Winnebago County State’s Attorney the Office of Illinois Attorney General Fold on Card Game Robbery

Citing conflicts of interest, Winnebago County State’s Attorney Phil Nicolosi (R) and the office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) have opted out of prosecuting a case stemming from an incident last month that led to the death by police shooting of 80-year-old Vaughn “Curly” Fitzgerald. The recusals mean the case will be handled by a special prosecutor.

Responding to a report of an armed robbery in progress the night of Oct. 16, officers witnessed masked gunmen fleeing the scene at 3307 Kishwaukee St. One suspect, Byron Starks, surrendered to police. As Starks lay prone before being taken into custody, officers say Fitzgerald shot him with a rifle. Fitzgerald, the hearing-impaired property owner, did not drop his gun when so ordered by police. When the barrel of his rifle reportedly swung toward officers, police opened fire, killing Fitzgerald.

Starks is charged with armed robbery and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. A second suspect in the robbery, Dustin Frint, was later arrested and charged with armed robbery Oct. 26. Because the incident led to Fitzgerald’s death, charges could be upgraded to murder.

A grand jury ruled Oct. 31 officers acted appropriately in exercising deadly force. Although the grand jury case was presented by the state’s attorney’s office, Nicolosi has recused himself from prosecution of any crimes that may have taken place within the establishment at 3307 Kishwaukee St.

Nicolosi has indicated people attending the card game are clients of his former law firm, Nicolosi & Associates. Nicolosi practiced with the firm until his appointment to state’s attorney this summer.

“Just like a judge would do in any case where he felt inappropriate to hear a case, he would recuse himself,” Nicolosi said, “and I would do the same.”

Neither Nicolosi nor Police Chief Chet Epperson are willing to say who was at the card game, or who was running away when police arrived, citing an ongoing investigation, but Epperson indicated gambling charges are likely to be filed. Epperson reported the FBI was called to the scene in the early hours of Oct. 17 because some of the card game attendees were deemed people of interest.

Fitzgerald was known to frequently host card games. He was charged with keeping a place of gambling, but the case was dismissed in 2004 because police could not present video evidence, which was part of a separate ongoing joint investigation with the FBI. As a result of that investigation, nine local men were sentenced this year after entering guilty pleas to charges related to an illegal sports betting ring.

In the case against Fitzgerald, Rockford Police Detective Jeffrey Stovall’s sworn affidavit indicated the illegal card games were part of a gambling ring known as the “Soccer Club.”

Stovall’s report states his source identified brothers Salvatore “Sam” Galluzzo and Natale Galluzzo as the Soccer Club’s kingpins. The local daily identified Salvatore Galluzzo as an alleged Mob soldier in 1984. Surveillance photos of Galluzzo with “Fat Frank” G. “Gumba” Saladino were exhibits in this summer’s Family Secrets organized crime trial in Chicago. Prosecutors of that case say Saladino, who was found dead of natural causes in 2005, was involved in five of the 18 murders investigated in Operation Family Secrets. Saladino was also posthumously named a co-conspirator in the local sports betting operation.

Epperson would not say whether the Oct. 16 card game is believed to have been related to the Soccer Club.

Sources tell The Rock River Times a number of high-profile people, including law enforcement figures, were at the game. Epperson would not confirm or deny the allegation.

“All that information,” the chief said, “will become public, either with arrests or with our information going forward.”

Galluzzo is the father of attorney Gino Galluzzo, a partner at Nicolosi & Associates. The firm represents the municipalities of Loves Park and Rockton. Galluzzo and fellow partner Paul Nicolosi, brother of the state’s attorney, also sit atop The Buckley Companies, LLC’s hierarchy.

Jeff Havens reported in the Nov. 2-8, 2005, issue Paul Nicolosi is a past business associate of brothers Salvatore and Natale Galluzzo.

Before the state’s attorney had even received a list of who was at the game, Nicolosi told The Rock River Times he’d refer the case to the attorney general’s office if it turned out he had any association with persons present.

