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Thursday, Apr 28, 2005 - Posted by Rich Miller

Many years ago, a Quad Cities newspaper used a photo of me in a story about a local murderer who was captured in Texas. So, I guess I can relate a little to this story:

Two men claim photographs in the Chicago Tribune misidentified them as high-ranking mobsters, prompting one of the men Wednesday to sue the newspaper.

Retired businessman Frank Calabrese is suing the Tribune Co. for more than $1 million in damages, claiming defamation.

His picture ran Tuesday as part of a package about the indictment of several mobsters — including one named Frank Calabrese Sr. — on charges of plotting at least 18 murders. […]

Meanwhile, the Tribune also is investigating the accuracy of a photograph that ran in Wednesday’s editions, Wetli said.

That photograph, which the newspaper said in another story was taken by a college student, identified a man as Joseph “The Clown” Lombardo, a 76-year-old reputed mob boss who is on the lam after being indicted Monday along with Frank Calabrese Sr.

But a man identified as Stanley Swieton told Chicago reporters he was the person in the picture.

I didn’t sue when this happened to me, but I didn’t tell the editors my intentions right away and they were more than a little freaked out when I mentioned that my mother lived in their circulation area. Actually, Mom thought the whole thing was hilarious, and one of the paper’s columnists ended up writing a great little story about her, so it all worked out OK as far as I was concerned.

6 Comments

- Shelbyville - Thursday, Apr 28, 05 @ 1:33 pm:
In Springfield once, channel 20 ran a picture of George Ryan and announced that he had just gotten out of alcohol rehab. They were reporting on Father Ryan of the Spfld. diocese.

George Ryan’s office was reluctant to have channel 20 correct their story for fear they would report that “George Ryan had not gotten out of rehab.”

- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 28, 05 @ 4:02 pm:
Rich - do us a favor and track down a copy of that Quad Cities story, headline and photo - post it on your blog. I’d love to have a copy of that for my scrapbook!!

I’m sure your folks must’ve saved that one!

- Doug Miller - Thursday, Apr 28, 05 @ 9:39 pm:
When you look like the Unibomber, it’s not hard to be mistaken for a murderer.

And yes, our Mom has a copy of the Newspaper…one of her proudest moments.

- Tessa - Sunday, May 1, 05 @ 8:36 am:
While waiting for my flight at O’Hare on Wednesday I read the Trib and saw both the photo of Stanley/The Clown, whoever, and the article on Calabrese.

Wednesday night I’m at my parents in Ft. Myers watching th 9:00 WGN news and see them interviewing the retired janitor who was mistaken for the mob boss. I felt so bad for him. Then they reported on Calabrese suing the Tribune for what the error has done to his reputation.

All I could think at the time was “Oops”. Someone wasn’t very thorough. And those are some of the lighter stories out of Illinois lately.

- Anonymous - Tuesday, May 3, 05 @ 5:02 pm:
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

- Rich Miller - Wednesday, May 4, 05 @ 12:46 am:
Anonymous 5:02, you’re an uninformed person who should stop posting on my blog.

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