The Chicago Syndicate: 11/01/2012 - 12/01/2012
The Mission Impossible Backpack

Friday, November 30, 2012

"Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News" Showcases Unparalleled Collection of 18th Century Media and Its Historical Impact

Social media is often credited with igniting and organizing the Arab Spring revolution in the Middle East, yet this is not the first time that we have seen media act as a catalyst for such large-scale change.

Two hundred years ago, it was during the American Revolution that real-time reporting was responsible for uniting colonists looking to break free from British rule. Colonial newspaper reports kept the colonists motivated and informed; without them, it’s quite possible the revolution might not have happened.

For the first time, readers can experience the American Revolution as it was reported in Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News . Author Todd Andrlik has compiled one of the most significant collections of colonial papers published between 1763 and 1783 and is among the nation’s leading authorities on 18th-century newspapers.

Reporting the Revolutionary War features vivid eyewitness accounts, battlefield letters, and breaking news compiled from hundreds of newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic, starting with the Sugar Act of 1764 and spanning three decades through the war to President George Washington’s farewell address in 1796.

Essays from 37 historians and American Revolutionary experts guide the reader through the initial dissent of the Boston Tea Party to the battlefields of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill to independence. They also provide insight on how newspaper accounts impacted each step of the revolution.

Reporting the Revolutionary War is also available as an enhanced eBook ($14.99) available on NOOK Color™ by Barnes & Noble that contains videos from contributing historians and an interactive timeline that allows readers to jump to newspaper articles related to a specific event.

Todd Andrlik is among the nation’s leading authorities on 18th century newspapers. He has built one of the most significant collections of American Revolution era newspapers – containing the earliest printed reports of practically every major event and battle from 1763 to 1783.

Andrlik estimates that 15% of his 18th century collection is made up of newspapers with less than five originals known to exist. About 100 newspapers, dating as far back as the 17th century, from his larger collection are currently housed in the Library of Congress.

Andrlik is also the curator and publisher of RagLinen.com, an online museum and educational archive of historically significant newspapers dating back to the 16th century.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Raise a Glass at The Mob Museum's Repeal Day Party

Guests to Celebrate Our Constitutional Right to Drink with Live Music, Vintage
Costumes and—of Course—Lots of Alcohol

WHAT: Step back in time and raise a glass Raise a Glass at The Mob Museum's Repeal Day Partyat The Mob Museum as it celebrates our nation’s constitutional right to imbibe at its Repeal Day Party. Explore both sides of the story in this unique historical setting with live music, vintage costumes, classic cocktails and other surprises.  For only a few “clams,” guests can throw down cocktails at a Roaring 20s after-hours party that is guaranteed to be the  “bee’s knees.”

WHY: On Dec. 5, 1933, Prohibition was lifted and Americans could once again legally drink. Resulting from a major reform govement in the United States, on Jan. 16, 1920, the 18th amendment was added to the constitution prohibiting the “manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors…within the United States.” Although alcohol consumption declined as a result, crime dramatically rose and the Great Depression hit. In December of 1933, the 21st amendment was drafted allowing states to create their own laws for alcohol and with that, the bars were open!

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 6 to 10 p.m.

WHERE: The Mob Museum
300 East Stewart Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89101

TICKETS: A special price of $19.33 (signifying 1933, the year prohibition was lifted) and $15 for museum members. Admission to Repeal Day includes:                                                            

  •     Full access to The Mob Museum
  •     Prohibition-era cocktail samplings and libations
  •     Hosted by the “Big Cheese,” former Mayor Oscar Goodman
  •     1920’s fashion contest, costumed characters and prizes
  •     Live hot jazz music

Tickets available by calling the box office at 702-229-2743 or online at www.themobmuseum.org.

ABOUT MOB MUSEUM: A 501 (c) 3 non-profit, The Mob Museum is a world-class destination in downtown Las Vegas that tells the compelling story of organized crime  and law enforcement in Las Vegas and throughout America. Opened in February in the former federal courthouse and U.S. Post Office in downtown Las Vegas, this interactive Museum presents a bold and authentic view of organized crime’s impact on Las Vegas history, as well as its unique imprint on America and the world. For more information, visit www.themobmuseum.org.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Mafia Prince: Inside America’s Most Violent Mafia Family and the Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra

Mafia Prince is the first-person account of one of the most violent eras in Mafia history —“Little” Nicky Scarfo’s reign as boss of the Philly family in the 1980s—written by Scarfo’s underboss and nephew, “Crazy” Phil Leonetti.

The youngest-ever underboss at the age of 31, Leonetti was at the crux of the violent downfall of the traditional American Mafia in the 1980s when he infiltrated Atlantic City after gambling was legalized, and later turned state’s evidence against his own. His testimony directly led to the convictions of dozens of high-ranking made men including John Gotti, Vincent Gigante, and his own uncle, Nicky Scarfo—sparking the beginning of the end of La Cosa Nostra.

Just as The Godfather and Boardwalk Empire defined the early 20th century Mafia, and Wiseguy and Casino depicted the next great era through the ’70s, Mafia Prince concludes this epic genre revealing the Mafia’s violent final heyday of the 1980s— straight from the horse’s mouth.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Killer on the Road: Violence and the American Interstate, on Crime Beat Radio

On November 29th, Ginger Strand discusses her book, Killer on the Road: Violence and the American Interstate, on Crime Beat Radio.

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

Crime Beat presents fascinating topics that bring listeners closer to the dynamic underbelly of the world of crime. Guests have included ex-mobsters, undercover law enforcement agents, sports officials, informants, prisoners, drug dealers and investigative journalists, who have provided insights and fresh information about the world’s most fascinating subject: crime.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Stars from "The Sopranos" Join "The Westchester All Stars Christmas for Wounded Veterans" Concert

Former Yankee outfielder and Latin Grammy nominated jazz guitarist Bernie Williams will join "Sopranos" stars Vincent Pastore and Tony Darrow to lend their talents to "The Westchester All Stars Christmas for Wounded Veterans," a holiday concert to be held Friday, November 30th at 7:30 p.m. at the Irvington Town Hall Theater. The star-studded holiday spectacular will spotlight original holiday music performed by 13 Westchester County based bands and musicians. The proceeds from the event will benefit wounded veterans organizations, including The Gary Sinise Foundation, Veterans Adaptive Sports Inc, and The Montrose Veteran's Administration Hospital.