Robyn Zeigler, spokesman for the Illinois attorney general, told The Rock River Times Madigan’s office also has a conflict of interest because one of the people involved is a witness in an unrelated case her office is prosecuting.

The matter will now be in the hands of a special prosecutor from the Illinois Office of the State’s Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor. According to the agency’s Web site: “If a conflict of interest arises in a State’s Attorney’s office, and the State’s Attorney wants an independent, detached review and prosecution by an outside person, or if special assistance is needed due to the complexity of a case, the Agency makes the services of the Special Prosecution Unit available.”

Thanks to Stuart R. Wahlin

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Jail Lawsuit Attorney Submits Suspect Invoice

Rockford, Ill. attorney bills taxpayers for call that never occurred—others impossible to independently verify

By Jeff Havens

As the nearly eight-year federal jail lawsuit comes to a close, scrutiny of attorney invoices raises serious questions for which taxpayers and government officials may want answers.

Specifically, one bill, on line 10 of invoice 4813, may be a window into questionable billing practices by attorney John F. Heckinger Jr.—lead attorney in the 2000 jail lawsuit, which resulted in a significant local sales tax hike and construction of a new $160 million jail.

As the nearly eight-year federal jail lawsuit comes to a close, scrutiny of attorney invoices raises serious questions for which taxpayers and government officials may want answers.

Specifically, one bill, on line 10 of invoice 4813, may be a window into questionable billing practices by attorney John F. Heckinger Jr.—lead attorney in the 2000 jail lawsuit, which resulted in a significant local sales tax hike and construction of a new $160 million jail.

Heckinger and his lawsuit partner, attorney Thomas E. Greenwald, seek an additional $185,711 to the $152,707 they have already been paid by Winnebago County. If granted by the federal court, Heckinger and Greenwald will have received at least $343,418 for this second of two jail lawsuits in the past 13 years (see timeline online at www.rockrivertimes.com).

Mysterious 36 minutes

The bill in question for 36 minutes in legal services regards an alleged Nov. 14, 2005, telephone call from The Rock River Times. Heckinger claimed the call concerned the Winnebago County Jail and other undisclosed issues. For that time, Heckinger has asked to be paid $90.

However, a thorough examination of files and interviews with this newspaper’s staff indicates no such call or contact was ever made on that date or dates soon after or before the alleged call.

Two days after the alleged call, The Rock River Times published an article Nov. 16, 2005, in which Heckinger’s name was mentioned. However, Heckinger’s comment was not needed for the article, since the story was about how county officials prioritized spending jail tax money.

Had Heckinger’s comment been needed, the newspaper would have documented the date the call was made, whether there was an interview, or whether a message was left requesting comment. But no such documentation exists with The Rock River Times.

In addition, the Nov. 16, 2005, article titled “Jail tax spending priorities questioned” would have indicated whether Heckinger’s comment was sought for the article, regardless of whether he was available for an interview.

Heckinger avoids interview

Up until Oct. 29, 2007, Heckinger had never returned messages left at his office for comment about articles published during the past several years. Heckinger continued that trend for this article.

Despite numerous phone calls to Heckinger’s office and his receptionist’s indication that Heckinger wanted to interview, he was never available and never returned messages.

Lawsuit partner: 'I'm not going to comment'

When asked whether he examined all the invoices submitted in court, Greenwald responded that he had, and that he “totaled them up.”

However, he had no comment regarding invoices Heckinger submitted for payment. “I’m not going to comment on any invoices [submitted by] attorney Heckinger,” Greenwald said. “You would have to speak with him regarding that. ... I’m not going to comment on anything on his bills.”

Vague billing

When compared to Greenwald’s description of billings, Heckinger’s invoices are non-descript and impossible to verify without directly contacting Heckinger.

For example, for Nov. 1, 2005, Heckinger wrote: “Prep for settlement confer re. jail population issues.”

For the same day, Greenwald wrote: “Settlement conference; preparation for settlement conference, including review of jail population reports; conference with J.F. Heckinger.”

