Building owner claims 'classic Cicero' corruption Town official is out to take his property, lawsuit says

When Jeffry Pesek wanted to bring a fast-food restaurant toCicero, he says town consultant Dave Donahue nixed the idea becauseit would "attract the black population."

Then Donahue and another town adviser, disbarred attorney AnthonyBruno, tried to buy the property for themselves, promising to kick insome town funds, Pesek said.

He rejected the offer -- and days later, a car plowed into Pesek'sbuilding at 6001 W. Roosevelt. Again, Pesek was approached by Donahueabout buying the property. And again, Pesek said he rebuffed him.

That's when a demolition notice was slapped on his building,according to a federal lawsuit. Pesek also claims he hasn't been ableto get a town building permit to make necessary repairs to hisbuilding. Pesek says he's a victim of a conspiracy that reaches intotown hall.

"It's classic Cicero," attorney Stephen R. Miller said afterleaving the Dirksen Federal Building on Wednesday, where a settlementhearing ended without progress in the lawsuit, filed in July.

Messages left for town officials were not returned. Two of thosenamed in the suit are tied to the local Republican choice for theU.S. House, Ryan Chlada.

Donahue is Chlada's campaign adviser, while Chlada's mother, MaryChlada, signed the demolition permit, according to the suit. Othersbeing sued are Bruno, town President Ramiro Gonzalez and townattorney Dennis Both.

Pesek and his partner, Sebastian Maynez, want unspecified damagesfor civil rights violations.

They claim Bruno and Donahue met Pesek's attorney, Michael DelGaldo, in April "to discuss redevelopment of the property." ButDonahue, they say, rejected the idea of a fast-food restaurantbecause it might attract blacks from Chicago.

Later in April, they met again, and Donahue said "he wanted topurchase" the building "for his personal interest," the suit claims,and that he could "utilize his authority as an official for the Townof Cicero to force Pesek to sell."

Pesek said no, and on May 9, a car slammed into his building.Though he tried to get town permits for repairs, officials won'trespond to his request for permits, he contends.

Again, the suit claims, Donahue inquired about a sale, and inJune, the town posted a notice to demolish the building.

Other acts of intimidation have continued, Miller says. Though hewent to Wednesday's hearing hopeful for a settlement, he says they'llpush forward "to show this is about an abuse of power that goes wayback in the long, storied history of that town."

Ryan Chlada, who grew up as a neighbor to imprisoned former townPresident Betty Loren-Maltese, is running against Dan Lipinski, sonof retiring Rep. William Lipinski. Chlada is regarded as a plant bythe Lipinski camp to keep out a strong GOP rival.