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Police Officers Shot in Detroit; 2 Deputies Wounded in Washington State; Jack LaLanne Dies at 96; Surviving a Shot to the Head; Ex-Mafia Informant Speaks
Aired January 23, 2011 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, everything you need to know for your week ahead including the latest twist in the investigation of a woman accused of kidnapping a baby from a hospital more than 20 years ago. Police now have her in custody, and we're talking to them about how she was caught and why she did it.
A woman shopping at Wal-Mart is killed during a shoot-out between a gunman and police. The gunman is also dead. What set off the barrage of bullets today at America's largest retailer?
And this woman says she knows what Gabrielle Giffords is facing now and will in the future. Mary Jo Buttafuoco was shot in the head at close range by her husband's teenaged lover almost 20 years ago. In a rare TV appearance, she shares her incredible battle back to health right now.
Good evening, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
Topping the news tonight, a Detroit police officer seriously wounded today in a shoot-out is out of surgery and is expected to survive. In all, four officers were wounded when a gunman walked into the station precinct and opened fire. The gunman was killed as police returned fire. Live report is just ahead.
We're following another shooting involving law enforcement. This one is in Washington State. Investigators say two people were killed outside a Wal-Mart in Port Orchard. One of them is a suspect and the other is an unidentified woman. Two deputies were also shot and transferred to Tacoma for treatment. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
In Connecticut, federal kidnapping charges have been filed in the 1987 kidnapping of a baby girl from a New York hospital. The FBI in Bridgeport, Connecticut says Ann Pettway turned herself in this morning. Pettway allegedly snatched the infant 23 years ago and then raised the girl as her own daughter. That girl, Carlina White, now 23 years old, recently discovered her true identity and was reunited last week with her biological family. A report on the circumstances leading up to Pettway's surrender is also just ahead.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is still in intensive care in a Houston hospital tonight. But doctors say she is surprising them with the progress she's already made. Giffords was transferred from Arizona to Houston for rehabilitation work. She is doing exercises that involve moving, sitting and standing. Giffords still has a breathing tube in her neck and can't speak, but doctors say she is trying to communicate.
Meantime, the man accused of shooting Congresswoman Giffords and 18 others will be in federal court tomorrow in Phoenix. Jared Loughner will be arraigned for the attempted assassination of Giffords and the attempted murder of two of her aides. He will probably face more indictments for the other victims in the future. Six people were killed and 13 others wounded in a rampage in Tucson on January 8th.
President Barack Obama will head to Capitol Hill to address Congress and the nation in less than 48 hours. He told supporters this weekend that Tuesday's State of the Union address will focus mainly on jobs and the economy. Meantime, a White House official tells CNN that Gabrielle Giffords' husband, Captain Mark Kelly was invited to sit with Mrs. Obama during the speech but he is not expected to attend.
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell told CNN's Candy Crowley today that he is not ready to endorse anyone in either party for president in 2012. Powell crossed party lines and gave then Senator Barack Obama a big boost when he endorsed him back in 2008. Next time, maybe not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: So I'm not committed to Barack Obama. I'm not committed to a Republican candidate. I will see who emerges. Right now, I do not see on the Republican side any one individual who I think is going to emerge at the top of the pile.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Powell, of course, is a Republican. He refused to grade President Obama's performance but he said, quote, "We didn't elect Superman, we elected a human being."
And speaking of presidential politics, Mitt Romney won this weekend's New Hampshire GOP presidential straw poll. It's not scientific, of course, but still it's very interesting. Here it is. He got 35 percent of the vote in a survey of state Republicans. Congressman Ron Paul was second with 11 percent, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was third with 8 percent. Sarah Palin is a bit of a surprise here. Only got 7 percent to finish fourth.
The battle over repealing the new health care law is headed to the Senate, and top senators in both parties are vowing to stand their ground. Republicans say they will push for a vote to repeal the entire law, but Majority Leader Harry Reid says that's not going to happen. If repeal efforts fail, Republicans insist they will try to dismantle the law piece-by-piece. A vote to repeal has already passed the House.
For a week now, the world has been asking why former dictator Jean- Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier has returned to Haiti. Now, one of his lawyers may have provided the answer to CNN. Attorney Ed Marger said he's trying to reclaim millions from a frozen bank account that belongs to a family foundation. But Marger says Duvalier doesn't want it for himself. He wants to use it to help rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake there.
