It serves a purpose (whose office do I call),

I think the name of the office is all that needs to be on there.  Outlaw the personal names altogether...

1.  Ohio is not the only state that has the county auditor, or some form of auditor, picture or name/seal of approval on gas pumps.  In fact, almost every state has this...similar to being required by law to display your food service license.  So get over that.  If you don't want to have the "tax payer paid free publicity/campaign advertsing/slap in the face" then change the law requiring fuel pumps to be inspected or to have that inspection prominantly displayed.

Seriously?  The way to not have Russo's name and face plastered on every gas pump is to not inspect them at all?  :roll:

 

I remember when the prominent word accross the center of the sticker read "Inspected".  Now it reads "Frank Russo".  Who authorized that change?  :police:

 

I mentioned alternatives:

 

Change the law requiring fuel pumps to be inspected or to have that inspection prominantly displayed

 

Hang it inside then instead of at each pump.  But still, I didn't know a picture, as opposed to simply his name, was so much more powerful...as if voters who would be swayed with that kind of thing wouldn't just as easily remember his name alone, with or without a picture.

 

Besides, the "power" in Cuyahoga County is not with Russo or Dimora.  The power is with the Democratic Party.  The leaders of the party may change over time, but it's the people of of Cleveland (and their political views) who ultimately give the party its power.  Remember Russo became Auditor after McCormack (whose name was also at the pump) won the Commissioner seat - Russo was appointed.  Dimora was Mayor of the ever so highly populated Bedford Heights (pop 11,000) before he became Commissioner.  How do you think they won their susbsequent elections (or re-election in the case of Russo)?  Because the political machine that is the Democratic Party got them elected.

 

This whole "Russo / DiMora" network of politicians/government officials is not so much thier doing, but the doing of the Democratic Party...the same organization that has had a strong hold on the region since who knows when...longer than I've been keeping track.  They were simply next in line.  You want to be elected in Cuyahoga County?  You need the backing of the Democratic Party.  And even then, many Republican mayors became quick to befriend the leaders of the Democratic Party because without them, they knew they were in trouble.  I know of a few who are registered Republicans to appease their constituants, but are just as much a part of the Democratic Party political machine as anyone else.

KJP, any theories?  Condolences to her family.

---

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/rosemary_vinci_found_dead_coun_2.html

 

Rosemary Vinci found dead; county employee had ties to Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo

Posted by Henry Gomez, Mark Puenta and Joe Guillen / Plain Dealer Reporters December 22, 2008 21:01PM

 

Rosemary Vinci, the mysterious former strip club manager and close ally of Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and County Auditor Frank Russo, was found dead in her home Monday, the county coroner said.

 

wait isn't she involved or some how connected to in the "scandal"?? 

http://www.moviesounds.com/godfathr/fishes.wav

KJP, any theories? Condolences to her family.

 

 

I won't theorize until the coroner issues his report.

 

wait isn't she involved or some how connected to in the "scandal"??

 

Yes, she was.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/12/coroner_blames_blocked_artery.html

 

Coroner blames blocked artery for Rosemary Vinci's death

Posted by Henry J. Gomez/Plain Dealer Reporter December 23, 2008 13:40PM

 

Cuyahoga County employee Rosemary Vinci died of a blocked coronary artery, according to a preliminary autopsy report released this afternoon by the county coroner's office.

 

 

Saw this on cleveland.com... rather odd that one says "ruling not expected" and another says "here's the ruling!" :?

 

Articles posted on cleveland.com are typically done so by reporters. Old/inaccurrate articles can be deleted but not by the reporter. We have to go through a couple of levels of our own newspaper management to get the OK to contact cleveland.com staff so they can delete old/inaccurate articles. That assumes everyone is in their offices, gets the phone call/e-mail right away or isn't on vacation. And sometimes it assumes that we even remember what was in the old/inaccurate article. If we don't, we don't remember that it needs to be changed. Some just don't want to be bothered with it since we're asked to do so much more these days than just research and write articles (ie: take/submit photos, write/submit blog items, write briefs on every local yahoo, etc.).

Glad to see the PD is getting closer to the mob links in this story. But I think they have the wrong Tom Patton -- the real Tom Patton is an insurance guy who was nabbed for corruption involving insurance contract with the City of Lorain in the early 1990s....

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/02/county_in_crisis_fbi_demands_p.html

 

FBI goes after Parma school district files in Cuyahoga County corruption probe

Posted by John Caniglia, Amanda Garrett and Rachel Dissell/Plain Dealer Reporters

February 11, 2009 07:16AM

 

Federal agents working on the Cuyahoga County corruption investigation expanded their focus yet again last week, demanding documents about Parma city schools' dealings with a state senator, a former Lakewood mayor and businesses that made more than $25 million from the cash-strapped district over the past eight years.

