The Chicago Syndicate
The Mission Impossible Backpack

Friday, June 02, 2017

Former Chicago Mayor's Historic Eagle River Home "A Showplace of the North" to go up for Auction.

Upcoming auction of historical home built by former Chicago Mayor Edward J. Kelly in Eagle River, WI announced by Micoley.com, powered by RealtyHive. Home located on the Eagle River Chain of Lakes is scheduled for an online auction on June 28th, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. CDT.

Referred to as "A Showplace of the North" by the Vilas County News in the publication's December 8, 1926 edition, the 7,400+ square foot historic Edward Kelly Residence is one of the most famous properties on the Eagle River Chain of Lakes and is scheduled for auction by Micoley.com on June 28th.

Former Chicago Mayor Ed Kelly's Historic Eagle River Home 'A Showplace of the North' on Chain of Lakes


Designed by Canadian architect Francis Conroy Sullivan, who was a student of the prolific and lauded American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, construction of the historic home began in 1928. The home, built for Chicago's Mayor Edward J. Kelly, took four years to complete.

Keeping his admiration for the distinctly Midwestern Prairie School architectural style in mind, as well as Mayor Kelly's Chicago roots and lifestyle, Sullivan designed what would become a truly one-of-a-kind addition to the already stunning Eagle River community. The Edward Kelly Residence serves as a tribute to the Mayor and to the beautiful region with which it seamlessly blends and also perfectly represents.

The Vilas County property, built by Herman Korth & Son Construction, offers homeowners a substantial dash of history with all the thoughtful touches and comforts of home.

A key feature that makes the residence stand out in the Eagle River area is its use of durable California redwood -- historic in its own right -- as its primary construction material, which was all shipped in directly from California, specifically for the Kelly home.

The home's impressive interior features include a large floor-to-ceiling fireplace, made with native stone, a large formal dining room and adjacent living room area, 7-bedrooms, two screened-in sunrooms, 5 full baths and 3 half baths, a bright and inviting kitchen, and a butler's pantry.

Classic film fans and history buffs will appreciate Mayor Kelly's projection room, which still contains the original projectors. Mayor Kelly used the projection room to preview movies that would eventually be shown in Chicago before their release. As an added bonus for movie lovers -- particularly horror aficionados -- the 1978 Hollywood movie, "Damien: Omen II," starring Lee Grant and William Holden, was filmed at the estate.

Always keeping his mayoral responsibilities in mind, even while at his comfortable Eagle River home, Mayor Kelly kept a radio in his Kelly residence office where he recorded all of his speeches. The radio is still in the office.

As a rare bonus, the beautifully preserved original furnishings are still in place throughout the Kelly home, including a pristine baby grand piano; further reflecting the care that has gone into maintaining the integrity of this truly historic home.

The home's exterior grounds include a 3-car garage with chauffeur and caretaker quarters. The historic wet boathouse features a second story that has a full open recreational room that leads to an outdoor wrap-around deck, accessible through four separate double-door entrances. The interior of this spectacular space is made from the same beautiful California redwood used in the main house. The exterior of the boathouse features the original sailboat weather vane, which works perfectly.

With only two homeowners -- the second homebuyer taking ownership in 1951 -- prospective homebuyers will quickly recognize the commitment to the meticulous upkeep of this historic property.

The Indian Point reference to the home comes from the life-size American Indian Brave figure that has proudly stood guard over the point since its placement in the 1930s. Many local boaters use the figure as a reference point navigating Catfish Lake. The home sits on 7.14 acres and has 2,000 feet of sandy beach frontage.

Prospective homebuyers will find a healthy and thriving residential and recreational area surrounding the unique and historic Edward Kelly Residence at 1057 Everett Rd, Eagle River, WI 54521.

Wade Micoley notes that "This home is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a charming slice of American history with a bonus of being warm, comfortable, and inviting. We are very excited to see who takes interest in purchasing this property."

The property is listed at $4,495,000, with an opening bid of $2,750,000 if no offers are received before the auction on June 28. The property may sell prior to the event.

Interested parties should visit Micoley.com to find photos and details about this historic property. Walkthroughs are available by qualified appointments only and can be scheduled by calling 1-866-371-3619. Additionally, Micoley.com features a live chat service through which questions can be answered.

Feds want John "Pudgy" Matassa's union duties limited as reputed mobster awaits trial

Federal prosecutors want a reputed Chicago mob figure to curtail his day-to-day duties at a local laborers union while he faces charges stemming from an alleged scheme to fraudulently qualify for early retirement benefits.

John Matassa Jr., 65, pleaded not guilty Thursday to a 10-count indictment charging him with wire fraud, theft of government funds, embezzlement from a labor organization and making false entries in union records. The most serious charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly released Matassa on his own recognizance, requiring him to turn in his passport and firearm owner's identification card.

During the 10-minute hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Rothblatt said prosecutors had a "sincere concern" that while awaiting trial, Matassa, secretary-treasurer of the Independent Union of Amalgamated Workers Local 711, would be free to communicate with witnesses in the case and continue to make decisions on how to spend union members' dues. Rothblatt said prosecutors would be asking for Matassa's communications and financial duties to be restricted while the case was pending.

