Deputy Chief of US Attorney's Organized Crime Unit Heads to Private Practice

Sidley Austin LLP announced today that Timothy Treanor has joined the firm as a partner, resident in New York. Treanor, who most recently served as the Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Unit in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, will focus his practice on white collar defense and investigations.

Treanor is an experienced prosecutor and investigator of securities, healthcare and bank fraud, wire and mail fraud, racketeering, money laundering, tax evasion and other business crimes. He has conducted a dozen significant federal criminal trials, convicting all 24 defendants. Treanor joined the U.S. Attorney's office in 1999 and held several leadership positions before his appointment, by U.S. Attorney for the SDNY, Michael Garcia, to be Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Unit in 2006.

“Tim is a highly respected trial lawyer who led the government’s efforts on a number of important white collar and criminal investigations and trials in recent years,” said Steven Bierman, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and a global coordinator of the firm’s complex commercial litigation practice. “We look forward to working with him on the further expansion of our white collar practice in New York.”

“I am pleased to be joining a firm I have long respected,” said Treanor. “Sidley already has strength and a great reputation in white collar, securities and complex commercial litigation, and I am looking forward to expanding the depth of services we can offer to the firm’s impressive roster of clients.”

Treanor received his J.D. degree from Fordham Law School, where he was Notes and Articles Editor of the Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif. He received his B.A. degree from the College of the Holy Cross. Treanor clerked for U.S. District Judge Harold Allbritton III of the Middle District of Alabama.

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Despite Recent Success in Fighting "The Outfit", Federal Prosecutors' Mob Focus Decreases

The ranks of the Chicago mob have taken some serious hits in recent years.

So have the ranks of federal prosecutors specializing in Outfit prosecutions.

The number of federal prosecutors dedicated solely to prosecuting Outfit cases has dwindled to an all-time low -- two attorneys -- just after one of the most significant victories ever by the U.S. attorney's office against the mob, the Family Secrets case.

Some prosecutors have been transferred out of the group over the years. Others have retired. And in the biggest blow to the group, its highly regarded chief, Mitchell Mars, died recently after battling cancer.

It's a fact that's causing great worry among some mob busters.

In interviews with the Chicago Sun-Times, six current or former law enforcement officials familiar with the situation said U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is making a mistake by not beefing up the unit.

The Outfit may be battered, but it is far from dead, they say. It's getting more sophisticated in how it carries out and covers up its crimes.

"The lessons learned from the Family Secrets trial should tell everybody that the Outfit is alive and active in the city," said James Wagner, a retired FBI agent who battled the mob in Chicago and is now the head of the Chicago Crime Commission.

The crime commission will send a letter to Fitzgerald this week asking him to increase the number of attorneys in the group, Wagner said.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago had no comment on the matter.

The organized-crime group of prosecutors doesn't need the dozen or so lawyers it had in the early 1990s, officials say, with some suggesting that five or six attorneys would be enough these days.

"I think it's a strategic mistake," said Ken Holt, a retired FBI agent who worked on several high-profile Outfit cases.

Holt and others point to the fact that the organized-crime group has lost a great deal of institutional memory with the death of Mars and the retirement of prosecutor John Scully last year.

Mars led the prosecution of the Family Secrets case, which resulted in the convictions of Chicago mob boss James "Little Jimmy" Marcello and top mobster Joseph "Joey the Clown" Lombardo, among others.

Scully, another prosecutor on Family Secrets, also worked on the case of former Chicago Police chief of detectives William Hanhardt, who led a mobbed-up jewelry theft ring before being sent to prison.

Law enforcement officials say the group needs veteran attorneys who know the history of and the players in various Outfit street crews, attorneys who can understand, for instance, the significance of an obscure reference from a wiretapped conversation between two mobsters.

The cases are long and complex -- Family Secrets spanned activities covering nearly 40 years -- and they build upon one another, yet another reason to have dedicated attorneys there for the long haul, officials say. And even with some top mobsters behind bars, it's not going away.

"When one guy gets locked up, another guy replaces him," Holt said.

Thanks to Steve Warmbir

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Widowed Alyssa Milano Works for Mafia in "Wisegal"

Here’s a news flash - things don’t work out so well when you get involved with the mob.

Yet screenwriters can’t seem to stop themselves from spinning gangster tales. There’s nothing particularly new about “Wisegal,” on Lifetime.

Alyssa Milano stars as Patty Montanari, a widowed mother of two young boys. Unable to pay her bills, Patty begins working for the Mafia - first by selling tax-free cigarettes, then by turning a failing mob-owned restaurant into a successful nightclub.

Along the way, she falls for married gangster Frank Russo (Jason Gedrick). Mob boss Salvatore Palmeri (James Caan) makes Patty a promise - he will provide for her family forever if she transports a half-million dollars across the Canadian border.

Even though “Wisegal” is based on a true story, any savvy TV viewer could write what happens next. Heck, anyone who caught 15 minutes of any “Sopranos” episode can forecast how this story will unfold. And writer Shelley Evans seems to know that. Her script often skips key points of exposition. Without explanation, Frank’s son Mouse (Zak Longo) is involved in drugs and this is a huge problem for the mob. Suddenly Frank is a violent threat to Patty and her family.

It may be predictable, but the movie is backed by creditability. Joseph Pistone, the real-life FBI agent who inflitrated the mob as Donnie Brasco, and Anthony Melchiorri, Patty’s real-life son, are executive producers. Melchiorri pays homage to his mother but doesn’t justify her actions. “These people helped me. I made them my family. I knew what I was doing,” Patty tells an FBI agent.