 

FBI agents delivered a subpoena last week to the district, which serves children in Parma, Parma Heights and Seven Hills. While prosecutors have not revealed the focus of the probe, the subpoena makes this much clear: Investigators want to know who made money when J. Kevin Kelley was school board president.

 

The subpoena seeks documents connected to a web of Kelley's friends, including his cousin, Ohio Sen. Thomas Patton.

 

.........

I can't begin to tell you how much I'm enjoying reading these names as they come up. Rusty Masetta goes back 10 years for me when I ran the Clevelandmob.com site. I'll post an article that was sent to me back then. Geez, I'm tempted to start a Cleveland Mafia thread here at UO!

___________________

 

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/02/federal_agents_raiding_beford.html

 

Federal agents raiding Bedford offices as part of public corruption probe

Posted by John Caniglia/Plain Dealer Reporter February 19, 2009 09:11AM

 

Federal agents investigating public corruption in Cuyahoga County this morning are raiding the Bedford office of a flooring company and a Bedford Heights warehouse that is used by the flooring company.

 

Agents with the FBI and Internal Revenue Service, armed with search warrants, are at Nature Stone flooring at 15 N. Park St. in Bedford and at the warehouse at 24300 Solon Road in Bedford Heights.

 

The agents aren't saying what they are looking for, but Russ Masetta, the owner of Nature Stone, was named on a list of items seized last August from county Commissioner Jimmy Dimora's offices.

 

.....

The last time it flared up in Warren was about 10 years ago.  There were several killings and they had to have a guy testify from prison.  Lenny Strollo.  I can't remember if he was the guy killed, the killer, or the one testifying.  Prior to that the last big thing was Joey Naples getting snipered in Canfield, 1991.  I used to remember which ones were on which sides but it's been years since that stuff was in the news.

BTW, the two Milano brothers mentioned in the article are the sons of Frank Milano who ran the Cleveland Mafia in the 1930s. Masetta married into the family and now he's doing work for cash for Commissioner Dimora and Auditor Russo. Yep, but I'm sure it's all legit......

BTW, the two Milano brothers mentioned in the article are the sons of Frank Milano who ran the Cleveland Mafia in the 1930s. Masetta married into the family and now he's doing work for cash for Commissioner Dimora and Auditor Russo. Yep, but I'm sure it's all legit......

 

When is doing work for cash illegal?  Should they pay him in gift certificates? 

 

Again, always fun to watch people blast the PD or other local media for horrible journalism, then completely agree with it when they write something else of similar ilk just be/c you happen to *think* it's true.

327, Lenny Strollo was the boss of Youngstown. He flipped for the prosecution following the bungled murder attempt on Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains. Joey Naples was the former mob boss who was killed by Clevelander Bobby Poghen. I don't remember if Poghen got pinched for that, but the authorities and some of his friends said he did it. And if you're hearing about mob activities in the press (such as arrests or killings), then that means something is going wrong for the mob. When all is quiet, that's when it's time to start looking under rocks and to start asking questions.

 

shs96, How many honest public officials do you know who make enough money to have any cash on hand, let alone $8,000 to $10,000? And if Russo or Dimora earned that money, then I'm as tall as Zydrunas and as good looking as Brad Pitt.

 

I'm familiar with who is greasing who's palms, and Russo and Dimora are as sleazy as they get.

shs96, How many honest public officials do you know who make enough money to have any cash on hand, let alone $8,000 to $10,000? And if Russo or Dimora earned that money, then I'm as tall as Zydrunas and as good looking as Brad Pitt.

 

Well, I don't know how much re-doing the flooring in your basement would cost, but if someone is writing a check for a home renovation project, I would not be surprised.  A suitcase of cash...yeah.  But I am not aware of that.

 

But when the FBI shows up at you or your families office/house, starts making all kinds of accusations and using leading questions - i.e., you tell me what you know about this person and we'll make sure you're OK - when A) you aren't aware of any wrong doing on said person's part, and B) you don't have anything to hide yourself you start to think something fishy is going on with the reporting/investigating.  Like they are searching - using fear as their motivator - looking for someone to give them something to work with b/c they haven't been able to find anything on their own.

I'm putting this in here because it states there are links to the county.

 

This is gets more strange each day.

---

 

K&D Group manager charged with bribing inspectors; case has tie to county corruption probe

Posted by Peter Krouse/Plain Dealer Reporter March 09, 2009 13:53PM

 

CLEVELAND — Federal prosecutors have charged Henry J. Picozzi, a superintendent and project manager for K&D Group Inc., with bribing two Cleveland housing inspectors in connection with the Stonebridge development on the West Bank of the Flats.

 

The inspectors are not named. One did electrical inspections. The other examined structural work.

 

More at

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/03/feds_indict_electrical_contrac.html

 

 

I had really hoped the price was higher for something like that.  Did they mention the parking garage?

