Podcasts about Mount Carmel

“So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.” (1 Kings 17:5–7 NLT) God said to the prophet Elijah, “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food” (1 Kings 17:3–4 NLT). At first glance, it might seem as though God was giving Elijah a vacation—some downtime for services rendered. But this was no leisurely camping trip. The ravens didn’t take Elijah’s order, fly to the local fast-food restaurant, and then deliver his meal. Ravens are scavengers. They brought little bits of meat and bread to Elijah. What’s more, the water in the brook from which he drank would have been somewhat polluted. This wasn’t an easy situation by any stretch of the imagination. Even if it had been, Elijah likely would have tired of it pretty quickly. Based on his biblical profile, Elijah was a man of action—confronting, challenging, moving, doing the Lord’s work. How easily he could have said, “Lord, I don’t want to be in this crummy little place, drinking river water. I like being in front of people. I like the limelight.” But Elijah seems to have understood that the Lord was preparing him for something big, something profoundly impactful. Something that would push him to his physical, emotional, and spiritual limits. Not long after his brookside sojourn, Elijah would be standing on Mount Carmel, singlehandedly challenging hundreds of false prophets to a winner-takes-all showdown (see 1 Kings 18:20–40). His raven-assisted stay by the brook wasn’t downtime. It was preparation time. God gave Elijah the time and space he needed to prepare himself for the battle ahead. Sometimes we don’t like where God has put us. We say, “Lord, I don’t like this situation. I want to do something great for You. I want to make a difference in my world.” But that may be because we’re misreading our situation. We may mistake preparation time for downtime. Or may not recognize the opportunities that surround us. Maybe the Lord wants you to be effective right where you are. Maybe He wants you to take advantage of the opportunities in front of you and be faithful in the little things. Who knows what God has in store for you? If God has you by some muddy little brook, so to speak, just hang in there. Be faithful, do what He has already told you, and wait on Him and His timing. God will do something wonderful for you or with you. Just be available and open to do what He would have you do. Reflection question: How can you prepare spiritually for what lies ahead? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

www.patreon.com/theconspiracypodcastIn 1993, on a patch of quiet Texas land outside Waco, a man who called himself the final prophet of God was preparing for the end of the world.Before the fire. Before the tanks. Before the siege became a symbol.David Koresh — born Vernon Wayne Howell — rose from obscurity to lead a small apocalyptic sect known as the Branch Davidians. Charismatic, intense, and obsessed with the Book of Revelation, Koresh convinced his followers that he alone could unlock the Seven Seals and usher in the final days. Inside the Mount Carmel compound, he claimed divine authority — not just spiritually, but personally.He took “spiritual wives.” Married couples were separated. Teenage girls were reassigned to him under the belief they were helping fulfill prophecy. Former members would later allege sexual relationships with underage girls, all justified through scripture. Parents inside the group believed they were obeying God.Meanwhile, federal agents were watching.An ATF investigation into alleged illegal weapons modifications was building. An undercover agent infiltrated the compound. A newspaper exposé titled “The Sinful Messiah” hit the stands. And on February 28, 1993, 76 federal agents rolled toward Mount Carmel in cattle trailers, expecting to serve a warrant.Within minutes, gunfire erupted.Four ATF agents would be dead. Six Davidians would die that morning. And what was meant to be a single-day operation would spiral into something far larger.In Part One, we lay the groundwork — the rise of Koresh, the psychology inside the compound, the warnings that were ignored, and the raid that changed everything.The siege has only just begun.

Fr. Joseph Dalimata, FSSP, serves as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Littleton (Denver), Colorado. He was ordained in May of 2021. In Today's Show: Does God need humans? Is it okay to feel weird praying to Mary? How does one reconcile the same sins over and over again in confession? How did the Blessed Mother pass away if she was preserved from original sin? Is it okay to chew the Eucharist? Is it necessary to meditate while praying the rosary? Can the laity lead the stations of the cross? Can a person who passed away be baptized? Can a Catholic attend a Greek Orthodox church? Why did God create a cunning animal like the serpent who would tempt Eve in the garden?  Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Have you ever wanted to get somewhere early so you can get a good spot! I wonder if that's how the children of Israel were on top of Mount Carmel. They would want a good spot to see what was going to happen! There were two alters, two cows, the prophets of Baal, and Prophet Elijah. It was a showdown between God and Satan. What's going to happen? Join us to find out!!!Year B Quarter 1 Week 8All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Under His WingsWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: SandraPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

