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“One of the most unusual attempted bribery allegations in memory”

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The upper floors of the Cacciatore family’s eight-story brick office building at Wells and Congress offer a perfect view of Oscar D’Angelo Park just across the street.

For some members of the Cacciatore family, that was a source of irritation: being stuck with a view of a park named for D’Angelo on what they considered their South Loop turf.

After nearly three decades of suffering, they asked the Chicago Park District to rename the park for their family patriarch.

Thus was borne one of the most unusual attempted bribery allegations in memory.

In a recent federal indictment, prosecutors accuse government affairs consultant Roberto Caldero of promising $50,000 in campaign contributions from the Cacciatores to then-Ald. Danny Solis (25th) in exchange for Solis arranging an honorary street name designation for one deceased Cacciatore family member and renaming the park for another.

To appreciate the irony, you need to know the background.

Go read the rest.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:16 pm

Comments

It would be tough to find a more “Chicago” tale than that.

Comment by Centennial Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:26 pm
I like that the City owned the park the whole time. Oops.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:28 pm
As long as they don’t mess with the big pizza slices, Fontano Subs, Italian Ice, and the rest of Italian history still in little Italy, I have no dog in that fight. However, I do believe that the State should not lease any office space from them. It is no needed especially in a post pandemic Illinois.

Comment by Jerry Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:28 pm
Per wikipedia, Sayre’s law states, in a formulation quoted by Charles Philip Issawi: “In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake.”

Comment by Homebody Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:29 pm
“I like parks. Ya know. But, when I look out my window, I see a park. Dat park is named for dat guy. Know what I mean? I can’t have dat. Can’t. I’m a generous guy, you know me, ask around if ya need to, but I’d like to not look out my windows and see dat name on a park I can’t get away from, k? You tell me the number, you got it? K? You tell our friend, I’m in for 50. Just get all dat gone.”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:32 pm
Solis was very busy

Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:41 pm
you have to be Italian to understand

Comment by NotRich Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:41 pm
$50K buys a lot of little blue pills.

Comment by Nadigam Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:52 pm
Mr. Viagra stakes again, this time on his friend of 40+ years. SMH
Since his outing as a mole, Solis has done a better job at hiding than “el Chapo.”

Comment by Southsider Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 2:55 pm
= Cacciatore family’s eight-story brick office building at Wells and Congress=

The building is now, technically at S Well and Ida B Wells Drive (formerly Congress Parkway since 2019)

Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 3:02 pm
Pritzker Park is about six blocks away.

Just saying….

Comment by Julian Perez Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 3:10 pm
Fifty grand?…Solis got stiffed?

Comment by Dotnonymous Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 3:36 pm
Wait, what????? It never was a park district park??? That is rich.

Comment by Amalia Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 3:50 pm
$50K for an honorary street sign and naming rights to THAT? The “park” is small. Mark forgot to mention how Oscar wound up on the outs w Daley. It turned out he was making loans to Daley’s Chief of Staff at the time.

Still, that piece of land - it shouldn’t be called a “park” per se, is hardly worth $50K.

Comment by low level Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 4:25 pm
A classic Chicago story, yes, but surely there’s enough not said there for another couple of installments. I want to know more.

Comment by AnnieH Monday, Mar 15, 21 @ 6:16 pm

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