Following Footsteps

Chicago attorney Joseph Lopez certainly has that spin thing down. On the one hand, his client, Frank Calabrese Sr. — star of the Family Secrets Trial — is, "happy to see his son [Frank Calabrese Jr.]; he hasn't seen him in a long time." But his client's happiness is mixed with melancholy: "It's very difficult for any parent to see his child testify against him."

The 68-year-old Calabrese is charged, along with with his 62-year-old brother Nicholas and three other defendants with violating various laws, including conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder, in connection with illicit organized crime activities including loan sharking and bookmaking, as well as obstructing justice, extorting "street taxes" from businesses, sports bookmaking, operating video gambling machines, making "juice loans" charging ruinous interest rates and using extortion, threats, violence and intimidation to collect on those loans. Chicago prosecutors have been crowing about this family break-up.

To bolster the government's case, the 47-year-old secretly taped his dad while they walked the Milan, Mich., prison yard together a few years back — they were imprisoned in 1997 together for loan sharking. In court, he spoke of an unusual upbringing that included loan sharking, extortion, beatings and even a firebombing. It is also true that he did happen to steal $600,000 to $800,000 from dad, "investing" in a restaurant, vacations and a cocaine addiction."I blew all the money; I spent it wildly," he admitted.

Cross-examination of the prosecution's "star witness" (wouldn't his mother be proud?)for motives and credibility is to come.

** An interesting conundrum for a dad of where to draw the line regarding bringing his son into the family business? **