Have you ever wanted to get somewhere early so you can get a good spot! I wonder if that's how the children of Israel were on top of Mount Carmel. They would want a good spot to see what was going to happen! There were two alters, two cows, the prophets of Baal, and Prophet Elijah. It was a showdown between God and Satan. What's going to happen? Join us to find out!!!Year B Quarter 1 Week 8All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Under His WingsWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: SandraPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

Have you ever wanted to get somewhere early so you can get a good spot! I wonder if that's how the children of Israel were on top of Mount Carmel. They would want a good spot to see what was going to happen! There were two alters, two cows, the prophets of Baal, and Prophet Elijah. It was a showdown between God and Satan. What's going to happen? Join us to find out!!!Year B Quarter 1 Week 8All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Under His WingsWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: SandraPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

Have you ever wanted to get somewhere early so you can get a good spot! I wonder if that's how the children of Israel were on top of Mount Carmel. They would want a good spot to see what was going to happen! There were two alters, two cows, the prophets of Baal, and Prophet Elijah. It was a showdown between God and Satan. What's going to happen? Join us to find out!!!Year B Quarter 1 Week 8All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Under His WingsWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: SandraPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

In this powerful message, “30 Minutes to Change the World,” we continue our series *The Wonderful World of the Apocalypse* by diving into Revelation 8:1–5 and exploring how God weaves the prayers of His people into His cosmic redemptive plan.Drawing on the Old Testament background behind Revelation's imagery—especially the “day of the Lord” and the call for all flesh to be silent before God (Habakkuk 2:20; Zephaniah 1:7; Zechariah 2:13)—we look at what it means that “there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (Revelation 8:1). We consider how this “half hour” functions like the broken “three and a half” of Revelation 11–13 (cf. Daniel 7:25; 12:7), symbolizing an interruption in time: the end feels near, but is mercifully delayed (2 Peter 3:9–10).From there, the message unpacks how the seventh seal opens into the seven trumpets (Revelation 8:2–6), and how this delay is not a “bug” in God's plan, but a feature of His patience and desire for repentance (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 1 Timothy 2:3–4; 2 Peter 3:9). Far from being about God trying to get the church out of the world, Revelation shows God determined to bring heaven into the world through the faithful witness and prayers of His people (Matthew 6:9–10; Acts 1:8).Central to this message is the vivid temple imagery of the golden censer and the altar of incense (Revelation 8:3–4), echoing the tabernacle pattern in Exodus 25–30 and the altar of incense in Exodus 30:1–10. We connect these themes to Psalm 141:2 (“Let my prayer be counted as incense before you”) and the priestly ministry fulfilled in Christ, our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14–16; 7:23–27; 8:1–5). The prayers of “all God's people” (Revelation 8:3–4)—not just the martyrs of Revelation 6:9–11, but the entire church—rise before God like incense, joining heaven's worship scene in Revelation 4–5 and the countless multitude of Revelation 7:9–12.The message emphasizes three key truths about prayer:1. **Prayer is not performative**     Prayer is not merely a tool for self-regulation or stress management; it is real communion with the living God who hears and responds (Psalm 34:15–18; Matthew 7:7–11; 1 John 5:14–15). Our prayers actually “reach” God and are taken up into His purposes (Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4).2. **Prayer is sacrificial**     Using the language of Old Testament sacrifice (Leviticus 1–7; Romans 12:1), we see that God is pleased by the costly choice to pray instead of sleep, scheme, worry, or seek revenge (Philippians 4:6–7; 1 Peter 5:6–7). Daniel's commitment to prayer in Babylon (Daniel 6:10–23) and Jesus' teaching on secret prayer (Matthew 6:5–6) illustrate how God honors and rewards faithful, hidden prayer.3. **Prayer is purposeful**     When the angel hurls fire from the altar to the earth (Revelation 8:5), the thunder, lightning, and earthquake recall God's presence at Sinai (Exodus 19:16–19) and the throne-room scene in Revelation 4:5. The message presses the point: the fire that falls on the earth comes from the altar of prayer. God's judgments and interventions in history are pictured as directly connected to the prayers of His people (Luke 18:1–8; Acts 4:23–31; James 5:16–18).Through this lens, we revisit the contest on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20–39), where God sends fire in response to Elijah's simple, faith-filled prayer, exposing idols and turning Israel's heart back—at least for a time. Likewise, the trumpet judgments of Revelation 8–11 are aimed at shaking people out of idolatry and into repentance (Revelation 9:20–21; 11:13), not at arbitrary destruction.Along the way, the message reviews the flow of Revelation so far:- The Lamb's worthiness

