Archdiocese should have been aware of D & P’s mob ties

The Phoenix/Stanislav Goluvchuk

Josephine DiFronzo is the president of D & P Construction — but law enforcement officials say her husband Peter and his brother John, alleged Chicago mob leaders, are pulling the company’s strings from behind the scenes.

That’s nothing new.

A quick and simple Google search for “D & P + Mafia” could tell you as much.
Here’s something else Google can tell you: the recent Loyola Phoenix article about a D & P garbage dumpster being used to remove debris from the construction site for the new St. Joseph Seminary on Loyola Ave. east of Sheridan Rd. wasn’t the first story written about the archdiocese using the waste removal and trucking company’s services.

A 2005 Chicago Sun-Times story reported D & P’s connections to “made men.” Reporters approached the archdiocese and inquired about a D & P dumpster on site at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church near Orleans and Division in Old Town, but according to that article, “Neither the contractor overseeing a project to convert an old rectory into a parish center nor the archdiocese’s construction office apparently was aware of D & P’s history.” An archdiocese spokesperson was quoted, saying that the contractor agreed to remove the dumpster and hire a different firm, and commented that, “We don’t micromanage our projects to the extent we would know who’s doing the waste hauling.”

“We’re not making any judgments about this company,” the spokesperson said.

I should note that Henry Brothers Construction, who is actually building the seminary, is the company that hired D & P as a contractor. The co-owner of Henry Brothers claimed in last week’s article that he had no knowledge of allegations of mob ties, didn’t know the owners of D & P and had never met them. He added that his company has been working with D & P “for a few years,” and that the company “provides a good service at a very competitive price.”

Yet, even if the archdiocese didn’t hire D & P directly, the fact remains that waste receptacles from a possibly shady company were being used, ironically, at a seminary construction site across the street from a university rooted in the Jesuit tradition of social justice.

D & P’s involvement is an awkward situation for the archdiocese to explain. Although, I’m only assuming it’s awkward because we never actually got an explanation. However, two things we can read into are the speedy removal of the D & P dumpster at the archdiocese’s request after a Phoenix reporter called to inquire, and the lack of a response to those inquiries.

This situation suggests that the archdiocese has a problem saying, “Sorry, we messed up.” They apparently also have problems staying clear of D & P, which the FBI claims has paid and intimidated its way to securing contracts.

To be clear, I’m not alleging that the archdiocese is in cahoots with godfathers. Despite history repeating itself in the form of D & P dumpsters on archdiocese construction sites, that doesn’t necessarily indicate a mob conspiracy. Wow, that’d be a story. Just think …

I will offer this constructive criticism: Whatever it takes, the archdiocese should stay away from D & P and make sure contractors can clear a simple Google search before something potentially embarrassing slips through the cracks.

Lupe Fiasco 'fights to stay true'

May 2011 cover of XXL magazine

Reviewing Lupe Fiasco's latest album, Lasers, was painful for me on a few levels. Anyone who knows anything about your beloved blogger knows that I'm Lupe Fan #1.

I think he's one of the best lyricists to ever grace a track, and he's one of the most sincere, enlightened individuals in music. His first two albums, Food and Liquor and The Cool are two of my favorite rap albums of all time.

But while Lasers wasn't as bad as the turd sandwich Wiz Khalifa recently coughed up, it was still a very lukewarm album. It serves as a testament to how record executives can suck the life out of even the most righteous rappers. I think Lupe's fans understand the struggles he went through with Atlantic Records to retain his artistic integrity despite his label's insistence that he, "dumb it down."

Lupe has been vocal about those struggles and adamant that he wants to waste no time in getting back to the real shit his fans love. That's why he's been working on Food and Liquor 2, which is reportedly "half done" already. Hopefully his label doesn't strangle this album too. But if they try, I foresee fans -- and the Chi-Town superstar, putting up one hell of a fight. Whatever it takes to avoid another Lasers-like effort.

I'm with you Lupe. But if you do release another album like Lasers, I'll cry as I write the review, but I will throw that album under the bus...literally and figuratively.

A Classic: Dumb people outbreeding smart people -- Joe Rogan explains the pyramids

Joe Rogan explains it all. You have to hear the WHOLE thing to really get this. … “LoL”

State Police back down from Koschman review

In a puzzling move, the Illinois State Police recently decided not to review the David Koschman homicide case, rejecting requests from Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez. What a shame. What an embarrassment.

Although many details around the case are yet unclear, what is obvious is that Mayor Richard J. Daley's nephew Richard J. “R.J.” Vanecko was involved in the 21-year-old Mount Prospect man's death.

