Fred Roti

"Vote for Roti "and no one gets hurt"!"--Fred Roti's "tongue in cheek" campaign slogan

Fred B. Roti (December 18 1920 - September 20 1999) was a powerful and long serving Alderman of Chicago's First Ward.

Background

Roti, one of 11 children, was born in an apartment over a store in Chinatown, the Near South Side neighborhood where he spent his entire life.]

Illinois State Senator (1950-1956)

Roti served as an Illinois state senator (1951-1957).cite book | last = Fremon | first = David | title = Chicago Politics Ward by Ward | publisher = [http://www.iupress.indiana.edu Indiana University Press] | year = 1988 | pages = 26 | isbn = 0253313449 ] At the time of his slating by the 1st Ward Democrats, Roti was described as "a state revenue department investigator and precinct captain." Roti faced nominal Republican opposition. Roti was elected state senator from the 1st District on November 7, 1950. [cite news |first=George |last=Tagge |title=Democrats put Annunzio at the helm |work= [http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Chicago Daily Tribune] |date=1951-03-06 |page=19]

In the state legislature Roti was a member of a bipartisan bloc of West Side lawmakers linked with hoodlums known as, "The West Side Bloc." He was a consistent opponent of anti-crime bills.

When his seat was lost to redistricting, he retired from the state legislature, returned to precinct work, and took a patronage job as a drain inspector with the City Department of Water and Sewers. [cite news |first=Sandy |last=Smith |first2=Thomas |last2=Powers |title=11 in Roti Clan Get City Jobs |work= [http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Chicago Daily Tribune] |date=1959-12-29 |page=1]

The "Literary" Club: "Booth One" at Counselor's Row

Roti's 1st Ward in Chicago is unique in that it includes most of the area commonly considered downtown Chicago, the "Loop," and City Hall. Roti was thus unique in having his "ward" office, and the offices of his political operation, directly across the street from his City offices in City Hall:

Indictment

In 1990, after serving 23 years as Alderman (including Chairman of the Buildings Committee), Roti was indicted for racketeering and extortion.

Conviction

On January 15, 1993, after deliberating 2 1/2 days, a federal jury convicted Roti of taking thousands of dollars in bribes. The jury convicted him on all 11 counts of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, bribery and extortion. To convict him of racketeering, the jury had to find him guilty of two out of three "fixing" charges. And it did, convicting him of taking $10,000 for influencing a civil court case and $7,500 to support a routine zoning change, both in 1989. But the jury cleared him of the most serious allegation: sharing in $72,500 for fixing a Chinatown murder trial in 1981. [cite news |first=Matt |last=O'Connor |title=Roti joins aldermen's hall of shame |work= [http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Chicago Tribune] |date=1993-01-16 |page=1]

US Dept. of Justice: Roti a made man

On August 11, 1999 in a civil racketeering complaint against the Chicago Laborers District Council (CLDC), the Justice Department described the influential Alderman as:

Fred Roti was convicted of RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] conspiracy, bribery and extortion regarding the fixing of criminal cases in the Circuit Court of Cook County, including murder cases involving organized crime members or associates and was sentenced to 48 months' imprisonment. Roti was released from prison in 1997. As First Ward alderman, Roti was a key political patronage boss and, along with his co‑defendant Pat Marcy, a fixer for the Chicago Outfit. Roti has directly participated in interfering with the rights of the members of LIUNA [ [http://www.liuna.org/ Laborers' International Union of North America] ] in the selection of their officers and officials in that he has improperly influenced the selection of officers of the CLDC and has been responsible for the pervasive hiring of mobster Angelo "the Hook" LaPietra's crew members and associates at the Chicago Streets and Sanitation Department. Roti is a "Made Member" of the Chicago Outfit. [cite court |litigants= [http://www.ipsn.org/laborers/chicago_district_council/complaintnew.htm UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and LABORERS' INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA vs. CONSTRUCTION & GENERAL LABORERS' DISTRICT COUNCIL OF CHICAGO AND VICINITY] |court=UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, [http://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS] , EASTERN DIVISION |date=1999-08-11]

Roti, by then seriously ill, never commented on the allegations.

Legacy

Roti's legacy of corruption lives on through the hundreds of people he got on the city of Chicago's payroll. Two other Roti accomplishments deserve mention. First, Alderman Roti lead the fight for Chicago's handgun ban in Chicago's City Council (in violation of Article 1, Section 22 of the Illinois State Constitution), and second, Roti was instrumental in getting the Chicago Outfit's main plant, William Hanhardt, in the position of Chief of Detectives.

References

External links

* [http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/legisnet91/hrgroups/hr/910HR0425LV.html Illinois House of Representatives, 91st General Assembly, House Resolution HR0425, Roti memorial resolution]
* [http://www.suntimes.com/special_sections/roti The Roti Family] special section, [http://www.suntimes.com Chicago Sun-Times]