In another example, for Nov. 9, 2005, Heckinger wrote: “Letter from media and inmates re. overcrowding.”

There is no indication as to what news organization or inmates supposedly sent the letter.

In a similar bill regarding a letter, Greenwald wrote for March 15, 2004: “Review letter of Paul Cicero regarding accelerated program; memo to file.”

Plaintiff outraged

In addition to Heckinger submitting a bill allegedly regarding The Rock River Times, Greenwald, too, is seeking a similar payment for reading an article published earlier this year.

Greenwald is billing taxpayers $141 for the one hour he read an article Feb. 7, 2007, concerning Timothy Chatmon—lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit. The article, “Jail lawsuit plaintiff likely to receive nothing,” was published the same day Greenwald billed taxpayers.

Chatmon expressed outrage at the prospect of Heckinger and Greenwald receiving more money in a recent court filing. In the 12-page motion filed Oct. 19, Chatmon accused the court of abandoning its responsibility in the matter, racism, and for the federal court in Rockford to “recuse itself” from approving further payments to attorneys connected to the lawsuit.

Chatmon said the lawsuit was never about alleged jail overcrowding, as his attorneys asserted. Chatmon said the primary purpose of the lawsuit was to address adverse public health conditions in the facility—something he said could have, and should have, been easily addressed without constructing a new jail.

According to Chatmon, the primary issue he wished to address in the lawsuit included multiple use of shaving razors and toothbrushes by different inmates. The razors and toothbrushes were allegedly provided by jail staff.

If this were a routine practice, as Chatmon stated in his June 17, 2002, court deposition, the action could have transmitted disease-causing viruses and bacteria from one infected inmate to non-infected inmates—diseases such as hepatitis C, which Chatmon believes he contracted in jail. Chatmon’s alleged acquisition of hepatitis C while in jail is the basis for his personal claim that was once part of the lawsuit. But Chatmon’s personal claim was dropped from the lawsuit earlier this year. This comes in spite of promises made by Heckinger in a 2004 letter in which Heckinger said the issue of compensation would be addressed after the case concluded “in 2007 or later.”

Chatmon said in 2004 he wasn’t aware, and would have never approved of the 2003 agreement that called for building the new 588,000-square-foot jail. Chatmon described the lawsuit as fraudulent and deceptive.

Law license suspended

Questionable law practices are not new to Heckinger. Some of those practices led to Heckinger’s law license suspension for 60 days in 2004.

Heckinger was charged by the state in 2003 with “unauthorized” use of his clients’ money “for his own business or personal purposes,” and commingling one of his clients’ funds.

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) charged Heckinger with five counts of alleged unauthorized use of his clients’ funds totaling $12,634.92 from 1996 to 1999.

Heckinger was also charged with one count of failure to separate his money from his clients’ funds, which totaled $199,044. ARDC’s complaint also alleged Heckinger “used the [$199,044] funds...for personal and business purposes which were both related and unrelated to Respondent’s practice of law.”

Link to Mob-connected business

Like Heckinger’s invoices and handling of clients’ money, similar questions can also be asked about two of Heckinger’s real estate transactions. In 2003, Heckinger purchased two properties from Buckley Partners, LLC. The properties housed state offices for the Illinois attorney general and University of Illinois.

Specifically, the Illinois attorney general’s office leased office space from Buckley that in 1999 listed an alleged Mob soldier as one of its three “members.”

Buckley leased the property at 7230 Argus Drive on Rockford’s east side to the state’s top law enforcement agency beginning in 1999. Buckley also leased property at 417 Ware Ave., to one of the state’s top education institutions, the University of Illinois, starting in 1998.

Both properties were owned by Buckley from at least 1999 to November 2003, when they were sold to Heckinger for $4.35 million.

