Jul 19, 2007 7:46 pm US/Central
Nick Calabrese Wraps Up Mob Trial Testimony
Hit Man Recounts His Encounter With Another Hit Man
CBS 2's John Drummond reports.
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Courtesy Chicago Sun-Times
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In the "Family Secrets" mob trial Thursday, the government's star witness wrapped up his spellbinding testimony. CBS 2's John "Bulldog" Drummond was in court when Nick Calabrese described his life or death struggle with another hit man.
"Big John" Fecarotta was slain outside a northwest bingo palace some 21 years ago. Fecarotta had fallen out of favor with his mob superiors because of money and women problems.
Star witness Nick Calabrese said his older brother Frank "had a confrontation" with Fecarotta and that "put the nail in the coffin."
Nick and his brother went to their Capo – Jimmy "The Lapper" La Pietra. The lapper meted out mob justice. La Pietra gave the contract to Nick, who had to trick the wary Fecarotta out into the open.
The doomed Fecarotta drove to the vicinity of Belmont and Austin Avenues where Nick Calabrese sprung into action.
"I reached to the floor. I came out with a gun," Calabrese said. "(Fecarotta) caught the play. I believe I shot myself when I shot him. (Fecarotta) got out and started running. My adrenaline's going now."
Calabrese said to himself: "If I don't do this, if he gets away, I'm dead."
"I caught him right at the bingo parlor," Calabrese said. "He got to the front door. I shot him in the head, the back."
Asked if the shots killed him, Calabrese said, "It did."
Late Thursday, defense lawyer Rick Halprin called Calabrese a rat whose testimony was flawed because is relies on hearsay.
"I can't call Mr. Fecarotta to the stand to refute because you killed him? Right?" Halprin asked.
"Right," said Calabrese.
Calabrese broke a long-held myth Thursday about why Big John Fecarotta was killed. It wasn't because he'd botched the burial of the Spilotro brothers, but because he'd already begun to crack up under the pressure of gangland contracts.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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