^maybe the dinners and strip club cost a lot?

Well, everyone remember this when we're fighting over the viability of this or that consipiracy theory.  All it takes is $1000 and some strippers to get someone official to say anything you want, about something as serious as structural integrity.  It's that simple. 

So all the inspectors did was expedite the approval process? Did they approve some sort of faulty construction or just speed up the approval process? If they only sped up the process, then maybe this is more of an indictment of the City than of K&D. The City needs to get things done quicker or else it will continue to scare off developers.

I want to know which strip club. Not because I want to go, but because I want to see if it's one of the mobbed-up clubs. Of course, the odds are pretty good it is.....

So all the inspectors did was expedite the approval process? Did they approve some sort of faulty construction or just speed up the approval process? If they only sped up the process, then maybe this is more of an indictment of the City than of K&D. The City needs to get things done quicker or else it will continue to scare off developers.

 

That is possible.  I would hold both parties accountable for bribery, though it's certainly a bigger deal for the official party.  There have been some inexplicable problems with that development... people who live there say it's not well built, and there was a specific issue with the parking spaces being illegally small.  I remember the city having no answer for how that got approved. 

I remember the city having no answer for how that got approved.

 

They must've been new to town!

From this week's Cleveland Scene.

---

 

http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/97/shes-not-talking

 

She's Not Talking

New Details About The Death Of Rosemary Vinci

 

...cue shocking music

COUNTY IN CRISIS

Cleveland building inspector Richard Huberty to plead guilty in Cuyahoga corruption probe

Cleveland official accused of bribery

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Peter Krouse

Plain Dealer Reporter

A Cleveland building inspector plans to plead guilty to charges of extortion and bribery as part of the ongoing investigation into public corruption in Cuyahoga County, his lawyer said.

 

Richard Huberty is accused of taking bribes and shaking down owners of a variety of busi- nesses, including a controversial bar linked to Councilman Joe Santiago and another nightclub championed by County Auditor Frank Russo.

 

More at

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1238056295145310.xml&coll=2

 

As someone that has had dealings with this man. I find the description of him to be spot on. Chalk one up for the little guy.

 

I enjoy his name.  It sounds like puberty.  And I think they should throw the book at him.  This is the kind of thing that pulls down the whole community.

Well I'm shocked that not one person posted the resignation of the Sheriff of Nottingham Cuyahoga County.   

 

OK, he's not the Sheriff of Nottingham, but just as old!

Well I'm shocked that not one person posted the resignation of the Sheriff of Nottingham Cuyahoga County.

 

OK, he's not the Sheriff of Nottingham, but just as old!

 

I was just about to do that.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=110546&catid=3

 

Feds subpoena documents from Parma City Hall, county engineer's records

Posted By: Kim  Wendel    Updated: 4/1/2009 6:18:42 PM  Posted: 4/1/2009 10:36:34 AM

 

PARMA -- Late Tuesday, two federal officials delivered subpoenas for records to Parma City Hall for four companies -- Municipal Solutions, LLC; Vincore, LLC; the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease; and 888-OHIOCOMP.

 

Those four companies have also been named in various subpoenas in connection with the federal probe into alleged corruption in the Cuyahoga County administration offices.

 

The subpoenas ask for documents from Jan. 1, 2003 to the present.

 

The subpoena also asks for documents regarding Municipal Solutions' John Frola; Vincore's Vince Russo; Vorys' Anthony O. Calabrese III; and OHIOCOMP's Sam Lucarelli, Jason Lucarelli or Russell Paplardo.

 

Vince Russo was Parma Mayor Dean DePiero's administrative assistant for six months in 2004. He is the son of Cuyahoga County Auditor Frank Russo and the owner of VinCore. VinCore was raided by federal agents last summer as part of the county corruption investigation.

 

........

this is on snowball that has turned into an avalanche!  This could be what we need to turn the region around politically.

We need this FBI cleanup maneuver, and then we need good people to step into the void.  All is for naught if we get another set of the same goons, seeking to establish the same setup.

^^Or it can just be a fishing expidention.  Only time will tell.  Actually I am getting a little bored with major headlines regarding something as simple and routine as the issuance of a subpoena. 

^^Or it can just be a fishing expidention.  Only time will tell.  Actually I am getting a little bored with major headlines regarding something as simple and routine as the issuance of a subpoena. 

 

what do you expect, it's the Plain Dealer!

^^Or it can just be a fishing expidention.  Only time will tell.  Actually I am getting a little bored with major headlines regarding something as simple and routine as the issuance of a subpoena. 

 

Here's how it works. 

 

FBI spends lots of time and lots of dollars investigating all of this.