"November 30th will be an evening to remember in support of a noble cause," said Westchester All Stars founder Bill Edwards. "These extraordinary musicians, actors and recording studios jumped at the chance to record the 'Christmas For Wounded Veterans CD' and are volunteering their time to help make the concert a night of spectacular to raise money for wounded veterans. So many people in Westchester County have asked, 'What can I do to help veterans?' This is an event the whole family can attend that will benefit those brave men and women who have given everything for their country."

In addition to Mr. Williams, other performers scheduled to perform include: Vaneese Thomas, Jon Cobert, Tom Dudley Blues Buddha, Stolen Moments, Bill Edwards, Buried In Blue, Duchess Di and Dave Keyes, Scott and Mia Staton, Johnny Feds And Da Bluez Boyz, Gary Adamson, Chuck St. Troy, and Kristen Capolino. The artists and celebrities are donating all performances and appearances.

According to the Defense Department, more than 50,000 Americans have been wounded in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Equally insidious unseen wounds of war - post traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury and other forms of combat trauma - have affected nearly 42,300 patients. The health care bill for these veterans could reach half a trillion dollars over the next several decades, yet there is no money set aside to pay for their future health care costs. Veterans are dependent on appropriations approved by Congress. Without the tireless efforts by organizations such as The Gary Sinise Foundation,Veterans Adaptive Sports, Inc. and The Montrose Veteran's Administration, the road back for these veterans would be even more difficult.

Tickets for "The Westchester All Stars Christmas for Wounded Veterans" concert are $25, $30 and $50 and are tax deductible. Tickets can be ordered online here, or by calling the Irvington Town Hall Theater box office at: (914) 591-6602. Photos, artist bios and sponsor information for the "Christmas for Wounded Veterans" CD are available at the Westchester All Stars Christmas website, www.westchesterallstarschristmas.com.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

On the 50th Anniversary of His Assassination, JFK and The CIA Conspiracy on Crime Beat Radio

On November 22nd, Peter Janney discusses his book, The CIA Conspiracy: The Murder of John F. Kennedy, Mary Pichot Meyer and their Vision for World Peace, on Crime Beat Radio.

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

Crime Beat presents fascinating topics that bring listeners closer to the dynamic underbelly of the world of crime. Guests have included ex-mobsters, undercover law enforcement agents, sports officials, informants, prisoners, drug dealers and investigative journalists, who have provided insights and fresh information about the world’s most fascinating subject: crime.

Video of Frank Calabrese Jr on Mobster Confessions






Video Frank Calabrese Jr on Mobster Confessions

R.I.P. to Jimmy Agnew, "The Best Crime Researcher in America"

Jimmy Agnew didn’t need Google. Before the Internet, Mr. Agnew plucked literary gold from mountains of obscure resources to provide research to some of the nation’s top true-crime authors. Legendary Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko once dubbed Agnew “the best crime researcher in America.” Mr. Agnew, 67, died on November 8th after battling pneumonia.

Tapping his police sources and well-informed bartenders and cabbies, his personal files of news clippings as well as little-known books, magazines and artifacts, Mr. Agnew did legwork for Charles Manson prosecutor and author Vincent Bugliosi; Chicago newsman Bill Kurtis, and journalist Nick Pileggi, who wrote the book “Wiseguy,” which became the film “Goodfellas.”

Pileggi credited Mr. Agnew with being “enormously helpful” with “Wiseguy” and “Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.” Director Martin Scorsese turned both books into films. “Casino” was based in part on Chicago’s mobster brothers, the Spilotros. When Pileggi quizzed Mr. Agnew on the history of the Chicago mob or the names of the street bosses in any given era, Mr. Agnew always had “superior” information, he said. “He had terrific police sources who would tell him things they would never tell me because they didn’t know me,” Pileggi said.

“If Damon Runyon had chronicled Chicago — and done it a handful of decades hence — instead of Broadway in the ’20s, ’30s, he’d have based a character on Jim,” said celebrity profiler and author Bill Zehme. “He spoke Runyon fluently . . . broads and joints and dames and so on.”

With bushy eyebrows and a ruddy Irish face, Mr. Agnew resembled a cross between journalists Andy Rooney and Jimmy Breslin.

He befriended many Chicago journalists in the 1960s and ’70s in the smoky bars that comprised “the trail” — a sudsy pilgrimage that led from the Billy Goat to Riccardo’s and O’Rourkes, said his brother, Pat.

“He was a charter member of the regulars at O’Rourke’s Pub,” Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert, a friend who knew him for 40 years, said in an email. “In addition to his crime researching, he had a deep knowledge of movies and in my early years on the job sometimes showed me 16mm prints of films he thought I should see.”

Mr. Agnew’s authority on films helped land him a job as assistant manager of Chicago’s Clark Theater, a quirky showcase for cinephiles at Clark and Madison until it was razed in 1974. Mr. Agnew had a hand in picking out the features. He especially loved “Treasure of the Sierra Madre.”

His love of good film dialogue helped lead him to literature, according to his brother, who said the film and history buff “would have loved to see Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln.’ ”

Mr. Agnew got his start as a literary sleuth while working for prolific Chicago crime writer Jay Robert Nash, author of more than 70 books, including the “World Encyclopedia of Organized Crime.” Mr. Agnew’s brother said he did research for the Nash book “Dillinger: Dead or Alive?”

He also founded and edited a short-lived magazine — Real Crime Book Digest — that reviewed crime books. And he worked as chief researcher for Illinois Police and Sheriffs News, his brother said.

“I’m not successful,” Mr. Agnew told the Chicago Sun-Times in 2001. “I could not pay my bills by my research or my radio bookings. It’s just a hustle — a literary hustle to keep my hand in the action.”

