Feb 16, 2010 Article by Joseph Fosco | 85 comments

Late Don Stephens Rolls Over In His Grave As Des Plaines Mayor Publically Celebrates With Chicago Outfit Bookmaker

Several years ago I heard the surprising news that Rosemont would not receive a casino license because the now late Mayor Donald Stephens bought land from a gangster approximately half century ago. In recent times, when I heard that Des Plaines was considered a worthy suburb for the casino license all I could think about was Des Plaines Police Chief James Prandini personally interviewing Jack P. Cerone five years ago.

For those of you unaware, Jack P. Cerone, Esquire, son of the late Chicago Outfit boss Jackie Cerone, pressed phone harassment charges against me in a ‘switch tactic’ because he was worried that I was going to have him prosecuted for extortion and other threats he and some of his cohorts made against me. Police Chief Prandini himself took Jack P. Cerone’s complaint against me. It is a very rare occurrence for a police chief to take a Class B Misdemeanor report from a purported victim. It was even stranger that Chief Prandini listened to the voicemails I left Cerone, yet utterly ignored the assertions I made in the voicemails that Cerone was conspiring with Rudy Fratto to have me murdered.

Chief Prandini was more concerned about the vulgar words I used in my messages than the allegations of the threats on my life, so he charged me with harassment by telephone. Thankfully in the end cooler heads prevailed. I am grateful that Cook County Circuit Court Judge Garritt E. Howard made it possible for me to dispose of the phone harassment case without sustaining a single conviction.

But I digress. Last weekend, I met the current Mayor of Des Plaines, Martin J. Moylan. I immediately became distracted when I realized Mayor Moylan has braces on his teeth. It struck me as being a bit odd for someone his age to be wearing braces. I eventually broke the ice by interjecting some humor. I asked His Honor if he would do me a favor. His Honor graciously inquired as to my request, when I told him that I would like my dear friend John DiFronzo to have the concession business relating to the Des Plaines casino. We laughed because it was obviously a joke. In fact, I made it a point to clarify that I am not a friend of DiFronzo’s – I was merely joking.

Mayor Moylan replied by asking if I had been to Carl Dote’s new restaurant in Des Plaines called Cuzzin’s. I told him no. His Honor advised me that Dote is a great person and that I should try his restaurant. His Honor stated he has been to the restaurant himself and recently celebrated the grand opening with Dote and a number of other Des Plaines officials.

Thank you, Mayor Moylan, for providing the inspiration to write this article.

His Honor further explained that Carl Dote had spent time in prison for gambling related crimes and that he and his brother, Tony Dote are DiFronzo’s men. The mayor improved my story when he disclosed his awareness of the Dote family secrets, while continuing to promote the restaurant that is located in his town. One might ask, “Mr. Mayor, do you have a personal interest in Dote’s restaurant?”

Moreover, Carl Dote collaborated with former Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo a few years ago in a business venture called Danny’s Deli, in Melrose Park, Illinois. As readers of KTF Media Group know, Scavo will be sentenced this Wednesday on corruption charges that pertained to his former position as police chief.

I did not know the late Don Stephens personally, but I sure can relate to catching a bum rap. The late Don Stephens’ town Rosemont is the most worthy town in Illinois for a casino license. Instead, Prandini and Moylan are the ones that meet the approval of the Illinois Attorney General and the Chicago Crime Commission, which is why they are granted a casino license. Supposedly, the Outfit has no connections to Des Plaines.

Politics are very unusual in Illinois, which is why I am now working on a book exploring all the dark corners of Cook County politics. Stay tuned.