Jury selection to begin in Salemme trial

Jury selection is still scheduled to begin tomorrow in the federal murder trial of former New England Mafia godfather Francis “Cadillac Frank” Salemme and an alleged gangland associate, Paul Weadick.

The actual trial is not expected to get underway until May 9 — nearly 25 years to the day since federal prosecutors allege the two men took part in the killing of Steven DiSarro, 43, owner of the popular South Boston rock club The Channel.

Salemme, 84, who was in the U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program when he was arrested in 2016, is accused by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of watching his late son, Francis Salemme Jr., fatally throttle DiSarro in a home on Marie Avenue in Sharon in 1993 while Weadick, 63, of Burlington held DiSarro’s legs off the floor.

DiSarro was killed to stop him from telling federal investigators that Salemme and his son shared a hidden financial interest in The Channel, prosecutors allege. The junior Salemme had worked for DiSarro as an assistant manager. The club no longer exists. DiSarro, a family man, was missing for 23 years until his remains were located in 2016 behind a building on Branch Avenue in North Providence, R.I.

The feds’ star witnesses will include Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi, the former partner of convicted South Boston serial killer James “Whitey” Bulger.

Flemmi, who is serving life at an undisclosed location for his role in 10 murders, is expected to describe for jurors how — as he claims — he accidentally walked in on DiSarro’s murder as it was occurring on May 10, 1993.