Though literary paychecks were at times infrequent and less than lucrative, Mr. Agnew always could fall back on what he knew.

His childhood home was one of 39 rooms at an SRO (single-room occupancy) boarding house his parents owned in Uptown. Mr. Agnew later ran the place. He worked the night desk of a Rush Street apartment building until several weeks before his death, his brother said.

Mr. Agnew also worked for a time as a bartender at Uptown’s Shamrock Tavern.

His parents — John Agnew, from Crossmaglen, County Armagh, and Katie Gallagher, of County Donegal — met in 1929 on the boat that took them from Ireland to America. John Agnew worked in the Stockyards.

Young James attended St. George and Senn high schools, then Amundsen Junior College.

At 23, he served in the National Guard and was stationed outside the Conrad Hilton Hotel, headquarters for the Democratic Party’s 1968 political convention, as anti-war demon­strators clashed with police in the streets, chanting, “The whole world is watching.”

Zehme said Mr. Agnew quit drinking nearly 20 years ago and “helped a lot of people quit hooch thereafter, most generously and patiently.”

He recalled Mr. Agnew’s mastery of the fax machine in a 2001 Sun-Times interview. When Zehme was just starting to work on his Sinatra book “The Way You Wear Your Hat,” he said, “Within hours of my first conversation with him, maybe minutes, my fax machine began humming with these piles of pages filled with mad scrawls — phone numbers of people who might’ve once met Frank, names of books he was already hunting down for me, articles from long-extinct publications.”

Pileggi once told the Sun-Times: “He’s got phone numbers for people in prison!”

For the same 2001 story about Mr. Agnew, Bugliosi said of him: “He knows what’s going on everywhere in this country, no matter where it comes up. Now, I don’t know how he knows — don’t ask me — but if something appears in some obscure magazine, he’ll send me a fax . . . telling me I’m on page 44 of this magazine I’ve never even heard of. And I tell him, ‘Jimmy, how in the hell do you know?’ ”

Other survivors include another brother, John, and cousins Margaret Forker and Nora McCarthy, whom he considered sisters because they grew up in the same household.

A mass was celebrated in his honor at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4200 N. Sheridan.

Thanks to Mitch Dudek and Maureen O'Donnell.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Chicago Arts and Culture Groups Receive Grants for International Collaborations

MacArthur awarded new grants to 13 Chicago arts and culture nonprofits to conduct collaborations with arts organizations in 12 countries.  The grants are provided through MacArthur’s International Connections Fund, which aims to help Chicago nonprofit arts and culture organizations advance their work by collaborating with peer organizations abroad.

“Sharing artistic experiences and promoting cross-cultural learning can help inform, engage, and entertain audiences and bring fresh perspectives to the creative organizations involved,” said MacArthur President Robert Gallucci.

The following organizations will receive International Connections Fund grants:

Chicago a cappella – $18,500 in support of a musical and cultural exchange between artistic director Jonathan Miller and composer, choral director, and conductor Jorge Cordoba Valencia, a premier choral composer and director in Mexico.

Chicago Cultural Alliance – $40,000 for the cultural exchange of representatives of the Alliance’s Swedish American Museum, Chinese-American Museum, and Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art with ethnic museums in their home countries.

Contratiempo – $20,000 to collaborate with the bilingual alternative culture magazine Humanize, based in Madrid, Spain.  Each will contribute to the other’s publication.

Every House Has a Door – $32,500  to expand a Bristol, UK performance piece to include material developed from the Randolph Street Gallery Archive, held at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, through artist and performer residencies.

Fulcrum Point New Music Project – $50,000 to support the collaborative creation of a new work fusing western classical and Indian classical music by Fulcrum Point, the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, composer Param Vir, Fulcrum Point Artistic Director Stephen Burns, and sarod virtuoso, Soumik Datta.

Global Girls – $45,000 in support of a cross-cultural residency.  Girls from the South Side will share their techniques in using the performing arts to help learn new skills with students of Kattaikkutte Sangam, a residential performing arts school outside of Chennai, India.

Hedwig Dances – $50,000 for a collaborative exchange with DanzAbierta dance company of Havana, Cuba to jointly choreograph two dances that will be performed in both countries.

Latinos Progresando – $40,000 to establish an ongoing cross-cultural exchange between Chicago’s Little Village and Centro Cultural Bacaanda arts organization in Oaxaca, Mexico.  The experience will be developed into a theater piece.

Live the Spirit Residency – $45,000 to support a jazz education and composition exchange with London-based artist education and development group Tomorrow’s Warriors who will perform the work at the Englewood Jazz Festival.

portoluz – $50,000 in support of an exchange and performances of son jarocho music in Chicago, Berwyn, and Cicero between musicians from Chicago and Veracruz, Mexico.

Puerto Rican Arts Alliance – $40,000 to support an ongoing international collaboration with the Puerto Rican Philharmonic Orchestra and Quique Domenech, a master musician and teacher of the cuatro, a traditional instrument of Puerto Rico.

Silk Road Rising – $50,000 for collaboration with the American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University in Beirut to translate, adapt, and present a staged reading by Syrian playwright Saadallah Wannus.

threewalls – $22,000 to jointly curate a series of exhibitions with Or Gallery Vancouver and Or Gallery Berlin highlighting visual artists and work from the three cities.

International Connections Fund grants are limited to Chicago area nonprofit arts and culture organizations and other nonprofits with well-established arts programs that received a grant within the last three years from MacArthur or though the MacArthur Funds established at the Driehaus and Prince Foundations or through the New Communities Program directed by LISC/Chicago.  Learn more about MacArthur's International Connections Fund.

MacArthur awards more than $8 million annually to more than 200 arts and culture groups in Chicago and the region as an expression of its civic commitment to the place where the Foundation has its headquarters and where John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur made their home.  Grants are designed to help sustain the cultural life of the city and region.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Cory B. Nelson Named Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Cory B. Nelson the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Chicago Division. In this role, he will be responsible for FBI personnel and operations in northern Illinois. Mr. Nelson most recently served as the deputy assistant director of the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and was responsible for its day-to-day operations, to include oversight of internal investigations and responses to external audits.