Matassa's lawyer, Robert Michels, objected, saying the union has a board of trustees that is "fully capable" of making personnel decisions without court intervention.

Kennelly asked prosecutors to put the request in writing before he ruled.

Matassa, of Arlington Heights, appeared in court Thursday in a blue suit jacket and shirt with no tie. He spoke only to answer "Yes" in a husky voice when Kennelly asked him if he understood his rights.

An indictment handed down last week alleged that Matassa put his wife on Local 711's payroll in a do-nothing job in February 2013 while lowering his own salary, authorities charged. He then applied for the early retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration's Old-Age Insurance program, listing his reduced salary, enabling him to qualify for those benefits, the indictment alleged.

The charges also alleged that Matassa personally signed his wife's paychecks from the union and had them deposited into the couple's bank account.

In the late 1990s, Matassa, nicknamed "Pudgy," was kicked out as president of the Laborers Union Chicago local over his alleged extensive ties to organized crime.

Matassa's name also surfaced during the 2009 trial of a deputy U.S. marshal who was convicted of leaking sensitive information to a family friend with alleged mob ties, knowing the details would end up in the Outfit's hands.

The leak involved the then-secret cooperation of Outfit turncoat Nicholas Calabrese, whose testimony led to the convictions of numerous mob figures in the landmark Operation Family Secrets.

Thanks to Jason Meisner.

The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosemo and the Ladies of the Levee

My tendency to either skim books or proofread them (from early magazine days) has encountered a new one from former Cook County police chief Art Bilek that I can’t put down: The First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosemo and the Ladies of the Levee.

This is a masterpiece of writing and excruciatingly accurate research that describes how Big Jim Colosimo rose from a lowly street-sweeper to the most prominent operator of whorehousesThe First Vice Lord: Big Jim Colosemo and the Ladies of the Levee, gambling joints, and low-life restaurants in the days leading up to Prohibition, with the collusion of the police and politicians and the managerial skills of John Torrio and Al Capone. When his increasingly notorious Colosimo’s CafĂ© combined with his growing desire for respectability, love for a young songbird, and failure to exploit the opportunities afforded by Prohibition, Torrio (we must presume) had him murdered in the vestibule of his elegant restaurant in 1920—and the band marched on.

Nowhere has Chicago’s graft and corruption been so carefully and entertainingly documented, with special attention to the backgrounds of Torrio and Capone, who worked hard to weld the new and competing bootlegging gangs into the greatest illicit booze empire the country has ever known--one that did not factionalize into Chicago’s bloody Beer Wars that began with the killing of North Side mob-leader Dean O’Banion four years later. My own work has concentrated on the years following Prohibition, so I’m especially happy to report that Bilek’s book explains what made the Roaring Twenties possible.

Reviewed by William J. Helmer, courtesy of On the Spot Journal.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

19 Reputed Lucchese Crime Family Members Arrested by FBI

Federal agents in New York on Wednesday arrested 19 accused members of the Lucchese crime family, an alleged network of criminals who were the source of inspiration for the acclaimed mobster film "Goodfellas."

Defendants with nicknames including "Paulie Roast Beef" and "Joey Glasses" were among those arrested on charges ranging from murder to the illegal sale of cigarettes, according to court papers.

The crimes were committed in connection to a larger racketeering scheme run out of New York and dating back at least 17 years, prosecutors said.

The Lucchese family is considered to be one of five long-established Mafia organizations that operate in New York City and New Jersey.

The group was suspected of pulling off the notorious 1978 airport heist that inspired Martin Scorsese's 1990 Academy Award-winning film "Goodfellas." That $6 million heist remains one of the most infamous unsolved crimes in the United States.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's New York office said agents had arrested about 20 people on Wednesday in an organized crime bust.

The defendants are expected to appear in federal court in White Plains.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency

The world has watched, stunned, the bloodshed in Mexico. Forty thousand murdered since 2006; police chiefs shot within hours of taking office; mass graves comparable to those of civil wars; car bombs shattering storefronts; headless corpses heaped in town squares. And it is all because a few Americans are getting high. Or is it part of a worldwide shadow economy that threatens Mexico's democracy? The United States throws Black Hawk helicopters, DEA assistance, and lots of money at the problem. But in secret, Washington is at a loss. Who are these mysterious figures who threaten Mexico's democracy? What is El Narco?

El Narco is not a gang; it is a movement and an industry drawing in hundreds of thousands, from bullet-riddled barrios to marijuana-covered mountains. The conflict spawned by El Narco has given rise to paramilitary death squads battling from Guatemala to the Texas border (and sometimes beyond). In this "propulsive ... high-octane" book (Publishers Weekly), Ioan Grillo draws the first definitive portrait of Mexico's cartels and how they have radically transformed in the past decade.

El Narco: Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency.

Affliction!

Affliction Sale

Flash Mafia Book Sales!