"Unless we understand the prolific criminal legacy of Alderman Roti, we can't understand how today,in 2008,Alderman Roti along with his friends,relatives,and associates have turned Chicago's city government into a racketeering enterprise..."The article includes a helpful family tree...
Related - the Blagojevich point of view.
Posted by Kate at December 15, 2008 3:56 PMMakes one proud to be an American.
Posted by: iowavette at December 15, 2008 5:00 PM"He's got the whole world, under His bus,
He's got the whole wide world, under His bus..."
etc.
The One will be needing a distraction soon. Pity there is no Office of the Commander-in-Chief-Elect.
Posted by: Shaken at December 15, 2008 5:21 PMyouse makin fun o da family?
Posted by: puddin and pie at December 15, 2008 5:36 PMProbably the best example of unintended consequences of the war on some drugs (WOsD). Chicago criminal involvment in politics began when the WOsD targeted ethanol but the demonization of more complicated molecules since then has greatly increasing organized crimes involvement in politics. These individuals are probably the strongest proponents of prohibition as this, combined with paid off police departments, greatly increases drug sale profits.
Finally the Chicago firearms bans make sense; criminals like a disarmed population.
So where is Alfonso Gagliano in all of this? Oh yeah, this isn't the New York mob. Did anyone ever follow up on those connections or were a couple of cheeks kissed and it all went away?
Posted by: Texas Canuck at December 15, 2008 5:52 PMTo believe that Obama isn't corrupt, one has to believe that he was the only one not expected to pay to play, that he could rise through Chicago's corrupt political system without blessings and the favour of the corrupt, and that payback was never asked of him. Yeah right, and I'm going to get lots of nice presents from Santa this year.
Posted by: bob c at December 15, 2008 6:00 PM[deleted - stay on topic. - Ed]
Posted by: real at December 15, 2008 6:03 PMCripes.The troll can't even stay on subject.
About the WOsD(I like that),let's not forget whence old Daddy Kennedy got all his money from.Running booze on the Great Lakes during prohibition.
Agreed loki.
No surprise, this. Chicago got JFK elected in 1960
through the same means. Same shit, different decade.
As I said during the election the great O is nothing but your common everyday street corner hustler. This black trudeau will cause the same misdirection and turmoil in the US as Canada has been forced to endure. The assent of this charismatic a$$hole and his slimy background can be placed squarely at the feet of the CNN media types and their we know best mentality. If you think corruption was a problem in the US before, you aint seen nothin yet.
Posted by: Western Canadian at December 15, 2008 6:21 PMI apologize for going off topic but tell me again where Gary Bettman decided the NHL's outdoor New Year's Day game would be played next month? Chicago?
Of course, it's probably just coincidence that he picked the Windy City to host the game (over a dumb choice like Montreal which is only celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Canadiens, or New York which offered Yankee Stadium) but maybe - just to be certain - somebody should check with former NHL team owners like Boots Del Biaggio, Henry Samueli, Eugene Melnyk, Bruce McNall, Harold Ballard (oops, can't ask him anything), John and Tim Rigas, Dennis Kozlowski, Greg Reyes, Sanjay Kumar and Bruce McNall (all of whom have been in jail or are on their way.)
And maybe Obama will grace the New Year's Day game with his presence and tell us all how much he loves being a hockey dad.
Looks like Bill Richardson may have a few troubles too....Obamuh sure knows how to pick 'em huh?
Posted by: VanIslander at December 15, 2008 7:17 PMMy friend loves him, but then she also thought Tammy Faye and Jimmy Bakker were actually Christians who helped people.
Posted by: Jan at December 15, 2008 7:40 PMAnd just heard that Carolyn Kennedy wants to go into politics to "keep the Kennedy name around" Is there any connection between Boston and Chicago???
Posted by: Justthinkin at December 15, 2008 8:30 PMLast week a panel of CNN koolaid drinkers (to be distinguished from the NBC koolaid drinkers, the CBS koolaid drinkers etc. etc.) characterized Obama's lack of transparency with the Blago case in an interesting and imaginative way. Obama, we were told, is an "incrementalist," preferring to release information in bits every couple of days in order to "control the message." This behaviour was viewed by all as a sign of his superior intelligence and new way of doing things -- "no drama Obama," and all that. The conclusion was that the press and the public were just going to have to get used to this modus operandi.
Yeah, that's going to work real well.
Posted by: MJ at December 15, 2008 8:33 PM
This is all part of the long, lingering echo of the Prohibition era. That's when all these scumbags made their nest egg. They've prospered since from the War On Drugsand pretty much the whole panoply of government behavioral modification laws.
If its illegal, the Mob is making a fortune off it. Ever notice that every year, more and more stuff becomes illegal?
Posted by: The Phantom at December 15, 2008 8:49 PMWow, this sure makes Detroit look smalltime. Kinda makes me understand now. Good ol Kwame was looking down the road in Chicago and figuring if they could do it so could he, only he didn't have the network at his disposal and he was too stupid, so now he's in jail. It truly is amazing what one can do when one has the wrong people in the right places. I think we have started an era of corruption the likes of which we've never seen before. Can't tell me that Obama himself isn't connected to all of this, nor that someone doesn't have strings they can pull with him. Good Lord!
Posted by: CanuckInMI at December 15, 2008 10:10 PMSo is anyone making odds on the big Owe ever making it to the White House? Seems like the odds are going the wrong way.
Posted by: Joe at December 15, 2008 10:36 PM"Alderman Roti"
He's a legitimate businessman.
Posted by: Alfonos Cashbagliano at December 16, 2008 12:00 AMDoes this make Obama the only Immaculate Politician from Chicago?
Truly would be a miracle.
Or a sign of End Times.
We'll know for sure if the Cubs or Maple Laughs win some hardware this year. heh.
Posted by: rockyt at December 16, 2008 12:34 AMThe Audacity of Hope ... Chicago-style ... kiss kiss ...LOL
Posted by: Obervant at December 16, 2008 1:27 AMThey could still learn alot from OUR Libranos!!
Posted by: Al W at December 16, 2008 1:52 AM"To believe that Obama isn't corrupt, one has to believe that he was the only one not expected to pay to play, that he could rise through Chicago's corrupt political system without blessings and the favour of the corrupt, and that payback was never asked of him."
Apparently bob c believes every politician from Chicago is corrupt.
I'm sure that type of impulsive, uncritical inference serves you well on the right-wing fringe. I wonder, is that at all like the assumption that any politician from Alberta is in the pocket of Big Oil?
Just like the right-wingtards you are; ignore 8 years of actual Bush scandals, only to aver precipitant imaginings of Obama's transgressions.
You "people" must develop your critical thinking skills by watching Faux News.
Posted by: Hypocritic at December 16, 2008 2:19 AM"is that at all like the assumption that any politician from Alberta is in the pocket of Big Oil?"
I guess to you leftards lobbying by a business is the same thing as the mob running an arm of the government, buying off police and judges and killing those that get in the way. Go on back to your love-in now, nothing to see here.
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