The Outfit on trial

Wow, from "apparently feeling they couldn't wrap up deliberations in a day..." to needing only a couple of hours this morning.

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: Guilty as charged. That shows the folly of trying to read the jurors' minds.

Having an Italian last name, I know first hand the crazy obsession that so many people have with this trial. These are old men. Harmless, old men. Let them live out their days at home with their families. Italian life is not "The Godfather". Gambling? Maybe. Crazy murders? Not so much.

It's such a shame that after thirty years they finally get to these mobsters that are essentially senior citizens. If they even get sentenced to life, they'll only serve about five years before they die of old age.

Well we'll see. But I don't think the gov proved it's case regarding Lombardo and Marcello.

regarding RICO cases, is it usually a good sign or a bad sign when the jury comes back so soon?

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: As we can see from today, it's usually a bad sign for the defendants, when the jury comes back relatively quickly.

All Are Guilty

give them a break they are old and live and let live how many people have you hurt in your life time only God can judge them

WE HAVE GANGS RUNNING AROUND DOING DRIVE BY SHOOTINGS RUNNING DRUGS AND WITH NO SENSE OF ANYTHING.

THOUGH THE MOB WAS AND STILL IS A BRUTAL ORGANIZATION, THEY NEVER RUINED NEIGHBORHOODS OR KILLED AS MANY INNOCENT PEOPLE AS THESE ANIMALS DO NOWADAYS.

IF YOU ENDED UP "CLIPPED" CHANCES ARE YOU WERE SOMEHOW INVOLVED WITH THEM, NOT PLAYING IN YOUR FRONT YARD OR STANDING ON A CORNER. WE NEVER SHOULD'VE CRUSHED THEM..LOOK AT THESE ANIMAL THAT CAME FROM THE MOBS ASHES..

Hallelujah!
Now can we go after all the money these 'family men' gave their kids/grandkids?

We'll need it to build the mass transit system we never got--and the mob profited greatly and some say still profits from tearing up and 'rebuilding' our energy pig of a transit 'system'.

I hope the prosecution goes after all the fur clad women and all the men living on islands. They stole from all of us!

You mean that the jury didn't buy Doyle's story? Oh, no!

How could they find the Indian guilty ? I guess Lombardo was right when he said the G could convict a cheeseburger !

These monsters should be put away forever!

This proves that you don't want people too dumb to get out of juru duty to control your fate

What actual evidence was against Doyle ?

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: The actual evidence included several videotapes of Anthony "Twan" Doyle talking in code to convicted loanshark Frank Calabrese Sr. while Doyle visited him in prison.

Doyle checked the police computer regarding evidence used in the mob hit that Calabrese Sr. was interested in.

Doyle answered questions from Calabrese Sr. regarding that evidence.

Doyle appeared to suggest that a mob snitch be dealt with violently.

And Doyle's own testimony when he tried to explain these matters did not appear to go over too well with the jury.

How long do you think the lawyers that failed to get their clients acquitted have to live?

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: I don't think the defense lawyers have anything to worry about. Given what they had to work with, most of them did fine work.

Once again the feds load up on charges to make any man guilty,
putting a guy 70 + years old is a joke (yea watch the crime rate drop)the guy did his time but some USA wanted to make headlines
no wonder the guy hid he said he wouldn't get a fair trial and he was right.
tony

They are no more guilty then Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson, or Robert Blake.

The juries all found them innocent and so these men should of been found innocent too. Goes to show you, you just cant get an good jury in Illinois.

when will the american people realize that that the feds will always win wby using a ratfink,

no one is "Above the Law!"

Nice job! Are the Chicago Marcellos relatedto the New Orleans crime family of the same name?

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: I don't believe they are.

GUILTY!

Thanks, Steve.

i think that this is a REPUBLICAN rouse..these are old men...they had no evidence...only hearsay.....it continues to be a corrupt system..including the federal bench...it is bs.

If only the headline for this story could be the headline for the trial to be for the 5th floor of city hall!

All I can say is I grew up in Cicero in the 60's, 70's & 80's and when "the boys" were in charge....the town was a good place for the "working man" and families to live".

I mean THEY kept everything under control. LOOK WHAT THE TOWN OF CICERO HAS BECOME SINCE THEN AND NOW!!! IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACES IN THE USA TO LIVE!!

In no way do I condone any of the ruthless killings, crime and other unspeakable acts that any of these men carried out. They have been found guilty and have to pay for their actions.