According to a disclosure statement Buckley filed with the state in 1999, one of the “members” of Buckley Partners was Salvatore “Sam” G. Galluzzo, who was identified in 1984 as a “mob soldier” in a Rockford Register Star article. Galluzzo’s name and photo were also the subject of exhibits in the recent “Operation Family Secrets” Mafia trial in Chicago (see “Former Rockford Cop Testified at ‘Family Secrets’ Mob Trial”).

Thanks to Jeff Havens. Mr. Havens is a former staff writer and award-winning reporter for The Rock River Times, a weekly newspaper in Rockford, Ill.

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Possible Organized Crime Link to Rockford Shooting

Those who knew him say 80-year-old Vaughn “Curly” Fitzgerald loved to play cards and shoot pool. Fitzgerald, a World War II veteran, was shot and killed by police Oct. 16, apparently while trying to foil an armed robbery on his property at 3307 Kishwaukee St.

Although police are tight-lipped about numerous details, it is widely believed a high-stakes “executive” card game was the target of robbers armed with handguns­-not the first such game Fitzgerald has allegedly played. He was formally charged with keeping a gambling place in 2002, but the case was dismissed in 2004.

Responding to this year’s Oct. 16 Kishwaukee Street 911 call, reporting an armed robbery in progress, Officer Cheryl Buntjer, a veteran of more than 18 years, was first to arrive on the scene. Officer Jeffrey Oberts, a seven-and-a-half-year veteran, arrived shortly thereafter.

Police say officers witnessed two gunmen attempting to flee the scene. One of the men, Byron Starks, was ordered to the ground as he surrendered to police. A second suspect eluded officers.

Police Chief Chet Epperson stated Fitzgerald then fired two shots at Starks, hitting him once, before officers were able to take Starks into custody.

Epperson reported officers identified themselves and ordered Fitzgerald to drop his weapon several times.

“The first officer by the doorway fires her weapon at the armed subject, as he continues to point the barrel at her and the subject that was just shot, and a third officer behind this female officer,” Epperson recounted at a press conference Oct. 17.

Fitzgerald, who was hearing impaired, was allegedly told to drop his weapon again. Fitzgerald’s rifle barrel then allegedly swung in the direction of Oberts, who responded by firing his weapon at the property owner. Fitzgerald is then said to have retreated behind an entryway, and the area was quickly secured, according to Epperson, before medical response was summoned.

Starks, whom Epperson described as “a victim of a shooting,” was said to be in “guarded condition” by the chief. Epperson reserved commenting about whether Starks is cooperating in the investigation.

Coroner Sue Fiduccia indicated Fitzgerald was struck “more than one time” in the torso.

Per procedure, Buntjer and Oberts were placed on leave pending a grand jury investigation. Epperson said the shooting incident is tentatively slated to go before the grand jury Oct. 31.

Based on the information he’d received, Epperson said Buntjer and Oberts “acted appropriately, professionally and used the proper amount of force in this incident.

“I would have been very upset if they had not done what they did last evening,” the chief added during the Oct. 17 briefing.

Fitzgerald’s family, along with their attorney, were said to have been present at the press conference, but have been unwilling to speak with the media.

The morning after the incident, Mayor Larry Morrissey (I) said, “We don’t want [officers] to have to use deadly force, but in the situation where their lives are at risk, when they’re following the protocol that they’ve been trained on, they need to use deadly force when it’s appropriate and when the circumstances justify it.”

The use of deadly force by police is not the only matter being investigated. Epperson told The Rock River Times gambling and the armed robbery are also facets of the investigation.

According to Deputy Chief Greg Lindmark, Starks was charged Oct. 22 with armed robbery and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. His bond was set at $1 million, according to police, who would not release Starks’ mugshot “due to the nature of the investigation.”

Judge Gary Pumilia, who dismissed the case against Fitzgerald in 2004, will arraign Starks Nov. 29.

Starks’ rap sheet reflects a number of prior charges, including disorderly conduct, aggravated discharge of a firearm, battery, attempted criminal damage to property and home invasion.

A press release issued Oct. 23 states, “The victims of the robbery were involved in a card game at the time of the incident,” and that further charges related to the incident are possible.

