Frank "The German" Schweihs in his younger days
Reputed mob hitman Frank “The German” Schweihs — once among the most feared men in the Chicago Outfit — wasted little time Tuesday showing that the cancer that ravaged his body has not softened his attitude.
“You making eyes at me?” Schweihs said from his wheelchair to a federal prosecutor during a status hearing in his criminal case.
“Yeah you, you making eyes at me? Do I look like a fag to you?” Schweihs asked.
Prosecutors ignored Schweihs’ remarks and continued to take care of the routine business of his upcoming trial, scheduled to begin in October.
Schweihs, 78, was originally to be tried along with five other defendants in the historic Family Secrets federal prosecution against the Chicago mob. But a battle with cancer made him too sick to go to trial with the other men, including Joseph “Joey the Clown” Lombardo, Frank Calabrese Sr. and James “Little Jimmy” Marcello, who were convicted.
Schweihs, looking pale and gaunt, first asked his attorneys if they were in a foreign country after apparently noticing that one of the prosecutors wears a turban.
Schweihs has a history of making racially insensitive remarks and has shown over the years a disdain for a wide variety of people.
Schweihs later referred to another federal prosecutor in court as “another a--hole.”
U.S. District Judge James Zagel did not reprimand Schweihs but ended the hearing quickly after his last remark.
One of Schweihs’ attorneys, Ellen Domph, said outside court that Schweihs is usually “very polite.”
Are we paying for his attorney?
Steve Warmbir responds: Yes, the taxpayers are footing the bill.
Good for him. Still "Old Schoolin' it"
Too funny.
Any word on the witnesses that will be called? Will they be using the testimony already given in the first part of the trial? Nick Calabrese again?
STEVE WARMBIR REPSONDS: The prosecution hasn't released a witness list in the case, but you can bet we'll see some of the witnesses from the first Family Secrets trial testify again.
Can this kind of behavior be considered contempt of court?
Also, considering his condition, he probably assumes the judge can't put him in general circulation anyhow, correct?
What's the possibility this trial will last anywhere near as long as the previous family secrets trial?
STEVE WARMBIR REPSONDS: If Schweihs kept up his antics, he could be held in contempt of court.
Judge Zagel seemed to take the wiser course by just ignoring him during the short hearing.
The trial won't last as nearly as long as the Family Secrets trial.
For starters, there's only one defendant, as opposed to five.
what a waste of tax payer money,what difference does it make to convict the german,all over the usa , they convict , someone else will take over ,hopefully they will be wiser ,learn to go old old school to survive, stop talking ,spend some money on anti bugging equipment
Nick Calabrese's sentencing is going to be in September. Is there any word on when the others will be sentenced? Or are they still going about the whole comment toward Funk by Sr.?
STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: No sentencing dates set for the five defendants.
The defendants who took up the issue of Calabrese Sr.'s comment lost.
Steve I`m interested in all the other people that were indicted with the five that have been charged. Did they all take plea bargins, and Do they have a Sentence hearing coming up?
STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: The remaining defendants all took plea deals. They have sentencing hearings starting next month.
Steve, is 'The German' being charged with the Siefert murder, too? If not, why?
STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: Schweihs is named in the indictment, along with Lombardo, as being responsible for the Seifert murder.
So I would expect evidence regarding the Seifert murder to come in at trial.
Is this a movie script?
Two of the original co-defendants died of natural causes before trial.
Frank Saladino died in a motel room in rural Illinois (he supposedly owed Frank Calabrese Sr. a good amount of money and took off to Rockford to participate in the Rockford LCN with his brother).
Former police officer Michael Ricci also died before trial. Schweihs is also up for the murder of Emil Vaci in Phoenix, Arizona (even though he only allegedly participated in the initial surveillance of Vaci and not the actual murder).
He became a fugitive so there is also an obstruction of justice charge against him. I would assume that his trial will only take about a week.
I expect that Red Wemette, Alva Rogers, and the employees of the police scanner business will be called as witnesses, as well as possibly Emma Seifert (the widow of Danny Siefert) and brother Ronald Seifert.
STEVE WARMBIR RESPONDS: A Very Capable Guy, as usual, is right on the money.
I love the way the federal prosecutors think they are such tough guys putting away mobsters....If you look at it all they do is put a bunch of old dying men on trial after their lifes for the most part are already over.....They couldn't touch them at all during the previous 50 years when they were in their prime.
Get real! Get a life......These prosecutions of old men are soley for the news coverage so the the states attorneys office can try to make it seem that they make a difference.
Well Guess what.......You don't make a damn bit of difference. Get a life!
So because these scumbags are old they should not be prosecuted? I hope they die in jail far from their loved ones
Larry you dumb ass, what does the States Atty's Office have to do with it? The U.S. Atty's Office indicted them.