Fred Roti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fred B. Roti (December 18, 1920-September 20, 1999) was a powerful and long serving Alderman of Chicago's First Ward. One of Chicago's most corrupt Alderman, Roti came from a long legacy of crime. Fred Roti was the son of Bruno Roti the first capo of what became the 26th/Chinatown crew of the Chicago Outfit. Bruno Roti owned a grocery store on the 2100 block of S.Wentworth less than 6 blocks away from Al Capone's headquarters at 2135 S.Michigan. Fred Roti was also the brother in law of Frank "Skids" Caruso, the capo who took over from Bruno Roti.
In 1990, after serving 23 years as Alderman (including Chairman of the Zoning Committee), Roti was indicted for racketeering and extortion.
On August 11, 1999 in a civil racketeering complaint against the Chicago Laborers District Council, the Justice Department described the influential Alderman as: "Fred Roti was convicted of RICO 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 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."
Before his death Roti never denied being a "made member" of the Chicago Outfit. 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), making innocent citizens vulnerable to Chicago Outfit members intimidation tactics, and second, was instrumental in getting the Chicago Outfit's main plant, William Hanhardt, in the position of Chief of Detectives.