Mr. Nelson entered on duty as a special agent with the FBI in July 1991 and was assigned to the New York Division’s applicant squad. He was subsequently assigned to an organized crime squad, where he conducted investigations into the Genovese crime family. In addition to investigative work, Mr. Nelson was selected to lead one of the first Evidence Response Teams in the New York Division.

In August 1997, Mr. Nelson transferred to the San Antonio Division’s Brownsville Resident Agency and conducted narcotics investigations, served as a firearms and defensive tactics instructor, and was the SWAT assistant team leader. While in Brownsville, he responded to the Oklahoma City bombing and received an award from FBI Director Louis J. Freeh for his work.

In October 1999, Mr. Nelson became a supervisory special agent in the Criminal Investigative Division, Colombian/Caribbean Unit, at FBI Headquarters. In this role, he provided guidance and oversight of domestic and international narcotics investigations. In October 2001, Mr. Nelson was appointed senior supervisory resident agent for the Tampa Division’s Fort Myers Resident Agency. He supervised three resident agencies covering nine counties in southwest Florida and received a commendation from Governor Jeb Bush for his assistance in Florida’s counterterrorism efforts.

Mr. Nelson was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Denver Division in August 2005 and was responsible for the management of all criminal programs, the cyber program, all resident agencies in Colorado, and SWAT. During his assignment in Denver, he served as the FBI’s on-scene commander in Afghanistan between April and June 2006. He also served as the acting SAC of the division.

In April 2008, Mr. Nelson was named the deputy director of the Terrorist Screening Center and oversaw its operational components. He became chief of the Terrorist Financing Operations Section in May 2009 and managed units that gathered intelligence, formed partnerships, provided training, and investigated all aspects of international terrorist financing methods, trends, and activities.

Mr. Nelson was appointed the special agent in charge of the FBI’s San Antonio Division in June 2010 and was responsible for all personnel and operations in south Texas, including 500 miles of shared United States/Mexico border.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Albany and a Master of Business Administration from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

U.S. Citizen from Alabama Among Two Added to FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists List


Two individuals—one a United States citizen who allegedly provided support to a foreign terrorist organization, the other wanted for his alleged role in the overseas kidnapping of an American—have been added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list.

A third man wanted for questioning in connection with providing material support to terrorists has been added to the Seeking Information—Terrorism list.

Omar Shafik Hammami, formerly from Alabama, has reportedly been a senior leader in al Shabaab, an insurgency group in Somalia. Al Shabaab was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in 2008; it has since repeatedly threatened terrorist actions against America and American interests. Hammami allegedly traveled to Somalia in 2006 and joined al Shabaab’s military wing, eventually becoming a leader in the organization. Hammami—who has been indicted in the U.S. on various terrorism charges—is believed to be in Somalia.

Raddulan Sahiron, a native of the Philippines, is wanted for his alleged involvement in the 1993 kidnapping of an American in the Philippines by the Abu Sayyaf Group, designated a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Sahiron, believed to be the leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group, was indicted on federal hostage-taking charges and may currently be in the area of Patikul Jolo, Sulu, Philippines.

Shaykh Aminullah is wanted for questioning in connection with providing material support to terrorists…with the aid of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2001). Among other activities, Aminullah allegedly provided assistance, including funding and recruits, to the Al Qaeda network; provided funding and other resources, including explosive vests, to the Taliban; and facilitated the activities of anti-coalition militants operating in Afghanistan by raising money in support of terrorist activities. He is believed to be in the Ganj District of Peshawar, Pakistan.

The FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List was created in October 2001. They subsequently created the Seeking Information—Terrorism list to publicize our efforts to locate terrorism suspects not yet indicted in the U.S.

In addition to the beneficial aspect of worldwide publicity, individuals named to the Most Wanted Terrorists list must:


  • Have threatened the security of U.S. nationals or U.S. national security;
  • Be considered a dangerous menace to society;
  • Have indicated a willingness to commit or indicate to commit an act to cause death or serious bodily injury; prepare or plan terrorist activity; gather information on potential targets for terrorist activity; or solicit funds or other things of value for terrorist activity;
  • Have provided material support such as currency or financial services or assistance to a terrorist organization but do not necessarily have to belong to that organization;
  • Be subject to lawful detention, either by the U.S. government based on an active federal warrant for a serious felony offense or by any other lawful authority; and
  • Be the subject of a pending FBI investigation.
  • Individuals on the Seeking Information—Terrorism list are being sought for questioning in connection with terrorist threats against the U.S. Unlike those on the Most Wanted Terrorists list, these individuals have not been indicted by the U.S. government.


If you have information about any of these men, please submit a tip or contact the nearest FBI office abroad or in the U.S.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Cocktails and Capone at the Chicago History Museum

Cocktails and Capone at the Chicago History Museum
601 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
312.642.4600

Wednesday, December 5
Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres 6:00–7:00 p.m.
Program 7:00–7:45 p.m.
Cocktails and book signing 7:45–9:00 p.m.

Join us for a spirited evening on the 79th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. John Russick, Director of Curatorial Affairs, discusses Chicago’s vibrant bootlegging and speakeasy scene of the Roaring 20s. We’re also joined by Al Capone’s great niece, Deirdre Capone, who will share family stories of “Uncle Al”. Bringing history out of the cellar, our friends from Templeton Rye Whiskey join us to chat about their connections to Prohibition and Al Capone. Stick around this juice-joint after our discussion to enjoy cocktails, mingle with fellow patrons, and catch a book signing. Deirdre Capone’s Uncle Al Capone and John Russick’s Crime in Chicago will be available for purchase. Ticket price includes complimentary Templeton Rye Prohibition era cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Presented in collaboration with Templeton Rye Whiskey.

