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?
Melrose Park Named One of “Worst Small Towns to Own a Home”
Filed under: Budget, Corruption, Reform, Spending, Taxes
In a distinction that current Mayor Ron Serpico probably will not use in his re-election campaign mailers this April, Cook County’s very own Village of Melrose Park this week was named by Forbes magazine as one of “the Worst Small Towns to Own a Home.”
According to Forbes, 69% of mortgage holders in Melrose Park have housing costs that, on average, eat up more than 35% of their incomes. Not surprisingly, a big chunk of those housing costs go to property taxes. And in a town like Melrose Park, which sits within Proviso Township, the school board (209) of which is known for its spendthrift ways, high property taxes are not surprising.
It hasn’t been a good month for Mayor Serpico. This latest news comes on the heels of Melrose Park insider/consultant/disbarred attorney Anthony Bruno being charged with federal tax fraud.
There are still several months before the April elections, but it looks like Serpico has his work cut out for him.
West Suburban Political Player Charged with Tax Fraud
The Sun-Times reports that Anthony Bruno - a disbarred attorney who has consulted for a number of suburban Cook County municipalities - has been charged with tax fraud.
Here’s more from that Sun-Times report:
Bruno has consulted for suburbs including Cicero, Bellwood, Forest Park and Melrose Park, earning more than $1.25 million in fees between 1998 and 2005, records show.
As you can see here and here and here, Bruno and his business enterprises are also generous campaign contributors to many of suburban elected officials for whom they consult - both Republican and Democrat.
What effect might this have on upcoming elections? Read more
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