Wednesday, December 17, 2008

FBI informant: Blago was a bookmaker

As the connected fellas in Chicago say, "Lemme tell you sometin'. I heard dis story before..."

And this is what I heard a few years ago... and it is exactly how ABC 7 Chicago is reporting this today.

All attornys specialize. Some work on tax issues, others personal injury cases, some lawyers prefer wills and probate.

Robert Cooley had a specialty too. Criminal defense work, with a sideline in fixing cases.

Cooley was a criminal defense lawyer in Chicago in the late 1980's who became one of the most potent witnesses against Chicago corruption, testifying for federal prosecutors in cases that resulted in dozens of convictions.

Cooley says that before Rod Blagojevich got into politics he was a bookmaker on the North Side who regularly paid the Chicago mob to operate.

"When I was working with government wearing wire, I reported, I observed Rod, the present governor, who was running a gambling operation out in the western suburbs. He was paying street tax to the mob out there," said Robert Cooley, federal informant.

On a web-based interview show last week, Cooley said he reported to federal authorities nearly two decades ago that Rod Blagojevich had been operating an illegal sports gambling business.

Cooley's most infamous fix was the murder trial of mob-hitman Harry Aleman. Cooley bribed the judge, Frank Wilson, who presided over the bench trial of Aleman. Despite two eyewitnesses to the crime, the Wilson found Aleman innocent. The day after federal authorities confronted Wilson about the Aleman fix, Wilson committed suicide.

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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, like you're really gonna
miss Wilson.

Anonymous said...

Lemme tell ya, sounds like a
Ditka-ism.......

Marathon Pundit said...

Wilson was a criminal court judge, outside of social events, I would have no dealings with someone like Wilson.

Jim Roper said...

If this FBI informant knew what
they knew, I'm surprised Blago
stiil was allowed to run for governor.

Anonymous said...

Gee John, whatever happened to
tolerance and forgiveness?

Anonymous said...

Oh you're quite the angelic one
Ruberry!

Anonymous said...

Bush didn't compromise his sole to
be popular.

Anonymous said...

Hey Frnkenputz change the record,
this one's Broken!!!!!!

Mr. Right said...

Hmmmmm...

I wonder why we were never told about this when Blago was running for US House or Governor?

You don't think his PARTY AFFILIATION would have ever played a role in reporters not thoroughly vetting him, do you???

Nyah!

I'm certain that any Republican candidate for high office would have been given a pass for having mob connections in their background, too.

/end sarcasm, re-entering real world

Can we fire the press yet? ALL OF THEM???