Fashion Fetish Fete Event to Raise Funds for Veteran Support Services While Celebrating Chicago Fashion Leaders’ Humanitarian Achievements

Revamped Image Consulting (RIC), an image enhancement consulting company, announces the First Annual Fashion Fetish Fete (FFF) event that will take place this weekend, September 24th at Chicago’s Park West Venue in Lincoln Park and will be hosted by Aleah Connect of WCIU's Fashion Express. The event will not only award local fashion companies, designers and figures engaging in humanitarian efforts, but will also help raise funds for the Veteran Services offered by The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The event will begin at 6:00 PM (VIP) and conclude at 10 PM. Tickets cost $35/$50 VIP and may be purchased at fashionfetishfete.org.

Each year, FFF spotlights a Chicago-based charitable cause to help increase the awareness of the cause, educate attendees about what can be done to help, and to donate a generous portion of the event’s proceeds to support future programs and endeavors of the charity. This year, FFF will honor The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and its incredible support of our veterans. Its veteran programs range from workforce re-training, job placement, temporary and permanent housing, counseling and more. Additionally, FFF will honor individuals and businesses within Chicago’s fashion industry for their notable humanitarian achievements.

This is an opportunity for business owners with an interest in Chicago’s retail and fashion industry to support Illinois veterans, raise awareness regarding their daily tribulations, and to honor Chicago’s altruistic fashion entities. The philanthropic 2011 event will include a fashion show featuring local designers, an awards ceremony, entertainment, hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, charitable fundraising, vendor offerings, and a VIP reception. A bonus runway addition will include three to five veterans on the walkway who will unveil their enhanced appearance resulting from a complimentary image make-over by Ravamped Image Consulting. Music will be provided by Obisoulstar and The Eletriqsoul Hideout.

“The first annual Fashion Fetish Fete will be an honor to host. I have seen first-hand through the eyes of my father after Vietnam, the transitional difficulties which can occur as vets try to return to civilian life after serving our country,” commented, Renita S. Manley-Garrett, owner of Revamped Image Consulting. “This event is not only a tribute to him, but to all those who have served our country with their time, their sacrifices, and many…their lives. Please join us as we leverage the inspirations of our local fashion community to support these programs and help ease their transition as our show of our gratitude.”

According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, “Veterans are twice as likely as other Americans to become chronically homeless.” Furthermore, the top reason cited for this statistic is the “lack of income due to limited education and lack of transferable skills from military to civilian life (especially true of younger veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan).”

A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available to local companies ranging from Goodie Bag inclusion to event marketing and advertising partnerships. Please contact renita@fashionfetishfete.org for more information about sponsoring the event.

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2010 FBI Crime Statistics HIghlights

According to the figures released today by the FBI, the estimated number of violent crimes in 2010 declined for the fourth consecutive year. Property crimes also decreased, marking this the eighth straight year that the collective estimates for these offenses declined.

The 2010 statistics show that the estimated volumes of violent and property crimes declined 6.0 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively, when compared with the 2009 estimates. The violent crime rate for the year was 403.6 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants (a 6.5 percent decrease from the 2009 rate), and the property crime rate was 2,941.9 offenses per 100,000 persons (a 3.3 percent decrease from the 2009 figure).

These and additional data are presented in the 2010 edition of the FBI’s annual report Crime in the United States. This publication is a statistical compilation of offense and arrest data reported by law enforcement agencies voluntarily participating in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program.

The UCR program collects information on crimes reported by law enforcement agencies regarding the violent crimes of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, as well as the property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. (Although the FBI classifies arson as a property crime, it does not estimate arson data because of variations in the level of participation by the reporting agencies. Consequently, arson is not included in the property crime estimate.) The program also collects arrest data for the offenses listed above, plus 20 additional offenses that include all other crimes except traffic violations.

In 2010, there were 18,108 city, county, university and college, state, tribal, and federal agencies that participated in the UCR program. A summary of the statistics reported by these agencies, which are included in Crime in the United States, 2010, follows:

