Former GOP Illinois Mayor attacks Federal Judiciary and urges reform

Coach is Right ^ | 9/28/15 | Bill McIntosh

[Oldpuppymax]

Bill McIntosh interviews Federal judicial reform activist Chuck Panici

The story of Chuck Panici, four times GOP mayor of Chicago Heights, Illinois, from 1975 to 1991; skilled political strategist is, both a great saga and a sad one. He turned around a seemingly hopeless municipality, brought fresh water from Lake Michigan to his town: built municipal buildings and built a coalition around his effort that united people across racial and ethnic lines.

His bright future changed dramatically however in the aftermath of Chicago Heights city council member Nick LoBue´s name coming up repeatedly during Chicago mob boss Albert Tocco´s Federal trial that resulted in Tocco´s conviction with a 200 year sentence for racketeering, extortion and tax fraud. In the wake of this in 1992-just two weeks after the death of his wife and his brother, Chuck Panici was indicted with councilman John Gliottoni and black council woman Louise Marshall on Federal charges of racketeering, extortion and bribery. Plea bargain agreements entered into by former Chicago Heights Mayor Donald Prisco, LoBue and Ralph Galderio sealed the fate of Panici, Gliottoni and Marshall who were sent to prison for 10, 5 1/2 and 4 years respectively.

Both Gliottoni and Marshall refused plea bargains to testify against one another and against Panici in return for reduced sentences and all three maintained their innocence throughout the process and afterwards. Panici wrote the book from Hero to Zero-How the Feds and a Mafia Wannabe took a Good Man Down to tell his story and to clear his name from trumped up corruption charges. At 84, Panici still maintains his total innocence of all charges and fights to clear his name...