Son of Mafia boss acquitted in gambling case
A federal jury in Detroit has
acquitted the son of convicted Mafia boss Vito Giacalone of
racketeering and extortion charges resulting from a government
investigation into illegal sports gambling.
It took less than one hour for
the jury to find the 56-year-old Jack V. Giacalone of West
Bloomfield not guilty on the sports gambling charges. He was
indicted on March 3rd 2006 among the total of 15 defendants, most of
them pleading guilty on the illegal betting case. Fourteen of
the charged defendants were arrested in the Metropolitan
Detroit, the fifteenth individual - in Illinois.
Investigators accused Jack
Giacalone in attempt to collect a gambling debt from a man who
told a grand jury that he felt intimidated. But the man
testified the contrary - that he didn't feel threatened. He
was indicted on two counts of Racketeering/Conspiracy under
Rico, and nine counts of Collection of Credit by Extortionate
Means, and listed as defendant number eight.
Jack Giacalone's lawyer says he's pleased with the decision. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith
Corbett said "the jury has spoken" and that the government would
focus on the other cases from the illegal sports gambling ring.
Vito (Billy Jack) Giacalone, a
long time capo, pleaded guilty in a plea bargain in which he
formally acknowledged that he was a member of La Cosa Nostra.
On the picture:
Anthony "Tony Jack" Giacalone, uncle of Jack V. Giacalone.
04/29/2007
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