Word: chicago
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Chicago has always stood at the apex of this tradition. It is no coincidence that the sentiment of William T. Stead— who lambasted the culture of corruption in the industrial city in a book entitled, “If Christ Came to Chicago”—seems appropriate even today...
...have allegedly tried to force the newly bankrupt Tribune Co. to fire editorial staff members who were critical of him. And it's possible he traded favors for campaign contributions. But this is Illinois; as Robert Grant, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Chicago field office, told the press at the announcement of the indictment, "if it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's certainly one hell of a competitor." (Read TIME's 2-minute bio on Rod Blagojevich...
...jobs. In 1965, four years after leaving office, William Stratton was indicted on charges related to misuse of campaign funds. While he was acquitted, his successor, Otto Kerner, wasn't so lucky. In 1962, during his first term as governor, Kerner - a handsome statesman who had married a former Chicago mayor's daughter - made deals with a horse racing association, promising favorable race dates in return for $356,000 worth of stock at prices far below market value. He neglected to mention anything about it on his tax returns. Kerner was convicted in 1973 of bribery, conspiracy, income tax evasion...
...those were just the governors. In 1895, a group of Chicago aldermen known as the Gray Wolves (because they preyed on the public) awarded the city's gas business to the fictional Ogden Gas Company - in which the Wolves were involved - and forced the real gas company to purchase it from them. There's also the state auditor who stole $1.5 million and used it to buy two planes, four cars and three homes before spending six and a half years in prison; the Prison Review Board member who voted to free notorious mobster Harry Aleman in exchange for getting...
...both. The feds had been on his case for years, and he knew it. Early on the morning of Dec. 9, federal Marshals woke him up with a predawn phone call, then arrived at his front door and handcuffed him shortly thereafter. By the afternoon, he stood in a Chicago courtroom looking like a common criminal, his feathered hair out of place, his executive wardrobe replaced with a black-and-blue Nike tracksuit. He faces the prospect of 30 years in prison on charges of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and soliciting bribes. (Read TIME...