Police have at least indicated that it was Vanecko who threw a punch that hit Koschman in the face outside a Rush Street bar and sent him on a fatal fall that resulted in brain damage and killed him 11 days later. However, no one was ever charged for any crime connected to what the Cook County Medical Examiner called a homicide.

The case was closed in 2004, the same year the incident occurred. The case was opened again earlier this year, but then closed again... still, heavily shrouded in doubt. Conflicting witness accounts and questionable handling of the case by the Chicago Police Department are signs for some that CPD detectives involved did not do all they could do to make sure justice was served. And now it's looking like CPD isn't the only law enforcement agency avoiding the case.

The Chicago Sun-Times' Michael Sneed asks this question in a recent column: Is Alvarez, State Police playing hot potato with Koschman case?

I think there might be a little hot potato going on as Sneed speculates. Read the article linked to above for an interesting look into the idea. 


To end this on a positive note — while it's discouraging that the state police won't review this case, at least Chicago's inspector general is said to have an independent review on slate. 

The Chicago Sun-Times has done an awesome job of staying on top of this story. The articles listed below are essential to understanding what is, and what isn't going on in the Koschman case.

The Watchdogs, Part I: Questions arise in 2004 death involving Daley nephew

The Watchdogs, Part II: Years after death, mom’s anguish won’t end

The Watchdogs, Part III: Witness says Koschman wasn't the aggressor

The Watchdogs, Part IV: Koschman homicide case closed without charges

Sade Feat. Jay-Z - The Moon & The Sky

I'm so in love with this song. And Sade...but that's nothing new.

Government Shutdown? What about the children?

My 11-year-old niece...just because.

A government shutdown is no joke. Some poor family (that doesn't follow the news for some reason) expecting to cap off a road trip with a visit to a national park is going to be turned away because the place is shut down due to the budgetary stalemate between Republicans and Democrats.

What a downer.That family will probably eat a mediocre meal at a nearby Denny's before a long drive back home. The children will ask why. Mom and dad won't be able to offer a simple enough explanation that makes sense. There will be tears. 

Especially because, as CBS News reports, "Shutting down the National Park Service - which draws approximately 800,000 visitors a day at 393 National Parks, monuments and historic sites - would represent a loss of $32 million a day in revenue from admissions/fees."

Isn't that just ironic as hell. Our legislators, our chosen representatives, can't come to agreement on a budget, let alone a temporary bill that would avoid a shutdown -- and the decision will hurt local economies that benefit from the tourism national parks bring them.

But of course, the impact the shutdown can have on people goes far beyond national parks. This article from MSN Money details other ways that citizens might be hurt.

"There's no question it would inconvenience the public in ways large and small. Consider some of the impacts of the three-week shutdown in 1995-1996 -- all of which could be repeated this time around:

1. New patients were no longer accepted into clinical research at the National Institutes of Health. In addition, NIH disease hot lines and CDC disease surveillance were stopped.
2. Work on more than 3,500 bankruptcy cases in the federal court system was suspended.
3. Hundreds of thousands of "nonessential" federal workers were furloughed for three weeks, from mid-December 1995 to early January of 1996. (Some of those workers eventually received back pay for their missed days.)
4. Of $18 billion in Washington, D.C.-area federal contracts, $3.7 billion (more than 20%) were affected adversely by the funding lapse.
5. The National Park Service closed 368 sites, for a loss of 7 million visitors. The National Park Service administers 84.4 million acres of federal land in 49 states and other federal territories. Since 2008, park visits have totaled 285 million annually.
6. National museums and monuments closed, including the Smithsonian and other government buildings, with an estimated loss of about 2 million visitors.
7. More than 600 toxic waste dump sites went untended and uncleaned during the last shutdown. About 2,400 Superfund employees did not work.
8. The recruiting and testing of new law enforcement officials -- including 400 Border Patrol agents -- were suspended.
9. During the last shutdown, 20,000 to 30,000 applications for visas by foreigners went unprocessed each day, along with 200,000 applications for U.S. passports. Airlines also suffered, as many prospective travelers were unable to fly.
10. The Department of Veterans Affairs had to cut many of its services -- including health care, welfare, travel and finance -- as the department could not process compensation claims.
11. The shutdown meant a delay in processing alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives applications by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
12. The National Weather Service did not produce its regular reports.
13. New Social Security claims were not processed, because the agency furloughed more than 61,000 employees. As the shutdown continued, the agency regrouped, recalling workers to start processing new claims again. "

If we are lucky, our elected officials can reach some sort of solution by midnight, when a shutdown would go into effect. To be honest, I don’t have much hope that a shutdown can be averted. But hopefully it doesn’t drag on too long. That would be an even worse joke on the American public than the one attempted at the top of this blog post.

