The Irish defense
Attorney Tom Breen may have offered the best cross-examination of the trial yet when he questioned Nick Calabrese on Monday.
Breen's theme throughout his questioning was that Calabrese was either lying about being at some hits or throwing in other participants at some of the killings to increase his value as a witness to the federal government.
Breen is representing reputed top Chicago mob boss James Marcello. Calabrese put Marcello at three murders and one attempted murder.
Breen got Calabrese to admit that he could not recognize the photograph of one of the men he said he killed, Nicholas D'Andrea.
Calabrese said he saw the victim only briefly.
Breen scored other points too.
He questioned Calabrese on the murders of Anthony Spilotro, who was supposed to oversee the Chicago mob's interest in Las Vegas, and Spilotro's brother, Michael.
The Spilotros were lured to the basement of a home in the Bensenville area in 1986 on the ruse that Anthony Spilotro was to be promoted to a capo in the mob, while his brother was to get made.
Calabrese and several other mob killers were waiting down in the basement for the men.
Calabrese said he was wearing gloves, as were the other killers. Michael Spilotro came down first, and Calabrese testified that since he knew him, he greeted him and shook his hand.
"Did Michael Spilotro say, 'Hey guys, why is everybody wearing gloves? This looks like a hit.'" Breen asked.
Breen also pounced on a possible inconsistency in Calabrese's testimony regarding made men.
Calabrese said for a man to be made he had to be fully Italian.
He described how he was made into the Chicago Outfit in 1983 at a ceremony with his brother, himself and Marcello, among others.
Breen revealed the Irish defense.
Marcello is half Irish. His mother's maiden name was Irene Flynn.
This begged the question how Marcello could get made, under the criteria defined by Nicholas Calabrese.
"Have you met his lovely mother, Mrs. Flynn?" Breen asked. "And Mrs. Flynn is as Irish as Paddy's pig, isn't she?"
Nick Calabrese, appearing briefly rattled, shot back that Marcello and his sponsor, Sam Carlisi, must have lied about his heritage.
Expect prosecutors to point to previous court testimony that the mob would make men of mixed ancestry.
Breen also pointed to a conversation Calabrese had with a friend of his, Pat Spilotro.
Pat Spilotro was a dentist, who worked on Calabrese's teeth and was also the brother of Michael and Anthony Spilotro.
Pat Spilotro visited Nicholas Calabrese in prison and secretly recorded the conversation.
Breen read aloud excerpts from that conversation.
Pat Spilotro didn't come back with much. Nicholas Calabrese didn't offer anything up regarding the murders of his brothers.
"If I knew, I would tell you," Nicholas Calabrese allegedly told Pat Spilotro.
Breen used that conversation to suggest it was one instance where Nicholas Calabrese was telling the truth.
Calabrese really didn't know about the Spilotro killings, Breen suggested.
Calabrese insisted otherwise. He really was there and lied to Pat Spilotro, Calabrese said.
