THE GLOVER VIGIL

About 75 people, many of them off duty officers, participated in a vigil for Alfonzo Craig Glover, the Milwaukee Police Officer who took his life May 30th hours after being charged on counts of homicide and perjury by District Attorney E. Michael McCann -- more than a year after the incident and after an inquest had failed to bring charges against him.
The event, held Thursday June 8th 2006 at 9:30 a.m. at MacArthur Square, was announced in powder blue cards that read, "TRUE BLUE, In Rememberance of Officer Alfonzo Glover," and was subtitled, "Questions surrounding the mistreatment and charges of Officer GLOVER by District Attorney E. Michael McCANN"
"YOU COULD BE NEXT," the card boldly cautioned.
The vigil was led by Captain Linda Haynes of the Milwaukee Police Department. Also present, in a semi-official role, was John A. Blacerzak, president of The Milwaukee Police Association, Local #21 IUPA, AFL-CIO.
Balcerzak brought with him a stack of letters on Milwaukee Police Association letterhead dated June 7th 2006 and addressed to McCann in which the union said it is "formally demanding your immediate resignation or retirement from the position of Milwaukee County District Attorney." The letter, signed by Balcerzak, goes on to say "This demand is being made due to the irresponsible handling of the investigation of Police Officer Alfonzo Glover, as well as additional investigations of police officers which you have handled, or are currently handling."
It appeared to be the same letter Balcerzak issued a week ago, except with a new date.
Several at the event carried signs echoing those concerns. One read, "McCann answer questions."
McCann has already announced both his retirement and his successor, some feel, in the person of John Chisholm.
Fred Gordon addressed the crowd and expressed his amazement, as he has on the radio recently, that nobody has come forward to run against Chisholm. As has been noted here in the past, it is virtually unheard of in the annals of American politics that the departure of a longstanding office holder is not immediately followed by a veritable gang of contestants vying for the position.
When John Norquist left office after only 15 years as mayor, twelve candidates ran to succeed him. McCann has been in office over twice as long -- 38 years -- and the only announced candidate is his handpicked successor. You'd have to travel to some strange totalitarian state -- probably someplace like River Hills -- to find the equal.
Gordon told the audience to go home and survey their sorority, fraternity, church and community friends to develop some candidates so as to make this what they call in a democracy, "an election."
At the end of the ceremony, Balcerzak personally consoled Joyce Marie Toliver Glover, the officer's mother, on the steps of the square while others, including police officers, carried signs reading "Balcerzak why didn't you help Glover," and "How many must die at the hands of the Dahmer cop?"
News cameras from all television stations were present.
--Michael Horne

CITY SEEKS SEARCH FIRM FOR FIRE CHIEF

The City of Milwaukee has issued an Invitation to Bid for "a proposal for a vendor service contract for an executive search firm to recruit candidates for consideration for the position of Fire Chief for the City of Milwaukee Fire Department."
The request is dated June 2nd 2006, and bids must be submitted by June 27th 2006 at 2 p.m.
The four year term of William E. Wentlandt, Jr. expires this fall, and the request for proposal seems to indicate that a nationwide search may be undertaken. It sure makes it clear that Wentlandt will not be reappointed.
No previous "Chief of Fire Protection for the City of Milwaukee" has ever been an outsider. Instead, for the 131 years of the department's history, chiefs were chosen from those who worked their way up the ladder, so to speak.
The executive search firm will be judged on a number of criteria, including "Experience and success in recruiting well-qualified candidates for Fire Chief and other management positions in public safery and/or public service," and "qualifications and experience of personnel to be assigned tothis project and the ability of the firm to carry out the project," along with "proposed fees and expenses."
The city also asks bidders to state a cash discount they will accept for early payment for their services.
The city will also award up to 10 points in its proposal process for "use of a City Certified EBE Subcontractor."
--Michael Horne

IMPRISIONED KAROS GETS YEAR AND DAY FOR MISSOURI "REMBRANDT" SCAM

[Updated April 16th 2007]