A woman who surrendered today to the FBI in Connecticut now faces federal kidnapping charges. Ann Pettway allegedly snatched an infant from a New York hospital and raised the girl as her own. That girl, her name is Carlina White, was reunited with her family just last week. And CNN's national correspondent Susan Candiotti explains the circumstances leading up to Pettway's arrest.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: As CNN reported exclusively, the search for Ann Pettway is over. The FBI tells CNN that Pettway turned herself in to the FBI on Sunday morning in Bridgeport, Connecticut. A law enforcement source tells CNN that she contacted a Bridgeport, Connecticut police officer via Facebook on Sunday before turning herself in.
Now, she is wanted for questioning in the baby snatching of a child back in 1987 from a hospital in Harlem, New York. She was picked up on a warrant out of North Carolina for violating a parole violation on embezzlement charges there. She was not to leave the state without contacting the police.
Now, Bridgeport police tell us that on Saturday, Pettway was sighted at this pawnshop. She had gone inside to see how much she could pawn some jewelry, but she wasn't happy with the answer she got and she left alone on foot according to police.
They were able to confirm that it was her by looking at the store's surveillance cameras. She remains in custody while this investigation into the suspected baby kidnapping continues.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
LEMON: All right, Susan, thank you very much.
Officers under fire. Two shootings, two cities, 6 police officers shot in just the past few hours. We're live from both scenes for you and taking a closer look at what seems to be an increase in attacks against law enforcement.
Caught on camera. A state trooper on paid leave after he punches a driver. Excessive force? Hear the full story before judging.
Plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Don't people want to kill you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: More than 100 suspected Mafia members arrested this week. A real Mob insider, the guy that "Goodfellas" is based on, is talking to us.
And I'm online. I know you are, too. Make sure you check out my social media accounts. Let's connect.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: We're following tonight, two officer-involved shootings in two states. And we've got live reporters standing by with details on both of them. Lindsey Cohen with our affiliate KOMO is outside of a Wal- Mart in Washington State, where a young woman and the gunman were killed and two deputies were wounded. And Tom Wait with affiliate WXYZ is at the scene of the shooting inside a Detroit precinct which left four officers wounded. Let's start with Tom.
Now, Tom, we understand the suspect is dead in this case as well.
TOM WAIT, WXYZ REPORTER: That's correct, Don. There were four officers shot as you said. The suspect walked into the precinct just behind me here on Detroit's west side. The man walked in, and they thought he was just an ordinary citizen until he walked into a hallway, took out a shotgun and opened fire. He hit a female sergeant. Then he went toward the front desk, where he shot at two other officers -- another sergeant and a patrol officer.
A commander here at the precinct then grabbed one of the sergeant's guns and opened fire on the suspect. But that suspect was able to shoot him first in the back and actually jumped the counter here in this precinct. The gunfire kept going back and forth until finally the officers inside the precinct were able to gather themselves and shoot and kill him. They believed this was going on during roll call so many officers were in the station.
LEMON: All right, Tom, stand by. Now we want to talk to Lindsey.
Lindsey, walk us through what happened at the Wal-Mart in Port Orchard.
LINDSEY COHEN, KOMO REPORTER: Don, this began as a relatively ordinary Sunday afternoon in this small community about an hour outside Seattle. What began as a relatively minor situation quickly escalated into gunfire. Two people are dead, two deputies injured and the FBI has been called out to investigate.
This all began when someone called police to report what they believed was a suspicious person in and around this Wal-Mart in Port Orchard. Deputies responded. We're told they made contact with the man just outside of the store. What happened next, we're not sure but that man took out a gun and started firing at deputies. They shot back. Four people were injured including two of the deputies who responded to the scene. They have been taken to the hospital. We're told their injuries are non-life-threatening.
Meantime, two people are dead. The suspect was killed here at the scene. The second person described as a young woman, possibly as young as a teenager, she was taken to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead when she got there. Right now, police aren't sure what her relationship is to the suspect. This case has been handed over to the state patrol but will receive some help from the FBI. Interesting to note, Don, this community is about a half an hour away from Lakewood, Washington, where four police officers were shot and killed about 15 months ago. So, folks in this area are very sensitive when they hear that law enforcement officers are injured on the job.
