1st Ward Dems Give D'Arco Sr. $21,600 `Gift' // Money Called a `Brazen Payback'

Stung by charges of crime syndicate influence and corruptionconvictions, the 1st Ward Regular Democratic Organization recentlygave a $21,600 golden parachute to reputed mob associate John D'ArcoSr., records show.

Former Ald. Fred Roti (1st), soon to enter prison after aconviction for taking bribes, said D'Arco was paid the money inappreciation for his four decades of service to the ward, includingmany years as the Democratic Ward Committeeman.

"After 40 years, he's entitled to some compensation," Roti saidof D'Arco. "He never took a salary until he closed the account - forservices rendered for the 40 years or so."

Robert Fuesel, the executive director of the Chicago CrimeCommission, agreed that D'Arco had done considerable ward work,though Fuesel's assessment of it was hardly flattering. "Very wellput," Fuesel said of Roti's statement. "It certainly sounds justlike it is - for services rendered being the mob's man. It's abrazen open-ended payback."

During the City Council's last redistricting, the 1st Ward'sboundaries were drastically redrawn to eliminate much of downtown, amove some said partly was made to give an image face-lift to a wardlong linked with the mob.

As such, the old guard is closing out the books on the original1st Ward organization, while to the north in the remapped 1st Ward, anew crew of leaders is building a different party organization.

"It's a sad feeling to see an organization that helped peoplethrough through the entire history of the 1st Ward . . . end," Rotisaid. "As far as the original 1st Ward, it's nonexistent."

It was the old 1st Ward Regular Democratic Organization, whoselongtime president was Roti, that recently filed its final campaigndisclosure report this week. The largest expense listed on thatreport was the payment to D'Arco on April 6.

Though the payment to D'Arco is legal under Illinois law, Fueselstill finds it distasteful.

"The mob has always controlled the 1st Ward," Fuesel said. "Tonow give substantial amounts of money to someone associated withknown crime figures, certainly might be a slap to the Democraticmachine."

Cook County Democratic Chairman Thomas Lyons said the party hadnothing to be ashamed of. "The wards are all autonomous," Lyonssaid.

``The financial affairs of the 1st Ward Democratic Organizationare 100 percent the business of the 1st Ward DemocraticOrganization."

Victoria Almeida, an attorney who took over as committeeman ofthe new first ward a few months ago, said none of the money in theRoti-D'Arco 1st Ward Regular Democratic Organization's political warchest was transferred to the ward fund that she controls.

"Nor would it have ever been taken," she said. "This is a new 1stWard. I do not know everything that transpired in the old 1st Ward.I did not know any of the principals. I only knew what I read in thepaper."