Secret Golf Dome Tapes

A businessman, contending he got muscled out of his suburban golf dome and lost millions of dollars, secretly recorded the mayor of Bridgeview once and the mayor's right-hand man several times, and has testified before a federal grand jury as part of an FBI investigation into the allegations.

Fresh details of the FBI investigation into Bridgeview Mayor Steven Landek and the circumstances surrounding businessman John LaFlamboy losing his golf dome are revealed in a recent court filing that's part of a civil lawsuit LaFlamboy brought in federal court.

The filing reveals LaFlamboy secretly recorded Landek once for the FBI in July 2000 and recorded the mayor's assistant, Steven Reynolds, about six times in 2003 or 2004. The hulking Reynolds died in March in Phoenix, Ariz., after mixing alcohol with prescription medication.

LaFlamboy also revealed in a deposition he gave in October that he testified before a federal grand jury investigating his allegations. No one has been charged in the investigation.

LaFlamboy sued Landek, Reynolds and others in federal court in 2005, contending he was harassed and threatened into selling his share of the World Golf Dome. Village officials wanted to use the site to lure a professional soccer team to town.

LaFlamboy contends he lost millions of dollars and says one of the men threatening him was former Chicago Police Officer Fred Pascente, who was banned from Las Vegas casinos in 1999 for alleged connections to the Chicago mob.

Now, the defendants in the lawsuit want the judge to order the FBI to turn over a copy of the secret recordings LaFlamboy made, so they can hear what's on the tapes. The FBI has opposed releasing the recordings.

"We motioned for the tapes held by the government, because we are confident they will help further vindicate our clients in this case," said Ed Burke, an attorney for the Village of Bridgeview. "We are not afraid of the truth."

Landek did not return phone messages requesting comment.

LaFlamboy's lawyer, Michael Ettinger, said he, too, is eager for the tapes to be released and is confident in his client's case. LaFlamboy says in his deposition the mayor acknowledges on tape that he received money characterized as a bribe in the lawsuit, according to a source familiar with his deposition.

"We welcome the release of the tapes," said Ettinger.

Thanks to Steve Warmbir

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FBI Investigation Has Secret CW Tapes to Counter Mob Muscle

To a criminal investigation that already involves strong-arm tactics, the mob and a multimillion-dollar loss, add yet another twist. A secret recording device.

Suburban businessman John LaFlamboy, who contends Bridgeview village officials forced him to sell his golf dome to them, secretly recorded Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek and onetime mayoral consultant Steve Reynolds as part of an FBI investigation into the deal, the Sun-Times has learned.

While the FBI investigation into the matter was well-known, the fact that the alleged victim made secret recordings of two of the key players in the alleged scam has never been publicly revealed.

The village officials were interested in using the site of the indoor golf driving range to persuade the Chicago Fire soccer team to relocate to Bridgeview.

LaFlamboy sued Landek, Reynolds and others last year in federal court in Chicago, alleging $6 million in damage and contending he was threatened and harassed into selling his share of the World Golf Dome. Among those people allegedly making threats to LaFlamboy was former Chicago Police Officer Fred Pascente, who was banned from Nevada casinos in 1999 and placed in their infamous Black Book for alleged connections to the mob. Pascente is an associate of Reynolds, according to the lawsuit. Pascente has denied any wrongdoing.

The secret recording device came to light late last week in a disclosure that LaFlamboy's attorneys made to the defendants in the lawsuit.

Under the federal court rules, LaFlamboy's attorneys had to disclose in a letter to the defendants any witnesses who could have knowledge of the allegations contained in the lawsuit. Among those people listed is an FBI agent who has the secret tape-recordings LaFlamboy made of both Landek and Reynolds, the document shows. It could not be determined what is on the tapes. But LaFlamboy had extensive dealings with both Landek and Reynolds. LaFlamboy's prominent attorneys, Michael Ettinger and Dennis Berkson, declined to comment on the disclosure document.

Landek did not return phone messages for comment, while Reynolds could not be reached for reaction to being recorded.

Late last year, the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago issued subpoenas to village trustees and officials.