And Lindsey, as we know, Wal-Mart is America's number one top retailer. Describe to us the scene inside of the store. What did witnesses say, people who were shopping there.
COHEN: Witnesses tell us that it was an average ordinary Sunday afternoon. People going in, people coming out. One man I spoke with was actually coming out of the store when he heard gunfire out of nowhere and then saw a man running towards a wooded area that is just next to this store.
We're not really told that there was much of a commotion that brought out. Because this area is somewhat rural, when people hear gunfire, it's not that unusual because there might be hunting going on nearby. But it was the rapid fire gunshots that told most folks nearby that something was wrong.
LEMON: All right. Now back to Detroit. Tom, we heard the police chief earlier today saying they were going to examine security at police stations. What are you hearing about that?
WAIT: That is something that they're talking about here. And I do want to say that the officers, all four of them, they are believed that they will survive. One was seriously injured, the commander and the others were hurt obviously as well, but they will come out of this OK. That is the expectation at this point.
But as you mentioned, security is a huge issue. The officers in Detroit are very brave, very courageous men and women. They put their lives on the line every day here.
As you know, we do have a serious crime issue in Detroit. And the buildings here are very community-friendly. Folks can come in here and talk with these officers. These officers take it very seriously, being able to interact with folks in the community. So they don't have barriers in these police stations. People are able to just walk in and walk right up to the desk and speak with police officers.
In fact, the one just behind me here, you're able to walk in and it's very typical for officers to even see what you're carrying.
So in this case, I'm told by sources here on the scene that they didn't even know that this guy was carrying a gun because the desk is kind of high up and the officer sits a bit low. So in this case they just didn't even know he had a weapon.
LEMON: Tom Wait and Lindsey Cohen, thanks to both of you.
Also today, an Indianapolis police officer was shot during a traffic stop. Authorities say Officer David Moore was hit four times and is now in a coma. A suspect is in custody. Today's shootings are part of several involving officers in just the past month. In Miami, just on Thursday, two officers were shot and killed while serving a warrant. The suspect in that case was killed.
In Lakewood, New Jersey, on January 14th, police say an officer was killed when he stopped a man for questioning. A suspect is now in custody in that case as well.
And in Atlanta on December 27th, a state trooper was shot and killed after a short car chase. A suspect has been charged.
And this may be a larger trend, we're hearing from law enforcement. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found there was a 20 percent jump in the number of officers shot and killed in the line of duty from 2009 to 2010.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords suffered a gunshot to the head at point-blank range and she survived it. Few people can relate to what happened, one of them, the victim of one of the most famous love triangles ever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY JO BUTTAFUOCO, SURVIVED BEING SHOT IN THE HEAD: I was told after the fact that when I was in the hospital, my son came to me and they said, you know, squeeze her hand. And I squeezed it back. I don't remember that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Mary Jo Buttafuoco and her advice to Gabby Giffords on recovering from a shot to the head.
Also tonight, we've heard about calls to 911 for some pretty ridiculous reasons. But this one is really a new one. One woman's bad nail day and the 911 calls, that's right, calls, plural, that landed her in jail.
And price is up, servings down. How changes at your grocery store are costing you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Several viral videos caught our attention this week. First off, the future of 3d imaging.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here, I see a -- I see a totally shape that appears to really real. I couldn't even touch it. The quality is really amazing. And you feel much better because what is great about it is that you have nothing to -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: You can see there a small device attached to his temples. The eyes flutter wildly. And we doubt movie audiences will go for it, you never know, but it is definitely one of the more unusual videos we saw this week.
And you ever wonder what makes normally sane people go ice fishing?
Here's one big reason.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's kicking. Oh, my goodness, dude! Wholly buckets! Oh, this thing is a hog! Holy ((EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That almost sounds like the Rainbow Guy. Double rainbows. All right. Well, Jeremy Rydberg and Jason Greatsinger are two diehard ice fishermen in Wisconsin. Their adventures appear on the website jigheadstv.com. They caught this whopper on Lake Superior. As you can see, it almost was too big to fit through that hole. They didn't keep it, though. After documenting the fish, well, they simply let just it go.
