There's a Sucker Born Every Minute: Michael C. McDonald and Illinois Corruption

On 111th Street, in my Morgan Park neighborhood, Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery holds the remains of Chicagoans who not only served and protected; built and preserved;blessed and sanctified; but also corrupted and terrorized this city we love. Mt. Olivet is a Chicago museum that holds the bones of Francis O'Neil the Chicago Police Superintendent who single-handedly preserved Ireland's Musical Heritage and stemmed much of the violence during the 1904 Stockyard Strikes in Canaryville; Spanish American War/WWI/WWII heroes; the Chicago Clan-na-Gael Fenians who invaded Canada after the Civil War; gangsters involved in the Prohibition Beer Wars; and members of the many religious orders who created the Settlement House institutions that were co-opted by Jane Addams and erased from public memory by Progressive Agendas. Mt. Olivet holds people that we on the south side call 'The Real Deal.'

Last night at an intimate gathering to celebrate author Rose Keefe's visit to Chicago ( Rose is the author of the definitive biographies of Chicago beer war chieftains Dean O'Banion and George 'Bugs' Moran and recently The Starker: Big Jack Zelig and brilliant conversationalist), I had the pleasure of discussing the current political scandal concerning Illinois Governor Blagojevich with Richard Lindberg a veteran Chicago crime/political journalist/historian/author and host of the History Channel's 'Underground Chicago.'

Mr. Lindberg is coming out with a biography on the life of Michael Cassius 'Big Mike' McDonald the author of Chicago and Illinois political corruption. Recently Richard Lindberg authored the chilling study of the 1955 murders of two Chicago boys-The Schuessler-Peterson Murders by the monster Kenneth Hansen.


Big Mike McDonald controlled the vice and gambling in Chicago and created the cushion between the elites and the working classes through his corruption of elected officials. McDonald viewed himself as a commodities (gambling and drinking) broker confronted by a Ruling Class of Eastern Progressive Reformers who tried to outlaw beer ( to the masses of German immigrants) and whiskey ( to floods of stockyard and canal worker Irish) as well as gambling to all Americans. The forces of Reform were essentially Nativist Know-Nothings using Prohibition of booze and games of chance to effect political control over Chicago.

Richard Lindberg explained that long before Al Capone became associated with political corruption, Michael Cassius McDonald had perfected, what John Kass so brilliantly termed 'The Combine' - a Coalition of the Willing: 'Turn a blind eye to crime/You got Yours and I got Mine!'

Richard Lindberg's study of Big Mike is coming out soon.

Until then - take a look at this tight sketch of Big Mike from the folks at Find A Grave.Com: Photos from that great site!

Birth: 1839
Death: Aug. 8, 1907
Chicago
Cook County
Illinois, USA

Irish gangster. McDonald began his career as a gambler and used his winnings to open his own gaming parlors and saloons around Chicago. As his wealth grew so did his political power. McDonald eventually became leader of the Chicago Democratic Organization. McDonald became so powerful in fact that on his endorsement alone he could get men elected to high political office. In 1873 McDonald built "The Store" a large four-story saloon, boarding house, and gaming hall. The Store was dubbed "the unofficial City Hall" because much of the city's business was conducted on it's upper floors. A famous phrase, believed to have first been said by legendary circus man P.T. Barnum or Barnum's competitor, banker David Hannum, was allegedly attributed to McDonald. When an employee asked McDonald how they would ever keep The Store filled to turn a profit, McDonald allegedly responded "Don't worry about that. There's a sucker born every minute". The phrase "Never give a sucker an even break" was also credited to McDonald. McDonald was married twice, first to Mary Noonan, then to Dora Feldman. Mike renounced his Catholic faith and divorced Mary to marry Dora. At the age of thirty-two Dora fell in love with a 14-year old artist named Webster Guerin whom she was insanely jealous over. Dora became livid when she mistook Avis Dargan, the fiancee of Webster's brother Archie, as one of Webster's girlfriends. On the morning of February 21, 1907 Dora crept into Webster's studio and shot him through the neck killing him. During Dora's trial "King Mike" McDonald died of heart failure, but left enough money to cover his wife's expenses and court costs. Dora was aquitted on February 11, 1908. On his deathbed McDonald reclaimed his Catholic faith and proclaimed Mary as his only wife in the eyes of God. Mary and two of McDonald's sons from his first marriage later joined Mike in the family mausoleum in Mount Olivet cemetery. Dora was excluded. (bio by: Bobby Hart)


Search Amazon for Michael McDonald



Burial::
Mount Olivet Cemetery
Chicago
Cook County
Illinois, USA
Plot: Section 2 - Directly inside front gates turn right

Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Apr 8 2005
Find A Grave Memorial# 10741444



http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10741444

Crimes 2212 : Beverly/Morgan Park in Chicago Police District # 22

Chicago Beat Cop -Ubi Sunt?


