Mob Burglar Says Chicago's Top Cops on Chicago Mob Payroll

CBS TV Chicago reports:

A key witness at the family secrets mob murder trial confirmed Chicago's past reputation as a corrupt city run by the mob.

CBS 2's John Drummond reports on testimony from Bobby "The Beak" Siegel, telling all about the unholy alliance between the outfit and the police.

Siegel, a 6th grade dropout, began his underworld career when he was just 13 years old.

"Stealing anything that we could make a buck with," Siegel said in court.

Siegel's associates included Lefty, The Turk, Potatoes, Fifi and the Calico kid.

“The Beak”, as he was called, because of his prominent proboscis, bragged about his prolific career as a master burglar.

Prosecutor Marcus Funk asked “The Beak”, "How many stores did you rob?"
Siegel: "Maybe a hundred."
Prosecutor: "How many banks?"
Siegel: "Three or four."
Prosecutor: "How many murders?"
Siegel: "Three."

One of the victims was a government snitch.

As a youth, “The Beak” soon began working for the outfit and looked up to mobsters.

"They made the money. They didn't go to jail. They had the power," he said. “Most of the police were on the (mob) payroll. It was a different era."

Siegel testified that he was present when his outfit boss took him to meet police crime-busters Bill Hanhardt and his partner John Hinchey.

According to Siegel, his boss then told the cops "to leave me alone."

Siegel said the going rate for police protection was as much as $1,200 a month, plus a new car every two years to Hanhardt and Hinchey and $600 a month to their underlings.

The former Chief of Detectives on the pad.Would you want a gun ban in your town if a guy like Hanhardt can make it to the top?