A chilling Frank Schweihs
The top five statements
Reputed Outfit killer Frank Schweihs isn't standing trial with the five other men in the Family Secrets case.
He's took sick.
But even absent, he's still a presence at the trial.
Recently, federal prosecutors played a series of secret recorded conversations between Schweihs and adult book store owner William "Red" Wemette from the late 1980s. The recordings formed the foundation of a case in which Schweihs was convicted of shaking Wemette down for street tax. In the Family Secrets case currently on trial, prosecutors used a selection of the recordings to show jurors how street tax worked and to show Schweihs referring to Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo as a man high-up in the Outfit hierarchy.
Schweihs has a way with words - and threats. He is often referred to as the hitman other Outfit hitmen feared.
In no particular order, here are five of his top chilling or unsettling statements.
1. On the fate of a street tax collector Schweihs didn't like: "I think he's gonna open up a hotdog stand in Alaska."
2. Schweihs reassures Wemette that he's safe from harm as long as Schweihs protects him: "No, you don't have to be afraid, you got my word on that. There ain't no one gonna f------ touch you unless they knock me down first, and I'm not an easy guy to knock down, Red. You're with us, you're with me and there ain't no one gonna f--- with you - case closed! You got my f------ solemn promise on that."
3. Schweihs tells Wemette he won't be around for a while: "I - I won't see you for a while. I gotta - I got a f------ hit. I gotta go somewhere - something come up. So I don't know when I'll see yas."
4. Schweihs on the likelikhood that a rival gangster Mike Glitta sent someone to shake Wemette down, after Schweihs had already claimed the business: "Now, if MIke sent this c---------, sent this c--------- here to bother you, Mike's in some f------ serious trouble, Red! Cause he has no excuse, he knows better. He knows this f------ joint is spoke for. And I don't think he would be that stupid to try and step on my f------ p---- or the people I'm affiliated with. Do you understand?"
5. On the need to make a competitor of Wemette's see the need not to mess with him: "He was told not to, but I don't know if he's goofy, or if we have to make a believer out of him."
Comments
If you listen to the intercept of May 8, 1978 between Frank Schweihs and Tony Spilotro, Schweihs is providing “inside information” on a possible government undercover agent or informant who is about to pay Tony a visit out in Las Vegas.
I find it interesting Schweihs refers to the source of his information as the “beard” and the “Irishmen”. I recall reading somewhere the beard being a reference to "Uncle Sam", in other words possibly a US agent was providing information to Schweihs. I also recall some reference years back to the Irishmen being a Cook County official. Any comments on this aspect?
WARMBIR RESPONDS: I don't have any insight on the "Uncle Sam" aspects of the conversation, but Schweihs is thought to have had serious influence with certain Chicago police officers back in his heyday.
Posted by: reader | July 3, 2007 11:00 AM
What was the point of that particular intercept being brought up at this point in the trial? It didn't seem to have any relevance to the case, did it?
Who is Hansen?
WARMBIR RESPONDS: I'm not sure what particular recording you're talking about, but I can tell you the apparent reasons that the prosecution brought up the selected recordings involving Schweihs and Wemette.
In the recordings, Schweihs refers to defendant Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo a few times as a high-ranking mobster. Prosecutors want to establish early on that Lombardo was high up in the mob.
Lombardo's attorney, Rick Halprin, has publicly said his client was never a mob leader and will argue that Lombardo was long retired from the Outfit before charges were brought in the case.
Second, the recordings gave jurors a real-life example of what street tax is all about. Schweihs is an extremely intimidating character, and the jurors appeared transfixed during the recordings.
From the first witness in the case, retired FBI Agent James Wagner, the jurors heard a definition of street tax.
The Schweihs recordings made it real for them.
As for your question on Hansen, there were two Hansen brothers, Curt and Kenneth. Wemette was friends with both.
Wemette was a driver for Curt Hansen, who associated with guys like Lombardo and mobbed-up businessman Irwin Weiner.
In the mid-1990s, Wemette testified against Kenneth Hansen at a murder trial, the infamous triple murder of teen boys in 1955, the Peterson Schuessler slayings. Wemette said Hansen confessed to him he murdered the boys.
Lombardo's attorney, Rick Halprin, tried to stress the point to the jurors that Wemette waited decades before coming forward with information on the triple murder, in an attempt to muddy him up, but U.S. District James Zagel restricted his questioning.
Posted by: Laura | July 4, 2007 11:04 PM
Hi, Im the one questioning the relevance of this intercept at this point in the trial. The intercept I'm talking about is the one with Spilotro,Schweihs, and JOSEPH Hansen. It didnt seem to have any connection to what appears to be going on. Also , Joe Hansen was the one they named on the intercept, is it a typo?
Thanks again.
WARMBIR RESPONDS: Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
The recording you are referring to serves two purposes, as far as I can tell.
The first is that the conversation again establishes a link between Schweihs and Lombardo. Schweihs twice talks about visiting Lombardo, using two nicknames for him, Lumbo and the Clown.
The second is that the indictment refers to Joseph Hansen as an Outfit killer and as an associate of the late Tony Spilotro and one of the men on trial, Paul "The Indian" Schiro. The tape establishes that Hansen and Spilotro are acquainted.
What remains to be seen in the case is whether the prosecutors will be calling any other witnesses who will be referring to this tape.
There likely will be one or two former members of Spilotro's Hole in the Wall burglarly gang called to testify, and they may talk about Hansen.
The contents of the tape weren't explained in any detail during testimony.
Posted by: Laura | July 5, 2007 06:21 PM
it's amazing the stipulations and minor details you people look at. anything he ever did or didn't do is yet to be determined. stop trying to figure something out that you know nothing about.
Posted by: anna schweihs | May 15, 2008 04:30 AM