanded his supermarket chain in poor L.A. neighborhoods. Among his alleged victims are a member of the Primera Flats street gang who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1993 in retaliation for the murder of a Numero Uno security guard, a Mexican Mafia gangster who was shot to death in 1994 after attempting to extort protection money from a Numero Uno market, and a Torres employee who met his end after Torres decided he was stealing large amounts of money from the business.

Charged along with Torres in a 59-count indictment were his brother Manuel Torres-Ramos, 53; his son Steven Torres, 26; L.A. Convention and Exhibition Center Authority Commission member George Luk, 58; and former L.A. planning commission member Steven Carmona, 39. All pleaded not guilty.

Torres was initially arrested June 13. A trial date has been tentatively set for Aug. 7.

Judge asks that federal prosecutor be punished

U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf of Boston's federal court is seeking a disciplinary hearing for federal prosecutor Jeffrey Auerhahn for withholding evidence in a New England Mafia trial, according to an AP report published on SouthCoastToday.com.

Auerhahn reportedly failed in the early 1990s to tell defense attorneys for accused killer Vincent Ferrara that a key witness had recanted a statement linking Ferrara with the 1985 murder of Vincent "Jimmy" Limoli.

When Judge Wolf learned of Auerhahn's actions in 2005, he freed Ferrara, who was serving a 22-year prison sentence. Now the judge wants Auerhahn to receive more than the letter of reprimand he was given by the Justice Department. The judge asked the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers to conduct a disciplinary hearing. That board has the power to disbar an attorney.

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

Brooklyn DA goes after freed racketeers

The New York State Court of Appeals has cleared the way for the Kings County District Attorney to bring charges against two alleged Genovese Crime Family associates who were tried and convicted for similar offenses in federal court, according to a story by Alex Ginsberg of the New York Post.

At the end of June, the court ruled that Carmine Polito and Mario Fortunato (right) could be tried in state court for the alleged hired killing of a man in 1994. The two men were charged with the specific killing in a federal racketeering trial. Their conviction was later thrown out because the murder was said to have been a personal matter, rather than an organizational one.

The court decided that no double-jeopardy violation would occur through state charges.

Cuba: U.S. still out to get Castro

The Cuban parliament insists that the U.S. continues to seek the end of its communist President Fidel Castro, according to an AP story by Will Weissert published on philly.com.

In the wake of the release of anti-Castro documents by the CIA in June, the parliament condemned combined CIA-Mafia assassination attempts and insisted the U.S. policy has carried on to the present day. "The conduct of the Bush government clearly shows its intention to keep employing the worst possible tactics against Cuba," a resolution said.

In 1960, the CIA reached out to American mobsters for help getting rid of the communist president. Johnny Roselli, linked to the Chicago Outfit, was a key player. Poison pills were settled on as the method of assassination. The efforts reportedly ended after the failure of the Bay of Pigs mission in spring of 1961. Official U.S. involvement in assassination was outlawed in the 1970s.

Castro, 80, has not made a public appearance since last summer, when he established his brother Raul Castro as temporary leader of the government and underwent surgery to repair an intestinal problem.

Related MobNews post:

• CIA papers show partnership with Mafia 06-26-07

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

WLS-TV: Tornabene, 84, is Outfit consigliere

A news report by Chuck Goudie of ABC-affiliate WLS-TV in Chicago (click picture for the report) indicates that 84-year-old Alphonse "Al the Pizza Man" Tornabene could be the Outfit's consigliere. The Chicago Sun-Times recently speculated that Tornabene might be the current family boss.

The report hinges on the U.S. Attorney's Office proffer in the Family Secrets case. That document contains witness Nick Calabrese's recollections of his Mafia induction ceremony in 1983. Calabrese said two men presided over the ceremony. One of them was the late Joseph "Joey Doves" Aiuppa. The name of the other man was redacted in available copies of the proffer. However, WLS-TV got hold of an unredacted copy and found that Tornabene (right) was named as the second man to preside over the ceremony.

Tornabene, who has no criminal record, is a cousin of the late Sam "Wings" Carlisi, a former Outfit bigshot. Tornabene's late brother Frank was believed to be affiliated with the Outfit. He was convicted on voter fraud and prostitution-related charged.

Authorities are reportedly looking closely into the disappearance of Anthony Zizzo last August. Zizzo met frequently with Tornabene until his disappearance immediately after leaving his home for a meeting.

Related MobNews post:

• Speculating on the Outfit's current boss 06-18-07

Embarrassing plea deal with Bellomo

Federal prosecutors took what they could get in a plea deal last month with former Genovese Crime Family bigshot Liborio "Barney" Bellomo, according to a story by Kati Cornell of the New York Post.

As a racketeering/murder case against Bellomo (right) fell apart, U.S. Attorneys arranged a plea deal on mail fraud. That means, rather than face the worst penalties the government can impose, Bellomo could be sentenced to as little as three and a half years in jail. He will serve no more than five years.

Judge Lewis Kaplan apparently suffered some disbelief at the deal. After all, the original racketeering indictment included the 1998 murder of Ralph Coppola. However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Miriam Rocah explained that the case against Bellomo fell apart shortly after the indictment. According to Rocah, witnesses were reluctant to testify against Bellomo and the prosecutors feared they would lose a jury trial.

Bellomo was arrested in February 2006 along with 31 other accused underworld associates in New York City.