Mountain men! Moses received the Ten Commandments on a mountain. Elijah defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The elevation of Carmel, by the way, is about 1800 feet. Sinai rises 7500 feet above sea level. So, on the day we're about to study, Moses and Elijah were higher than they'd ever been: If this is Mount Hermon, it's 9,000 feet. That's a "high mountain," as Mark calls it in chapter 9 of his Gospel. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS02162026_0.mp3Scripture References: Mark 9

If you break an arm, the path to recovery is clear, and you have a visible cast to show why you can't "help move a couch". But when it comes to mental health, there is often no clear story, no X-ray, and no obvious timeline for healing. In this final message of our series, "Light in the Pit: Faith through Depression and Anxiety," we look at the heavy reality of life in the darkness and how God meets us there.In this sermon, you will discover:• The Complexity of the Pit: Why depression is often "polygenetic"—where genetics "load the gun" and environment "pulls the trigger". We explore how neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine affect our homeostasis and motivation, making even a simple "to-do list" feel insurmountable.• The "To-Do List" Trap: Why telling someone in a depressive episode to "just pray" or "just read your Bible" can feel like an impossible mountain to climb, and how to offer physical care and love instead of spiritual cliches.• Biblical Heroes in the Dark: A look at the "grandparents' diaries" of faith—King David, Job, Jonah, and Jeremiah—who all experienced moments of melancholy, turmoil, and even a desire to die.• Elijah's "Greatest Day" to "Darkest Night": How the prophet Elijah moved from the high point of fire on Mount Carmel to a "pit" of exhaustion and isolation in a cave, begging God to take his life.• God's Holistic Care: See how God restores Elijah not by lecturing him, but by providing sleep, food, physical touch, and eventually, a "gentle whisper".• The Three Pillars of Recovery: Why the combination of seeing light, finding community, and having a sense of purpose is vital for walking out of the pit.Depression may make you feel abandoned, but the Bible reminds us that you are never alone. Jesus Himself entered the "deepest darkness"—suffering the weight of sin and true separation from God—so that He could reach into your pit and pull you into the light.Whether you are in the pit today or walking alongside someone who is, find hope in a Savior who goes all the way to the darkness to bring you home.

Have you ever wanted to get somewhere early so you can get a good spot! I wonder if that's how the children of Israel were on top of Mount Carmel. They would want a good spot to see what was going to happen! There were two alters, two cows, the prophets of Baal, and Prophet Elijah. It was a showdown between God and Satan. What's going to happen? Join us to find out!!!Year B Quarter 1 Week 8All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Under His WingsWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: SandraPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

Support Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://libri-vox.org/donateThe Ascent of Mount Carmel (Part 1)Saint John of the Cross (1542 - 1591)Translated by David Lewis (1814 - 1895)The Ascent of Mount Carmel is one of the timeless classics of Christian contemplation, radical in its time and deeply influential in the world today. St John of the Cross and St Teresa of Avila worked together to reform the Carmelite Order in the Roman Catholic Church, in which he is honored as one of the Doctors of the Church. An active priest and teacher in his lifetime, this work is considered primary source material the training of Spiritual Directors, and an essential set of guidelines for all students of Revelation through Divine Love. Read by ( Ed Humpal)Genre(s): Christianity - OtherLanguage: EnglishKeyword(s): christian (192), mysticism (40), spiritual life (7), roman catholic (6), camelite (2), divine love (2), spiritual direction (1), divine union (1), apophatic theology (1)Support Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://libri-vox.org/donate

Support Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://libri-vox.org/donateThe Ascent of Mount Carmel (Part 2)⁠Saint John of the Cross (1542 - 1591)⁠Translated by ⁠David Lewis (1814 - 1895)⁠The Ascent of Mount Carmel is one of the timeless classics of Christian contemplation, radical in its time and deeply influential in the world today. St John of the Cross and St Teresa of Avila worked together to reform the Carmelite Order in the Roman Catholic Church, in which he is honored as one of the Doctors of the Church. An active priest and teacher in his lifetime, this work is considered primary source material the training of Spiritual Directors, and an essential set of guidelines for all students of Revelation through Divine Love. Read by ( Ed Humpal)Genre(s): Christianity - OtherLanguage: EnglishKeyword(s): ⁠christian⁠ (192), ⁠mysticism⁠ (40), ⁠spiritual life⁠ (7), ⁠roman catholic⁠ (6), ⁠camelite⁠ (2), ⁠divine love⁠ (2), spiritual direction (1), divine union (1), apophatic theology (1)Support Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://libri-vox.org/donate

