Feared Chicago Mobster Frank Calabrese Sr. Dies in Prison on Christmas Day

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Frank Calabrese Sr. died in prison in Springfield, Mo., on Christmas day. The 75-year-old had been battling a number of ailments.

Frank "The Breeze" Calabrese, one of Chicago's most feared mobsters and a long-time Oak Brook resident, had been sentenced to life for racketeering and the murder of at least 13 people.

His son, Frank Calabrese Jr., who also once lived the life of a mobster and did time in prison, cooperated with the FBI by wearing a wire and helped put his father and many other members of the Chicago Outfit in prison during the Family Secrets trial.

"My ex-wife to this day fears my father. My brothers fear my father," the junior Calabrese told a crowd at the Mill Theatre at Elmhurst College in March 2011.

"I needed to keep this man locked up," he said.

He did a series of public appearance in connection with his book, Operation Family Secrets: How a Mobster's Son and the FBI Brought Down Chicago's Murderous Crime Family.

Calabrese Jr. is now turning his family's story into a movie with some "Hollywood heavy hitters," according to a September article on MyFoxChicago.com.

Calabrese Sr., also known as a loan shark, extorted businesses like Celozzi Ettleson Chevrolet in Elmhurst, according to an article in the Daily Herald. 

Elmhurst native Nick Celozzi also has made multiple films about the mob. The film, Momo: The Sam Giancana Story, received The Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary film in Los Angeles at The Bel-Air Film Festival in October and a filmmaking award for Best Documentary at The Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival Dec. 5.

Celozzi began casting for his new reality show about basketball, The Nick of Time, this month, according to Suburban Life.

An autopsy is being performed on Frank Calabrese Sr., the Tribune is reporting.