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This conversation propels us into the inner sanctum of Chicago’s 1st Ward. A shadow government within a government that controlled the state of Illinois. Two men operate the levers of power,  both of whom started as gunmen for Al Capone. One is John D’Arco Sr. who needs Bob to take his wayward son under his wing and teach him how to be a lawyer (despite him being a state senator). The other is Pat Marcy, a man of near-mythical proportions who had the presence of a stone-cold killer. Marcy needs Bob to fix the Harry Aleman trial. Aleman is a hitman who’s been charged with murder, and his trial becomes unprecedented legal history. 

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Bob takes on two high-profile murder cases and mounts the "jagoff defense" in the Joey Airdo trial. Early success catapults him on a trajectory toward becoming known as a fixer in Chicago, but he's also collecting enemies inside the FBI and the Chicago Police Department.

We also discuss a run-in with the notorious Tony Spilotro and a tip from a reliable source about betting on select Ivy League basketball games that are guaranteed winners. It's all ramping toward Bob’s entry into the 1st Ward inner circle and the mysterious Pat Marcy. 

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A strange character named Count Dante enlists Bob for legal help. The Count is being charged with murder for an attack on an opposing dojo whose owner is siphoning his clients. Bob finds himself entangled in the Count's bizarre world, which he has to break away from. After the Count's mysterious death, Bob discovers evidence that he was involved in the Purolator Armored Express Heist. The crime remains unsolved and at the time was the largest cash heist in the US. Bob also discusses the Chop Shop Wars and an accumulating body count that follows him. 

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The malfeasance in the Chicago courts inspires Bob to go to law school.  Mob-connected cop Rick Borelli introduces him to the web of illegal gambling operations that reach into the western suburbs of Chicago.  

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Bob becomes a Chicago cop and applies his street smarts to rise rapidly through the ranks. His encounters at the criminal courts inspire him to go to law school, but his world is shattered when he's left for dead after being run over by a patrol car. This is the third and final pillar of Bob's youth, as the foundation is set for his journey into Chicago's underworld.  

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Bob’s scholarship at Marquette ends abruptly because of his fighting and money-making schemes.  He moves back home and bounces between odd jobs before he takes the Chicago Police exam. Once on the force, he teams up with a cop who introduces him to the Chicago Machine. 

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How did Bob Cooley become the insider who destroyed the Chicago mob and the 1st Ward?  We start at Bob’s youth on the South Side of Chicago, as he details his childhood struggles and the murders of both his grandfathers. Both men were cops, one ironically killed by Al Capone's hitmen. 

Questions? Comments? Find Neal on Twitter at @NealEdelstein. Thank you for listening!