Cost: $40, $30 Members

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Marilyn Monroe Discussed on This Week's Crime Beat Radio

On November 15th, Lois Banner discusses her book on Marilyn Monroe, "Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox" on Crime Beat Radio

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

Crime Beat presents fascinating topics that bring listeners closer to the dynamic underbelly of the world of crime. Guests have included ex-mobsters, undercover law enforcement agents, sports officials, informants, prisoners, drug dealers and investigative journalists, who have provided insights and fresh information about the world’s most fascinating subject: crime.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Chicago Crime Commission Stars of Distinction Awards

The Chicago Crime Commission held its Stars of Distinction, 2012 Awards Dinner on November 7th, to recognize outstanding individual and organizational contributions in fighting crime. Drug Enforcement Administration, Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge, Mr. Jack Riley was the keynote speaker at the event. Riley discussed the formation of the new Chicago Strike Force, comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement, and their plans for addressing violent gang-related crime in Chicago. Specifically, SAC Riley outlined their strategy for focusing on the choke point where drug cartel and gang members interact.

The program featured eight awards presented to individuals and the organizations they serve in recognition of their outstanding work in law enforcement. The Chicago Crime Commission also presented the fifth annual Mitchell A. Mars Prosecutorial Excellence Award to Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow for his efforts in the successful prosecution of the Drew Peterson case.

Additionally, a highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Paws of Distinction K-9 Unit Award to DEA Special Agent Robert Glynn and his canine partner Rudy for law enforcement excellence.

"The recipients of the Stars of Distinction awards exemplify the commitment of all law enforcement in their efforts to fight crime in Chicago. While gang members and other criminals provide an unending threat to our safety and security, it is important to recognize the heroes who put their lives on the line every day and celebrate the victories they have won," according to J.R. Davis, President and Chairman of the Chicago Crime Commission.

"The Stars of Distinction, 2012 Awards Dinner is a chance to honor those whose efforts have been instrumental in the successful pursuit of justice. It is an opportunity for us to thank them and celebrate their outstanding achievements along with their family, friends, and colleagues," Davis added.

Awards presented and recipients of the Stars of Distinction Awards will include:

LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCELLENCE AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission Law Enforcement Excellence Award is presented to Sergeant David Cammack of the Cook County Sheriff's Police in recognition of his lifesaving heroics.

On May 10, 2012, Sgt. Dave Cammack responded to a shots fired/man down call in Ford Heights, Illinois. Upon arriving at the scene, he and his fellow officers found a man who was having difficulty breathing after suffering several gunshot wounds to his chest from a small caliber firearm. Fortunately, Sgt. Cammack is a licensed Emergency Medical Technician, and he assisted in attending to the man's wounds by placing what is called an Asherman Chest Seal on the victim. His quick reaction saved a man's life.

LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCELLENCE BY A TASK FORCE IN THE AREA OF VIOLENT STREET GANGS AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission Law Enforcement Excellence by a Task Force in the Area of Violent Street Gangs Award is presented to the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Special Agents Scott R. Davis, Holly M. Barille and Stephanie Lambert; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Special Agent Christopher L. Bayless; the United States Attorney's Office - Assistant United States Attorneys Meghan Morrisey Stack and Jessica Romero.

The Belizean Bloods street gang was identified as an emerging threat in both Chicago and Salt Lake City, Utah. A gang faction aligned with the Black P Stone Nation's north side and south side factions prompted the Joint Task Force on Gangs to quell the potential rise of yet another street gang in Chicago. Operation Black Orchid and Operation Bloodhound, investigations into the operations of the Belizean Bloods street gang, were subsequently launched.

After probable cause was established, the law enforcement team executed a coordinated arrest of 60 Belizean Bloods members and associates in Chicago and Salt Lake City in November of last year, as well as the seizure of large quantities of cocaine and cash. The concurrent investigations effectively dismantled the leadership and narcotics supply chain of the Belizean Bloods and was a true example of effective law enforcement teamwork. The cases are currently being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney's Office.

LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCELLENCE BY A TASK FORCE IN THE AREA OF ILLEGAL WEAPONS AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission Law Enforcement Excellence by a Task Force in the Area of Illegal Weapons Award is presented to the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Special Agents Christopher Hedges and Scott Holladay; the Chicago Police Department - Task Force Officer Robert Smith; the United States Attorney's Office - Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Jenkins; the Attorney General's Office - Assistant Attorney General Christina Mahoney in recognition of their outstanding collaboration and performance combating the Imperial Gangsters and the removal of illegal weapons in "Operation Mousetrap."

After a two year investigation, a large-scale search and arrest operation was conducted, resulting in the arrests of 29 Imperial Gangster members on June 12th, 2012. Along with a small amount of narcotics, investigators seized over 30 firearms. All members were charged with significant state and federal drug and weapons crimes, severely limiting the gang's ability to operate in the 14th and 25th districts. The case is currently being tried by the U.S. Attorney's Office and Attorney General's Office.

This case illustrates the long-standing commitment by Chicago law enforcement agencies to pursue gun crimes, especially when they intersect with drug trafficking. The life of a gun is very long, and the tragedy it can inflict is infinite. Removing these illegal firearms and the criminals using them from the city's streets will have a significant impact upon the safety of all of Chicago.

LAW ENFORCEMENT EXCELLENCE BY A TASK FORCE IN THE AREA OF ILLEGAL NARCOTICS AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission Law Enforcement Excellence by a Task Force in the Area of Illegal Narcotics Award is presented to the Drug Enforcement Administration - Special Agents Timothy J. Oko and Jay R. Borns; the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Special Agents Eric J. McIntosh and Franklin Nivar; the Chicago Police Department - Task Force Officer David Bird; the United States Attorney's Office - Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg Deis, William Ridgway, and Heather McShain for their work on Operation Gas Leak.

Operation Gas Leak was a joint investigation conducted by the DEA, FBI, CPD and the U.S. Attorney's Office. It targeted the Zetas Drug Trafficking Organization, one of the most violent drug cartels operating out of Mexico, Texas, and the Chicago metropolitan area. Once the team secured the cooperation of an individual associated with the Zetas money laundering operation, the team was able to conduct surveillance and verify money collected from drug transactions in Chicago.