A Milwaukeeworld Exclusive

By Michael Horne

Marilyn Karos, the 65-year old Whitefish Bay woman now serving 20 months in Federal custody for her attempt to "corruptly endeavor to influence, obstruct and impede the due administration of justice in the case of the United States of America v. Richard O'Hara," was sentenced yesterday in U. S. District Court in St. Louis to 12 months and one day imprisonment for her role in an attempt to sell a fake Rembrandt painting there.
The sentence, imposed by Judge E. Richard Webber, is to run concurrently with the 20 months' sentence she received last Halloween in Milwaukee. The judge also sentenced her to three years' supervised release.
According to the website of the Bureau of Prisons, Karos, who is now in transit, was expected to be released from prison on March 9th, 2007. After yesterday's sentencing, that date would appear to now be June 7th, 2007.
Karos has been a frequent flyer with the federal justice system since her involvement in a bizarre incident in 2000 when a very shady character named Zakria Abdul Hameed El-Shafei was beaten at her home by O'Hara when he refused to return to her antique celestial instruments that had been stolen years before from the Rome Observatory and which had been consigned to El-Shafei for sale. [The objects have since been repatriated.]
O'Hara, at the time of the beating, threatened to kill El-Shafei's then-pregnant wife, who was present at the time.
According to an e-mail sent to milwaukeeworld by Alexandra Pearl, the pseudonym for El-Shafei's ex-wife, he is now believed to be in Libya, possibly in Benghazi, his home town. She has written a slightly-fictionalized book called "Forbidden Prayers," regarding her time with the con man. The FBI and other law enforcement officials would be very interested in talking to El-Shafei, who managed to slip out of this country leaving a trail of warrants and judgments in his wake.
In the most recent caper, Karos conspired with a Missouri man to sell what was purported to be a Rembrandt painting to an individual who happened to be a federal agent.
(For past Karos postings, please use the search button above.)

[April 16th 2007 -- Information from the Federal Bureau of Prisons website indicates that Marilyn Karos was released from its custody on April 9th. -- Michael Horne]

BEACH DRIVE POLICE "BEAT"

BEACH DRIVE POLICE “BEAT”

A pretrial conference was held Tuesday, June 6^th 2006 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court in the criminal case of Michael A. Capati, 34, the Milwaukee Police officer who was suspended after he was charged for a May 21^st incident in the 7900 block of N. Beach Drive in Fox Point after he broke a window of a house there and assaulted an individual there, in an area not known for violence, or as the natural stomping grounds of jealous police spouses.

Capati was charged with three misdemeanor counts of battery, criminal damage to property and resisting arrest after he allegedly encountered his wife having sex with another person at the property. This is considered a domestic abuse case, also, and Capati has been instructed to have no contact with his wife at her home or her place of employment.

According to the Fox Point Police Department, which will sell you a copy of the police report of the incident for $6.65, the events occurred at 7912 N. Beach Drive, which a police department official identified as the residence of Colin Michael Lancaster. Lancaster is listed as the general counsel of Stark Investments, 3600 S. Lake Drive, St. Francis, and is a 1993 graduate of Marquette University Law School.

Tia Lancaster and Colin Lancaster are listed as donors of between $2,000 to $4,999 to Marquette University Law School in fall, 2003.

North Beach Drive is legendary in North Shore circles, since it is one of the few lakefront streets in the metropolitan area that is only slightly above the level of Lake Michigan, and not poised high on a bluff. This has made the area extremely valuable, which is shown in the tax assessment for the property that values the land at $1,200,000 and the home at a measly $816,000, for a total of $2,016,000. The taxes on the property amounted to $51,084.41 (more than a cop’s salary) and are paid in full. Here is an aerial photograph of the vicinity, taken in 2000. The famed “Witch’s House,” the home and studio of the late outsider artist Mary Nohl, now administered by the John Michael Kohler Foundation, is at the very southern end of the road.

This is not the first time Capati has been charged with battery, as this listing shows. He joined the force in 2001.

He is the son of Carmelito Capati, the genial owner of the Asian Mart, 1125 N. Old World Third St., and wrote a feedback piece about his childhood at the store which was published this spring in the onmilwaukee.com website.

[UPDATE]

September 12th 2006 -- Michael Capati pled No Contest to one count of misdemeanor criminal tresspass to a building today and was sentenced by the judge to six months in the House of Correction, which he then stayed.

Capati was also sentenced to 15 months of probation and an additional 30 days in the House of Correction, also stayed pending a probation hearing on January 12th 2007.

He must also maintain absolute sobriety, employment, and have no contact with "Nina C." and "Andrew M." He was also fined $400. You may review the information here.

-- Michael Horne

--Michael Horne

TREASURER'S CLERK TO COURT TODAY

Kelly M. Edwards, 38, a former teller in the City of Milwaukee Treasurer's office is due in court this afternoon, Monday, June 5th 2006 at 1:30 p.m., for her initial appearance on criminal charges of theft of $32,000 from the department.
She is scheduled to appear in room 221 of the Safety Building to make her appearance. The case has been assigned to Judge Paul Van Grunsven of Branch 9.
Edwards is also in the midst of a divorce from her husband, Michael A. Edwards, who filed to dissolve the marriage in May, 2005. The case is still pending, and both petitioner and respondent have attended parenting classes, which means, sadly, that there are children involved.
The next hearing on that case is on September 15th 2006. It is not clear if there are any custodial issues to be decided in the divorce, but judges often frown on placing children with their mother when mommy is in the slammer.
Kelly Edwards has also used the names "Mary Netz" and "Mary Edwards," according to the divorce filing.
--Michael Horne