Corruption in Chicago, What's New?

As Mayor Richard Daley discloses his plans for a $289.8 million dollar tax and fee package increase, which includes the largest property tax increase in Chicago history, meant to bail the city out of the most difficult economic time it has seen in years, the Chicago Tribune has opened an investigation into another scandal involving Mayor Daley.

The investigation begins with Daley's plans in 1997 to purchase a parcel of property on Chicago's Southside, Daley's neighborhood, Bridgeport. The property which is a 1.8 irregularly shaped lot, located at one of the most polluted sections of the river, which is still affected by the dumping of decayed livestock waste from the Union Stockyards. The property also housed a plant that turned coal into gas to light and heat Chicago homes .

In April of 1998, residents were told that the lot was going to be transformed into a public park, but at the same time, it seems that DiPiazza, along with a partner bought the Bridgeport vacant property in 1998 for $50,000.00, and in 2004, DiPiazza had cashed in on his investment, receiving $1.2 million from the sale of the property to the city of Chicago.

It would appear that DiPiazza and his partner are wise and schooled investors, however, this type of return for Daley's acquaintances is not unusual. This is just one instance of how insiders profit from even the most public-minded projects Daley undertakes.

DiPiazza is a former city worker, who has rubbed shoulders with another Daley friend Fred Barbara, who has made his millions hauling garbage for the city. His uncle the late 1^st Ward Alderman Fred Roti , who was known to be the organized crime's representative in the City Council. DiPiazza and his partner Richard Ferro are related to the Roti family by marriage.

They have been generous contributors to Daley and during last February's municipal elections , they gave $25,000.00 to help a pro-Daley alderman.

Interestingly, the appraisal of the property done by, Lorenz a longtime city contractor, and who's father was a key figure in the Cook County Democratic Organization under the late Mayor Richard Daley, the current mayor's father, suggested that the land would be more valuable if it were zoned residential. Ordinarily, the city typically tells appraisers to base estimates on current zoning, and adhered to that policy in 2000 when it was selling city owned industrial land to a favored developer for a Bridgeport Village housing project, where DiPiazza was a consultant. Interestingly, the city asked Lorenz to appraise the property that it was purchasing from DiPiazza as though it was zoned residential, even though it was zoned industrial at the time.

The city decided to expand the proposed park and decided to purchase the lot next to it, which had been owned by Speedway wrecking since 1960, although they did not want to move , Speedway was threatened by the city which implied that it would go to court and seize the land by using the faithful " Eminent Domain" argument.

The city had Speedways' property valued using the residential zoning standard, but Speedway argues that even though their property was ½ acre larger they received less money.

This in addition to his truck for hire scandal in 2005, a wide ranging federal investigation into what prosecutors described as pervasive fraud in hiring and contracts at city hall, which led to 30 indictments, which included two senior administrators close to the mayor and cabinet level resignations, along with obvious trouble with the Chicago Police Department, makes one to stop and wonder why and how Daley retains his office as Mayor. They say that " Family Secrets" was the last organized crime trial for Chicago, but was it?