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* The fact that Cooley has been telling this story for years seems to support his claims, but people are coming outta the woodwork in Chicago right now, so try to take a deep breath as you read this…
[Robert 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. […]
Several years ago, when Mr. Blagojevich was running for re-election, Cooley provided the same information to the ABC7 I-Team. Because Cooley did not want to be identified at the time and the governor denied it, ABC7 did not report the story.
On Tuesday, Cooley spoke on the record.
He told ABC7 that Mr. Blagojevich regularly paid a so-called street tax to Robert “Bobby the Boxer” Abbinanti, a convicted outfit gambling collector. In the early 1980’s, Abbinanti was working for convicted West Side mob boss Marco D’amico. Bookies pay street taxes to the crime syndicate in exchange for being allowed to operate such a racket.
“I predicted five years ago when he ran the first time that he was a hands on person who would be selling every position in the state of Illinois and that it exactly what happened,” said Cooley.
*Semi-related rehash from yesterday afternoon…
* Rod Blagojevich pal Christopher Kelly to plead guilty in tax fraud case
* Is Rezko Still Relevant to Prosecutors?
* Delayed Rezko sentencing may mean more trouble for gov
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:41 am
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Why doesn’t Blago sue if it’s not true? Also,why didn’t Ed Genson sue Cooley for what he said in his book about Genson’s Chicago Mob clients?
Comment by Steve Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:44 am
Blago use to be a small-time hood who dealt with the mob! What were the odds?
Comment by Cousin Ralph Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:46 am
I want to believe this bookie stuff. The most important thing in bookmaking is organization and relationship management. Rod is particularly lacking in these two skills. Bookies also work 363 days a year and that requires a good deal of work ethic. We all know how he avoids work. Mule, maybe. Bookie, hard to believe. If true, it gives a bad name to bookies.
Comment by nino Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:50 am
Cooley also had a pretty serious allegation in his book about our current Supreme Court justice and her husband.
Comment by Scooby Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:51 am
What odds is he giving that he will be found innocent?
Comment by He Makes Ryan Look Like a Saint Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:52 am
Cooley should know because of the criminal justice system with all those strange characters at 26th and California. does anybody remember Greylord? How about the FBI mole who still works in Cook County?
Comment by Amy Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:56 am
Re: Serious allegation…check Cooley’s website. I also heard Cooley make the charge in an interview on Al Jeezera.
Comment by Bill Baar Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:56 am
Cooley is as credible a source of factual information as Stu Levine.
Comment by anon Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:00 am
Blagojevich is not unusual in his love of sports, yet I cannot stop thinking about how well Cooley’s charges fit Blagojevich’s personality.
The timing is right, the subject is right, and the personality is right.
Yeah, could be.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:03 am
I know people who knew him in the day who bring up rather matter-of-factly that he’d take bets, but not that he was a bookie himself.
They made it sound very small-time, that he would take bets and lay them off with someone higher up the food chain. In other words, that he worked for a bookie.
He ain’t small time no more.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:03 am
I guess if you put a question mark by it you can say whatever you want?
I think the Governor has enough troubles right now. I don’t think raises strange accusations is really in anyone’s best interest. Just makes every accusation look cooky.
Comment by JR Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:03 am
Words version combined with VM’s comment seem to paint a pretty fair picture.
Comment by Ghost Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:05 am
==Also,why didn’t Ed Genson sue Cooley for what he said in his book about Genson’s Chicago Mob clients?==
He didn’t even bother to sue Cooley for libel in the United Kingdom. Would Genson want to open himself to “discovery”? Genson appears pretty content with the ‘rat’ allegory.
Comment by Gabriel Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:13 am
Remember when the term West Side bloc was common in Illinois politics? It ought to be used more often today. There is still a West Side bloc, and Blagojevich got his start with their support.
A few thousand votes for Nancy Kaszzak, and this day never would have come.
Comment by earnest Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:22 am
As sensational as this would be if this happened a few years ago, the point that it happened in the early 80’s makes it moot. Statute of limitations for one. But mainly because most of us (at least guys in Chicago) have made bets with bookies or at least their mules, especially when we were younger. My guess is most of us chasing him are “guilty” of it. Even the super bowl pools tended to be run by those guys when we were younger. We all participated at least at that level. We would be throwing stones in glass houses. Makes for interesting reading but its right up there outing him for underage drinking or smoking dope in college.
Comment by Been There Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:22 am
Is Blago smart enough to be a bookie? Would he head butt them if they didn’t pay up?
WWOS, not WWLD
What Would Ozzie Say?, Not what would Lou Do?
Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:28 am
I would think an interview with Danny Stefanski might get to the bottom of this issue.
