Family Secrets: Conversations and trial transcripts
July 11, 2007
Warning: The following conversations and transcripts are raw, uncensored talks in which there is extremely heavy use of profanity. The material is not appropriate for children, and reader discretion is advised. Also, the files are quite large in some circumstances and may take a significant amount of time to load, depending on your Internet connection. Readers might not have access to all features in the files depending on their software.
The secret prison recordings
For several months in 1999, Frank Calabrese Jr. secretly recorded his father while they walked the prison yard in Milan, Mich. Frank Calabrese Sr., a reputed hitman, allegedly talked about Outfit hits he took part in and gave advice on the Outfit life to his son.
His son made the recordings to keep his father in prison for good.
Here are portions of those recordings being played to jurors.
Calabrese conversation 2/14/99 Part 1 » Calabrese conversation 2/14/99 Part 2 »
In the following conversations, Calabrese Sr. talks about a variety of topics and allegedly describes the 1983 murder of Richard Ortiz and Arthur Morawski in Cicero.
Prosecutors allege Calabrese Sr. was the driver. His brother Outfit hitman, Nick Calabrese, was one of the gunmen, and the late reputed mob killer James DiForti was the other.
Calabrese Sr. is talking about the murder with his son because he is concerned that DiForti could be cooperating with the FBI.
Calabrese conversation 4/10/99 Part 1 »
Lombardo talks tough
The following conversation consists of two parts, both involving one of the men on trial in the Family Secrets case, Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo. The first conversation involves Lombardo and Alan Dorfman, an insurance magnate who was the middleman between the Outfit and the Teamster's pension funds. Lombardo and Dorfman are rehearsing a conversation they are about to have with St. Louis mob lawyer, Morris Shenker. Dorfman believes that Shenker owes the mob money for arranging huge Teamster loans to help Shenker open casinos in Las Vegas. Dorfman hasn't been getting any satisfaction, so he's brought in Lombardo, allegedly, to get across his point better.
The second conversation is the actual talk between Lombardo, Dorfman and Shenker.
The prosecutors introduced the conversation, in part, to show jurors that Lombardo was a high-ranking mobster in the Chicago Outfit at the time. The feds were recording the conversation at Dorfman's Chicago insurance offices as part of an investigation into Lombardo, Dorfman and others conspiring to bribe U.S. Senator Howard Cannon.
The first conversation: May 22, 1979 Intercept 1 » The first conversation: May 22, 1979 Intercept 2 »
Schweihs and the shakedown
The background: The following 10 conversations were recorded in 1987 and 1988 in the Old Town apartment of porn store owner William "Red" Wemette as part of an investigation into reputed mobster Frank "The German" Schweihs. Schweihs shook down Wemette for thousands of dollars in street tax money to allow Wemette's business to stay open. The FBI secretly wired Wemette's apartment, which was right above his business, and recorded the conversations. Some of the talks were played Tuesday to jurors in the Family Secrets mob trial as part of Wemette's testimony. The transcripts below reflect what was played in court and do not reflect the entire conversations. Prosecutors were trying to demonstrate to jurors how street tax works and show that one of the defendants, Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, was a high-ranking mobster.
May 1, 1987
The conversation is between porn store owner William Wemette and Outfit collector Anthony "Jeeps" Daddino. Wemette and Daddino begin talking about the health of a top mobster, Louie "The Mooch" Eboli, who is near death. Later on in the conversation, Daddino and Wemette disagree over counting the street tax.
Click here to download the PDF and audio files »
Oct. 8, 1987
The conversation is between Wemette and reputed Outfit hitman Frank Schweihs. The men talk about the death of Eboli and Schweihs goes over how much Wemette is paying and tells him to no longer deal with Daddino.
Click here to download the PDF and audio files »
Oct. 20, 1987
The conversation involves Wemette, Schweihs and Wemette's assistant, Leonard Cross. Wemette and Schweihs start off confused over what Wemette owes in street tax. Schweihs again tells Wemette not to deal with Daddino. The men count out the street tax. Schweihs quizzes Wemette on Steve Toushin, an owner of a gay porn movie theater and a competitor of Wemette's. Schweihs wants to take over Toushin's lucrative business. Schweihs wants to know if Toushin and another of Wemette's neighborhood porn competitors, Paula Lawrence, are protected by other Chicago mobsters. When Schweihs talks about the man on Milwaukee Avenue, he is referring to reputed mobster Mike Glitta who oversaw interests in porn businesses for another mob boss.
Click here to download the PDF and audio files »
Jan. 12, 1988
Wemette and Schweihs discuss Wemette's street tax payment. Schweihs also mentions that "this woman," namely Paula Lawrence, might be with Mike Glitta. Another name mentioned is Reuben Sturman, a one-time porn store operator, who is tied to Lawrence.
Click here to download the PDF and audio files »
April 8, 1988
Wemette and Schweihs talk more about Mike Glitta. When Wemette talks about "Marshall" he is referring to late mobster Marshall Caifano, who was involved in collecting street tax from Wemette early on. Also, the men discuss an allegation that Glitta's brother put a bomb under Lawrence's car.
Click here to download the PDF and audio files »
April 12, 1988
Wemette and Schweihs are confused over how much is owed in street tax payments.
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May 5, 1988
Schweihs tells Wemette he fronted one of Wemette's $1,100 payments to balance the mob's books.
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May 24, 1988
Schweihs talks about how he moved to DuPage County after he believed the feds had bugged his Chicago home.
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June 14, 1988
Schweihs tells Wemette there's one more mob leader Schweihs needs to check with to see if Toushin is paying anyone street tax. If not, Schweihs will be able to muscle Toushin for his business.
Click here to download the PDF and audio files »
July 13, 1988
Schweihs and Wemette talk about a competitor's sign that's on Wemette's property and the need to tear it down.
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You can see more trial exhibits from Operation Family Secrets at the U.S. Department of Justice Northern District of Illinois site.