The Shark Attacks: Focus on the Daniel Seifert Murder

Attorney Joseph "The Shark" Lopez, who is representing Frank Calabrese Sr. in the Chicago Family Secrets Mob Trial, has agreed to provide us with updates on his observations and thoughts regarding the various court proceedings.

Today, Shark responds to the testimony powerful testimony of Emma Siefert, the widow of murder victim, Daniel Siefert.

"Another long day in court focused on the (Daniel) Seifert murder. Mrs. (Emma) Seifert was on stand and said one time her husband put on a hood and grabbed a shotgun and went into the plastic shop and shot over the heads of his employees! Wow! Then she said one resembled Mr. Lombardo, but she did not tell anyone this for a few decades.

She described the day of her husband's demise. She called the police. Another witness saw it happen: there were two cars a brown Ford and white and blue Charger. They fled the scene. The chief of police of Elmhurst testified that he was a rookie on this day and that he was in a two man squad when they heard over the radio of the shooting. They went to a Pontiac dealer on Grand and the Ford pulled into the lot right past them. A few minutes later the blue Charger arrived. They must have froze because occupants exited the Ford and Charger and took off. Two squads chased and they got away!!

Imagine if they had caught the car, we would know who was in the car. The ford was recovered it was modified with a hot ignition and drilled air filter with switches to turn off lights, 007 Chi-town Ford style. One witness claimed that the passenger looked like the Ant! (Tony Spilotro). Another witness said a tall guy got out of ford and said hi and stated his car was ready. The squad car was in the same lot when this was happening. If it had been Chicago CPD they would have been blasting away!

Its hard to imagine how they did not get caught and we still do not know who was in the car, but the driver was good. It hit a car and kept going in and out of traffic right into North lake... We saw photos as Matt Lydon ex-Assistant United States Attorney described his case against Irv Weiner, Lombardo and others. After Seifert was gone, the case fell apart. All were aquitted. Case against defendant Lombardo was dropped.

Today all three prosecutors took turns. Defense lawyers were awake and not sleeping, Judge Zagel doing an excellent job of moving trial along at a good pace and he is always very pleasant to all." - Shark

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The Shark Attacks: Analysis of Family Secrets Mob Trial for 6/27

Attorney Joseph "The Shark" Lopez, who is representing Frank Calabrese Sr. in the Chicago Family Secrets Mob Trial, has agreed to provide us with updates on his observations and thoughts regarding the various court proceedings.

Today, Shark responds to the testimony of porn shop owner, William "Red" Wemette, Alva Rogers, and Jim Wagner

"What a day in court! Red Wemette as usual was a classic. Alva Rodgers, forgetaboutit! Lombardo's lawyer flattened him out. What a character. He used run the G&O at Grand and Ogden, I think it was on the southwest corner where Timo is now. There was a strip mall, it was kitty corner to the bike shop that is now a restaurant called Twisted Spoke. It was back in the day as they would say.

Rodgers is 78 and looks the part of grandpa with a mean streak. He went to the West Coast to tell someone to join the association. Not clear what that means, but he went by car. The jury is paying close attention to everything happening. The ex-FBI agent (James Wagner, now president of the Chicago Crime Commission) was kind of boring. It's clear he makes a lot more in the private sector than he did as government employee. Some people love the public service. He clearly did (as) he was on the force for a long time.

Back to Alva, get the transcript, Halprin was great as usual. He hammered away but in the end it was unclear why Alva was here. It had nothing to do with the charges.

Finally, Red (Wemette) admitted the IRS was on him. Alva said the same. Red admitted he lied under oath. Tomorrow is another day. At least we got Marcus Funk up there today, he added a new dimension to the prosecution team with his young blood and he is quite a sailor." - Shark

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The Shark Attacks: "Red" Wemette

Attorney Joseph "The Shark" Lopez, who is representing Frank Calabrese Sr. in the Chicago Family Secrets Mob Trial, has agreed to provide us with updates on his observations and thoughts regarding the various court proceedings.

