John Ambrose, the former U.S. marshal convicted of leaking confidential information to a reputed Outfit associate, was punched out at a high school wrestling meet Friday after an altercation in the stands.
Joliet police wouldn’t identify the man who was struck, but Ambrose told the Tribune he was “the victim of an aggravated battery attack” at the meet. He declined to comment further.
According to Joliet Police Deputy Chief Al Roechner, a visiting fan in the stands was being “very vocal” during a match at Plainfield South High School and was confronted by the parent of a Plainfield South wrestler.
The wrestler, who is 17, saw his parent arguing and ran into the stands, punching the visiting fan in the face, Roechner said.
Police arrested the student, Roechner said. Though the visitor was bleeding, Roechner said he declined medical treatment.
The boy was released to his parents, Roechner said. Kendall County State’s Attorney Eric Weis said his office, which covers Plainfield South, has not yet received a referral for prosecution on the matter.
Tom Hernandez, spokesman for Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202, said the district was aware of an “incident” that took place at Friday’s meet.
He declined further comment but said the district was looking into whether any student would be disciplined.
“We are doing our own investigation, as we always do,” Hernandez said Sunday. “We will take appropriate steps as warranted.”
In 2009, a federal judge sentenced Ambrose to four years in prison after he was convicted of telling a reputed mob associate that hit man Nicholas Calabrese was secretly cooperating with authorities.
Ambrose’s attorney said the decorated former deputy U.S. marshal was just bragging to a family friend about being in Calabrese’s security detail, but prosecutors said Ambrose knew the information would be relayed to the mob.
Calabrese’s testimony in the 2007 Family Secrets trial helped convict five alleged organized crime members, including his brother Frank Calabrese Sr.
(Tribune reporter Elvia Malagon contributed. Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter.)
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