Notorious Chicago Mob Figure "Fat Mike" Sarno Rejected in Bid for Compassionate Prison Release
In a recent ruling, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis has denied the compassionate prison release of Michael "Fat Mike" Sarno, the former boss of the Cicero Street Crew, a powerful faction of the Chicago Outfit.
Sarno, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence in the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Mo., has been in prison for the past five years. His conviction stems from a 2010 racketeering and extortion case in Chicago's U.S. District Court.
The trial judge found Sarno to have a single-minded determination to continue engaging in criminal conduct of an organized nature, involving racketeering and gambling. Court documents also reveal that the proceeds of the heists were fenced at a Cicero pawnshop operated by the Outlaws motorcycle gang.
Sarno, who has been wheelchair-bound for the past six years and needs assistance using the bathroom, has experienced multiple health issues while incarcerated. His lawyers argued that keeping him in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic could amount to the death penalty due to his medical conditions. However, Judge Ellis wrote that courts are not compelled to release every prisoner with extraordinary and compelling health concerns.
Judge Ellis's decision comes as no surprise, given Sarno's history of committing similar offenses. In 2003, he was found guilty of ordering the pipe bombing of the headquarters of a rival to his video-poker machine empire.
Despite his medical concerns, Judge Ellis stated that Sarno remains a risk to the community because he remains capable of continuing his role in the criminal enterprise. The Cicero Crew, established in the 1920s by Al Capone, is historically known for illegal gambling, loan sharking, racketeering, and political corruption.
Sarno's current incarceration is at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago. In a letter to the judge, Sarno described himself as "a pathetic shadow of my former self." However, his appeal for compassionate release has been denied.
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