Joey "The Clown" Lombardo Claims Elder Abuse!

http://www.suntimes.com/25083725-418/joey-the-clown-lombardo-claims-elder-abuse-in-nc-prison.html

Thoughts?

I wonder why they would keep him in (what sounds like) quasi-solitary. It seems it would have to be 1) out of spite, 2) try to break him and get him to flip 3) to keep him from running things/having people killed, etc.

If it's the third I don't really understand the rationale. They let people like John Gotti and Jimmy Marcello have visitors in prison. I don't see how Lombardo presents more of a threat than them.

Although, maybe they have reason to believe he is interested in "acting out" etc.

No excuse for # 1 or 2. If there is evidence to support # 3, then I guess prison officials will do what they have to do. I can't see much of a threat at all from an 85 yr. old man in prison and in poor health. I suppose he could be getting messages out to his buddies in Chicago, but it just doesn't seem likely.

I think if you knew how mean of a fucker Lombardo was on the street and how many families he ruined by exploiting the weak, you would probably wish they forced him to soak his balls on ice WHILE in solitary.

But there are rules for a reason and sounds like the Feds are violating a few. I would assume they want him to flip since they cannot touch any of the current Outfit leadership.

Yeah, Lombardo at 85 is still just as big of a bullshitter as he was six or seven years ago in court when he feigned ignorance to all of those charges and took out a newspaper article denying his involvement with the Outfit. It wouldn't surprise me if he trumped up a lot of this "treatment" as being worse than it is just to get a rise out of people like this dipshit in the comments section:



I don't really know what kind of stuff they could glean from him flipping - maybe some stuff on the DiFronzos or Joey A but everybody else that Lombardo associated with is moldering in the ground. I would assume that he has had little interaction with the top guys on the street now so any information he could provide on that front would be limited at best.

I understand what you're saying, and I imagine Daniel Seifert's family would be in favor of the "ice treatment." Probably a lot of other people feel the same. But if that were done then prison officials and regular citizens would be as bad as gangsters / mobsters. The difference in treatment is one of the things that separates the two groups.

I bet the Feds would love to "turn ole Joey." Boy, I bet he could "fill in the blanks." The guy would be a treasure trove of info. Sounds like that may be what they're trying to do.

I doubt the feds would want to turn him just to solve a bunch of cold cases from forty years ago where all involved are dead. The information would be crazy interesting but how much legal good would it do now? They'd be better off trying to turn Jimmy Marcello, which, depending on who you ask, they may be trying to do by shipping him to Supermax.

If Marcello "flipped" I believe it would be safe to say we would have a Family Secrets 2, maybe 3 or 4 ! Yeah, he for sure could answer some questions.

I believe I read an earlier post where someone said he would never flip; too hardcore and just plain tough. Old school. I guess anything is possible especially if you're facing spending the rest of your life in prison. Everything I've read about him indicates he is a very, very tough hombre.

With that said, I can't see Lombardo flipping either. He hates cops and federal agents! Plus, the guy probably knows he doesn't have much time left so why should he talk now? To get out for a year or two and then die with your friends, colleagues, and the neighborhood whose had your back for fifty-plus years shunning you?

The only other explanation is they're worried about him getting messages out to the outside if you don't think they're trying to flip him. Lombardo doesn't seem like someone they should waste their time trying to flip. I don't see him doing it.

That would be my guess; he got caught trying to pass some kind of message (regardless of content) to somebody on the outside and got punished for a bit. Who knows how long this confinement will last? A month? A week? Butner has the best federal medical facility in the entire country, he's still getting the care he needs. The guy is a habitual liar, so it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he is exaggerating his position here.

Guess I never realized he can't send mail to his family? Certainly not going to defend this guy but just like Cooley knew, Siefert should've known he was playing with fire.

That was one botched hit doing it in front of the wife and kid, but he was testifying in 2 days so they probably were desperate.

Just like the Spilotro family getting their "justice". Like they didn't get what they had coming. How many dozens of bodies did he leave in the desert?

I'll agree though the guy they want to flip is Marcello. If he goes the outfit would be done.

Lombardo could actually put a lot of current leaders away. The Spina brothers being some of the main targets, along with Albie Vena who supposedly oversees the Outfit's remaining crew of hitters. Lombardo would also be aware of what was going on in Cicero and probably still had relationships with Marco D'Amico and Solly D. He still has a lot to offer.

There are still a lot of active politicians in Chicago who have done favors for the Outfit and continue to enjoy their pensions and power...since Grand Avenue always seemed to have the most pull with local alderman, that may be another motive.

I agree with ChiTown. I would imagine he can put virtually everybody away. You have to think of the age of the current players and Lombardo's status in the organization when they were coming up.

Marcello and lombardo will never flip, these guys are outfit through and through, the outfit is the one mafia family that actually gets a thrill out of out smarting the government, the outfit and genovese have one thing in common on and it's a testimony to their success, and that's they never had their chain of command broken due to Rico or other prosecutions

I also agree with thebigfella, I don't think either guy would ever flip. Not necessarily only for the reasons he says, but, nonetheless.

And for the people who think the outfit has only 28 members i have one question for u, if u can't answer this question then u shouldn't say they only have 28 members. Who was the last guys to get made in the Chicago outfit?

According to Fosco Magnificchi told him they had a making ceremony down south sometime in the 90s or early 2000s, I forget.

As to who it was, I've never heard anyone say with any authority... and don't really expect to.

It still blows my mind that only one made Outfit guy in its history has ever flipped.

I'm not sure how valuable a witness an 85 year old gangster at the end of his rope would be - I mean, it's not like he's bursting with credibility. But... More circumspect witnesses have been used in mafia trials in the past (Gravano, comes to mind). Still, I don't think we're like to see Lombardo sitting in court any time soon.

I don't think Lombardo is at the end of his rope per se...the guy was quite an athlete with excellent genes--I think his brothers Nucci and Vince lived into their 90s.

Again he could certainly provide the Feds with tons of info on the current structure and operations that Spina is running Grand Avenue. I'm sure he's also got dirt on other Outfit factions that have never been touched--like the Carusos.

I doubt he would ever flip.

Although, I do find it surprising that more don't... 10 years, I can see, but when you are literally looking at being in the joint for the rest of your life... and particularly a relatively young guy like Marcello... and you have an out card, any out card...

I don't know if I would say I would respect them for clamming up, but it is, in one sense, pretty damn impressive.

A lot of people talk the talk... walking the walk is a different story.

This comment under the article on the Sun TImes cracked me up:

"While he rot's I hope he thinks about the mustard he squirted in a 10 year old boy's eye's on Halloween back in 1963, Rot you POS"

I saw that too and thought the same thing lol

Looks like he will remain in solitary for awhile. Judge James Zagel (sounds familiar ) ruled today that Lombardo will remain in solitary.


http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/iteam&id=9403899

lol, pretty cold. All things considered it's probably the least worst thing the old bastards ever done.

I said the same thing.

He was the judge in the Family Secrets trial.

That's mess up.

Just another example how particular the Outfit was in making guys. Unlike NY/Philly.