Former Bruins star comes up in mob trial

BOSTON, March 4 (UPI) -- Gerry Cheevers, a goaltender on the Boston Bruins Stanley Cup-winning teams in the early 1970s, is listed as a potential witness in a mob trial.

Prosecutors said Monday that they do not expect to call Cheevers as a witness during the racketeering trial of Arthur and Mary Ann Gianelli and three others, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

However, Cheevers' name was on a list of 151 people likely to testify or to be mentioned in trial testimony. Potential jurors were being asked if they knew any of them.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak said that Philip Castinetti, owner of a sports memorabilia store in Saugus, was allegedly victimized by Gianelli when he borrowed money on behalf of Cheevers.

Cheevers, 68, is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He played on the teams led by Bobby Orr that won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972.

"I'm really confused as to why my name is on the list," he told the Globe.

The defendants face charges that include loansharking and trying to intimidate bar owners into selling their businesses.