In 2002 the alleged gambling related to the charge against Fitzgerald was said to have occurred at 5526 Linden Road, a property owned by son Gregory and his wife Patricia.

Fitzgerald, the owner of nine properties in Winnebago County, is known to have hosted many such card games throughout the region. A prior charge against him, alleging he’d kept a place of gambling, was dismissed in 2004 after the search warrant was quashed. Reportedly, police were unable to turn over video evidence, which was part of a separate ongoing investigation into a sports betting operation.

Rockford Police and the FBI began that joint investigation into a bookmaking business in August 2000. Evidence leading to guilty pleas from nine local men included wire taps and surveillance.

This year, U.S. District Court Judge Philip G. Reinhard sentenced Joseph F. “Pep” Fiorenza, along with sons Nicolas T. and Rick J., John P. “Tiger” Frisella, Frank C. Giardono, Nick Provenzano, Charles A. Purin, John F. Salamone and Joseph W. Saladino for their roles in the gambling ring.

Epperson wouldn’t say how many suspects were involved in the Oct. 16 incident, or who had been present. Instead, he described the occurrence as “another incident involving the use of illegal firearms.

“Police business today, here and throughout this country has changed dramatically because of the continued heightened use of illegal firearms,” Epperson told reporters. “Illegal firearms, which Rockford police officers confiscate from dangerous criminals every day.”

Asked whether Fitzgerald possessed a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID), the chief answered, “That’s still under investigation.”

Asked the same question five days later, Epperson said he still didn’t have an answer.

Mayor Morrissey reported about a third of Rockford shootings this year have been perpetrated by convicted felons, who are not legally able to possess firearms. Morrissey believes there’s a lack of reporting when guns change hands after the initial sale.

“I have nothing against people who are lawfully using guns,” asserted Morrissey, who said he hunted while growing up and still has a FOID in his wallet. “The vast majority of cases where guns are being used in the commission of crimes; these are folks who don’t have a Firearm Owner’s Identification card.”

Asked if any other weapons had been recovered from the crime scene, the chief responded, “It’s still under investigation.”

Asked if thieves had gotten away with any cash, Epperson again replied, “It’s still under investigation.”

Rockford regional FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent G.B. Jones was also summoned to the scene in the early morning hours of Oct. 17, although he could say no more about any possible federal involvement.

The Rock River Times asked Chief Epperson why the FBI had been called in. After a 6-second pause, he responded: “Well, the gambling did take place, and some of the names of the individuals who were there rose some attention. …There has been some investigations in the past.”

During the 2004 case against Fitzgerald, court records show Rockford Police Detective Jeffrey Stovall indicated the illegal card games were part of a gambling operation known as the “Soccer Club.”

Stovall’s affidavit also reports a confidential source identified brothers Salvatore “Sam” Galluzzo and Natale Galluzzo to be running the Soccer Club. The local daily identified Salvatore Galluzzo as an alleged Mob figure in 1984.

Asked who was present at the card game, Epperson said: “I know who was there. I don’t want to comment, because it’s an ongoing investigation.”

Stovall’s 2002 affidavit indicates sites hosting the high-stakes games are commonly equipped with surveillance systems for security. Players are typically buzzed-in from the outside after being identified, according to Stovall.

Asked whether an on-site video surveillance system had yielded any evidence from the incident, the chief responded, “If it was there, it’d be part of the investigation, so I wouldn’t want to comment about that.”

During this summer’s blockbuster Family Secrets trial in Chicago against the Chicago Mob, Department of Justice exhibits included surveillance photos of Salvatore Galluzzo with Frank G. “Gumba” or “Fat Frank” Saladino.

Saladino was found dead April 25, 2005, apparently of natural causes, when authorities raided his Hampshire, Ill., hotel room during the simultaneous arrests of numerous reputed Chicago Mobsters related to Operation Family Secrets indictments.

