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A video poker businessman went toe-to-toe Thursday in federal court with the attorney for reputed Cicero mob boss Michael "the Big Guy" Sarno, who allegedly had the man's business bombed.

Vincent Dublino, who acknowledges he still leases illegal video poker machines to bars, engaged in verbal combat with Sarno's veteran defense attorney, Terry Gillespie, as Gillespie tried to undermine Dublino's stories about being threatened by his client.

Dublino said that in summer 2002, Sarno accosted him outside the Berwyn bar that Dublino owned, called Forget About It, as Dublino was working to put his video poker machines into a business where Sarno already had his machines.

Dublino recalled that Sarno pulled up and screamed at him: "I want to talk to you, you f------ punk."

Dublino testified he swore at Sarno, then went across the street to talk to him.

"I swore at him because he called me a f------ punk," Dublino explained in the normally profanity-free environment of a federal courtroom in Chicago.

Sarno warned him not to put his machines in a restaurant in Lyons, but Dublino said he balked.

"I don't work for you. You go f--- yourself, fat ass," Dublino said he responded.

Gillespie approached Dublino on the witness stand and asked Dublino to simulate between the two of them how close Sarno supposedly was to Dublino during the argument.

Dublino hopped off his chair, and Gillespie went behind the witness stand, so there was no barrier in the way and the two men could stand toe-to-toe.

Dublino suggested Gillespie stand behind the witness chair and Dublino stand on a step below, since Sarno is quite a few inches taller than the 5-foot-9 Dublino.

Dublino then repeated for Gillespie what he told Sarno.

"You go f--- yourself," Dublino said, with great emphasis, before amending his testimony.

"I called him fat ass. I forgot."

Dublino agreed that Sarno never touched him or threatened him after the argument.

"Did he say 'go f--- yourself, shorty- ' " Gillespie asked Dublino.

"No," Dublino said.

"Did he say go 'f' yourself, skinny- '" Gillespie asked.

"No," Dublino replied.

Later on, federal prosecutor Amarjeet Bhachu asked Dublino if Sarno needed to touch him to get his point across.

"No," Dublino said.

Dublino said he was scared of Sarno, but Gillespie pointed out that Dublino had bought a home only a half block away from where Sarno lives in the west suburbs.

Dublino, whose testimony was compelled by a grant of immunity, acknowledged walking his dog, Enzo, in the neighborhood and seeing Sarno but said he had no idea Sarno lived in the neighborhood when he bought the house.

In February 2003, Dublino's video poker machine business in Berwyn was destroyed in a pipe-bombing the feds link to Sarno, who is on trial with four other men.