All right. I need you warn you, this next video is a little disturbing to watch. We are not recommending that anyone try this, but in some parts of the world, this unusual practice is catching on. The video is not fake, people. That is a real infant. There is an article about it in "Time" magazine. The practice is called baby yoga. Advocates believe it makes newborns confident and fearless. Wow, looks a little scary, too.
Some words of wisdom before you head to the grocery store this week. They don't want to tell you. But our Stephanie Elam has tonight's edition of "Mastering your Money."
Hi, Steph.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Don.
It's the case of the incredible shrinking products. "Consumer Reports" tipped us off to a whole slew of household products that are up to 20 percent smaller these days but the cost of them stayed the same. Manufacturers are hoping you're not going to notice.
Let's tell you what we're talking about here by showing you your morning OJ. Sure, these two cartons look just alike at first glance. But upon closer inspection, you're getting almost 8 percent less juice now than you were before. Tropicana is keeping their price by converting from 64 ounces to 59 ounces.
And let's talk a little bit about toilet paper here for a second. You're still getting 1,000 sheets of this popular brand but the squares are smaller. The change was made to help offset rising material costs. But you're getting nearly 10 percent less for the same price which is a real bummer. Sorry, can't resist.
And lastly, this detergent got a little bit different story. Their slogan may be 100 percent pure but you're getting 20 percent less soap in these new bottles. But Ivory told us they also shrank the price when they shrank their bottle from 30 to 24 ounces.
So listen up here. The best way to ensure you're getting the most for your money is to check the unit price on the store shelf in addition to the item cost on the actual product. That giant or family-sized container might not be the best deal after all. So you just want to make sure you check that before you buy -- Don.
LEMON: All right, Stephanie, thank you very much.
What does Rudy Guiliani's decision to run for president have to do with Sarah Palin? You'll hear how he answered that question. That's coming up next.
And a Utah state trooper is under investigation for what he did to a woman at a traffic stop, and it was all caught on camera. You'll see it play out straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. This just in to CNN and it is sad news. Jack LaLanne, considered the founding father of fitness, has died. His agent confirmed his death to CNN. LaLanne, who was 96, was a pioneer of bringing exercise to television with his workout show that ran 34 years from the 1950s all the way into the '70s. He maintained his muscular build through his '80s. His agent Rick Hersh says LaLanne exercised every day up until his last day. He also ran a chain of about 100 health spas, many of which he later sold to Bally's.
CNN's Larry King joins us now on the phone.
Larry, it's good to talk to you. Wish it was better circumstances. You knew him and he was a frequent guest on your TV show and on your radio program.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE" (via telephone): Yes, he was. He was an amazing guy, Don. It was -- first, I remember as a kid watching him on the early days of television. He was like a television original. There was no one like Jack LaLanne. It would seem like he would go on -- go on forever. Not surprising to hear that he would exercise on the -- on the day of his death. He was a true guru.
You can't think of who -- I guess Charles Atlas and the old comic books would have been the predecessor for Jack LaLanne. He was indestructible. He was also very sharp business guy. He opened all those, you know, he had those centers and as you said he sold it to Bally. He made a great deal of money in his life.
He also helped us, a lot of people. He gave a lot of encouragements. Elderly people are encouraged by him because he kept on going. He was also a very good guest, very responsive. He'd like to do -- in the early days, he would do wild things. He'd do crazy exercises with young people. He out-exercised people 30 years younger than him. LEMON: Larry, I think it's fair to say that all of the people who came along, like Suzann Somers, even Jane Fonda and all of this fitness craze, he really ushered that in, didn't he?
KING: Correct. He is -- he is the forerunner. There was no one quite like him. You know, exercises don't work on radio. So it had to be a television. Think about that. It had to be a television medium. And he prospered, made it happen. And I think all those people, the Somers, the Fondas, the rest, owe him a debt of gratitude. You know, when you -- when you start something, when you do -- when you're an original, you can -- that will never be taken away from him in the textbooks. He started it.
LEMON: Yes. An original just as you are, Larry.
KING: Oh.
LEMON: So, is there anything that you remember most about him? I know you're a reporter. You like reporter involvement and many times -- did you exercise with him? Did he ever drag you into it?
KING: I did, I did. The first few times he came on television, we did some stuff together and then I got too old for him. Not for my mind but my body couldn't do it. I could never do -- I would doubt that people half his age could not do what he did at age 90. He was -- he was extraordinary. I don't think he had any fat weight on him.
