Chicago Mob Trial Witness Says Police Brass Took Payoffs

CBS TV Chicago reports:

Some Chicago police brass took payoffs from mob burglars, according to new testimony Monday in the Family Secrets mob trial.

As CBS 2’s John "Bulldog" Drummond reports, the eye-opening testimony came from Sal Romano, a dog-loving career burglar who was whisked from Federal court by the FBI.

Romano learned the tools of the burglar trade as a youngster in Chicago.

"Locks and alarms fascinated me,” the now-wheelchair-bound 73-year-old said. “I'd purchase [them] and take 'em apart to see how they worked."

Romano began co-operating with the government 30 years ago and closed his career as an informant with a $40,000 bonus in 1987.

But before he went the straight and narrow he testified he paid off Chicago police through lawyer intermediaries in order to ply his trade in Chicago. He specifically named the one-time chief of detectives William Hanhardt and policemen at areas five and six.

No word yet from the gun control people on this one.