- Frank Russo and housemate Michael Calabrese, who will have the chance to spend a lot more time together now.
There’s bound to be an avalanche of revelations today. We’ll post all the updates here.
Update: Here’s complete video courtesy of WKYC of Peter Lawson Jones speaking this morning with the media. He seemed pretty angry at the whole situation, and also angry that his mother taught him not to use four-letter words in public. Shame, that would have made for good TV.
Update: Ah, wiretaps. Such beautiful things. If you peruse the 57-page indictment document (which you can access at this link), you’ll find plenty of conversations the FBI taped between Russo and other officials. Most of them involve bribery and the like, and while those are damning, they’re not hilarious like this exchange between Russo and PE4 in 2008 discussing the upcoming trip to Vegas paid for by Ferris Kleem.
Russo: “Don’t say anything, but we just met with the one guy [Kleem] who’s going to be there [in Las Vegas], he’s gonna have whores and he’s got a tiki hut by the pool, he’s got everything.”
PE4: “I heard. That’s a beautiful thing, that’s awesome.”
Tiki huts and whores, sounds like a good time was had by all.
Update: If you feel a little fuzzy about the mountains of details and names that have led to this day, don’t feel bad. It’s confusing stuff. The PD has a helpful timeline that breaks down when this FBI investigation might have started, what prompted the raids two years ago (seems they were worried that Dimora might have been tipped off), and who has rolled over so far.
Update: Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones said this morning that the commissioners (and by that he means himself and Tim Hagan, not Jimmy Dimora) will choose a new auditor to replace Frank Russo next Thursday. He told the gathered press they will be looking at accountants “whose integrity is unquestioned,” because they apparently, like the rest of Cuyahoga County, have had their fill of people whose integrity is questioned.
The PD also reports that Lawson Jones once again urged Dimora to resign.
“This has been unforgivable, unpardonable,” Jones said.
He reiterated his call for Commissioner Jimmy Dimora to resign. “It’s time for Jimmy to resign as well,” said Jones. “I say that with no glee.”
Update: WKYC reports that Russo’s resignation and plea deal had a lot to do with helping his son, Vince Russo, who has also been charged in the corruption probe. “The Investigator” (always capitalized, don’t forget) Tom Meyer says employees at the auditor’s office had been tossing around 14 years as a possible sentence for Russo, a number which Russo’s lawyer denies.
Update: Here’s Franky’s resignation letter courtesy of the PD. Some of it isn’t even in English — “I apologize to anyone I have harmed for any decision I made that embarrassed or caused any harm to my office.”
Update: The PD reports that Russo is expected to plead guilty but still receive a substantial sentence. In exchange, it looks like all of Vince Russo’s issues will be taken care of as well and neither will have to testify against the other target(s) — Jimmy Dimora — in the probe.
Russo, 60, of Bratenahl, resigned this morning. He is expected to plead guilty to bribery and obstruction charges, according to sources, based on an agreement that would resolve all issues related to both the long-time Democratic politician and his son, Vince.
Although the plea agreement has not been made public, it will include a substantial sentence for Russo that could have been cut in half had he agreed to cooperate with the government against others, according to a source familiar with the deal.
Neither Frank or Vince Russo will be required to testify against any aother defendant or be questioned at all in connection with the probe. Vince Russo was charged with bribing a Maple Heights schools official and former Maple Heights school board member with free television sets. The agreement with his father dictates the sentence Vince will receive. He had previously pleaded not guilty.
***
Well, friends, it’s finally happened.
Frank Russo resigned this morning at 9 a.m. in a letter to county commissioners and shortly thereafter was charged with 21 separate counts at 9:30 a.m in connection with the widespread corruption investigation in Cuyahoga County.
He should have plenty of time to go shirt shopping with housemate Michael Calabrese now.
The details, counts, and who gave the best and most damaging info to the Feds after the jump.
This article appears in Sep 8-14, 2010.
Is Frank Russo Gay? Not that it matters I have nothing against gay people just curious as I had always thought he was married to a woman and now I see him and dude up there and the one dude seems a bit flamer to me so was just curious about it.
“I love you Zebra Cakes!” Conjugal visit.
Somewhere, Siegfried & Roy’s costume designer is screaming copyright infringement, all the while the show-bar mooks and gay caberet patrons are fighting over the last XXXXL shirts in the back of TJ Maxx. A riot will ensure, for sure, for sure…BTW – Nice letterhead on your resignation letter, Frank!
Ok here’s the goddammed deal everyone. NO MORE FRANK RIZZO’s, FRANK RUSSO’s or Jocko Homo’s in public office. Philly Mayor Frank Rizzo was certainly no loafer lightweight but was as corrupt as Legs Diamond and used to like crackin’ skulls. Now we have this Frank Russo who clearly dresses in women’s clothes just like J. Edgar and is also a graft fiend.
Back in ‘Nam we all chipped in for 3 whores in a Tiki Hut in Dang Nay. We found out the guy collecting the money, Jimmy Corenti, scammed each of us out of about 75 cents each. Well you might say 75 cents what’s the big whoop right? Well to a GI up to his ass in leach water waiting to get a skimmer and a rimmer from a yellow belly it’s enough to seek justice. Let’s put it this way, DeJacamo put ol’ Corenti into parts of that leach pond that Ponce De-fuckin-leon will never discover.