 

Upon not finding enough to actually charge anybody with anything, they raid the County Offices in a very public fashion, start handing out subpeonas like candy at a parade, and leak stories to the media (which is why you only heard of this starting in August of 2008 - it's been going on for much longer than that).

 

This is done as they hope someone, anyone, starts talking and giving them information they have yet to find - cracking under public scrutiny.  They need to justify spending all this time and money on this investigation, they've hit a wall, and now they are resorting to alternative tactics.

 

So you'll keep seeing these headlines until either someone talks or they give up.  They aren't going to find anything they wouldn't have already found.  I mean, there aren't many more places or people to look at.

and people involved will keep dying of natural causes!!!

 

I've actually heard from a couple "people" that some of these guys are in very, very deep sh*t.  And are most definitely going to jail.  Just because it's a long process doesn't necessarily mean they are grasping at straws.

And here we go...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/bribes_were_tied_to_moving_cou.html

 

Bribes were tied to moving county offices, prosecutors say

by Peter Krouse/Plain Dealer Reporter

Friday June 12, 2009, 12:25 PM

 

 

CLEVELAND — Kevin Payne and Daniel Gallagher are accused of taking bribes from K&D Group to get the county engineer's office moved to the Stonebridge development in the Flats....

 

 

you don't think they ponied up the money to sponsor the fireworks for no specific reason, did you?

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/bribes_were_tied_to_moving_cou.html

 

Bribes were tied to moving county offices, prosecutors say

by Peter Krouse/Plain Dealer Reporter

Friday June 12, 2009, 12:25 PM

 

After that, K&D provided Dimora, Payne and others with free personal use of a furnished condo at Stonebridge, even picking up the tab for cleaning services, according to the charges.

 

 

I wonder what "uses" that condo was put to?

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/bribes_were_tied_to_moving_cou.html

 

Bribes were tied to moving county offices, prosecutors say

by Peter Krouse/Plain Dealer Reporter

Friday June 12, 2009, 12:25 PM

 

After that, K&D provided Dimora, Payne and others with free personal use of a furnished condo at Stonebridge, even picking up the tab for cleaning services, according to the charges.

 

 

I wonder what "uses" that condo was put to?

 

Thanks for that image.

I know it is generally unrelated but is there any chance that all these shenanigans could effect the medical mart project?  Unfortunately the commis's are really tied into that project and I would hate to see that there was any inpropriety in that deal coming to fruition.

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/

"Kelley took $15,000 in bribes as school board president, prosecutors say

Posted by John Caniglia, The Plain Dealer June 12, 2009 13:57PM

Categories: Breaking News, County in Crisis, Cuyahoga County government, Education, FBI raids Cuyahoga County, Real Time News

CLEVELAND — J. Kevin Kelley used his power as president of the Parma School Board to steer a $1.8 million renovation contract to a business that paid $15,000 in kickbacks to Kelley and two friends, according to federal charges filed Friday.

 

Prosecutors did not name the company, calling it only "Business 9" in bribery charges against Kelley, Kevin Payne and Daniel Gallagher. The charges said the company won a contract in the summer of 2005 as the manager for a construction renovation project. "

 

A quick search reveals that RP Carbone was Construction Manager in 2006 during construction at Parma

http://www.rpcarbone.com/Projects/0511.htm

Business 9??

 

 

Thanks K&D, for helping to illuminate how business is really done.

 

 

And here we go...

 

http://www.cleveland.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/bribes_were_tied_to_moving_cou.html

 

Bribes were tied to moving county offices, prosecutors say

by Peter Krouse/Plain Dealer Reporter

Friday June 12, 2009, 12:25 PM

 

 

CLEVELAND — Kevin Payne and Daniel Gallagher are accused of taking bribes from K&D Group to get the county engineer's office moved to the Stonebridge development in the Flats.

 

Payne, as chief of staff of the engineer's office, lobbied a county public official to approve the move, according to charges filed Friday. The description of the public official's job and powers matches County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora.

 

Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairman Jimmy Dimora to leave party post indefinitely

by Mark Naymik/Plain Dealer Politics Writer

Tuesday June 23, 2009, 10:14 AM

 

Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora is stellping down temporarily as chairman of the county Democratic Party.

 

 

http://www.cleveland.com/naymik/index.ssf/2009/06/cuyahoga_county_democratic_par.html

One step closer to what we've all been waiting for...

Now, I'm all for conspiracy theories.  But this one, just takes the cake.

 

(No longer on blog)...

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, what's up randomly calling out people for things that may not even be related....

I would ABSOLUTELY love a Fitgerald type federal prosecutor to come into Cleveland once he is done in Chicago. 

Jimmy seems to think that bribery and extortion are the essence of governance, and if he were right, then yes he's being persecuted.  But he's wrong, and he's not being persecuted.  He's being removed.  Then hopefully he's being arrested.  The community and the democratic party both need this to happen.