Aug 21, 2007 7:38 pm US/Central
Reputed Mobster Spends 3rd Day On Stand In Trial
by CBS 2's John "Bulldog" Drummond
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Frank Calabrese Sr. (File)
CBS
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Reputed mobster Frank Calabrese Sr., took the stand for the third day at the Family Secrets trial. Prosecutors on Tuesday fired some verbal arrows at the defendant, a man allegedly involved in 13 gangland murders.
Back in 1992 Calabrese pleaded guilty to running a gambling and juice loan ring. He did so after entering a plea agreement, but now, the 70-year-old Calabrese indicates it was all a mistake and he is having second thoughts about that. He said he never read the agreement and signed it after being advised to do so by his lawyer.
"I didn't know what I was signing," he said.
As CBS 2's John "Bulldog" Drummond reports, the government contends that Calabrese was a member of a group called the Chinatown Street Crew, headed by the notorious Angelo "The Hook" La Pietra.
Calabrese described La Pietra not as a boss, but as a partner in a lucrative juice loan operation.
Prosecutor John Scully asked Calabrese," Did you know that Angelo and Jimmy [Angelo's brother] La Pietra were in The Outfit?"
"I know they're affiliated in some way," Calabrese answered.
"Did you know Angelo La Pietra was a capo?" Scully asked.
"I heard that," Calabrese said.
Calabrese admitted knowing mob boss Joey "The Doves" Aiuppa casually, but that's as far as it went.
"Did you know that Joey Aiuppa was the head of The Chicago Outfit?" Scully asked.
"That I didn't know," Calabrese answered. "I read about it."
Moving to another area, the prosecutor asked, "Were you a burglar?"
"Yes. I was a thief when I was young," Calabrese responded.
Calabrese said, though, that he was not a home invader.
"Do you have any assets?" Scully asked.
Calabrese answered, "Yes. My son stole them."
Scully asked if Calabrese's brother Nick Calabrese was correct when he testified that Frank was part of the crew that surveiled bombing victim Michael Cagnonei.
"He's lying like a pig," Calabrese answered.
In what may have been the most dramatic moment of the day, Calabrese pointed to his son Frank Jr., who was in the courtroom, and said, "That's my son. Ask him, he'd be glad to talk."
Frank Calabrese Sr., also complained that he had to pay off first ward politicians in order to stay in business.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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