Saladino was also named as a co-conspirator in the Rockford sports gambling ring, which many argue is a clear indication Rockford is a territory of the Chicago Outfit.

Prosecutors said Saladino was involved in five of the Family Secrets trial’s 18 murders.

At the press conference where Phil Nicolosi was named the Republican appointee for Winnebago County State’s Attorney June 24, he was asked by The Rock River Times, considering his Italian-American heritage, if he’d pursue the prosecution of organized crime in Rockford. When that question was asked, many Italian-Americans in the room groaned loudly in protest.

“I intend to prosecute vigorously any crime that’s committed in this county,” Nicolosi pledged confidently in response, which elicited supportive laughter from those who had protested.

Although all the local media were present in the room, most did not report on those questions or the response of Nicolosi or those present at the press conference.

Before taking over for Paul Logli as state’s attorney, Nicolosi was an attorney for Nicolosi & Associates. Gerlando “Gino” Galluzzo, son of Salvatore, is a partner with the firm. Paul S. Nicolosi, the state’s attorney’s brother, is also a firm partner and a past business associate of Salvatore and Natale Galluzzo, as reported in the Nov. 2-8, 2005, issue.

Asked what impact the list of those involved in the Oct. 16 shooting might have on his prosecution of the case, Phil Nicolosi responded: “Since I have not gotten the police reports, I don’t know, officially, the names of the parties that were there. What I will tell you is, if there is any party that’s there that I, you know, have either an acquaintance of or prior relationship with, I would recuse myself and then, in all likelihood, if I felt there was even an appearance of a conflict, ask the Attorney General’s office to step in.”

Phil Nicolosi could not be reached by police the night of the incident. He said the reason he could not be reached was the officer who had his personal home phone number was on vacation.

Thanks to Stuart R. Wahlin

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Former Rockford Cop Testified at ‘Family Secrets’ Mob trial

Current Winnebago County, Illinois Deputy Chief Dominic Iasparro said he can not detail his involvement in landmark trial against ‘The Outfit’

By Jeff Havens (This is an original, previously unpublished article.)

Although the federal jury in Chicago has handed down racketeering convictions in the historic Chicago Mafia trial and are still deliberating murder charges, there are many questions Rockford, Illinois locals may likely never have answered anytime soon. This revelation comes in spite of a local law enforcement official’s participation in the monumental investigation and resulting trial of the Chicago Mob, which is known as "The Outfit."

Dominic Iasparro, deputy chief of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department said he testified for about 15 minutes on August 1st, during which he identified three Rockford men in photographs that the prosecution introduced earlier as exhibits.

"I participated in the [Operation Family Secrets] investigation, and was subpoenaed to identify a series of photographs," Iasparro said.

When asked about his role in the investigation, Iasparro declined to provide any details about his involvement. The multi-year investigation led to the 2005 indictment of 14 individuals connected to "The Outfit" on charges, which included murder, conspiracy, racketeering, illegal gambling and loan sharking from the 1960s to the time of the indictment.

According to Iasparro, the individuals he identified were Rockfordians: Frank G. Saladino; Salvatore "Sammy" Galluzzo and Joseph W. Saladino.

Although Frank Saladino was charged with murder and other undisclosed crimes, he was never tried because he was found dead in a hotel room the day he was indicted on April 25, 2005. And even though their names and photos were mentioned during the trial, Joseph Saladino and Galluzzo were not charged in connection with "Family Secrets" operation.

Several photos featuring both Saladinos and Galluzzo were submitted during the federal government’s case against the Mob. One FBI surveillance photo taken on April 20, 1989 shows Galluzzo leading Frank Saladino in a parking lot (see link http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/hot/familySecrets/2007_07_26/photo_april_20_1989.pdf).

Iasparro denied taking the photo, and did not know why the photo was submitted in court. Iasparro also said he did not testify as to rank of the Saladinos and Galluzzo in the organization. He referred that question and others about the photos to the U.S. Dept. Of Justice.