The evidence gathered enabled the team to gain permission to intercept cell phone conversations, use wiretaps, extreme surveillance, and tracking devices. The subsequent seizures occurred in April and June of 2010 and included over $14.5 million in cash, 246 kilograms of cocaine, 55,080 grams of marijuana, and 2 pounds of methamphetamine, and resulted in the arrests of 20 Zetas members. After their indictment by the U.S. Attorney's Office in November 2011, 15 of these subjects were arrested in a coordinated takedown, and law enforcement made additional seizures of $440,000 in cash, over two kilograms of black tar heroin, and ½ of a gram of cocaine.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Chicago Crime Commission Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement is presented to Robert Grant, former FBI Special Agent in Charge for the Chicago Field Office.

Former FBI Special Agent in Charge, Mr. Robert Grant began his career as a special agent with the FBI on November 13, 1983 and immediately distinguished himself as an outstanding crime fighter.

In 1989, Mr. Grant was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters. Mr. Grant was tasked to conduct several special internal investigations. Mr. Grant served as principle investigator assigned to evaluate allegations of criminal and ethical violations of FBI Director William S. Sessions. The investigation resulted in the dismissal of Director Sessions by President William J. Clinton in 1994.

In 1994, Mr. Grant was promoted to the Chicago Field Office, where he supervised health care fraud, public corruption investigations and other white-collar crimes. He also served as the field office white-collar crime coordinator and as acting assistant special agent in charge of the white-collar crime and administrative operations programs. While assigned to Chicago, Mr. Grant led a Health Care Fraud Task Force that developed innovative new techniques for use in the employment of undercover operations.

After a stint in San Antonio and Washington, Mr. Grant was promoted to Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Chicago Field Office in 2005. Since assuming leadership of the office, Mr. Grant has overseen several significant investigations, including the arrest of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges, the racketeering indictment and conviction of numerous high-ranking members of the Chicago Outfit as part of the "Family Secrets" trial, and the arrest of two Chicago men on charges related to the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India.

LAW ENFORCEMENT GANG EXPERTISE AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission Law Enforcement Gang Expertise Award is presented to Cook County Sheriff's Deputy Franco Domma.

Investigator Domma has worked as a Gang Unit Investigator for 13 years at the Cook County Sheriff's Office. He has become the "go-to" person for the Chicago Police Department when it comes to developing or elaborating information obtained from Cook County Jail.

He has been the catalyst behind much of the information often forwarded to the Chicago HIDTA Office from Cook County Criminal Intelligence Unit. Domma has worked with numerous Law Enforcement agencies and assisted in numerous investigations, all of which he conducted with his usual enthusiasm and dedication. His knowledge of gangs and willingness to share that information was critical to publishing the Chicago Crime Commission's recent edition of The Gang Book.

The Chicago Crime Commission would like to extend its gratitude for Investigator Domma's generous willingness to work as the essential gang knowledge base needed in the publication of the Commission's recent edition of The Gang Book.

PROSECUTORIAL MERIT AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission Prosecutorial Merit Award is presented to the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Special Agent Mark Quinn of the Violent Crime Task Force, Special Agent Edward McNamara of the Organized Crime Squad, Special Agent Mark Sofia of the Special Operations Group; the LaGrange Police Department - Lieutenant Christopher Noel; the United States Attorney's Office - Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amarjeet S. Bhachu and Stephen P. Baker.

This case recognizes the successful prosecution of Chicago Outfit members Joseph Scalise, Robert Pullia and Arthur Rachel. Known as the "Wild Bunch", the Outfit relied on this crew to commit murder if needed.

The FBI Organized Crime Squad, Violent Crime Task Force, and Special Operations Group initiated intensive cover surveillance of the defendants in the fall of 2009 and continued over the course of many months. These agents partnered with several local law enforcement officers who helped obtain the information needed for court authorization to install a listening device inside a van utilized by one of the defendants. Based on the conversations that were intercepted, agents moved in and arrested the defendants before they attempted to break into a residential dwelling on the south side of Chicago.

The U.S. Attorney's Office charged the defendants with racketeering conspiracy, interference with commerce by robbery, possession of firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence and felon in possession of a firearm. Scalise and Pullia pled guilty and face 9-10 years in prison, and Rachel was eventually convicted and sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison.

PROSECUTORIAL SPOTLIGHT AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission Prosecutorial Spotlight Award is presented to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Assistant State's Attorney Jim McKay, Assistant State's Attorney Veryl Gambino and Assistant State's Attorney Jennifer Bagby.

The case of People v. William Balfour garnered national interest because the victims were relatives of celebrity singer and actress, Jennifer Hudson. The level of interest also meant that the prosecution team's every move was scrutinized.

The Cook County prosecutors were faced not only with inevitable media attention but also with a case that produced no eyewitness and no confessions. They had to rely largely on circumstantial evidence, such as cellular telephone technology that was used to track Balfour's location at relevant times during the crime. The prosecutors also struggled with having to rely upon reluctant witnesses to testify against Balfour.

Despite all of these challenges the prosecution persevered. A jury convicted William Balfour of three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced him to natural life in prison without the possibility of parole.

MITCHELL A. MARS PROSECUTORIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission Mitchell A. Mars Prosecutorial Excellence Award is presented to Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow for his outstanding effort in the prosecution of former Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson in the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

After nearly two years of litigation before the Third District Appellate Court and the Illinois Supreme Court, State's Attorney Glasgow and his team were granted a ruling that would change the course of the case.

In April 2012 the Third District Appellate Court effectively overturned Judge Stephen White's earlier decision by ruling that the prosecution team could use eight statements made by both the victim prior to her death and by Peterson's still-missing fourth wife, Stacy, prior to her disappearance.

The Peterson prosecution was a five-year process that involved a number of groundbreaking initiatives. The Will County State's Attorney's Office conducted an 18-month Special Grand Jury investigation following the disappearance of Stacy Peterson. In addition, State's Attorney Glasgow filed a petition to exhume the body of Kathleen Savio, after which second and third autopsies revealed compelling new evidence that assisted him in proving she was murdered and not the victim of a slip-and-fall accident.

