Daley dodges questions about pal's tie to trial

By Gary Washburn
Tribune staff reporter
Published July 19, 2007
A peeved Mayor Richard Daley deflected questions Wednesday about his relationship with businessman Fred Barbara following federal court testimony linking Barbara to a mob bombing in the 1980s.

"I think it's ridiculous," Daley said when reporters asked him about Tuesday's testimony from Nicholas Calabrese, a mob turncoat testifying in the Family Secrets trial.

"I said it's ridiculous, just another headline you provide," Daley said when a Chicago Sun-Times reporter asked him about it. Daley spokeswoman Jacquelyn Heard said afterward that the mayor was referring to the newspaper's display of the story Wednesday.

Pressed by other reporters on Barbara, Daley repeated his criticism. "I say it is ridiculous to place me in that position. That is how you [the media] do it, so I understand that," Daley said.

Calabrese made a glancing reference to Barbara when he testified Tuesday that two teams of Outfit soldiers carried out bombings on two suburban restaurants in the early 1980s. Calabrese testified that while he took part in the bombing of one restaurant, a second team that included Barbara attacked the other restaurant. Calabrese made no further reference to Barbara.

Barbara could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Barbara is a Daley friend from the Bridgeport neighborhood and a nephew of the late 1st Ward Ald. Fred Roti, who served 4 years in prison for fixing court and zoning cases.

For decades, the Barbara family has had a huge stake in city trucking contracts. And Barbara's companies have done work under the city's controversial Hired Truck and blue-bag recycling programs.

gwashburn@tribune.com