The acting imbues the movie with a higher level of quality. Milano (“Charmed,” “My Name is Earl”) is an extremely likable TV presence. Sporting her best New York accent (probably last heard when she played Long Island Lolita Amy Fisher in the 1993 TV movie “Casualties of Love”), she brings Patty’s scrappy determination to life.

Caan, who knows a thing or two about mob movies, has the right amount of benevolent malice. And Gedrick does a lot with his extremely underwritten role. So while “Wisegal” might not be anything new, it’s a perfectly entertaining way to spend a Saturday night.

Thanks to Amy Amatangelo

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The Shark Weighs in on Mobster Sentencing and Federal Guidelines

The Michael Marcello sentencing was held and he was sentenced to 102 months, which is within the guideline range of 87-108 months. Some may think this was too much and others may say not enough. The federal guidelines are a funny set of rules. There are these things called "grouping" where a judge can find different crimes can be grouped together and in effect cancel each other out and become equal in the equation. Sentencing guidelines also use tax losses to calculate the range. The more mula (money) the more time.

Guidelines can be tricky and even courts, prosecutors, probation officers, and defense lawyers can have different views on their application. The Supreme Court recently ruled judges can depart from the guidelines and impose sentences not in violation of a statutory minimum. This is a new direction in which courts can depart. We as lawyers (prosecutors and judges are lawyers) get used to one system and then another one is put in its place. As the guidelines fade away so do the sentences. We have more people in prison than any other country. Are lawyers losing that many cases?

Joseph "The Shark" Lopez

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Enhanced Evidence Revealed in Tinley Park Executions

Tinley Park Murders: It's been six weeks since five women were brutally killed inside a Lane Bryant clothing store in a south Chicago suburb. Now, AMW has teamed up with some of the best experts in the country to analyze evidence and help track down the killer. We are now releasing images of two cars that may be linked to these gruesome murders -- and an enhanced recording of the killer's voice caught on tape.

William Balser: Until February 18, 1998, most people thought Bill Balser was a respectable family man. He was well-educated and even had a photographic memory. In his free time he enjoyed exercise and playing jazz trumpet. However, police say that Balser and his girlfriend, Robin Lee Robinson, abused drugs, alcohol -- and her two daughters.

Robin Robinson: Robin Lee Robinson's two daughters withstood eight years of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of Robin's boyfriend, William Lloyd Balser. Cops say what made matters worse is the fact that Robinson was aware of it and did nothing. Since 1998, she's been on the run and cops are hoping that she'll soon be behind bars.

Mark Earhart: Police in Tennessee are on the hunt to track down an alleged sex offender who they say skipped town. Cops say Earhart may be working on a barge and is known to have experience with towboats.

Faarah Iiman: On December 14, 2007, cops say that an argument over a Playstation 2 ended in an attempted murder in Portland , Maine . Police tell us that suspect Faarah Iiman accused his friend of taking the video game console, and he wanted it back -- at any cost.

Jose Reyes-Sanchez: His nickname is "Angel," but cops say Jose Ramon Reyes-Sanchez won't be fitted for his wings any time soon. According to police, he killed two men following an argument, then hit the road with an unlikely partner -- his 12-year-old son.

Joseph Duran: Police in Vacaville , Calif. are on the lookout for an 18-year-old suspect in the shooting of one of his former friends. Cops say that Joseph Stanley Duran shot and killed 19-year-old Angelo Hurst during a drive-by shooting on June 20, 2007. Authorities tell AMW that Hurst wasn't the intended target -- Duran was aiming for someone else and Hurst was simply caught in the crosshairs in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, Duran's on the run and cops are hoping that AMW viewers can help to pinpoint his whereabouts.

Tammy Vincent: Almost 30 years have passed since police were called to an isolated beach 20 miles north of San Francisco to investigate a grisly murder scene that centered around the charred remains of a teenage Jane Doe. For years, cops tried to identify the girl and figure out the events surrounding her death, but it wasn't until AMW lent a helping hand that parts of the puzzle began to fit together. Authorities now know that the murdered girl -- 16-year-old Tammy Vincent -- was the girl embroiled in the middle of a state's case against a sleazy Seattle strip club whose owners, cops believe, had her killed for the things she knew.

Jon Schillaci: The FBI top ten list is generally reserved for terrorists and other violent criminals. But, the bureau - and AMW - believe that sexual predators should be part of the list as well. That's why the hunt is on for Jon Schillaci, a convicted child sexual predator. He is now on the top ten list. Cops say the ex-con was offered a new chance at life after serving time in Texas , but instead repaid one family's kindness with a parent's worst nightmare.

Chi Du: When a jealous ex spotted his former girlfriend with another man, he decided that if he couldn't have her, then no one would. Police say a brutal attack soon followed, and Chi Du left two stunned victims behind.

Eddie Harrington: Both the FBI and police in Columbus , Ga. have issued arrest warrants for the abduction of three children. Authorities say that Eddie Harrington, 28, got into an argument with his wife and kidnapped his three children from their home: twin sisters Aliyah and Agna Battle, 1 year old, and Cedric Harrington, 3 years old. The police are concerned about the safety of both the children and Harrington -- and he has a history of mental health issues.

Perry Griffin Killers: The family of Perry Griffin is trying to come to terms with why Perry, 37, was gunned down outside his office in Dothan , Ala.

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