All I'm saying is that the CURRENT situation IN CICERO, ILLINOIS is MUCH, MUCH WORSE NOW than it was then!!!

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: Unless I'm missing something, wasn't Town President Betty Loren-Maltese, who was considered a tool of the Chicago Outfit, in charge of the town in the 1990s?

It's not like the Outfit's influence in town ended in the 1980s.

Also, didn't mobsters steal $12 million from the town of Cicero as part of an insurance scheme?

This was a sad day. These men deserve to be back on the street to enjoy the rest of their families.

I'm not going to conjecture as to the education, intelligence, etc. of the remaining members of the Outfit? But I'll throw this out there:

Steve, any idea if maybe the younger Outfit guys are computer savvy? If so, they might want to comb over and digest every bit of info on the web (DOJ, Suntimes, etc...) pertaining to the Operation Family Secrets trial. That's what I'd do if I were a racketeer, anyway, and introduce new procedures and rules based on lessons hard learned from this debacle.

Seriously--Steve--can we get money from the crooks' families? they stole from all of us--and there's good evidence the mob puts the gang bangers on their payroll. Can we get the money back from the mob?

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: That's what the forfeiture portion of the trial is all about.

The feds contend that personal items that the mobsters bought with their ill-gotten cash - say their homes, for instance - should be forfeited as part of their punishment.

Now, the jury or judge can sock the mobsters with large forfeiture judgments, but collecting it is another matter.

These fellow often keep very few assets in their names, for these very circumstances.

Warmbir,

Do you really think that they got the boss with James Marcello's conviction?

It's seems more likely that he's somewhat lower in the hierarchy.

For crying out loud, the Calabrese's refer to him by his actual name--first and last--on tape. In reference to the boss, that has to be a HUGE no-no.

I mean, when talking about DiFronzo, we saw how the brothers touched their noses rather than say his name. In reference to Tornabene, they used at least two or three nicknames. (Out East, the Genovese's weren't even allowed to use Gigante's nickname "the Chin" no matter whom they were talking to. They touched their chins, instead. )

Another rank-related thing: I just read Calabrese's description of the initiation ceremony that occurred in the early eighties.

He said that the number 2 (who I take to mean the Underboss) presides over the ceremony.

According to Nick's testimony, Tornabene had a prominent role in this induction.

Per Frank Sr., that would mean that Alphonse Tornabene was more than a capo over twenty years ago. Doesn't it seem unlikely that Tornabene was either under Aiuppa as a number two...or maybe a number three, under both Accardo and Aiuppa?

At that there were several, very capable heavy hitters with quite a bit of seniority who were alive, healthy, and out of prison. Tornabene a boss in 1983? If that were the case, you’d figure he would have had much more exposure than he has…

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: From the evidence at trial, it certainly appears that James Marcello was a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit.

Calabrese refers to a lot of people by their full names occasionally, especially when the person he's talking with can't figure what he means by the code he is using.

In the conversations, Marcello has with his half-brother, Michael, Marcello even refers to himself, subtly, as a high-ranking boss or perhaps, the boss.

In one of the recorded conversations, Frank Calabrese Sr. referred to Al Tornabene as a sleeper, as a mobster who flew well under the fed's radar but was still powerful and important.

I'm not buying it that Frank "The German" Schweihs was too feable to stand trial. How deep was Frank in with Irwin Weiner? Did Frank threaten to spill about Jack Ruby?

I think this is just what they need (justice). for all the money they stole from people that work hard. they should burn in hell all of them. not to mention the people that say that they are all old men now,that maybe but what about the people they murder ?

In a day of gangs, drugs, and an unjust war we are worrying about a few innocent old men.

What a waste of resources by our government. Shouldn’t we be focusing on the guy who lied about weapons of mass destruction which led to thousands of deaths and millions of dollars of contracts awarded to his buddies? Would that be a “mafia conspiracy” if he was Italian?

Isn't No-Nose still out and about? Why didn't the feds get as many as they could in one sweep?

The Outfit isn't going to stop existing any time soon, and these guys know it. Hell, even the feds know it.

With regards to a corrupt system, as a few people have mentioned, wouldn't people say the same if it were the opposite -- that is, innocent on all charges? I know Zagel has a strong governmental bias, but isn't it really up to the jury? They seemed like a fairly impartial bunch, at least from what I saw.

And, I'm sorry if I'm taking liberties here, but Frank Sr. seemed to enjoy the whole trial. Here he is, accused of murders, extortion and the like... and he's laughing!

