Court hears tapes of ‘The Monk’ at trial

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Joseph Jerry “The Monk” Scalise leaves court. He pleaded guilty this week to planning to rob an armored car. | John H. White~Sun-Times

Updated: February 21, 2012 8:44AM

High-line mob thief Joseph Jerry “The Monk” Scalise does not have a high opinion of Oscar D’Angelo — the controversial lobbyist and onetime pal to former Mayor Richard Daley.

“That m - - - - - - - - - - - is so arrogant,” Scalise said of D’Angelo, according to recordings the FBI secretly made that were played in federal court for the first time Thursday.

Scalise wanted to break into D’Angelo’s home, according to the tapes.

Or scoop D’Angelo off the street like a dogcatcher does with a dog.

“Choke ’em and take ’em right in,” said Scalise, who was suspected in Outfit murders but never charged.

In the end, nothing happened to D’Angelo.

But Scalise pleaded guilty this week to other crimes, along with another geriatric thief, Robert Pullia.

The men admitted to racketeering and other crimes for planning to rob an armored car in front of a La Grange bank, as well as breaking into the home of late mob boss Angelo “The Hook” LaPietra.

But the third man in the case, Arthur “The Genius” Rachel, 73, decided to go to trial without a jury and leave his fate up to U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber, who began hearing evidence Thursday.

Rachel got his nickname because he tested at a high level on IQ tests while in prison decades ago, authorities said.

While Scalise was no longer on trial, his presence was still felt as federal prosecutors played recording after recording of Scalise talking at length, quite colorfully, about planning various crimes, along with Pullia and Rachel. The recordings make clear that Scalise was the chattiest among the three men while Rachel was much less talkative. Rachel’s defense is that the government will not be able to prove the charges against him given the evidence.

At one point, Scalise is conducting surveillance of the Bridgeport home of LaPietra where LaPietra’s daughter still lives. Scalise was frustrated and showed it, according to the tapes.

“Every f - - - - - - curtain is closed,” Scalise complained. “They sit in the f - - - - - - dark.”