Another Outfit trial, another courtroom circus

[n2doc]

By Andy Grimm, Tribune Reporter
10:18 p.m. CST, November 10, 2010


Three years after the landmark Family Secrets trial gripped Chicago with lurid details of gangland slayings, reputed Cicero street crew boss Michael "The Large Guy" Sarno went on trial Wednesday in another racketeering case showcasing the alleged violence of the Outfit.

Jury selection began Wednesday in U.S. District Court, with Sarno, 52, and his alleged crew members charged with bombing a Berwyn video poker business in competition with a mob-backed rival and fencing $1.4 million in gems stolen in a series of smash-and-grab robberies at jewelry stores.

Much like Family Secrets, the trial promises to have some colorful characters. On Wednesday Sarno, also known as "Big Mike," flashed a peace sign to reporters as he walked across the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse wearing a loose-fitting jacket over his bulky 6-foot-3-inch frame.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-mob-bombing-trial-20101110,0,1296928.story

snip:
"The Outfit are not great admirers of color," Binder said. "They're not going to go to minorities, they're not going to blacks and Hispanics. So you need some muscle, how about a nice, white biker gang?"