On my blog I linked to some videos of Dane Placko describing the reactions of the defendants, in which he describes Frank Sr. as smirking, after "The Shark" hid his client's face with a piece of paper. What a class act.

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: The orignial indictment charged 14 people. That's not a small amount.

Two died, one was too sick to go to trial, and the rest either pleaded guilty or were convicted at trial.

THE MAN THAT TOOK THEM DONE

These men have lived a long life of money and privilege.

Guilty as charged is payday.

How many people did they order to murdered or did it themselves.

These are just the ones the U. S. Attorney can prove.

How many murders or tortures are they reasonable for?

As a person that put my life on the line, I saw, I listened and then took the stand.

The public should only know, the things these guys and other's did and never paid for in a court of law.

Sure there will be more to take their place. I hope the Government takes them down one at a time, whenever they can.

Where was it written, "outfit" senior citizens don't have to pay for their crimes?

One outfit "Hit Man" that I know started in 1962 and has yet to be tried for one fiftieth of his murders. Remember, you just might be in their way someday.

How many murders are unsolved

If only the public knew. Frank Schweihs started contract killings in 1962.

All over the U.S. he murdered and got away with it.

Who ordered those murders? It's time for the "outfit" seniors to pay for what they did.

Today was a victory for the good guys for a change. Some say it's unfare because of their age. I call it justice.

Let's see now....

Feds demand an anonymous jury..

Ten weeks of testimony and evidence...

Jury gets case Tuesday (6 hours deliberating at best)
Wednesday..another 5 hours and maybe 4 hours on 1/2 day (dictionary) Thursday ...
then a 3 day weekend...and Shazzam !!

Why didn't they just send then to Gitmo in 2005 and save the money ?

Cicero, like the neighborhoods of South Chicago and the East Side, lost their vibrancy when they lost their industrial base starting in the 80's. It's hard to replace the highpaying blue-collar jobs of a Western Electric, Hotpoint and Aldens just to name a few.

I love the people on here making excuses for these scumbags. They all got much less than what they actually deserve. I hope they all rot in hell.

Several points: Yes, I believe these men are guilty.

I also know they're smart and they operate using fear and intimidation, which is why it's so hard to get clear, incontrovertible evidence and difficult to find witnesses who not only are willing to testify but who will live to testify.

That being said, yes, I believe the mob kept other criminal elements in 'their place'. (In a place that's good for the mob, primarily, and other people secondary.)

For example, when riverboat gambling came to the downtown area of my city, the mob cleaned out the gangs that were there so that patrons would feel more secure.

It's not a fact you'll find documented, but the workers at the parking decks, the local cops downtown, the people who worked downtown, the city officials who said "things would be cleaned up" for security but didn't say how ---- people unofficially knew what happened.

And the downtown is great. Still full of illegal activities, just of a different sort and with different people profiting.

I think it's a fairly common observation (born of frustration) that the mob kept a lid on things in their neighborhood, innocent people weren't usually targeted (though, as this case mentioned, if they were in the wrong place at the wrong time or with the wrong person, they got killed, too), and the gangs et all are worse, killing innocent bystanders because of mistaken identify or simply because they can't shoot straight.

But if you or somebody in your family were forced to pay juice loans just to run a legitimate business, would you say, "let's keep the mob in charge because they keep a lid on things"?

Sure you reap the consequences of bad associates, and in this trial we heard about many who were killed that had dealings with the mob.

But not *everyone* affected by the mob is in the mob.

Not everyone killed by them was a supporter of theirs who was threatening to expose them.

For example, how about the woman who testified about the erratic driver she saw in traffic, I believe the car was driving away after the murder of Siefert -- if they'd caused her or anybody else to have an accident, with serious injuries or not, she was affected by the mob.

Many innocent, people are affected by their illegal activities and the intimidation they wield, we just don't hear about it.

Why not say, "let's clean up this bad situation and clean up gangs, too".

This trial doesn't really end anything. Criminals will still engage in criminal activities, the Outfit is still in Chicago, and across the country, but a few of the actions of these 5 people caught up with them.

I'm impressed the jury had the guts to actually stand and said "Yes" in an open courtroom.

Also, I'm not sure why the age of these men keeps coming up.

What does that have to do with anything? If you're guilty, you're guilty.

I'm supposed to boo-hoo they may die in prison, but forget about the lives of people they killed?

That's some sort of backward reasoning, in my opinion.

