Courtroom drama: Mob rat Dino Calabro and brother Vincenzo in Mafia family split
COLOMBO crime boss Thomas Gioeli’s trial turned into a scene from “Godfather: Part II” Wednesday when the brother of the turncoat witness showed whose side he’s on — sitting with the mobster’s family in court.
Hit man Dino Calabro was asked on cross-examination if he remembered calling his brother Vincenzo a “s---bag” and accusing him of stealing $65,000.
“I didn’t call him a s---bag,” Calabro shot back.
Defense lawyer Adam Perlmutter asked Vincenzo Calabro to stand up so his brother Dino — and the jury — could see that he was sitting with Gioeli’s entourage.
“You don’t have to do that, Sir. Sit down, please,” said Federal Judge Brian Cogan.
The stunt was pulled straight out of the classic Mafia film when fictional mob rat Frank Pentangeli testifies before a Senate committee and his Sicilian-born brother shows up accompanied by crime boss Michael Corleone (Al Pacino).
The witness is so unnerved he changes his testimony and later commits suicide by slashing his wrists in a bathtub.
But Calabro, who was born in Sicily, hardly appeared flustered by his brother’s appearance, easily handling the questioning, some of it downright bizarre.
Perlmutter asked the witness if he was aware that two of the Three Stooges had graduated from Seth Lowe High School, where Calabro was a dropout.
Then he asked Calabro if he knew that Hollywood mogul David Geffen was an alumnus.
“I don’t even know who that is,” Calabro said.
Hit man Dino Calabro was asked on cross-examination if he remembered calling his brother Vincenzo a “s---bag” and accusing him of stealing $65,000.
“I didn’t call him a s---bag,” Calabro shot back.
Defense lawyer Adam Perlmutter asked Vincenzo Calabro to stand up so his brother Dino — and the jury — could see that he was sitting with Gioeli’s entourage.
“You don’t have to do that, Sir. Sit down, please,” said Federal Judge Brian Cogan.
The stunt was pulled straight out of the classic Mafia film when fictional mob rat Frank Pentangeli testifies before a Senate committee and his Sicilian-born brother shows up accompanied by crime boss Michael Corleone (Al Pacino).
The witness is so unnerved he changes his testimony and later commits suicide by slashing his wrists in a bathtub.
But Calabro, who was born in Sicily, hardly appeared flustered by his brother’s appearance, easily handling the questioning, some of it downright bizarre.
Perlmutter asked the witness if he was aware that two of the Three Stooges had graduated from Seth Lowe High School, where Calabro was a dropout.
Then he asked Calabro if he knew that Hollywood mogul David Geffen was an alumnus.
“I don’t even know who that is,” Calabro said.
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