State's Attorney Glasgow also worked with the General Assembly to draft and enact new legislation that placed the concept of "forfeiture by wrongdoing" into the Illinois criminal rules of evidence. Forfeiture by wrongdoing enables prosecutors to enter relative and probative hearsay statements into evidence if they can prove a defendant killed a witness to prevent him or her from testifying. The Illinois Supreme Court eventually adopted the common law doctrine of forfeiture by wrongdoing in its decision regarding a DuPage County murder case and then adopted the federal rules on forfeiture by wrongdoing.

On September 6, 2012 after a lengthy and contentious trial, a jury convicted Drew Peterson of the first-degree murder of Kathleen Savio. He currently awaits sentencing.

PAWS OF DISTINCTION AWARD
The Chicago Crime Commission PAWS of Distinction Award is presented to DEA Special Agent Robert Glynn and K9 Partner Rudy.

This award recognizes the invaluable service that canine units lend to law enforcement. The 2012 recipients prove that these highly trained companions and their handlers very much deserve recognition for preventing and solving crimes, a task that would be much more difficult if not impossible without their unique collaboration.

This year the award goes to an officer-canine duo that, since February 2006, have seized more than $35 million in cash, over 925 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of crack cocaine, 40 kilograms of heroin, 13 kilograms of MDMA, four kilograms of methamphetamines, and approximately one ton of marijuana.

This duo proves once again that dogs are indeed man's best friend, even in crime fighting.

Friday, November 09, 2012

R.I.P. Wishes for True-Crime Author Edward W. Baumann

Edward W. Baumann, a prolific reporter and author of true-crime books, worked at five Chicago-area newspapers over a career that spanned nearly four decades.

Mr. Baumann's specialty was covering crime, from trials and executions to the exploits of the Chicago Outfit. Often working with Tribune reporters John O'Brien and Ronald Koziol, Mr. Baumann's wealth of sources led to myriad front-page stories covering the city's underworld.

"He covered the rough-and-tumble life down in Chicago," said Harlan Draeger, a former reporter for the Chicago Daily News and the Sun-Times. "And he really dug into the history and spirit of the newspaper, during the glory days of newspapering in Chicago."

Mr. Baumann, 86, died Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the home of stepdaughter Lisa McCammon in Paxton, Ind., said another stepdaughter, Leslie Ferraro. He had been suffering from a blood disorder and heart disease, Ferraro said. He was a lifelong resident of Kenosha, Wis.

Edward Weston Baumann attended Bradford High School in Kenosha and served with the Army Air Forces in the South Pacific during World War II. He then earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin.

He began his newspaper career in 1951 at the Waukegan News-Sun and soon became the Waukegan correspondent for the Chicago Daily News. In 1956, Mr. Baumann joined the Daily News full time, covering criminal courts. He worked on the paper's rewrite desk and was an assistant city editor before joining Chicago's American in 1962. He later became the American's city editor and then the administrative assistant to the publisher of a successor paper, Chicago Today.

"I have very positive memories of him as an editor and a rewrite man," said former American reporter Len Aronson. "He was a very good writer, and he was very much always interested in a good story. And he managed a tumult of rogues at the American. There were more curmudgeons and characters in that newsroom than I've ever met in my life, and he seemed to ride that wave with good equanimity and good humor."

In 1974, Chicago Today was absorbed into the Tribune, which Mr. Baumann joined as a senior staff writer.Mr. Baumann covered a host of high-profile crimes, including ones that were planned but never happened. He wrote a front-page article for the Tribune in 1984 about a mob plot to assassinate former Mayor Jane Byrne for failing to push hard enough for legalized casino gambling in Chicago.

He covered the 1986 slayings of Chicago Outfit member Anthony Spilotro and his brother, Michael. That same year, Mr. Baumann wrote a detailed analysis of the top 10 Chicago mob figures featured in a celebrated 1976 photo, which authorities seized during a raid of an alleged mobster's home.

The photo, taken at a suburban restaurant, has often been referred to by law enforcement figures as "The Last Supper." Mr. Baumann described each of the 10 figures' fates after the photo was taken, riffing off Agatha Christie's novel "Ten Little Indians."

Mr. Baumann also edited the Tribune's INC. gossip column after the column's founder, Aaron Gold, died. "We always called Ed 'Invisible INC.,' because he didn't want his name associated with a gossip column," said retired Tribune reporter and WGN radio host Kathy O'Malley. "He was the essence of the grumpy old man, but he also was one of the funniest people I have ever met. He had a wonderful sense of humor."

Retired Tribune reporter Michael Hirsley recalled Mr. Baumann as a "very competent, very bright newspaperman" with little ego. "He could be very understated and self-effacing," Hirsley said.

A three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, Mr. Baumann also was active in the Chicago journalism community, serving as president of the Chicago Press Club and a director of the Chicago Newspaper Reporters Association. Both before and after retiring from the Tribune, Mr. Baumann and Ray Shlemon prepared the paper's Pulitzer Prize submissions each year.

Mr. Baumann wrote or co-wrote 10 true-crime books, including a profile of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

"I really admired Ed's writing style," Draeger said. "He had a nice, flowing style with a nice, journalistic touch. His books all had that characteristic, too."

Mr. Baumann spent almost his entire career commuting from Kenosha to Chicago, and he once calculated that the miles he rode daily in his career added up to circumnavigating the globe 42 times.

After retiring from the Tribune in 1988, Mr. Baumann freelanced, writing travel articles and crime stories for the Tribune. He also spent 13 years as a volunteer with the Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee, working as a cowboy, a roustabout and an animal handler.

Mr. Baumann's first wife, Caroline, died in 1975. A daughter, Amy Cairo, died in 2010. In addition to his stepdaughters, Mr. Baumann is survived by his wife, Lenore; a son, Corey; another stepdaughter, Carole Reid; 12 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson.

After private services, a public luncheon is set for noon Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 7104 39th Ave., Kenosha.

Thanks to Bob Goldsborough.

