 |
Robert Cooley (born 1943) is a former Mafia lawyer, government informant and author of the 2004 autobiography, " When Corruption was King ."
|
Robert Cooley (born 1943) is a former Mafia lawyer, government informant and author of the 2004 autobiography, " When Corruption was King ."
Cooley was born in 1943 to an Irish-American family which lived in the Greater Grand Crossing section of Chicago's Southeast Side. [1] His father was a Chicago Police officer, as were his grandfathers – both of whom had died in the line of duty.
In 1986 Cooley became disgusted by the people he worked for. He approached the U.S. Justice Department's Organized Crime Strike Force and declared, "I'd like to help you destroy the First Ward. I want to help you destroy Pat Marcy." [2] He proceeded to work undercover as part of an FBI probe known as "Operation GambAt" (for "gambling attorney"). His work ultimately sent 24 men to prison, including Chicago Outfit mobsters, politicians, police officers, and judges.
Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr. was an American activist. He came to prominence in Chicago as deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party and chair of the Illinois chapter. As a progressive African American, he founded the anti-racist, anti-classist Rainbow Coalition, a prominent multicultural political organization that initially included the Black Panthers, Young Patriots, and the Young Lords, and an alliance among major Chicago street gangs to help them end infighting and work for social change. A Marxist–Leninist, Hampton considered fascism the greatest threat, saying, "nothing is more important than stopping fascism, because fascism will stop us all.”
Francesco Vincent Serpico is an American retired New York Police Department detective, best known for whistleblowing on police corruption. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was a plainclothes police officer working in Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan to expose vice racketeering. In 1967, he reported credible evidence of widespread police corruption, to no effect. In 1970, he contributed to a front-page story in The New York Times on widespread corruption in the NYPD, which drew national attention to the problem. Mayor John V. Lindsay appointed a five-member panel to investigate accusations of police corruption, which became the Knapp Commission.
Count Juan Raphael Dante was an American martial artist figure during the 1960s and 1970s who claimed he could do extraordinary feats such as Dim Mak.
Frank Ralph Nitto, known as Frank Nitti, was an Italian-American organized crime figure based in Chicago. The first cousin and bodyguard of Al Capone, Nitti was in charge of all money flowing through the operation. Nitti later succeeded Capone as acting boss of the Chicago Outfit.
The Chicago Outfit is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate or crime family based in Chicago, Illinois, that originated in the city's South Side in the early 1910s. It is part of the larger Italian-American Mafia.
Greater Grand Crossing is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It is located on the city's South Side.
Cooley High is a 1975 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film that follows the narrative of high school seniors and best friends, Leroy "Preach" Jackson and Richard "Cochise" Morris. Written by Eric Monte and directed by Michael Schultz, the film, primarily shot in Chicago, was a major hit at the box office, grossing over $13 million (USD). The light-hearted-turned-tragic storyline was complemented by a soundtrack featuring many Motown hits.
Harry "The Hook" Aleman was a Chicago mobster who was one of the most feared enforcers for the Chicago Outfit during the 1970s. Aleman got the nickname "Hook" from his boxing career in high school. He is also famous for being the only person in the United States ever to be acquitted of murder, then legally tried and convicted for murder when the initial trial was found to be corrupt. This is not considered a case of double jeopardy as the initial trial was found to be corrupt; the Chicago judge was recruited specifically to acquit Aleman during a bench trial.
Roger Touhy was an Irish American mob boss and prohibition-era bootlegger from Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. He is best remembered for having been framed for the 1933 faked kidnapping of gangster John "Jake the Barber" Factor, a brother of cosmetics manufacturer Max Factor Sr. Despite numerous appeals and at least one court ruling freeing him, Touhy spent 26 years in prison. Touhy was released in November 1959, and murdered by the Chicago Outfit less than a month later.
When Corruption Was King: How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, Then Brought the Outfit Down is a memoir written by Robert Cooley, a lawyer who formally worked for Mafia members in Chicago, but eventually turned in his former clients. The book is co-written by journalist Hillel Levin and was published by Perseus Publishing in 2004. It details Cooley's friendships with Pat Marcy, Harry Aleman "The Hook," and Tony Spilotro and tells the story of the nine trials in which Cooley helped the U.S. Organized Crime Strike Force convict several key Mafia figures.
Fred Bruno Roti was an American Democratic politician from Chicago, Illinois. He was a state senator for six years, and an alderman for 24 years. He was a loyal member of the "Machine" established by Mayor Richard J. Daley, and widely believed to be an associate of the Mafia. In 1993, he was convicted in Federal court of 11 criminal counts, and was sent to prison.
Pat Marcy was an Italian-American political boss who wielded enormous power over the Illinois Democratic Party during much of the 20th century. According to Federal prosecutors, as well as informants Robert Cooley and Michael J. Corbitt, he was also a trusted and valued associate of the Chicago Outfit and the American Mafia. His official title was, "Secretary of the First Ward." FBI agent William Roemer, testifying before the U.S. Senate in 1983, said he believed Marcy to be a made man in the Chicago Outfit.
Louis "Little New York" Campagna was an American gangster and mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit for over three decades.
Frank T. "Skids" Caruso was a Chicago mobster and crime boss involved in illegal gambling and racketeering activities for the Chicago Outfit criminal organization during the 1950s.
Michael Jerome Corbitt was a police chief of Willow Springs, Illinois from 1973 until 1982, and an associate of Chicago Outfit mobsters such as Sal Bastone, Sam "Momo" Giancana and Antonino "Tony," "Joe Batters" Accardo. He became a cooperating witness after being convicted of aiding in the murder of Chicagoan Diane Masters, by her husband, Alan. Corbitt authored a book about his experiences entitled, Double Deal: The Cop Who Was a Mobster.
Salvatore Mooney Giancana was an American mobster who was boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957 to 1966.
Marco "The Mover" D'Amico was a Chicago mobster and consigliere of the Chicago Outfit crime organization. He admitted his role in the Chicago Outfit in federal court in 1995.
Nicholas W. Calabrese was an American mob hitman, best known for being the second made man ever to testify against the Chicago Outfit. His testimony and cooperation with federal prosecutors helped result in the 2007 murder convictions of mobsters Joseph Lombardo, James Marcello, and his own brother, Frank Calabrese Sr.
Ken Eto, also known as Tokyo Joe and "The Jap", was an American mobster with the Chicago Outfit and eventually an FBI informant who ran Asian gambling operations for the organization. He was the highest-ranking Asian-American in the organization and is also notable for his extraordinary survival of a murder attempt.
The Chicago Code is an American crime drama television series created by Shawn Ryan that aired on Fox in the United States. The series was filmed in Chicago, Illinois, originally airing from February 7 to May 23, 2011, with Fox announcing cancellation on May 10, 2011.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