LEMON: Larry, is there anything you want to say to his wife, Elaine Doyle?
KING: Elaine, you had a great man. You had him for a long time. When someone makes it to 96, that's a blessing and you should be happy in the knowledge that you were married to a true original.
LEMON: All right. CNN's Larry King.
Larry, thank you so much for joining us.
KING: Thanks, Don. Thanks, Don.
LEMON: It's good to hear from you. We miss you and we are happy that you're moving on and doing new things. Thanks, again.
KING: Thanks.
LEMON: All right. We're back in a moment here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Now for some of the stories that caught our eye happening across the country.
A Utah trooper is under investigation after a video showed him punching a woman. You can see Sergeant Andrew Davenport on the right in this dash-cam video, as he tries to handle the 53-year-old woman behind the wheel by hitting her several times. The confrontation happened in August and the officer is on paid leave. Authorities say Darla Wright had tried to escape patrol cars that had trapped her by ramming back and forth between them. Another officer Taser Wright (ph), who faces several charges including DUI, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer.
OK. We've heard of a bad hair day, right? But a Florida woman is facing charges after repeatedly calling 911 to report a bad manicure. Cynthia Colson's bad nail day started with a trip to the manicure salon in Deltona. She says the nail technician manhandled her after she complained about the length of her nails. Police say she called 911 at least four times. They say once was enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYNTHIA COLSON, CHARGED FOR MISUSING 911: You don't handle my nails like this. She had the nail clip in her right hand as she was talking with it and then she hit my top lip.
GARY DAVIDSON, VOLUSIA COUNTY SHERIFF'S SPOKESMAN: After you place the 911 call and the deputy is responding to investigate, then there is no longer an emergency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. If that wasn't enough, police say Colson called 911 a final time while a deputy was inside the salon, trying to settle the dispute over payment. That's when she was arrested.
Connecticut is no picnic in the winter, and these people revel in that fact, of course. Several teens, including firemen, police officers and teachers took turns Saturday jumping into an icy pond. The sixth annual YMCA Polar Plunge took place in 20-degree weather. 20-degree weather. That's right. Proceeds will help kids who otherwise couldn't afford go to summer camp, where it's much warmer and they don't have to jump into the cold water.
In Utah, skis and couches joined forces for a unique winter sport, I'll say. It's called couch skiing or "skouching, "and it's really caught on among college students in Utah. You take an old couch, nail on some old skis and what you get is a totally unique way to sled down the slopes. Skouchers say the event is great fun but also a lot of work. Once you enjoy the ride down, you have to push the contraption back up the hill. No free rides anywhere.
All right. We're following three developing stories tonight. Three big stories still making news at this hour. Police officers targeted by shooters in two different cities, one in a Wal-Mart parking lot, the other inside a police precinct.
Plus, the woman expected of killing -- of kidnapping, excuse me, a 23 -- a newborn 23 years ago surrenders. Details just ahead on CNN.
Also, Tuesday night is date night for members of Congress. That's among other stories, among the stories that will be making news in your week ahead. From Washington to Wall Street, we'll tell you what you can expect.
And rain and snow already changing travel plans for Monday. Our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, with what to expect for your morning commute.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Very busy night here news-wise.
A Detroit police officer seriously wounded today in a shooting is out of surgery and is expected to survive. In all, four officers were wounded when a gunman walked into the station precinct and opened fire. The gunman was killed as police returned fire.
We're following another shooting involving law enforcement in Washington State. Investigators say two people were killed outside a Wal-Mart in Port Orchard. One of them is a suspect and the other is an unidentified woman. Two deputies were also shot and transferred to Tacoma for treatment. Their injuries are not considered life- threatening.
In Connecticut, federal kidnapping charges have been filed in the 1987 kidnapping of a baby girl from a New York hospital. The FBI in Bridgeport says Ann Pettway turned herself in this morning. Pettway allegedly snatched the infant 23 years ago and then raised the girl as her own daughter. That girl, Carlina White, now 23 years old, recently discovered her true identity and was reunited last week with her biological family.
Bitter cold weather in the Northeast. Tomorrow morning will be dangerous. Plus, travel delays for the Midwest. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras with more.
And a warning, I'm sure, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
LEMON: Be patient and look out. Be careful.