A message left at the U.S. Dept. Of Justice in Chicago was not returned to confirm or refute information obtained by The Rock River Times regarding individuals in the photos.

Efforts to contact Joseph Saladino and Galluzzo were unsuccessful. Court transcripts of testimony are not yet available for review.

Mob file destruction

In addition to being a deputy chief for the sheriff’s department, Iasparro was also a longtime detective for the Rockford Police Department, and head of the Rockford area Metro Narcotics task force for more than 30 years. He was also the interim Rockford Police Chief from October 2005 to April 2006.

Iasparro abruptly retired from the Rockford Police Department shortly after current Rockford Police Department Chief Chet Epperson took the helm on April 10, 2006.

In the Dec. 21-27, 2005 issue of The Rock River Times, Iasparro admitted he and other unnamed police officials destroyed police intelligence files that concerned alleged Rockford Mafia members sometime during the mid-1980s. But the Mob file purging was done without the knowledge of then-Rockford Police Chief William Fitzpatrick who said he would have objected to destroying the files (see link http://rockrivertimes.com/index.new.pl?cmd=viewstory&id=11945).

Iasparro characterized the file destruction as part of a national effort to purge documents that were "not related to specific people and specific crimes."

Business partners

According to Steve Warmbir, staff reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, Frank Saladino was involved in five of the 18 murders detailed at the trial (see link http://rockrivertimes.com/index.new.pl?cmd=viewstory&id=17383). In addition to being a murderous enforcer and intimidating physical presence for the Mob, Frank Saladino was also in business with Galluzzo, who has his own business partner locals should know—attorney Paul S. Nicolosi.

Galluzzo was reported to be a "mob soldier" in a March 4, 1984 news article in the Rockford Register Star. He was also business partners with Saladino and Nicolosi in separate businesses. Sources for The Rock River Times speculated that Galluzzo may have been promoted in the organization since the death of former Rockford Mob Boss Frank J. Buscemi in December 1987.

Nicolosi is the attorney for the City of Loves Park and Village of Rockton. At one time, Nicolosi or attorneys from his law firm, Nicolosi and Associates, P.C., also represented the villages of Caledonia and Roscoe.

Nicolosi is also the brother of Philip J. Nicolosi, the newly appointed Winnebago County State’s Attorney. Phil Nicolosi was a Rockford Township trustee for more than 15 years before he became state’s attorney last month.

In one business—Buckley Partners LLC—Galluzzo, Nicolosi and other members of the Galluzzo and Nicolosi families leased office space to the Illinois Attorney General during former Illinois Gov. George Ryan’s term. However, Phil Nicolosi was not one of the members of Buckley Partners (see link http://rockrivertimes.com/index.new.pl?cmd=viewstory&id=10480).

In the other business, Galluzzo was partners with Frank Saladino in Worldwide General Contracting Inc. However, the City of Rockford never issued any building permits to Worldwide General Contracting since it was founded in 1988.

In connection with Worldwide General Contracting, Phil Nicolosi was named in 2000 as a defendant in a lawsuit in which Frank Saladino alleged extortion, conspiracy and fraud against him and 13 others, including Paul Nicolosi and Galluzzo.

Phil Nicolosi speculated he was named in the lawsuit because Frank Saladino "did not have proper representation advising him, he may have felt that he should just name as many names as he could."

Paul Nicolosi has responded to repeated questions in the last few years about his association with Galluzzo by not commenting.

Light sentence

Joseph Saladino recently served 27 months in a Minnesota prison for a conviction on federal weapons charges, including possession of a machine gun.

Saladino could have received up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine on the charges. Instead, he pled guilty in federal court in 2003 to possession of the machine gun and possession of a firearm by a felon.

As part of the plea agreement, Saladino served a little more than two years in prison in spite of his violent past, which included battery of a police officer in 1983, obstructing a police officer about one month later and a 1964 rape conviction along with co-perpetrator Frank Saladino.