Today, the Shark responds to the testimony of porn shop owner, William "Red" Wemette.

I almost fell asleep while this chuch (ass) was testfying. The tapes showed he was not in fear of his safety. He forgot to tell the jury how the outfit bankrolled his porno store and put in the video machines in the beat-off booths. This guy is something. If the IRS did not come sniffing around he would still be in business. "The German" protected him from the others. It's a shame how the feds twisted the story around, this guy thinks he is Elliot Ness you should see what a dofus he is on the stand. He is so boring, it was killing me. I was narcoleptic between him and mars. I do not know who is more monotone and dry with no emotion.

I am waiting for Jr. (Frank Calabrese Jr.) and Nick (Nicholas Calabrese) to hit the stand for the fireworks. At least i made the front page of the Trib. The drawing took almost the whole front page, it was great. - Shark

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The Shark Attacks

Attorney Joseph "The Shark" Lopez who is representing Frank Calabrese Sr. in the Chicago Family Secrets Mob Trial has agreed to provide updates with his observations regarding the daily court proceedings. In return, I am not allowed to make fun of his pink socks anymore. Well, maybe just one more time.

Joseph Lopez:

"Today we finished picking the jury and tomorrow are the opening statements. I am writing mine now it should be about an hour and focus on Nick (Calabrese) and Frank (Calabrese) Jr., the rats in this case. Also, the focus on the murders is that Frank Calabrese Sr., had no particapation in the murders and no one knows why they occurred. Basically, we will tear down the conspiracy theory of the government." jrl

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Franklin Park Police Officer Robert Urbinati Linked to Chicago Mob

A former Franklin Park police officer acted as an important communications link between a high-ranking mob boss in prison and his minions on the outside, a federal prosecutor disclosed in court Tuesday.

The fresh details about former officer Robert Urbinati, 60, came at a court hearing in which he was sentenced to 33 months in prison for his role in a suburban, mob-run video poker empire.

Urbinati admitted in February to taking $500 a month as a Franklin Park officer to protect the video poker machines in local bars. But he also would reach out in the early 1990s to Michael Marcello, the brother of convicted mobster James "Little Jimmy" Marcello, who was in prison. Urbinati would relay Outfit problems to Michael Marcello, who would visit his brother James in prison and get answers, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Levine said. Urbinati is related to the Marcellos, but the family relationship wasn't specified in court.

When James Marcello gets out of prison next year, he is expected to lead the Chicago Outfit, law enforcement sources have said.

Urbinati's attorney, Joseph Lopez, disputed the government's contention that Urbinati was an important link in the mob's communication network, calling the accusation "highly speculative" and without a basis in solid evidence.

Prosecutors, though, have pointed to a transcript of a secretly recorded conversation in which Urbinati and another player in the conspiracy, Thomas Tucker, talk about problems they are having with Robert Natale, then the mayor of Stone Park, who wanted a larger bribe payment for his services to the mob. Both Tucker and Natale were convicted as part of the investigation.

In the recorded transcript, Urbinati tells Tucker that he "was with Mickey [Marcello] last night. I explained everything to him, he's going to talk to Jimmy, but he said, even he said . . . you know that guy [Natale], he was supposed to get something."

Michael Marcello was not charged in the case. And Lopez called James Marcello "a model prisoner."

The sentencing of Urbinati wraps up the current case. The investigation, though, into illegal video gambling in the suburbs continues.

The machines are a cash cow for the Outfit. One machine alone can rake in $100,000 in profits a year, with the mob splitting the take 50-50 with the bar owner. And there are hundreds of such machines in the Chicago area.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said the crimes Urbinati committed were "very disturbing," especially since his sentencing came when Americans were commemorating the dedication and sacrifice of so many of its men and women in uniform in relation to Sept. 11.

"He was a crooked cop," the judge said of Urbinati, who wore a badge in Franklin Park from 1968 to 1995.

Thanks to Steve Warmbir

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