JERAS: And bundle up, too, because it really is going to be dangerously cold. In fact, you could get frostbite in just a matter of minutes here across the Northeast. This is the coldest air that you've seen so far this season.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LEMON: Those guys look for that, though, but they...
JERAS: They love it, but it's so dangerous.
LEMON: That is a huge wave. OK. Thank you, Jacqui.
JERAS: You're welcome.
LEMON: As you said, be careful tomorrow, be very careful and bundle up. It's going to be a very treacherous commute. All right. Now to our correspondents from Washington to Wall Street with their preview of the big stories in the week ahead. We begin at the White House.
ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ed Henry at the White House, where on Tuesday night the president heads to Capitol Hill for the big State of the Union address. Senior aides say it will have the twin themes of creating jobs and promoting American competitiveness around the world. On Wednesday, he will immediately test that message on the road when he heads to the swing state of Wisconsin.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Brianna Keilar covering Capitol Hill. And the big story we're following this week is the State of the Union. From where the president stands, the House chamber could look a little different this year. Many lawmakers have already committed to sitting next to someone from the opposing party for Tuesday's address.
We'll also be following the Republicans' official response to this State of the Union. Paul Ryan, the new chairman of the House Budget Committee and the House GOP's top guy on spending cuts, will be giving that rebuttal. He might not be a familiar face to many of you right now, but he'll become very familiar as Republicans focus on spending cuts this Congress.
PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I'm Paul Steinhauser at the CNN political desk. Trips this week by two Republicans seriously thinking of running for the White House are creating buzz. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty speaks to New Hampshire tomorrow and Tuesday. That same day, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks in Iowa. Now, both states play crucial roles in the race for the White House as they go one-two in the primary calendar.
Back here on Wednesday, the first meeting of the Tea Party Senate Caucus. Senators Jim DeMint, Rand Paul and Mike Lee will meet with Tea Party leaders from across the country.
POPPY HARLOW, CNNMONEY.COM: I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. Economic growth, that's going to be the big focus this week. The government will report fourth quarter GDP on Friday and it's expected to show that U.S. economy grew at about 3.8 percent annual pace during the past three months. That would be an improvement from the third quarter pace of 2.6 percent.
Meantime, ahead this week, federal reserve policymakers will meet in Washington to discuss the economic recovery. And it's also a pretty big week for corporate earnings. McDonald's, Boeing and United Technologies all set to report their numbers.
We'll track it all for you on CNNMoney.
LEMON: All right. Thanks very much.
Mary Jo Buttafuoco survived a point-blank gunshot wound to the head. Ahead, she joins me to discuss the difficult road ahead to recovery for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
And on the heels of the biggest Mob bust in U.S. history. I talked with a former Mafia informant who is now out of the Witness Protection Program. He is the guy who portrayed -- who was portrayed in the movie "Goodfellas." You don't want to miss that. It's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: As Congresswoman Giffords makes a remarkable recovery from being shot in the head, one person watching her progress very closely is Mary Jo Buttafuoco. She survived her own bullet to the head in 1n 1992 at the hands of Amy Fisher, her husband's teenaged mistress. Buttafuoco describes her ordeal in her memoirs. It's called "Getting It Through My Thick Skull."
Earlier, I spoke with Buttafuoco about her experience and what she thinks Giffords might be going through.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY JO BUTTAFUOCO, SURVIVED BEING SHOT IN THE HEAD: The first few days, you don't even know what has happened to you. You can't imagine. You're in this cocoon. You're sedated. And you've got people, you know, kind of yelling in your ears to try to make you wake up and stay awake. But it sounds now like maybe, you know, she's in pain, which is the next step. Once she does start to come out of the anesthesia and does start to -- and they start to say to her, OK, get up, you got to walk, you got to talk, you've got to do all this, it's going to be a very long, long, painful recovery.
LEMON: And you were responsive as well, but you said -- and you don't remember anything they asked you. There was one day all of a sudden that clicked that they had told you a long time before what had happened to you but you didn't -- you didn't remember any of that.
BUTTAFUOCO: Yes. My vivid memories was I was told after the fact that when I was in the hospital, my son came to me and they said, you know, squeeze her hand and I squeezed it back. I don't remember that. My mother also said the same thing, that they would touch me and hold my hand and I would squeeze them, so. But to this day, I don't have a memory of that. But I guess I must have unconsciously felt that connection to them.
