Illegal gambling isn't really where the Feds need to focus when it comes to the Outfit...its more bid rigging and their ability to use their legit companies to get their claws into civic projects like McCormick Place expansion and Des Plaines casino.
Also consider their dominance of video poker in Illinois (and pull with pols who legalized it).
True but I don't think that stuff is really happening on a very wide scale. Look at Fratto's ham-fisted attempt to nudge in on McCormick. If you read the wire he comes off as someone who is mentally impaired.
It's a far, far, far cry from the Humpreys days.
The state of Illinois and the city of Chicago and the suburbs in Chicagoland are all corrupt. They are disgustingly corrupt. Looks at Gov. Ryan and Blago.
Now this is a ridiculously blanket statement, not all cities are corrupt, but corruption anywhere in IL and Chicago doesn't surprise. To me, it seems like its more the norm than the exception.
I don't think it's anywhere near as bad as it used to be.
Rahm wants to be president, and he is independently worth $14 million, at least, from his ibanking days. He wouldn't touch any of that shit with a 100 foot pole.
The Outfit may still have a little influence with a few of the ancient alderman, but by and large the days of Sal the Knee Breaker delivering brown bags full of cash are over.
In some of the suburbs, though, there is a lot more ancillary evidence that would suggest continuing corruption.
Yeah, I wasn't trying to say that it is still horrible, but I bet it's still there. It's the culture.
I would doubt Rahm is corrupt, but I wouldn't be surprised if tons of his underlings are. I bet lots of people in the government and they deal with those people.
Yeah, I also agree I doubt the outfit has any huge pull with city aldermen and that the suburbs are probably the place where the outfit could have some pull with corrupt politicians.
The culture is corrupt and I think people in IL don't mind it, in a way. That they may think it's a way of doing business. In sort of the way that foreign countries view corruption as just a way of doing business.
