Nicholas W. Calabrese (born November 30, 1942) is an American former
mob hitman, best known for being the second
made man
In the American and Sicilian Mafia, a made man is a fully initiated member of the Mafia. To become "made", an associate first must be Italian or of Italian descent and sponsored by another made man. An inductee will be required to take the o ...
ever to testify against the
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, th ...
. His testimony and cooperation with federal prosecutors helped result in the 2007 murder convictions of mobsters
Joseph Lombardo
Joseph Patrick Lombardo (born Giuseppe Lombardi; January 1, 1929 – October 19, 2019), also known as "Joey the Clown", was an American mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit crime organization. He was alleged to be the ''Consi ...
,
James Marcello and his brother,
Frank Calabrese Sr.
Early life and work outside of the Chicago Outfit
Calabrese was born the son of James and Sophie Calabrese, growing up near the intersection of
Grand
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and comm ...
and
Ogden Avenue
Ogden Avenue is a street extending from the Near West Side of Chicago to Montgomery, Illinois. It was named for William B. Ogden, the first mayor of Chicago.
The street follows the route of the Southwestern Plank Road, which opened in 1848 ac ...
s on
Chicago's Near West Side.
As a boy, Calabrese worked at a newsstand at the corner of Grand Avenue and
State Street, in downtown Chicago, where some of his brothers had worked as well. Calabrese graduated from
Steinmetz High School
Steinmetz College Prep (also known as Steinmetz High School or Steinmetz Academic Centre) is a public 4–year high school located in the Belmont Cragin community area on the Northwest Side of Chicago, Illinois. Steinmetz is a part of the Chicag ...
in Chicago.
Calabrese served in
Vietnam in the
United States Navy from 1965 until 1967, working as a radioman and having top-secret clearance on the
USS ''Bainbridge''.
Calabrese also had worked as an ironworker on the
John Hancock Center construction project in Chicago, as a
Teamster
A teamster is the American term for a truck driver or a person who drives teams of draft animals. Further, the term often refers to a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union in the United States and Canada.
Origin ...
working for trade show contractor United Exposition at Chicago's
McCormick Place
McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America. It consists of four interconnected buildings and one indoor arena sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States. McCorm ...
and as a
Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 2 ...
security officer at the courthouse in
Maywood, Illinois from 1977 until 1989.
In the 1970s, Calabrese and two partners operated a restaurant and lounge in
Hoffman Estates, Illinois for a couple of years, and also worked for a private detective agency.
Chicago Outfit career
From 1978 until 1992, Calabrese helped his brother, noted
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, th ...
made man
In the American and Sicilian Mafia, a made man is a fully initiated member of the Mafia. To become "made", an associate first must be Italian or of Italian descent and sponsored by another made man. An inductee will be required to take the o ...
Frank Calabrese Sr., run a lucrative loan-sharking racket, serving as his brother's top assistant. Frank and Nick reported to
Angelo J. "The Hook" LaPietra, the
caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to capo or informally referred to as "captain" or "skipper", is a rank used in the Mafia (both the Sicilian Mafia and Italian-American Mafia) for a ''made member'' of an Italian crime family who hea ...
of
The 26th Street Crew
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
, who ran operations out of the
Old Neighborhood Italian American Club
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
*Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
. Calabrese also has admitted in court to taking part in 14 murders ordered by LaPietra, including the "hits" on
Michael Albergo
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name "Michael"
* Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...
and
John Fecarotta
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
, from 1970 until 1986, as part of Calabrese's time in the mob.
The "juice loan" business charged interest rates on loans of as much as 10 percent per week.
On July 28, 1995, the federal government indicted Nicholas Calabrese and nine other organized crime figures with using threats, violence and intimidation to enforce the loan sharking racket from 1978 until 1992. The other defendants were
Frank Calabrese Sr., Frank Calabrese Jr., Kurt Calabrese, Robert Dinella, Philip J. Fiore, Terry Scalise, Kevin Kudulis, Louis Bombacino and Philip Tolomeo.
Calabrese eventually was found guilty of racketeering. On August 27, 1997, Calabrese, who at that time was residing in
Norridge, Illinois
Norridge is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,251 at the 2020 census. The village and its neighbor to the east, Harwood Heights, together form an enclave within the city of Chicago (i.e. they are surrounded ...
, was sentenced by United States District Judge
James F. Holderman to 70 months in federal prison. At his sentencing, Nicholas Calabrese apologized to Holderman, saying, "I caused a lot of problems for a lot of people."
Family Secrets investigation and conviction
On February 21, 2003, ''
Chicago Tribune'' columnist
John Kass
John Kass (born June 25, 1956) is an American columnist and former editorial board member for the '' Chicago Tribune'' and radio broadcaster. Until summer 2020, his opinion pieces regularly appeared on page 2 of the main news section of the ''Tribu ...
broke the story that Calabrese was talking to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, and noted that Calabrese had disappeared from
the federal prison in
Milan, Michigan
Milan ( ) is a city in Monroe County, Michigan, Monroe and Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,079 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
The community was settled as early a ...