There is a great deal of crime - black on white crime taking place in my neighborhood.

There is no City of Chicago out cry.

There is and there will be no Media Outcry other than 'well what can people expect given the economic realities of the day and systemic racism foisted upon persons of color by these white-flight residents of Beverly/Morgan Park?'

Here's the breakdown of the 97 pages of crime reported for Beat 2212 in Chicago Police District #22 ( Morgan Park)over the last few months.

Residents are concerned that lack of police beat cars and the vast geographic area covered by this beat created a Thug Comfort Zone - Thugs from outside of the neighborhood have the confidence to rob, assault, burglarize and violate the residents of this neighborhood.


91 crimes of Armed Robbery

131 crimes of Narcotics

158 crimes of Assault*

214 crimes of Burglary

388 crimes of Criminal Damage

438 crimes of Battery*

630 crimes of Theft


Members of the Chicago News Media play at journalism while exercising their rights of Free Speech as 'social engineers' and dime store prophets.

Editorial Boards agree to ignore or sneer at the residents of my neighborhood. Beat 2211 covers an area that embraces Mount Greenwood much farther to west where even more black on white crime is taking place.Read the comments by residents in Southwest Observer:

I am in need of some clarification as far as the Police district is concerned. Is Beverly and Mt. Greenwood covered by the 2 beat cars?? Or is it just our neighborhood? How come the police are there to take two teenage girls home to their parents who were minding their own business sitting on a bench at Mt. Greenwood park? And no one responds to the 911 call for "mob action" between 2 groups of kids beating the s#$% out of each other?
Personally when I am home during the day, I keep both my doors locked. I also have a security system and a big dog who answers the door before I do.
It bothers me to read about all of the violence and crimes so close to our homes. My son and his friends often visit the Burger King on Kedzie, and now that is a place where suspects were caught.
Is it true that the CAPS meetings are being phased out?
I signed up for the email updates from the 22nd district, and it;s funny that I haven't received ONE.
Do I feel safe? no. . .I don't. . .

and this,

2211 and another recently added car covers Mt Greenwood. These are generally one manned cars that cover a very large area. These cars, from the intelligence I am getting, have been on the east end of the 22nd district answering calls instead of patroling our area. There is a CPD Parks car that covers the districts parks. If you look at the 22nd district, you will see the many parks vs one car.Somebody had to call about the kids on the bench. With the vandalism that occurred at the playground, neighbors of the park are more vigilant. There may have been more to the story as well. CAPS will take your information but when it gets back to the district and headquarters.......they don't have the manpower. CAPS is just the middleman. My kids go to BK as well and I am very nervous. The bus stop on 111th and Kedzie needs to go. Another friend of mine on the 108th block of Troy had a woman approach her on her porch and asked to use her bathroom. My friend refused and told her her dog would attack her. When the woman walked away, a white van pulled up and yelled "Let's go. Someone called the police." She got in a they drove off. We are no longer safe.

http://www.southwestobserver.com/mount-greenwood/retired-cop-shoots-home-invader-49-23356#comment-223

This black on white crime activity is happening and only the people who live here and the Police who protect us, but are hand-cuffed by Daley's political needs, seem to care.

In the mean time, Drop all the huffing and hand-wringing about Racial and Social Justice, or save it for your feel good sessions at some Loop or Near North gin-mill before you get on the Metra to the lily-White Burbs.


* As a first approximation to the distinction between battery and assault:

the overt behavior of an assault might be A advancing upon B by chasing after him and swinging a fist at his head, while
that of an act of battery might be A actually striking B.
Battery requires (1) a volitional act (2) that results in a harmful or offensive contact with another person (3) committed with the intent to cause a harmful or offensive contact or with a reckless disregard as to whether such contact will result. Assault is an attempted battery or the act of intentionally placing a person in apprehension of a harmful or offensive contact with their person.

Black/White; Beverly Beatdowns;Burge and Bullshit in Chicago Media

Black on White crime happens all the time. The official excuse for it by City Officials and Chicago Media is 'Crime of opportunity' never a race crime, or Roger Baldwin forbid, a Hate Crime.

Two men face burglary charges after they allegedly broke into a retired police sergeant's home in Chicago's Mount Greenwood community. The former officer fired a gunshot at the men but no one was injured.

Kenneth Adams, 26, of Chicago, and Matthew Brown, 21, of Blue Island, were arrested a short time after the burglary Wednesday, police said.

Matthew Brown, of Blue Island, (left) and Kenneth Adams, of Chicago, are accused of breaking into a retired police sergeant's home in Chicago's Mount Greenwood community.