• Nationwide in 2010, there were an estimated 1,246,248 violent crimes.
• Each of the four violent crime offenses decreased when compared with the 2009 estimates. Robbery had the largest decrease at 10.0 percent, followed by forcible rape with a 5.0 percent decline, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter with a 4.2 percent decrease, and aggravated assault with a 4.1 percent decline.
• Nationwide in 2010, there were an estimated 9,082,887 property crimes.
• Each of the property crime offenses also decreased in 2010 when compared with the 2009 estimates. The largest decline, 7.4 percent, was for motor vehicle thefts. The estimated number of burglaries decreased 2.0 percent, and the estimated number of larceny-thefts declined 2.4 percent.
• Collectively, victims of property crimes (excluding arson) lost an estimated $15.7 billion in 2010.
• The FBI estimated that in 2010, agencies nationwide made about 13.1 million arrests, excluding traffic violations.
• The 2010 arrest rate for violent crimes was 179.2 per 100,000 inhabitants; for property crime, the rate was 538.5 per 100,000 inhabitants.
• By violent crime offense, the arrest rate for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter was 3.6; forcible rape, 6.5; robbery, 36.6; and aggravated assault, 132.6 arrests per 100,000 inhabitants.
• By property crime offense, the arrest rate for burglary was 94.3; larceny-theft, 417.5; and motor vehicle theft, 23.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. The arrest rate for arson was 3.7 per 100,000 inhabitants.
• In 2010, there were 14,744 law enforcement agencies that reported their staffing levels to the FBI. These agencies reported that as of October 31, 2010, they collectively employed 705,009 sworn officers and 308,599 civilians, a rate of 3.5 employees for each 1,000 inhabitants.

Caution against ranking: Each year when Crime in the United States is published, some entities use the figures to compile rankings of cities and counties. These rough rankings provide no insight into the numerous variables that mold crime in a particular town, city, county, state, tribal area, or region. Consequently, they lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting communities and their residents. Valid assessments are possible only with careful study and analysis of the range of unique conditions affecting each local law enforcement jurisdiction. The data user is, therefore, cautioned against comparing statistical data of individual reporting units from cities, metropolitan areas, states, or colleges or universities solely on the basis of their population coverage or student enrollment.

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Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy

In 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy recorded seven historic interviews about her life with John F. Kennedy. Now, for the first time, they can be heard and read in this deluxe, illustrated book and 8-CD set.

Shortly after President John F. Kennedy s assassination, with a nation deep in mourning and the world looking on in stunned disbelief, Jacqueline Kennedy found the strength to set aside her own personal grief for the sake of posterity and begin the task of documenting and preserving her husband s legacy. In January of 1964, she and Robert F. Kennedy approved a planned oral-history project that would capture their first-hand accounts of the late President as well as the recollections of those closest to him throughout his extraordinary political career. For the rest of her life, the famously private Jacqueline Kennedy steadfastly refused to discuss her memories of those years, but beginning that March, she fulfilled her obligation to future generations of Americans by sitting down with historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and recording an astonishingly detailed and unvarnished account of her experiences and impressions as the wife and confidante of John F. Kennedy. The tapes of those sessions were then sealed and later deposited in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum upon its completion, in accordance with Mrs. Kennedy s wishes. The resulting eight and a half hours of material comprises a unique and compelling record of a tumultuous era, providing fresh insights on the many significant people and events that shaped JFK s presidency but also shedding new light on the man behind the momentous decisions. Here are JFK s unscripted opinions on a host of revealing subjects, including his thoughts and feelings about his brothers Robert and Ted, and his take on world leaders past and present, giving us perhaps the most informed, genuine, and immediate portrait of John Fitzgerald Kennedy we shall ever have. Mrs. Kennedy s urbane perspective, her candor, and her flashes of wit also give us our clearest glimpse into the active mind of a remarkable First Lady.

In conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy s Inauguration, Caroline Kennedy and the Kennedy family are now releasing these beautifully restored recordings on CDs with accompanying transcripts. Introduced and annotated by renowned presidential historian Michael Beschloss, these interviews will add an exciting new dimension to our understanding and appreciation of President Kennedy and his time and make the past come alive through the words and voice of an eloquent eyewitness to history.

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Arthur Nigro Gets Life in Prison

A former Mafia boss from The Bronx and two violent henchmen were slapped with life sentences for a slew of crimes that included rubbing out a high-ranking mobster in Massachusetts.

One-time reputed acting Genovese family boss Arthur “Little Guy” Nigro and brothers Fotios “Fred” Geas and Ty Geas -- who all professed their innocence -- showed no emotion upon learning in Manhattan federal court that they would die behind bars.

Earlier this year, a jury needed only about an hour to convict them of multiple murder conspiracies, including a 2003 hit on Genovese capo Adolfo “Big Al” Bruno, a suspected mob informant.

The trial featured testimony from Mafia turncoat Anthony “Bingy” Arillotta, who infamously recalled that he had to strip naked before his induction ceremony to reassure Nigro and other nervous mobsters that he wasn’t wearing an FBI wire.

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Mafia Gardening 101

An elderly Italian man lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual vegetable garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was rock hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him in the garden, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament: Dear Vincent, I am feeling pretty sad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up the garden plot, my back won't take it anymore. I know if you were here my troubles would be over, as you loved the garden as much as I. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days, but you're not here, so guess the garden will just peter out, just like me. Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son: Dear Papa, Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried. Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. The next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived, swarmed over the entire house and grounds and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.

That same day the old man received another letter from his son: Dear Papa, Go ahead and plant the garden now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances. Love, Vinnie

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