A northern Wisconsin tribe is the new owner of Al Capone's Wisconsin hideout.
The Lac Court Oreilles Tribe purchased the nearly 400-acre property near Couderay for $2.7 million according to the Sawyer County Record.
The property was foreclosed on several months ago by Chippewa Valley Bank.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Mob Museum Gets $2 Million More in Funding
The Las Vegas City Council quietly approved spending nearly $2 million more today for the mob museum project, which is on track to open in 2011 in the city's downtown. But City Councilman Stavros Anthony made it clear he still doesn't like the project, which will be officially known as the Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement.
Anthony didn't speak out today about the project, which is estimated to cost about $50 million. But his actions were fairly loud and consistent with his past votes.
He asked to have the item pulled from the council's routine consent agenda so it could be voted on separately. Then he was the lone vote against the extra funding among the seven council members.
Anthony had also voted against additional funding for the retrofit project back in November. At that time, he had explained he could not justify spending money on such a museum.
The extra money approved today, amounting to $1,958,908, is needed to take care of some structural retrofit work on the historic 1933 federal office building and post office building at 300 Stewart, which will house the museum.
The work includes modifying the beams on the second and third floors, removing more hazardous material from the building, doing more work on the exterior plaster and courtroom ceilings and installing a new remote fire pump assembly that's needed because of failing water pressure in the downtown area, according to the city's finance and business services department.
The museum, which is expected to open in the first quarter of 2011, would tell the tale of how federal and local law enforcement officers fought the mob and eventually drove it out of Las Vegas' casinos.
The exhibits would features items from the FBI, plus artifacts from mob life, including many donated from the children and grandchildren of top members of organized crime and their underlings.
The museum has been pushed by the city's mayor, former high-profile mob lawyer Oscar Goodman, and by the FBI.
Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow, who made the motion to approve the extra funding today, has said in the past he supports it as an additional tourist attraction for the downtown.
Thanks to Dave Toplikar.
Anthony didn't speak out today about the project, which is estimated to cost about $50 million. But his actions were fairly loud and consistent with his past votes.
He asked to have the item pulled from the council's routine consent agenda so it could be voted on separately. Then he was the lone vote against the extra funding among the seven council members.
Anthony had also voted against additional funding for the retrofit project back in November. At that time, he had explained he could not justify spending money on such a museum.
The extra money approved today, amounting to $1,958,908, is needed to take care of some structural retrofit work on the historic 1933 federal office building and post office building at 300 Stewart, which will house the museum.
The work includes modifying the beams on the second and third floors, removing more hazardous material from the building, doing more work on the exterior plaster and courtroom ceilings and installing a new remote fire pump assembly that's needed because of failing water pressure in the downtown area, according to the city's finance and business services department.
The museum, which is expected to open in the first quarter of 2011, would tell the tale of how federal and local law enforcement officers fought the mob and eventually drove it out of Las Vegas' casinos.
The exhibits would features items from the FBI, plus artifacts from mob life, including many donated from the children and grandchildren of top members of organized crime and their underlings.
The museum has been pushed by the city's mayor, former high-profile mob lawyer Oscar Goodman, and by the FBI.
Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow, who made the motion to approve the extra funding today, has said in the past he supports it as an additional tourist attraction for the downtown.
Thanks to Dave Toplikar.
Former President of the Chicago Crime Commission to Head Illnois Tollway Investigations and Audits
The Illinois tollway has appointed a retired top FBI agent to head up investigations and audits.
James W. Wagner, 66, who previously directed the Chicago Crime Commission, became the tollway's general manager of investigations and audits effective Monday.
"He brings a wealth of experience to our agency as a seasoned investigator with a diverse history," Illinois State Toll Highway Authority spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis said.
Wagner served as an FBI agent from 1969 to 2000 in Chicago, New York and Little Rock, finishing his career as supervisor of the organized crime section. He worked as deputy administrator of investigations for the Illinois Gaming Board from 2000 through 2005, then president of the Crime Commission until 2008.
Duties at the tollway will include rooting out fraud and corruption, conducting internal investigations, internal audits, correction of mismanagement and misconduct and supervising staff.
Wagner essentially replaces the previous tollway inspector general who has come under scrutiny by the Illinois attorney general's office. Inspector General Tracy Smith resigned unexpectedly from her position in August.
A spokesman for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the agency was "seriously concerned about her conduct" in light of revelations that Smith was a college friend of former tollway Chairman John Mitola's wife.
Smith, as part of her job, supervised ethics investigations including complaints that involved Mitola.
Mitola called any questions of impropriety unfounded and ridiculous, and Smith said there was no conflict of interest.
The position of inspector general was being re-engineered because of a change in state law, McGinnis said.
Wagner's salary will be $130,000. Wagner was hired by Acting Executive Director Michael King and tollway board members were aware of it although the issue was not discussed in public at tollway meetings.
Thanks to Marni Pyke
James W. Wagner, 66, who previously directed the Chicago Crime Commission, became the tollway's general manager of investigations and audits effective Monday.
"He brings a wealth of experience to our agency as a seasoned investigator with a diverse history," Illinois State Toll Highway Authority spokeswoman Joelle McGinnis said.
Wagner served as an FBI agent from 1969 to 2000 in Chicago, New York and Little Rock, finishing his career as supervisor of the organized crime section. He worked as deputy administrator of investigations for the Illinois Gaming Board from 2000 through 2005, then president of the Crime Commission until 2008.
Duties at the tollway will include rooting out fraud and corruption, conducting internal investigations, internal audits, correction of mismanagement and misconduct and supervising staff.
Wagner essentially replaces the previous tollway inspector general who has come under scrutiny by the Illinois attorney general's office. Inspector General Tracy Smith resigned unexpectedly from her position in August.
A spokesman for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the agency was "seriously concerned about her conduct" in light of revelations that Smith was a college friend of former tollway Chairman John Mitola's wife.
Smith, as part of her job, supervised ethics investigations including complaints that involved Mitola.
Mitola called any questions of impropriety unfounded and ridiculous, and Smith said there was no conflict of interest.
The position of inspector general was being re-engineered because of a change in state law, McGinnis said.
Wagner's salary will be $130,000. Wagner was hired by Acting Executive Director Michael King and tollway board members were aware of it although the issue was not discussed in public at tollway meetings.
Thanks to Marni Pyke
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