Mob boss locked up; feds take aim at his wife

April 13, 2010 (CHICAGO)

The government is now coming after her for the $4,378,347.16 that he still owes in fines, fees and restitution following his racketeering conviction during the famed Operation Family Secrets prosecution.

Diane Calabrese has been "commanded to appear" at the U.S. Attorneys office in Chicago this Thursday afternoon. Mrs. Calabrese has been served an order by federal prosecutors to bring financial records and other personal documentation with her, to prove that she is not hiding assets from the government.

Although there is nothing to indicate any sinister timing, the hoodlum's spouse is required to meet with prosecutors on Thursday April, 15th-the day federal taxes are due.

Mrs. Calabrese may have figured this was coming. Last month U.S. deputy marshals showed up at her Oak Brook home trying to collect some of the debt owed by Frank "the Breeze," 71, who was otherwise occupied in a solitary confinement at a federal penitentiary.

The Marshal Service officers found a stash of guns, gems and greenbacks hidden in a basement wall behind the Calabrese family photo. There was about $750,000 in cash along with seven guns and hundreds of engagement rings, wedding rings, diamond necklaces, pendants, earrings and loose stones.

Authorities also found $26,000 cash in Diane Calabrese' bedroom.

According to records filed in federal court, among the items Mrs.

Calabrese is required to bring with her are: bank and investment statements for the past three years, state and federal income tax returns for the same time period, applications for credit, loans and insurance, safety deposit boxes, promissory notes and any titles to vehicles, boats, real estate or other personal property.

It is not clear if Diane Calabrese will abide by the order because there is no phone listed for her.

One thing certain: she will not be represented by husband's attorney, Joseph "the Shark" Lopez.

"She is distancing herself from us" said Lopez, who said he did not know if she had her own attorney.

At the time of the federal raid on the Calabrese home last month, Mr. Lopez said that neither he nor his client knew who stashed the items in a basement cubbyhole.

Lopez, known as an occasional courtroom jester and for his attraction to pink socks and matching neckties, did have an observation about some audio tapes that were found among the jewels and other loot.

While authorities said the tapes seemed to be of conversations secretly recorded between mobsters, Lopez stated he didn't know who was on them but that "it could be Frank Sinatra."

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