LEMON: Yes, yes. And that's very important. Her family, her husband and her friends being there. That's what doctors are saying.
BUTTAFUOCO: Uh-huh, it is. It's very -- and when the doctor then finally it was like kind of they yell because you're in this state of semi-consciousness and to tell you what's happening because they don't want to frighten you. They want you to realize where you are, what's happened to you and everything like that.
LEMON: OK, Mary Jo, I want to bring in Dr. Sanjay Dhall. He is Chief Neurosurgeon at Grady Hospital right here in Atlanta.
So, Dr. Dhall, Mary Jo says that she, you know, really didn't fully understand what had happened for a long time. Is that typical? And do you think that's what Gabby Giffords -- do you think she knows the situation right now?
DR. SANJAY DHALL, CHIEF NEUROSURGEON, GRADY HOSPITAL: Yes, absolutely. I've had many, many patients who have seen me many months after their injury who tell me that they have no recollection of the injury they suffered and the time that they spent in the hospital. And that's for a variety of reasons, one of which, obviously, being the head injury and also the different kinds of drugs that are constantly being administered.
LEMON: And because of the drugs.
Mary Jo, tell us about the medication. That's a very important point because you became dependent on that medication.
BUTTAFUOCO: Yes, yes, I did. Unfortunately for me, nobody says no. No doctor says no to a woman who has a bullet in the head. When you say, I'm dying and I'm in pain and I need this, they'll give it to you. And they always said -- they were very good about it, they always said, you know, Mary Jo, you have a chance of getting addicted to this. And when you're just suffering like that, you just say, I don't care, I need this to survive. So, they tried.
But I think my trauma of everything else I went through with my husband and Amy Fisher and all that stuff, it just was -- it became easier for me to self-medicate myself when I was going through this other trauma.
LEMON: Yes. It wasn't just...
BUTTAFUOCO: I couldn't just learn to heal on my own.
LEMON: It wasn't just the physical pain. It was emotional pain as well for you.
BUTTAFUOCO: Exactly. Exactly.
LEMON: So, Doctor, what would -- what would doctors do? Will they do anything to keep the congresswoman from becoming addicted?
DHALL: It's a very challenging problem to simultaneously try to control pain and simultaneously try to prevent dependence on pain medicine. If somebody is on a narcotic pain medicine for a long enough time period, they will absolutely develop some form of dependence. It's almost inevitable. So, doctors will walk a fine line and decide at some point to start to wean those drugs away.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: Thanks, Dr. Dhall and Miss Buttafuoco.
A dog goes paragliding? And it's caught on camera? It's part of your video gone viral, next.
And today was a huge day in the NFL with a couple of big playoff games. But will a labor dispute wipe out next season? You'll learn more. And "Getting Down to Business" just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. More now on some viral video that caught our attention this week. First off, a flying dog. It's true. The person who sent us this iReport said she and her fiance go paragliding every day in Hawaii. Rather than leave the dog behind, they got a special harness, so all three of them can sail around the island together.
Wow.
All right. The song "Misirlou" is a popular tune that dates back to at least the 1920s. But most people today associate it with the film "Pulp Fiction." Now listen to this version featuring one guitar, four hands and two pencils.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. Virtuoso guitarist Partyzant is the talent behind this video. His signature style is finger-drumming on the strings. The person with the pencils is his son, Mickey. Partyzant tells CNN that he and his son often perform together. They even played this piece at a big guitar competition in Germany just a couple of years ago.
Trade negotiations with China and talks that could end the next NFL season before it even gets started. CNN's Stephanie Elam has it all in this week's "Getting Down to Business."
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Some good news for the U.S. following meetings between President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have an enormous stake in each other's success.
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ELAM: According to the White House, the Chinese government approved $45 billion worth of contracts for U.S. companies to export goods to China. The administration says that could support an estimated 235,000 American jobs.
It didn't take long for WikiLeaks to get back in the headlines. Rudolph Elmer, a former Swiss banking executive, turned over thousands of what he claims are secret banking records to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange last week. Elmer was arrested on Wednesday for suspicion of violating banking laws.
