Desperately Seeking Mr. Lnu

"Those who think the information brought out at a criminal trial is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth are fools."—F. Lee Bailey

Photo courtesy: Post Gazette

(SALEM, Ore.) - Roger Greenbank was a career FBI agent in Pennsylvania. In the mid-1980s, Greenbank became the lead agent in Pittsburgh for a task force targeting the mob. In 2000, Greenbank was the subject of a newspaper article reviewing the key role he played in “dismantling the region's organized crime family”.  A decade previously, according to the Post-Gazette, “Greenbank and a squad of federal agents and prosecutors crippled the Pittsburgh mob with the convictions of underboss Charles "Chucky" Porter, top lieutenant Louis Raucci Sr. and seven of their associates. The Mafia has limped along ever since, damaged further by age, death and defections.”  The article also mentions that Greenbank admitted he “couldn't help feeling some animus toward Melvin Schwartz, ("Chucky") Porter's attorney.”

Regarding Porter’s subsequent trial, the article touches upon an interesting “Courtroom Moment” which Greenbank reminisced about to the daily paper, “During the 1990 trial, (defense attorney Melvin) Schwartz began grilling a Chinese witness from Chicago using information from an FBI report that identified several individuals by their first names followed by "Lnu".

"Lnu" being an acronym for "last name unknown”.

"At one point Schwartz, a pompous sort, began talking about "Joe Lnu," apparently thinking that Lnu was a Chinese name. The Chinese witness said he didn't know any "Joe Lnu."

As the grilling continued, (Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce) Teitelbaum stood up and told the judge he could clear up the confusion.

But Schwartz cut him off, saying he didn't need Teitelbaum's help, and resumed trying to find out who "Joe Lnu" was.

Greenbank, who had to put his head down because he was laughing too hard, muttered a profanity under his breath.

Schwartz whirled. "What did you say, Mr. Greenbank?"

 "You heard me," Greenbank said.

 Schwartz demanded that Greenbank's slur be made part of the court record.

Greenbank had no problem with that. "I did call him" that, he said.  "Because he was one."

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/20001105greenbank1.asp