Red Lights, Cicero and Melrose Park
Interesting story in this morning’s Chicago Tribune about how the company behind the controversial “red light cameras” is seeking business to Berwyn — when they have strong ties to an attorney who is politically connected to the Berwyn mayor.
Please click here to read our earlier post about the major issues with the red light camera program.
But perhaps the most interesting part of this story is this:
Del Galdo also serves as municipal attorney for neighboring Cicero, where his father-in-law is part owner of a controversial towing company contracted to do work for the town.
What a small world, huh?
According to this Forest Park Review story, Del Galdo’s law firm also is involved with politics in Proviso, including in Melrose Park:
During its regular monthly meeting on May 21, the board voted to dump the law firm Odelson and Sterk, and instead, retain the services of Giglio and Del Galdo. Both firms have donated bundles of cash to campaign efforts by board President Chris Welch and Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico, a major backer of Welch and Welch’s political ally, Cook County Recorder of Deeds Eugene Moore.
As we’ve posted before, Cicero Village President Larry Dominick and Melrose Park Village President Ron Serpico will no doubt team up to oppose Tony Peraica.
I think we’re getting a picture of why they want Tony off the County Board: he stands with the taxpayers instead of standing with the political insiders.
Dominick Wants to ‘Smash’ Peraica
All you need to know about this video is this: if Cicero Village President Larry Dominick wants to “smash” Tony Peraica — it’s because Peraica is on the side of the taxpayers. Read more about Mr. Dominick here, here and here.
Yes, Tony supported Dominick’s first campaign back in 2005 because Dominick ran as a reformer, but has turned out to be just another Cook County political insider. Tony chose to stand with the taxpayers instead of the Cicero Mayor. Simple as that.
Guess Whose Teaming Up to Oppose Tony Peraica?
Commissioner Peraica has been an outspoken fighter for honest reform and tax relief in Cook County.
So it’s not secret why opponents of reform want Tony gone.
We’ve already written about the “Two Eddies” who have teamed up to oppose Tony in the past — and will no doubt do it again in 2010 (we already have indications that “Fast Eddie” Vrdolyak is actively recruiting politicians to work against Tony in next year’s elections.”
And McCook Mayor Jeff Tobolski — who is challenging Peraica as a Democrat — has actually bragged about raising big bucks from Melrose Park Village President Ron Serpico and Cicero Mayor Larry Dominick.
Yes, that’s the same Larry Dominick who infamously stationed armed gunmen outside the Cicero polls during his re-election.
And, please, please, please read our prior post on Ron Serpico.
Speaking of Ron Serpico, the bad news just keeps coming for his town of Melrose Park. We previously posted about his former consultant, Anthony Bruno, being charged with federal tax fraud. And we’ve also posted about the conviction of Serpico’s former chief of police, Vito Scavo, on federal corruption charges.
Now, both Scavo and Bruno are in the news again — this time for an alleged scheme to shakedown a local Melrose Park movie theater. The Sun-Times reports:
A high-profile municipal consultant worked with a crooked Melrose Park police chief in the late 1990s to strong-arm a movie theater chain into hiring private guards, federal prosecutors allege.
In a sentencing memo to the court, prosecutors have accused Bruno of a separate crime: working with former Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo in 1999 to extort Cinemark Theatres into hiring security at levels the company did not want. When Cinemark balked, Bruno threatened to hold up a certificate of occupancy the company needed to open the theater, prosecutors say.
Bruno denies any extortion, saying he simply persuaded Cinemark to honor a promise to hire the guards. He also said there’s no proof he knew Scavo intended to supply the guards with Scavo’s own firm. Bruno isn’t charged in connection with the Cinemark allegations. The statute of limitations has expired, officials say.
In June, Scavo was found guilty of strong-arming Kiddieland, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and other places into hiring security firms he owned. The firms operated out of the Melrose Park police station using squad cars and on-duty cops. Scavo is awaiting sentencing.
Just remember that these are the same folks who want to see Tony Peraica defeated next year.
Do you stand with these insiders — or with the side of reform?
More Trouble in Melrose…
Melrose Park Village President Ron Serpico can’t be happy about this court testimony:
Michael “Mickey” Caliendo took the stand Thursday in his own defense to dispute charges of racketeering and mail fraud.
Caliendo, 66, former supervisor of part-time police officers at Melrose Park Police Department from 1995 to 2006, was questioned by his attorney, Arthur Engelland.
When asked about the evidence brought against him concerning the assigning of part-time police officers to do security work instead of patrolling the village, Caliendo said the decision was not his to make.
“I would assign part-time police to wherever they told me to,” he said.
“They” referred to his superiors, former Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo, and Mayor Ronald Serpico.
Please read our previous post on Vito Scavo here.
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