Hyuck, Hyuck, Hyuck

By Alicia Dorr in News on Aug 16, 2007 6:02PM

We don't know whether you've been following the trial of Joey "The Clown" Lombardo or not, but even if you haven't you would still be able to appreciate yesterday's courtroom antics.

Like some improbable and ridiculous movie or TV sketch, Lombardo took the stand in his own defense yesterday and basically danced circles around the cross-examiner in what was either the most convincing declaration of innocence or the most hilarious way to go down. He's on trial for leading the Chicago Outfit, implication in 18 unsolved murders and more, but to hear him you'd think he didn't have a care in the world.

Aside from admitting he was a hustler who ran a notorious floating craps game, Lombardo flatly denied any ties to the Chicago Outfit, links to any murders and anything else that was thrown at him. On top of outright denials, Lombardo seemed in light spirits when questioned by the federal prosecutor, even in the face of fairly damning transcripts of recordings. One involved some pretty raw threats against a St. Louis lawyer in 1979, to which Lombardo responded that he was just pretending to be a mobster to be intimidating.

"That was a good role for you, wasn't it, Mr. Lombardo?" the prosecutor challenged.
"Yeah, like James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson..." Lombardo said.

It must have been pretty frustrating to have an old man mock his way through a serious trial. We don't believe for a second that Lombardo wasn't a part of the syndicate in its Chicago "glory days" or that his hands are clean of any of these bloody crimes, but that doesn't mean the man isn't funny.

Image via Wikipedia.com.