Logan Square politics used to be a lot more entertaining, back in the days of alderman Richard Mell. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Mell ran the show. He did things his way, and only his way. If you didn’t like his way, well, tough.
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He built up his organization, using clout and connections to get his workers hired by the city, county, and state. On election days he’d send them into the streets—big, thick men who stood on corners and looked intimidating. He fortified his position even more in the early 80s, when he became Mayor Jane Byrne’s strongest ally on the northwest side, giving him access to even more patronage jobs. (To his credit, Mell has never been afraid to support a strong woman.)
In ’87 these changes came to a head when a left-of-center minister named Don Benedict had the gall to run against Mell, the first and only time he’s faced serious opposition. The campaign climaxed in a debate at the Lathrop Homes, near Diversey and Clybourn, where, despite the best efforts of a local chapter of the League of Women Voters, Mell and Benedict wound up trying to outshout each other. At one point an old precinct captain nicknamed the “Toothless Cuban” rose from his chair and started screaming in Spanglish. After the debate Mell’s precinct workers stood lined along the wall hooting at Benedict’s allies.
In 2007 Colom returned for another run. Defeat, she said, had humbled her. She apologized for her former arrogance and promised to manage the ward as a real independent, vowing even to vote against Mayor Daley.
For more on politics, see our blog Clout City at chicagoreader.com.
