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May. 19, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

CHICAGO'S ORGANIZED CRIME FAMILY: Guilty plea entered in Spilotro hits in '86

Government witness admits involvement in 14 killings

By MIKE ROBINSON
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Las Vegas mob enforcer Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro, second from left, and his brother Michael Spilotro, right, enter a Las Vegas courtroom in February 1986 along with attorneys Jerry Werksman, left, and Oscar Goodman, now the city's mayor. The Spilotros were on trial on racketeering charges. The brothers were killed four months later in an Indiana cornfield.
Photo by Rene Germanier/Review-Journal File Photo



The bodies of Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro and Michael Spilotro were found buried in a grave at the edge of this cornfield near Morocco, Ind., in June 1986. The Spilotro brothers had been reported missing for more than a week.
Photo by The Associated Press

CHICAGO -- The star witness in the government's case against a dozen Chicago mob figures pleaded guilty Friday to taking part in a conspiracy that included 18 murders, including hits on Anthony "The Ant" Spilotro, long known as the Chicago mob's man in Las Vegas, and Spilotro's brother, Michael Spilotro, in 1986.

Under heavy security, Nicholas Calabrese admitted that he took part in planning or carrying out 14 of the murders, including the Spilotro killings.

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    • The husky, white-haired Calabrese is expected to be the key witness against his brother, Frank Calabrese Sr., and other major mob figures charged in the government's Operation Family Secrets investigation. That trial is expected to begin this summer.

    The investigation was aimed at clearing up old, unsolved gangland killings and bringing down Chicago's organized crime family.

    James Marcello and Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, both reputed to be major mob bosses in the Chicago area, are among the 12 defendants. They have pleaded not guilty and are detained pending trial.

    Husky federal marshals scanned the spectator seats as Calabrese entered his plea.

    A federal marshal who was assigned to guard Calabrese at one time, John Ambrose, now is charged with leaking information concerning Calabrese's whereabouts to organized crime. He has pleaded not guilty.

    Calabrese said little at the hearing. But when U.S. District Judge James Zagel asked what he did for a living, he said: "Aside from illegal activities, I was a rigger at McCormick Place," the large exposition hall on Chicago's lakefront south of downtown.

    In his signed, 16-page plea agreement, Calabrese admitted he was a member of the 26th Street or Chinatown Crew of the Chicago mob and took orders from his brother in carrying out an array of criminal activities.

    He said that included collecting debts for loan sharks.

    His plea agreement said the murders he took part in were sometimes "committed in order to protect the Outfit from individuals who were providing information about the enterprise to law enforcement officers."

    The Chicago Tribune has cited law-enforcement sources as saying Calabrese agreed to cooperate after he was confronted with DNA evidence linking him to at least one murder.

    The Spilotros were beaten to death and buried in an Indiana cornfield. Joe Pesci played a character based on Tony Spilotro in the movie "Casino."

    Calabrese could be sent away for life for his guilty plea to a charge of racketeering conspiracy. Zagel noted Friday that Calabrese could face at least 24 years in prison according to federal guidelines. But in exchange for his cooperation, federal prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentencing break for Calabrese.

    They have not said how much of a break he might get.

    After entering his plea, Calabrese was whisked out a rear door of the courtroom by marshals. He is being held in an undisclosed location to keep him safe from mob reprisals.

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    KERISTA wrote on November 25, 2007 03:47 PM: If people would recognize the reality of the World, than the 'Family' woudn't have such "little issues"!


    kerista wrote on November 25, 2007 03:43 PM: this is my comment:



    If life today lived like yesterday we would have much RESPECT!!!


    kerista wrote on November 25, 2007 03:42 PM: this is my comment:

    If life today lived like yesterday we would have much RESPECT!!!


    MARTY wrote on May 20, 2007 01:13 AM: You are all idiots!!! The HONORABLE Mayor is also a lawyer......remember,

    Inocent UNTIL proven guilty??? That was his job and he did it well.....get a life you loser!!!!!!! He IS the best thing that has happend to Las Vegas!!!!!

    VIVA MAYOR GOODMAN~~~~~~~~ YOU ARE A

    GOOD MAN!!!!


    MARTY wrote on May 20, 2007 01:12 AM: You are all idiots!!! The HONORABLE Mayor is also a lawyer......remember,
    Inocent UNTIL proven guilty??? That was his job and he did it well.....get a life you loser!!!!!!! He IS the best thing that has happend to Las Vegas!!!!!
    VIVA MAYOR GOODMAN~~~~~~~~ YOU ARE A
    GOOD MAN!!!!


    Vera wrote on May 19, 2007 11:54 PM: Angela sorry for your loss- but this is probably the wrong forum for you- You should probably write Dear Abby-


    Lefty wrote on May 19, 2007 11:31 PM: The Chicago outfit is nothing but a bunch of back stabbing corner cutting rats! They shoulda finished what they started and none of this would have ever went this far-


    Jack wrote on May 19, 2007 09:51 PM: Where is Oscar Goodman when they need him. Probably out giving a press release on the strip, which is not even a part of his area.


    Angela wrote on May 19, 2007 03:29 PM: It's pretty sad what we consider newsworthy. Crime families get the front page, and when my 61 year old mother was killed in a hit and run on
    April 20th, in Las Vegas, Nevada,on her way to work, she didn't get written up on the front page. Oh, she must just be another statistic. I live in another state. I hate Nevada, it's crazy there, people drive crazy. She didn't deserve to die this way. I will miss her every day that goes by, and I pray they catch the heartless coward for leaving her lay there. They took her away from my sibblings and I, and we will never be able to say or do the things we wanted to do with her, this person robbed us of that.


    David R Huntington wrote on May 19, 2007 02:42 PM: How befitting we should see the illustrious Oscar Goodman in the compnay of the likes of Tone "the ant" Spilotro and other reputed mob figures. They say the company you keep defines your avenues in life. (ok, I made that up but you get the picture.)


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