Do The Feds Want A Chicago Cop to Give Up The Powerful Zoning Chairman?

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

There was a federal arrest at O'Hare Airport 13 days ago that was curious.

A Las Vegas-to-Chicago flight landed, carrying a number of retired Chicago cops and at least one still on the force, Joseph A. Grillo.


Grillo and the others had been working part-time jobs, doing security for one of the big trade shows in Vegas. He was coming home to his full-time job as an officer at the Grand Central District, which includes the 36th Ward on the Northwest Side.

As Grillo, 45, walked off the plane, an FBI greeting party was there to surprise him. He was immediately arrested and charged, as was another man -- Collision Towing Co. owner Jim "Meatball" Athans -- with mail fraud in connection with an alleged towing scam. Grillo's attorney, Barry Sheppard, maintains his client is guilty of nothing and has an immaculate record.

I guess there's no reason to doubt that the FBI, amid all its other city, county and state corruption probes, would be hell-bent on also uncovering a citywide towing fraud if it exists. But the odd part of this June 5 arrest was what an FBI agent was overheard saying to Grillo as he was being led away.

According to a source who has every reason to know, the agent reportedly advised Grillo with words to this effect: "Give Ald. Banks up, and it will go a long way to helping you out."

You'll be hearing more of this one.