UPDATE: a short term deal was reached and a shutdown was avoided, but things are far from over. 

Music Review: Rolling Papers

If you bought Rolling Papers expecting to be wowed by lyricism and engaging content, you went to the wrong source; Wiz Khalifa is no poet laureate and his music shows no concern for anything of real substance. He strays from complex rhyme schemes, intricate wordplay and thoughtful content.

Instead, Rolling Papers is heavy on melodic, infectious choruses and simple rhymes about weed, women and swagger. While there's nothing wrong with that approach in itself, and while such an approach can yield excellent results if properly executed, Rolling Papers is missing the talent and originality to make it a strong album.

The album suffers from a lack of sonic diversity, which combined with Khalifa's low-level lyrical dexterity results in several songs on the album sounding the same. Outside of "Fly Solo," a surprisingly introspective, downbeat track that makes use of an acoustic guitar sample, the production on Rolling Papers is more often than not a mix of synth-heavy, pop-rap beats that are heavy on melody.

Lyrics like, "And they say all I rap about is bitches and champagne/ You would too if every night you seen the same thing," on the opening track of "When I'm Gone" pretty much sum up what you get from Khalifa. He stays in his comfort zone. However, despite his shallowness, catchy songs such as "On My Level" and the much-remixed "Black and Yellow" show Khalifa at his finest, with the young emcee effortlessly dropping smooth boasts over up-tempo beats. The tracks are simple, but they go down smooth and are fun to listen to.

Khalifa also shines on tracks such as "The Race," and "Rooftops," where he proudly declares, "Used to not be allowed in the building, but now we're on the rooftop." The song, which is boosted by a solid assist from New Orleans rapper Curren$y, is a bass and snare-heavy track with bell-like synths that is both celebratory and thoughtful.

If there's one thing to applaud Khalifa for, it's his honesty. The emcee doesn't present himself as a deep, contemplative rapper. And in his defense, that's not what a lot of people want these days.

Khalifa is similar to much of hip-hop's new school; he sings and typically raps on top of poppy, electronic or soft-rock instrumentals. That seems to be the direction that much hip-hop, or what passes for it, is headed for these days. The problem is that while he has impressive charisma, Khalifa's skill doesn't make him a standout, and with the rise of more skilled rapper/crooners such as Drake and Kid Cudi out there, what makes Khalifa special? Nothing. He pretty much always uses simple A-B rhyme schemes, and is a mediocre singer.

Each song on Rolling Papers feels like an attempt at Top 40 radio fame. In case you haven't heard, most rap on mainstream radio sucks - and this album sings the same tune.

Illinois House smoking bill compromises health for profit

If you’re still upset that public smoking bans are keeping you from smoking a cigarette in your favorite restaurant, bar or strip club, a recently proposed Illinois House bill aims to make sure you can light up in these establishments as you please — despite the obvious dangers this poses to public health.

Illinois House Bill 1310 seeks to give municipalities the power to “issue a smoking license to certain eligible establishments,” including private clubs, adult entertainment establishments and bars. The bill is sponsored jointly by Reps. Randy Ramey Jr., R-West Chicago; Daniel J. Burke, D-Chicago, Anthony Deluca, D-Crete; and Robert Rita, D-Blue Island.

The Smoke Free Illinois Act, which went into effect in 2008, made it illegal to smoke in public places and within 15 feet of doors and windows. It was passed with the acknowledgement that secondhand smoke poses a danger to the public. House Bill 1310 would undermine that notion.

Proponents argue that a smoking ban is anti-business and pushes businesses to nearby states without such staunch smoking laws. They think this measure is pro-business and claim that the municipalities selling the licenses to establishments will reap significant revenues for the state.

They are missing the point: Cigarettes can kill, and while you apparently have the right to smoke yourself to death, you shouldn’t have the right to be an unhealthy influence on people around you. “At least 69 of the toxic chemicals in secondhand tobacco smoke cause cancer,” according to the National Cancer Institute.

To be fair, it’s important to note that the bill passing wouldn’t be an automatic mandate for smoking licenses for every establishment; in fact, local governments would still have the choice to yay or nay selling licenses, and even if they were in favor of the proposed law, special ordinances would need to be adopted. Also, under the planned bill, municipalities can control the number of licenses they dish out, and establishments would be required to post signage showing that they allow smoking.

But the fact that smoking in public places might be limited to a few places if the bill is passed doesn’t matter. What if your favorite bar or restaurant (or strip club) is one of the places that buys a smoking license and you have to be subjected to secondhand smoke, or worse, avoid the establishment altogether? It might seem like this bill only cracks the door a little bit, but at what cost? How much further will proponents of smoking in public places push the envelope if they get this small victory?