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

U.S. Attorney’s Office to Conduct Election Day Monitoring in Chicago and Suburbs

The U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor the general election in Chicago and surrounding suburbs on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, Gary S. Shapiro, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today. As part of the monitoring effort, the office will operate a hotline for candidates or the public to call to report any complaints relating to voting. In addition, Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other personnel will be monitoring certain polling places, while other attorneys will be available to respond to complaints as needed.

The hotline number, staffed on Election Day only, is (312) 469-6157.

“This office has a long tradition of monitoring the polls on Election Day to help protect the integrity of the voting process,” Mr. Shapiro said. “No one who is entitled to vote should in any way be inhibited from doing so, and we stand ready to ensure a fair process for all.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Heinze coordinates the office’s election monitoring efforts and subsequent investigations, if any, in consultation with the Justice Department. The Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service will assist in this effort by following-up, if necessary, on any election fraud and voting rights complaints.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

Violations of federal voting rights statutes carry penalties ranging from one to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines up to $250,000.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Sal Polisi Discusses "The Sinatra Club: My Life Inside the New York Mafia " on Crime Beat Radio

On November 8th, Sal Polisi discusses his autobiography, "The Sinatra Club: My Life Inside the New York Mafia" on Crime Beat Radio.

Crime Beat is a weekly hour-long radio program that airs every Thursday at 8 p.m. EST., on the Artist First World Radio Network at artistfirst.com/crimebeat.

Crime Beat presents fascinating topics that bring listeners closer to the dynamic underbelly of the world of crime. Guests have included ex-mobsters, undercover law enforcement agents, sports officials, informants, prisoners, drug dealers and investigative journalists, who have provided insights and fresh information about the world’s most fascinating subject: crime.

Saturday, November 03, 2012

Adlai Stevenson's "The Black Book", A Timely Antidote For Jaded Politics


The Stevenson family has a unique place in American political history. The first Adlai E. Stevenson, Vice President of the U.S., collected stories, jokes and aphorisms in a loose-leaf binder throughout his long career. They were jotted on napkins, cards -- anything at hand. If it was worth keeping, it went in the binder which became known as “the black book.” His son, Lewis Stevenson, Illinois Secretary of State, contributed little, but his grandson Adlai II expanded the black book in his career as a lawyer, senior official in the Roosevelt and Truman administrations, Governor of Illinois, Presidential candidate and Ambassador to the UN.

Adlai E. Stevenson III inherited the black book, including contributions from friends and supporters around the world, and augmented it from his career as a Marine, lawyer, State Representative, State Treasurer, United States Senator, candidate for governor, international investment banker and ever the hereditary global sojourner and public policy activist. The black book was continuously organized and reorganized as a ready source of wit and wisdom for their speeches.

While a lack of civility is a symptom of today’s money-driven politics of ideology, tactics, religiosity and ignorance, the author believes Americans today yearn for the politics and culture which created America and made it great.

In Adlai Stevenson III’s The Black Book, he records American politics, culture and history as these men knew it. Since few, if any, American families have been as actively involved in public office and politics for as long as the Stevensons – beginning in the 1840’s with great-great-grandfather Jesse Fell who sponsored  Abraham Lincoln for President -- it is a unique history covering finance and economics, law and justice, the media, politics, religion, education, war, and so much more. In order to see the future you must see the past, from The Black Book.

Adlai E. Stevenson III has lectured widely, authored numerous articles and is the recipient of many honors, including Japan’s Order of the Sacred Treasure with Gold and Silver Star, and is an Honorary Professor of Renmin University in Beijing. He is Chairman of the Adlai Stevenson Center on Democracy which aims to bring practitioners from the world together to address systemic challenges to democratic systems  and also Chairman of SC&M Investment Management Corp., an international financial intermediary. A graduate of Harvard College and Law School, he maintains an office in Chicago and a home with his wife, Nancy, on a farm near Galena, Illinois.

For more information on The Black Book or Senator Stevenson, please visit: www.adlai3.com. Available at bookstores nationwide and online at http://www.adlai3.com/purchase-cart.html

Friday, November 02, 2012

White Bulger Seeks Additional 8 Month Delay in Trial

A lawyer for mobster James "Whitey" Bulger asked a judge Thursday to delay his trial by eight months, while a prosecutor argued that Bulger has already received "a 16-year continuance" by fleeing Boston and staying on the run all those years.

U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns didn't immediately rule on the defense request to move the trial from March until next November. Stearns said he expects to issue a written decision within the next few days.

Bulger, the former leader of the Winter Hill Gang, is accused of playing a role in 19 murders during the 1970s and 1980s. His lawyer has said Bulger plans to testify about his claim that he received immunity to commit crimes while he was an FBI informant on the Mafia. Bulger, now 83, fled Boston in late 1994 and was not captured until June 2011, when he was found in Santa Monica, Calif.

Bulger's lead attorney, J.W. Carney Jr., has repeatedly complained about the large volume of materials he needs to review before the trial, including more than 364,000 pages of documents turned over by prosecutors.

"We cannot possibly be ready to start the trial in March," Carney said Thursday. He said it is critical for the defense to be fully prepared in order for Bulger to receive a fair trial. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Kelly said prosecutors are opposed to the delay and accused Bulger of "continually trying to stall this case."

Stearns has twice rejected a defense request that he recuse himself from Bulger's trial.

Bulger's lawyers say Stearns should not preside at the trial because he was a federal prosecutor during a time in which Bulger claims he was given immunity for crimes he committed while he was also an FBI informant on the Mafia, his gang's main rival.

In a written response denying Carney's motion for the second time, Stearns said there is no connection between his former position as chief of the criminal division of the U.S. attorney's office and the organized crime strike force.

Bulger claims that Jeremiah O'Sullivan, a former federal prosecutor who led the New England Organized Crime Strike Force, gave him immunity. O'Sullivan, who died in 2009, denied protecting Bulger from prosecution for violent crimes during his testimony to Congress in 2002.

In a written response filed in court Wednesday, Kelly called Bulger's immunity claim "absurd" and said his decision to flee Massachusetts is "entirely inconsistent" with someone who believed he had immunity. "Obviously, James Bulger never once thought he had legal immunity for his crimes and that is why he remained a fugitive for so long," Kelly wrote.

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