Feds: Mob Boss Rigged McCormick Bid, Water Still Wet

By Prescott Carlson in News on Mar 12, 2010 10:45PM

The Tribune reports that Federal authorities scooped up reputed mobster Rudy "The Chin" Fratto and business owner William Anthony Degironemo this morning, charging the pair with rigging the bid for a contract at McCormick Place. The Department of Justice press release about the case states that Fratto and Degironemo received inside information and help from an employee at trade show general contractor Greyhound Exposition Services in Las Vegas to secure a forklift contract at McCormick for Degironemo's business, MidStates Equipment Rentals and Sale.

The unknown GES insider dubbed "Individual A" began working with the feds back in 2004, after "purported members of a Cleveland organized crime family" began squeezing Individual A to repay money lost from a trade show company that had gone under. The two were both charged with mail fraud, and Degironemo received an additional charge of making false statements.

Fratto is already scheduled at the end of April to start a prison sentence of one year and one day (which conveniently makes him eligible for time off for good behavior) after being found guilty of tax evasion. Fratto was also "considered a major threat" to star witness Nicholas Calabrese in the landmark Family Secrets trial in 2007. Authorities had been hoping to nail Fratto for a long time -- it's been almost 7 years since the Trib's John Kass predicted that things were "heating up" for Fratto.

After appearing in court this morning, Fratto was released on a $200,000 bond and house arrest until he reports to prison next month.