Only in Cook County …

June 25, 2009 by CookReformer
Filed under: Uncategorized

Just when we think we’ve seen it all in Cook County politics — some other piece of news comes along to make us shake our heads.

This week, that news comes courtesy of the Illinois State Crime Commission, who decided this week to honor Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico as the organization’s annual awards dinner.

That’s right — the Illinois State Crime Commission honored Melrose Park Village President Ron Serpico.

For many of you reading this post, no further explanation of the lunacy of this situation is needed.

For the rest of you, let’s provide a brief recap of recent events in Melrose Park…under Ron Serpico’s leadership:

As we posted here, Serpico’s chief of police, Vito Scavo, was convicted earlier this month on federal corruption charges of “shaking down local businesses to hire his private security companies.” Serpico and Scavo were close personal friends — with the two even standing up in each other’s weddings. Scavo’s goings-on were widespread in a community in which Serpico rules with an iron fist. As the Proviso Probe post asks about the Scavo conviction — “Where’s it Going to Lead?“

According to this Pioneer Press story, Scavo’s security firm (D.O.D. Security Consultants) was a sub-contractor to IFPC Worldwide Inc., which was awarded a security contract for the $42 million Melrose Park water project. As this story reports, the Melrose Park spokesman had previously raised conflict-of-interest concerns about that contract. So it’s hard to imagine that others in the administration — including Serpico — were not aware of Scavo’s company’s contract.

Also reported in that Pioneer Press story was the fact that “IFPC, formerly known as County Line Security, has donated approximately $9,085 to Serpico-related campaign funds since 1999.”

According to this Proviso Herald story, in April 2009 the Illinois Attorney General filed a lawsuit against the wife of a retired Melrose Park police lieutenant claiming this woman “stole $24,000 from the Melrose Park Little League in 2003 as the organization’s treasurer.” However, this woman “denied any wrongdoing and said all money was approved by the league’s president at the time, Terry Serpico, brother of Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico.”

Longtime Serpico ally and former Melrose Park consultant Anthony Bruno (a disbarred attorney) was convicted on federal fraud charges earlier this year.

According to the Melrose Park page on Wikipedia, “The athletic field next to the village hall is named after the late Ralph ‘Babe’ Serpico, father of the current mayor, Ronald M. Serpico, who had been convicted of extortion and racketeering.”

Granted, Ron Serpico has not been indicted of convicted of any crimes. And just because the father was convicted doesn’t mean the son is also guilty.

But, under President Serpico’s leadership, this town sure seems to keep federal crimefighters busy.

So, why did the Illinois State Crime Commission honor Serpico?

Your guess is as good as ours.