I just spotted the headline in Yahoo news:
Reputed Mob Boss Captured in Chicago
A mobster, in Chicago? Say it ain’t so! Why would a mobster in Chicago be big news? Unless… They did write “Mob Boss”… Could it be…?
Holy Crap! They caught Joey “The Clown” Lombardo!
Lombardo has had kind of a strange reputation for years. Apparently, he was not a very flashy guy by mob standards and had an off-beat sense of humor. After Tony Accardo died, the rumor in the newspapers was that Lombardo, who was just being let out of prison, was going to be the new boss of the Chicago mob.
If he was, he kept a pretty low profile. Which made sense. You know, the whole “code of silence” thing. Also, associating with criminals would be a parole violation, so he couldn’t be seen talking to an awful lot of people. Many people figured that someone else like John “No Nose” Difronzo was really in charge.
Not much was heard from or about Lombardo until April of last year. That’s when a federal investigation wound up with the indictment and arrest of 14 mobsters in connection with 18 murders.
Well…the feds indicted 14 mobsters, but only arrested 13. Amazingly, the 77-year old Lombardo escaped capture and has been a fugitive ever since.
He wrote letters to his lawyer, including one where he offers to surrender to the FBI if they’ll meet his terms. Of course, he claims he’s innocent:
I am no part of a enterprise or racketering. About the 18 murders in the indictment, I want you to know that I was not privy before the murders, during the murders, and after the murders.
They caught him just a few hours ago in Elmwood Park. On Friday the 13th, no less. Clown to the end.
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