The 2003 agreement for Joe Saladino was negotiated by Rockford-based, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Iasparro—son of Dominic Iasparro (see link http://www.rockrivertimes.com//index.new.pl?cmd=viewstory&id=10046).

Gambling ring and unsolved murder

In a local case that is likely related to the "Family Secrets" operation, Joseph Saladino and Frank Saladino were named in February 2006 along with eight others in an alleged illegal sports betting ring that existed from the early 1980s until 2002. Most individuals that were indicted in that case have pled guilty to the federal charges.

However, unanswered questions remain as to why local authorities were not able to bring charges more quickly than federal agents from outside the area in that case and others, such as the still unsolved 1980 killing of Mob member Joseph J. Maggio (see link http://www.thechicagosyndicate.com/2006/05/mob-murder-suggests-link-to.html).

Jeff Havens is a special correspondent and award-winning, former reporter for The Rock River Times, a weekly newspaper based in Rockford, Illinois.

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Mafia Articles Re-Emerge in Rockford after 21 Years.

Friends of ours: Frank G. Saladino, Salvatore "Sam" Galluzzo, William Daddano Jr., Anthony A. Cardamone
Friends of mine: Nick S. Boscarino

The Chicago Mob has not limited its activities to just the Windy City. In fact, in the Rock River Top 10 , the Mafia jumped to #3 on the list of Rockford's top stories for 2005.

Even before U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald announced in late April the indictment of alleged Mob hitman from Rockford, Frank G. Saladino, The Rock River Times published articles concerning past Mob activity in the area. According to the Kane County coroner, Saladino was found dead of "natural causes" in a rural Kane County hotel room April 25-the same day he was indicted on federal charges of murder and other undisclosed "criminal" allegations that were performed by Saladino on behalf of the Chicago Mafia, which is known as "The Outfit."

After the indictment, several articles described Saladino's links to former business partner Salvatore "Sam" Galluzzo and the Rockford Housing Authority. Galluzzo was identified as an alleged Mob member in a March 4, 1984, article published by the Rockford Register Star.

Paul S. Nicolosi, City of Loves Park attorney and owner of the law firm Nicolosi and Associates, P.C., was also business partners with Galluzzo in the development firm Buckley Partners LLC-a frequent contributor to local political campaign coffers.

During former Illinois Governor George Ryan's term, owners of Buckley Partners-Nicolosi, Galluzzo and Galluzzo's brother Natale Gallluzzo-were recipients of at least two state contracts. One of those contracts was between the Illinois Attorney General's office and Buckley Partners, which leased office space for the attorney general's regional headquarters at 7230 Argus Drive in Rockford. Nicolosi also announced he would develop a $5 million mixed-use office building at South Church and Chestnut streets, across from the new federal courthouse. Nicolosi or attorneys in his firm represent the municipalities of Rockton, Roscoe, Loves Park and Caledonia.

Also in the news was reputed Mob associate and millionaire Nick S. Boscarino of South Barrington. He purchased a local restaurant and other area properties since 2004. Boscarino is currently serving time in federal prison on fraud charges for bilking the Village of Rosemont of money related to undisclosed insurance fees.

And Rockford Police Chief Dominic Iasparro revealed he and other police officers destroyed files in the mid-1980s, which concerned alleged Rockford Mob members. Iasparro said the file purging was connected to a nationwide effort to destroy such files.

Rockfordian Joseph W. Saladino Jr., 59, a cousin of Frank G. Saladino, reported to federal prison Jan. 25 in Sandstone, Minn.

Joe Saladino's trip up the river to the Gopher State comes nearly eight years after being caught with a machine gun, butcher knife, bolt cutter, hand saw and other weapons in the trunk of his car.

The Rock River Times revealed Edolo J. "Zeke" Giorgi, former Rockford alderman and state representative, once worked for a Mob-owned distributing company. The now-defunct Northern Illinois Music, Inc./Midwest Distributing Company in Rockford was partially owned by Chicago Mafia members William Daddano Jr., and Anthony A. Cardamone.

Giorgi died in October 1993.

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