Thanks to Steve Warmbir

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Bridgeview officials subpoenaed in probe

Friends of mine: Fred Pascente
Friends of ours: William Hanhardt

The U.S. attorney's office has subpoenaed trustees and employees of the Village of Bridgeview as part of its investigation into whether coercive tactics were used to lure the Chicago Fire soccer team to town.

John LaFlamboy, who was the owner of the World Golf Dome, filed a lawsuit in August against Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek and other town officials saying they ran a conspiracy to strong-arm him into selling his 50 percent ownership interest in the dome to the city. The village used the dome successfully to lure the Fire to Bridgeview.

Subpoenas went out to village trustees and to "a handful" of employees, said attorney Chris Gair, who is representing them. Landek and other possible targets of the investigation apparently did not get subpoenas. Landek declined to comment.

LaFlamboy charges he refused all pressure from the village to sell his dome, even after he said the village sent inspectors and police out to give him bogus tickets, including one for providing pizza without a proper license, even though the pizza was for disabled children. He also faced nuisance lawsuits, he said.

In September 2003, LaFlamboy said Landek's $3,200-a-month consultant, Steve Reynolds, and former Chicago Police detective Fred Pascente showed up at LaFlamboy's office and used strong-arm tactics to pressure him into selling his ownership stake to Pascente for $175,000. LaFlamboy said it was worth about $1.5 million.

Pascente, a friend of convicted former Chicago Chief of Detectives William Hanhardt, has denied wrongdoing or having mob connections, even though he is banned from Nevada casinos for alleged mob ties. He is a convicted felon.

Trustee Norma J. Pinion said she was informed there was a letter on her desk waiting for her regarding the subpoena.

Thanks to Mark J. Konkol and Abdon M. Pallasch

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Former Chicago Cop was Mob Muscle?

The former owner of the Bridgeview Sports Dome, 8900 S. 77th Ave., has alleged in a lawsuit that he was intimidated to sell his share of his business to the Village of Bridgeview. In a suit that was filed with the U.S. District Court, John Laflamboy alleges that Bridgeview Mayor Steven Landek and other individuals used political pressure and intimidation to get him to sell the Sports Dome. Laflamboy is reportedly seeking $6 million in damages.

Laflamboy owned the Sports Dome, but his share was allegedly given to Landek’s consultant’s fiancé, who then sold it to Bridgeview for about $242,000. The other half of the Sports Dome was reportedly sold to Bridgeview by Laflamboy’s former partner, Alan Gustafson.

Laflamboy made the allegations a few months before news broke in November 2004 that the Chicago Fire soccer team would make Bridgeview its permanent home.

Former Chicago police officer Fred Pascente is alleged in the lawsuit of persuading Laflamboy at gunpoint to sell the Sports Dome to Bridgeview. It was alleged in 2004 and in the suit that Pascente has ties to the mob. He is currently banned by the Nevada Gaming Commission from going to any casinos in that state because of alleged mob connections. (Pascente is a former Chicago police detective who was convicted of mail fraud in 1995 and served an eighteen month prison sentence. He has been identified by the Chicago Crime Commission as an associate of the Chicago organized crime family. His placement in the Nevada "Black Book" occurred in 1999. According to court records, Pascente was convicted of falsely receiving a $20,000 payout from Allstate Insurance Co. with an associate, Anthony Ziga, who filed a false injury claim, as the result of a staged accident. Investigators also alleged that Pascente and another associate, David Ballog, falsely submitted a $44,500 insurance claim for jewelry that they said had been lost at O'Hare International Airport. They later received a $37,000 check for the claim. Pascente denies any connection to the Mafia.)

The Chicago Fire has not been named in the suit. The Sports Dome will be used for the team to practice while a new stadium is built for the games. A new stadium is currently being built for the team over 100 acres of land at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue. It is estimated the building will be completed by the fall of 2006, and will have about 20,000 seats.

Laflamboy told media venues that he was given a small amount for the sale despite the dome being worth in the millions. Landek and village attorney Vincent Cainkar were unavailable for comment. (Vince Cainkar is the local attorney for several villages and cities across the the Southwest suburbs.)

Thanks to Yvette Presberry - SW News Herald

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