I just read a great new book that I thought might be of interest to some folks on the forum. It's "Family Secrets: The Case that Crippled the Chicago Mob" by Jeff Coen.

Link to Amazon book overview

I've been following "The Family Secrets" trial in the Chicago Federal Courts for over a year now. It involves the FBI's turning of Chicago Outfit hit man Nicholas Calabrese into a top witness and informer.

Calabrese's access and insight into unsolved murders, offered up at trial by the expert killer and brother of a Chinatown Crew boss, were more than astounding. And, in a creepy but necessary way, illuminating. Calabrese, a deadly though perpetually terrified hit man, testified against the bosses about more than 18 gangland murders in the federal Family Secrets case. Now mob bosses including his brother Frank, Joey "The Clown" Lombardo and Jimmy Marcello, and fellow hit man Paul Schiro will spend the rest of their lives in prison.

These were the guys that did the 'cornfield killings using baseball bats' at the end of the movie Cassino. They did those killings but with a different twist than Hollywood showed.

BTW... most of these guys just received life sentences this month.

I just read a great new book that I thought might be of interest to some folks on the forum. It's "Family Secrets: The Case that Crippled the Chicago Mob" by Jeff Coen.

Link to Amazon book overview

I've been following "The Family Secrets" trial in the Chicago Federal Courts for over a year now. It involves the FBI's turning of Chicago Outfit hit man Nicholas Calabrese into a top witness and informer.

Calabrese's access and insight into unsolved murders, offered up at trial by the expert killer and brother of a Chinatown Crew boss, were more than astounding. And, in a creepy but necessary way, illuminating. Calabrese, a deadly though perpetually terrified hit man, testified against the bosses about more than 18 gangland murders in the federal Family Secrets case. Now mob bosses including his brother Frank, Joey "The Clown" Lombardo and Jimmy Marcello, and fellow hit man Paul Schiro will spend the rest of their lives in prison.

These were the guys that did the 'cornfield killings using baseball bats' at the end of the movie Cassino. They did those killings but with a different twist than Hollywood showed.

BTW... most of these guys just received life sentences this month.

That herd was thought (never proven) to be responsible for the "batting" demise of the son of my 1st weddings best man. The son thought he was the smartest in the room for a bit too long, and paid a heavy price for it.

Spotteddog....

What part of the country did that alleged incident happen? A lot of the events in the book were obviously around the Chicago area, but not all.

I loved names of some of these guys... besides Joey "The Clown", they had Paul "The Indian" Schiro, and Johnny "Bananas" or "No Nose" DiFronzo... Hollyweird couldn't make this stuff up.

I found this picture of the Benz that went "boom" when these guys pushed a button while it was pulling onto the Tri-State.

Paul was found in a semi-rural area southwest of Chicago. Near what locals call the sanitary canal. It is assumed that the act took place where he was found. No "romantic" street naming on the victim. One, on a suspect? It's getting a bit fuzzy now, but I say circa' 81'-82'?