And finally, football is getting rough off the field. NFL owners and players are locked a labor dispute that could shut down next season. The players association is taking its case to Capitol Hill, saying a lockout will cost each NFL city $150 million of lost business. The League says that number is inflated and Congress shouldn't get involved in the labor dispute. Hope you enjoyed today's playoff games because there may not be any next season.
That's this week's "Getting Down to Business." Stephanie Elam, CNN, New York.
LEMON: A gunman enters a police precinct in Detroit and opens fire. That's just one of the stories we're covering tonight.
Plus, a really cool interview. I'll talk with Henry Hill. He's a former informant for the Mafia and the guy the movie "Goodfellas" is based on.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The FBI is calling it the biggest Mafia bust in history. More than 120 alleged Mob figures arrested in a single day. It brings to mind some of the infamous Mafia stories we've seen over the years. One of the most well-known is "Goodfellas," the story of Henry Hill's rise and fall in the Mafia over three decades. Take a look.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It didn't matter. It didn't mean anything. When I was broke, I would go out and rob some more. We ran everything. We paid off cops. We paid off lawyers. We paid off judges. Everybody had their hands out. Everything was for the taking. And now it's all over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, that was Ray Liotta playing Henry Hill. But earlier, I talked to the real Henry Hill and asked him whether the Mob still wants him dead for becoming an informant.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HENRY HILL, FORMER ORGANIZED CRIME MEMBER: Not anymore. I mean, that was 30 years ago. The people I was involved with, they're all deceased or doing life sentences. And that I think they have their own problems right now, especially with the bust in New York. You know, with all those guys that got arrested. I knew a few of them.
LEMON: The information you gave the FBI resulted in 50 convictions, I believe. So, will these recent busts, 127, will they actually hurt the Mafia or do you think that more guys will just step up and take their place?
HILL: I mean, absolutely. I'm sure with the 127 they arrested, there's 249 people looking to take -- you know, take their positions over. It's a thing -- they're not going -- the Mob is not going to go out of business. As long as there is illegal gambling and legal gambling and labor rackets, they are going to survive. The Mob is going to survive.
But they put a good dent in them, you know. And now, they'll have a big headache for a long time. You know, these guys that got arrested, and they've got a long, you know, a long road ahead of them, you know. But the government is right on top of them. They're a lot more sophisticated today than they were in 1980, when I -- when I went into the Witness Protection Program. Didn't do a whole lot of them...
LEMON: Henry.
HILL: Yes, sir?
LEMON: Let me -- let me ask you this. So have you noticed, and you're not inside anymore, have you noticed the Mafia? Has it changed with these busts, so they slowly, you know, drip by drip dwindling down, organized crime? Do you see a big change? And do you see one day -- I'm sure we probably won't ever end it but do you see a big diminish in organized crime one day?
HILL: I don't think so. I don't think so. I mean, as long as there's an illegal dollar to make out, you know, for these guys to earn with -- the criminals are going to be there. They don't want to -- they don't want to pick up a lunch pail and go to work. You know, they want to live off, you know, the misery of other people and they're going to, you know. And as long as that exists, you know, there's a -- but they put a good dent in them, you know.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: We want to check your top stories right now on CNN.
A Detroit police officer seriously wounded today in a shooting is out of surgery and is expected to survive luckily. In all, four officers were wounded when a gunman walked into the station precinct and opened fire. The gunman was killed because police officers returned fire on him.
Following another big developing story, another shooting involving law enforcement in Washington State. Investigators say two people were killed outside a Wal-Mart in Port Orchard. One of them is a suspect and the other is an unidentified woman. Two deputies were also shot. They were transferred to Tacoma for treatment. Their injuries, not considered life-threatening.
In Connecticut, federal kidnapping charges have been filed in the 1987 kidnapping of a baby girl from a New York hospital. The FBI in Bridgeport says Ann Pettway turned herself in this morning. Pettway allegedly snatched the infant 23 years ago and then raised the girl as her own daughter. That girl, Carlina White, now 23 years old, recently discovered her true identity and was reunited last week with her biological family.
This just in tonight. Jack LaLanne, considered by many the founding father of fitness, has died. LaLanne, who was 96, was a pioneer of bringing exercise to television. His workout show ran 34 years starting in the 1950s. Jack LaLanne, dead at the age of 96. I'm Don Lemon at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. Thanks for joining us. I'll see you back here next weekend. Have a great week.