If they're guilty and sorry, then why no tears, no remorse, no change of lifestyle, no stricken spirit and new lease on life -- just defiance, a feeling of trying to act "dumb" for the jury. (Those who testified in their own defense didn't come off believable.)

I can only imagine that if I was wrongly accused of murder, I'd be alot more emotional in court. If I had commited murder but really turned my life around, I'd be more emotional in court. (Perhaps emotion in court is frowned upon except when shown by attorneys.)

And as a final comment, I'm Italian, I'm cynical of governments and people who have power and authority (power corrupts, you know) .... and I think the verdict was correct.

Let's say you finally scrimp and save enough to open a restaurant based on your grandmother's delicious recipes and one night a couple of wiseguys walk in telling you to give them a piece of your profits every month or else some guy with a nickname like Pepperoni Tony will burn you restaurant down, damage your house and threaten your wife and children.

What would you do?

Hopefully, these convictions will give more people the gumption to stand up to these bullies who make a very comfortable living off honest people's hard work, taxes and pension plans, while preying upon the weaknesses of others.

What are the sentencing guidelines for each defendant? If they are found to not be responsible for a murder, what kind of sentence would be expected?

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: If they aren't found liable for any of the murders, they face a statutory maximum of 20 years on the racketeering charges.

Just last Saturday I saw on a news channel a piece regarding Anthony "Little Tony" Zizzo.

Is there any news on his whereabouts now that this is just about all said and done?

And what happened to Michael "Mickey" Marcello, Jimmy's brother? I thought he was on trial also????

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: No news on the whereabouts of Zizzo.

Michael Marcello pleaded guilty in the case and is not on trial.

Reading everyone's comments is cracking me up!

These old men shouldn't go to jail, they should go home and eat.

The photo of "Lombardo getting made" at the restaurant. LOL

What a joke!! It's a bunch of Italian men, going out for a pasta dinner.

Do people REALLY think that whatever these men want done can't be done from inside a jail cell??? Get a clue!!

The dentist, the kid that ratted out his dad? They are as good as gone. Just stupid.

My Dad used to have a saying "What's said in this cup, stays in this cup." meaning...what happens in the family should stay there.

Can you post the photos of the current mafia pigs ruining chicago--and photos of their wives, goombas, you name it?

That way we can avoid helping these horrible people ruin our country any further.

STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: I think I've posted on the blog the photos of some of the men allegedly still playing a role in the leadership of the Outfit, including John DiFronzo, Al Tornabene and Frank "Tootsie Babe" Caruso, among others.

But I'll do a recap soon.

The defendents are guilty as charged, the government proved its case and there is no statute of limitations on murder.

That applies to the actions of the Outfit, the Disciples or the Latin Kings.

Chicago (with no direspect to Johnny Torrio) really knows how to put the organization into crime.

The players knew the rules and that is why they are not astonished by the verdict.

Am I really supposed to be astonished that Joey "The Clown" Lombardo, who is a virtual household name in the Windy City, was convicted of ordering "hits" in the Outfit?

The evidence was a little weak in spots.

For example, "The masked man must have been Lombardo because he used to be a boxer and was light on his feet."

As a juror, I would find this ridiculous.

I also find discrepencies in Nick Calabrese's testimony regarding the death of Petrocelli and the Spilotros and the final forensic reports.

I am shocked the attorneys didn't exploit this and cross-examine him more intensely. There was some room to introduce reasonable doubt.

If the evidence lacked at times, the actor's pretty much buried themselves.

Why Doyle or some other corrupt policeman never destroyed the glove in the thirty odd years that they had the opportunity will remain a mystery.

Why the FBI decided to reexamine the glove will also remain shrouded in mystery.

Why Calabrese never suspected his son of wearing a wire or the visiting rooms of these prisons being bugged and filmed is a mystery.

"Frankie Breeze" motor mouthed himself, and pretty much everyone else, into the convictions by disregarding his own sage advice of speaking in code at all times. He will go down in the annals of the Outfit as one of its greatest fools.

If there are misgivings about some of the convictions, I do understand.

It appears that the Spilotros received what was coming to them. Never once did the brother of the Spilotros offer any remorse about Tony squeezing someone's eyes out with a vice, or taking a blowtorch to a victim's face or an icepick to his genitals.

Michael was best described by many as a bully.

Have any of the Spilotro's made restitution or offered apologies to anyone whose lives the brothers mercilessly snuffed?

I did find some sympathy in my heart for the Spilotro family hearing the testimony about Mike and Tony's last day.