Adams was charged with one count of burglary and one count of aggravated assault. Brown was charged with one count of burglary, police News Affairs Officer Daniel O’Brien said.

They were arrested about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday near 111th Street and Kedzie Avenue, a few blocks from where the burglary happened, police said. ( Emphasis My Own)

After the two suspects got inside, the retired sergeant, in his 50s, fired a shot at them, but no one was injured.

http://www.southtownstar.com/neighborhoodstar/evergreenpark/1314252,greenwood-burglary-1204.article

With our Chicago News Talkers and ink-slingers the cop-out is always 'the underlying economic realities' . . .and a call for Racial Healing - meaning 'shut the #$%^ up Whitey' is the answer.

I have black neighbors and they moved here to Morgan Park to get away from the Free Fire Zone of Englewood and Grand Crossing. Their little guys play sewer cover baseball with the Conways, Radowicz's, Murphys, and Beemsterbohrs kids. They go to Clissold and St. Cajetans. We are neighbors.

The black Thugs coming into our neighborhood are from elsewhere in Chicago and the south suburbs; but that is not deemed news worthy by the Chicago Media, nor a topic for Fifty Aldermen who appoint Blue Ribbon panels to study Goose Liver and end America's involvement in Iraq, while dancing out of Prosecutor Fitzy's Spotlight. Fitzy is doing a solid for the Alderman - he is going to nail Burge on some BS charge of perjury. It is something - not a public execution of Burge, but something.

Black on white crime happens because it can. Last year two white kids were horrifically murdered in Knoxville, TN - no big deal:

E. G. Christopher Newsom and Channon Christian:

According to news reports, Christian and Newsom had gone on a date at a local restaurant on Saturday, January 6, 2007, but did not return home. During their night out, the couple was "hijacked, bound and blindfolded and taken back to Lemaricus Devall 'Slim' Davidson's rented house on Chipman Street."[4]

Christian's parents found her abandoned Toyota 4-Runner two blocks away from the Chipman Street house the following Monday with the help of her mobile phone provider. An envelope recovered from the vehicle yielded fingerprint evidence that led police to Lemaricus Davidson and 2316 Chipman Street. When police went to the address on Tuesday, January 9, they found the home unoccupied and Christian's body in a trash can in the kitchen.

According to the testimony of the Knox County Acting Medical Examiner at the subsequent trial of Eric Boyd, Newsom was repeatedly raped and then blindfolded, gagged, arms and feet bound and his head covered. Barefoot, he was either led or dragged outside the house to a set of nearby railroad tracks, where a gun was placed to the back of his head and fired. He was shot twice more, once in the neck and once in the back. His body was then set afire. Christian's death would come only after hours of sexual torture, medical examiner Mileusnic-Polchan testified. Christian suffered horrific injuries to her vagina, anus and mouth. She was not only raped but savaged with "an object," the doctor testified. She was beaten in the head. Some type of chemical was poured down her throat, and her body, including her bleeding and battered genital area, likely scrubbed with the same solution - all while Christian was alive, the forensic expert said. She was then "hog-tied," with curtains and strips of bedding, her face covered tightly with a small trash bag and her body stashed inside five large trash bags before being placed inside a large trash can and covered with sheets. Christian died slowly, suffocating, the medical examiner said.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Channon_Christian_and_Christopher_Newsom

The reaction by a 'Commentator' - "as bad as this crime is, the apparent absence of any interest group involvement or any other 'angle' might also explain the lack of coverage."

It's all good!

The News Media gets its Burge on every week with a 'chilling' replay of G. Flint Taylor's patented account of what might have happened in Area 2 to the criminal victims that Taylor represents.

The fact of the matter is that Jon Burge has never once been brought to trial on any evidence of 'systemic racist torture,' let alone convicted of any crime. But with the constant and emphatic attention to the G. Flint Taylor Playbook, the Chicago Media has made Jon Burge the poster boy of racism and by extension every Chicago Police Officer -black, white, pale, ruddy or olive complexioned.

I have no idea whether or not Jon Burge tortured anyone. I find it particularly unsettling that every news account, be it Sasha Abramsky's Mother Jones article or Carol Marin's Wal-Mart version, of the torture saga includes G. Flint Taylor's electric shock box/testicle machine that he had built to 'please the court' of what 'might' have happened. The end -'undermining any and all confidence in the American Justice System' by GETTING BURGE - justifies the means - 'everything G.Flint and the Media can toss at Burge with the help of dodgy politicians.

However, black on white crime is happening and it is not being addressed at all.

Crimes against the people who happen to be white in the 19th Ward of Chicago are ignored and mocked by the Chicago Media. No columnist, nor editorial board, has ever, nor ever will do so it seems, seriously address this social phenomenon.


Race Matters. It spikes real estate activity.