Comment by Phineas J. Whoopee Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:34 am
The West Side Bloc. The situation was this: for years, the balance of power in the closely divided Illinois assembly has been held by a handful of nominal Republicans, most of them coming from Cook County and, for the sake of reelection, more than willing to play footsie with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s Democratic machine. It was with the help of this group that in 1961 the assembly, although it had a narrow Republican majority, nonetheless elected a Democratic speaker. The so-called “West Side bloc” also gave the state Republican Party a bad image by standing steadfastly against such reforms as antigambling legislation.
Time Mag from 1964…
I was a kid, but I remember.
Comment by Bill Baar Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:36 am
The West Side bloc was a euphemism for legislators controlled by the Outfit.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:49 am
It might explain the track suits. maybe it is true.
Comment by nino Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:50 am
TM 64, What do you remember?
Comment by Say WHAT? Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:53 am
One problem with good looks, charm, and charisma is people remember you from long ago. I comment I stumbled on about the gov speculating on how he financed a vacation.
Comment by Bill Baar Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:55 am
Rezko might be less relevant to Blago, but perhaps there are other targets. Rezko had lots of deals through the City, so he knows about City administration and City Council committee chairs, especially Housing and Finance. The deals are old, but his knowledge is priceless.
Comment by Amy Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:04 am
Cooley is a riot. I saw him testify at the On-Leong (sp?) trial regarding the Chinatown streetcrew in 1991. I walked through the waiting room adjacent to the Ceremonial Court Room in the Federal Building where the trial was being held. The door had been inadvertently left unlocked and Cooley was the only one in the room sitting at a table with his head in his hands. He looked up when I came through the door with a look of abject terror in his face, thinking that I was going to pop him. The US Marshalls then ran into the room and he was relieved that there was no hit on him.
Comment by paddyrollingstone Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:08 am
I thought I remember he was delivering “pizzas” before he married Patti… Maybe he WAS speaking in code back then?
Comment by 312 Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 11:44 am
Contest? good nickname for rod the bookie?
Comment by bobby the boxer Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:08 pm
I like calling Rod “The Man with the Golden Senate Seat,” but maybe a bookie nickname would be “Roddie Machine.”
Comment by Boone Logan Square Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:24 pm
>I like calling Rod “The Man with the Golden Senate Seat,”
Nice, particularly for the image I now have of governor chipmunk cheeks holed up in a dive off MILL-waukee Avenue somewheres, sleeve rolled up and band around his bicep, desperately trying to hit a vein.
Comment by lincoln street Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:33 pm
Boone, Frankie Machine was a dealer, not a bookie. Besides, he experienced enormous guilt for his crimes and shortcomings.
But Algren’s milieu of the underbelly of the Northwest Side is appropriate. Good time to re-read “Chicago: City on the Make.”
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:36 pm
Oh, I know Rod’s not a smack dealer (or, apparently, nearly as intelligent or perceptive as Frankie), but couldn’t resist bringing Algren into this mess.
Comment by Boone Logan Square Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:49 pm
Actually, Frankie was a poker dealer hooked on smack.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 12:51 pm
In the mid to late 1970’s, Blago hung out at Blackhawk Park (2318 N LaVergne), smoking dope, playing hoops and taking bets. I don’t think he was a bookie - just worked for one. He would know not to cross the Mob. On Halloween in 1975, Harry Aleman whacked Anthony Reitinger at Mama Luna’s Pizzeria (then at 4846 W Fullerton, less than two blocks from Blackhawk Park). Reitinger was an independent bookie who refused to pay street tax.
Comment by Blackhawk Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 1:55 pm
Didn’t Rod take bets for Bill back then?
Bill?
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 2:12 pm
= In 2002, Jim Ryan’s campaign had some information connecting Blago with mob work, but couldn’t get the MSM to run with it. Also, a graphic showing Blago’s connections with mob characters (Blago allegedly formed some shell corporations for them and served as a corporate officer/representative) was circulated a bit on the Web on the eve of his election in 2002. None of that was ever pursued after his election.
Comment by Conservative Republican Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 2:34 pm
AA doesn’t buy it. Entirely too much work for this guy. word’s “bookie lite” version seems much more plausible.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 2:35 pm
10 to 1, he was!
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 3:51 pm
I don’t recall seeing him in Star Wars…but who kows ho he’d look if he let his hair down. Perhaps being a bookie could explain his memory when it comes to the Cubs
Comment by Wumpus Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 9:57 pm
Sung to the tune of
I’m Getting Nuttin for Christmas
I broke my bat on Dick Mell’s head;
Somebody snitched on me.
I hid a frog in Lisa’s bed;
Somebody snitched on me.
I spilled some ink on evidence;
I made Fritzi take a chance;
Bought some cover I hope it lasts;
Somebody snitched on me.
Oh, I’m gettin’ nuttin’ for Christmas
Michael and Lisa are mad.
I’m gettin’ nuttin’ for Christmas
‘Cause I ain’t been nuttin’ but bad.
Comment by Nuttin for Christmas Wednesday, Dec 17, 08 @ 10:36 pm