, and that Calabrese's federal prison records had disappeared altogether, leading Kass to believe that Calabrese had entered the
United States Federal Witness Protection Program. FBI agents also had spread out across the country with search warrants, collecting DNA evidence, hair cuttings and oral swabs from many reputed
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, th ...
members.
On April 25, 2005, federal prosecutors indicted 12
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, th ...
figures—including Calabrese—and two former police officers on charges of murder, illegal gambling, and loan sharking. Dubbed "
Operation Family Secrets
Operation Family Secrets was an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into mob-related crimes in Chicago. The FBI called it one of the most successful investigations of organized crime that it had ever conducted.[mob enforcer
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...]
John Fecarotta, prompting Calabrese to cooperate with law enforcement in the probe.
After various plea agreements and the deaths of two defendants, ultimately five other defendants—
Joseph Lombardo
Joseph Patrick Lombardo (born Giuseppe Lombardi; January 1, 1929 – October 19, 2019), also known as "Joey the Clown", was an American mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit crime organization. He was alleged to be the ''Consi ...
,
James Marcello,
Frank Calabrese Sr., Paul Schiro and Anthony Doyle—went to trial. Calabrese formally entered a plea of guilty to murder and racketeering on May 18, 2007. On July 16, 2007, Nicholas Calabrese took the witness stand and admitted to committing murders with Marcello, Schiro and his brother Frank Calabrese Sr. Nicholas Calabrese admitted to having committed a total of 14 murders, and as part of his deal for cooperating, federal prosecutors agreed not to prosecute him for any of the 14 murders, thus sparing him the sentence of life in prison that he could have received had he been convicted of even one murder. Prosecutors also agreed to recommend a sentence of less than life in prison.
While on the stand, Calabrese stated that his association with the
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, th ...
dated to May 1970, and that he began cooperating with the government in January 2002, after federal investigators confronted him with a bloody glove containing his
DNA that he had inadvertently dropped at the scene of the Fecarotta slaying. Calabrese also acknowledged that he had been joined in the Fecarotta murder by his brother Frank Calabrese Sr. and now-deceased mobster John Monteleone.
Calabrese also provided details on the infamous slayings of
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit (also known as the Outfit, the Chicago Mafia, the Chicago Mob, the Chicago crime family, the South Side Gang or The Organization) is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, th ...
member
Anthony Spilotro
Anthony John Spilotro (May 19, 1938 – June 14, 1986), nicknamed "Tony the Ant", was an American mobster and high ranking member for the Chicago Outfit in Las Vegas during the 1970s and '80s.
Spilotro managed the Outfit's illegal casino profits ...
and Outfit associate
Michael Spilotro
Michael Peter "Micky" Spilotro (September 12, 1944 – June 14, 1986) was the younger brother of Anthony "Tony the Ant" Spilotro and was an associate of the Chicago organized crime organization referred to as " The Outfit".
Family background
M ...
, in 1986, in which Calabrese said he was one of a large number of mobsters who participated. The Spilotro murders were depicted—with many details changed—in the 1995
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...
directed movie, ''
Casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
''.
Calabrese admitted that he initially had lied to the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
after he began cooperating, initially concealing Marcello's role in the Spilotros' killing because Marcello had been paying Calabrese's wife $4,000 a month while Calabrese was in prison.
In 2007, Lombardo, Marcello, Schiro and Frank Calabrese Sr. all were convicted on murder and racketeering charges, while Doyle was convicted on racketeering charges. In February 2009, Lombardo, Marcello and Frank Calabrese Sr. all were sentenced to life in prison. At Marcello's sentencing hearing in February 2009; Patrick Spilotro, brother of Michael and Anthony, gave a victim impact statement in which he stated he had personally encouraged Calabrese to begin cooperating with the government.
Sentencing
On March 26, 2009, Nick Calabrese was sentenced by United States District Judge
James Zagel
James Block Zagel (born March 4, 1941) is an inactive Senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and a novelist.
Early life and education
Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Jewish ...
to 12 years and four months in prison. Upon sentencing Calabrese, Zagel told him, "I think what you did does make amends by allowing penalties to be paid for the murders of others and for allowing families to know how and why their
oved onesdied." Calabrese had said, "I can't go back and undo what I done... I stand before you a different man, a changed man." Zagel doubts Calabrese will ever truly be free. No matter how long he lives or in what protected place it will be, Calabrese will always have to look over his shoulder. Zagel said, "The organization whose existence you testified to will not forgive or relent in their pursuit of you."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calabrese, Nicholas
1942 births
Living people
20th-century criminals
American gangsters of Italian descent
American people convicted of murder
United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War
Military personnel from Illinois
Chicago Outfit mobsters
People convicted of murder by the United States federal government
People convicted of racketeering
People from Norridge, Illinois
Federal Bureau of Investigation informants
People who entered the United States Federal Witness Protection Program