Have you ever wanted to get somewhere early so you can get a good spot! I wonder if that's how the children of Israel were on top of Mount Carmel. They would want a good spot to see what was going to happen! There were two alters, two cows, the prophets of Baal, and Prophet Elijah. It was a showdown between God and Satan. What's going to happen? Join us to find out!!!Year B Quarter 1 Week 8All Bible verses are from the NKJVHymn: Under His WingsWrite to Ms. Katie: seedpod@startingwithjesus.comKatie's Korner: https://startingwithjesus.com/katies-korner/Find the Lessons Here: Kindergarten https://bit.ly/SeedPodKLessonsPrimary https://bit.ly/SeedPodPLessonsConnect with Us:Website: https://startingwithjesus.comStarting With Jesus - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/StartingWithJesusSeedPod - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCvU2FBPEL5-Zi2QW0STVLg Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startingwithjesusFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/startingwithjesusAcknowledgments:Bible Readings this Week: SandraPodcast Producer: Katie ChitwoodSound Engineer: Dillon AustinMy Bible First, https://bit.ly/SeedPodLesson  for use of their Bible Lesson curriculum.AudioVerse, https://www.audioverse.org/  for partnering with us and supporting our ministry.Lindsey Mills, for writing and performing our SeedPod Kids Theme Song & Background Music. To learn more about her music or to get her CD, email her: lindsey@startingwithjesus.com

Em novembro de 1987, Keith e Elaine Dardeen aguardavam o nascimento do 2º filho e se preparavam para se mudar para uma nova casa em Mount Carmel, Illinois. Infelizmente os planos foram impedidos quando alguém invadiu o trailer da família e assassinou todo mundo. ❤ Torne-se um apoiador pelo Apoia.se ou pela Orelo❤ Segue a gente no ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ Pesquisa e roteiro: Marcela Souza Edição: Alexandre LimaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aneirin Glyn - Who is the one true God? How can we know? How should we respond to him? The showdown on Mount Carmel provides conclusive answers.

Luke Cornelius - This sermon explores the scandalous mercy of God in 1 Kings 18, where the living God proves himself on Mount Carmel and turns Israel's heart back from idolatry. Even after leading the nation into deep compromise, Ahab is not crushed but shown astonishing mercy as judgment falls on a substitute and rain returns to the land. The miracle exposes the emptiness of false gods and points forward to the gospel, where God's mercy triumphs over human failure.

Right after God shows up in power on Mount Carmel, Elijah finds himself exhausted, afraid, and ready to give up. “When Fire Falls and You Hit the Wall” looks at the emotional letdown that can follow spiritual breakthrough — and reveals a God who doesn't rebuke our exhaustion but restores us in it. When you feel done, God meets you under the broom tree with what your soul actually needs.

Monuments is a FV winter 2026 series examining when God invites His people to intentionally mark His faithfulness so future generations will remember who He is and what He has done.In this message, Pastor Candace Pringle examines Elijah's altar to the Lord built on Mount Carmel from first 1 Kings 18.

Diane Menashe is a 27-year veteran of criminal defense in Columbus who specializes in cases that look unwinnable. In 2022, she co-led the defense of Dr. William Husel, the Mount Carmel physician charged with murdering fourteen ICU patients through allegedly lethal fentanyl doses. She called one witness. Husel was acquitted on all fourteen counts. She also kept cop-killer Quentin Smith off death row. Now she's representing Michael McKee—the vascular surgeon accused of driving 325 miles in the middle of the night to execute his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Dr. Spencer Tepe while their two young children slept nearby. McKee pleaded not guilty Friday to four counts of aggravated murder. The evidence police have described is staggering: ballistics allegedly matching a gun found at his property to shell casings at the scene, vehicle tracking from Ohio to Illinois, Ring camera footage, a firearm suppressor that screams premeditation, and no forced entry. So how does Menashe attack this case? Defense attorney Bob Motta breaks down her likely strategy—the ballistics science that isn't as solid as prosecutors want juries to believe, the murky video identification, and the eight-year gap between McKee's divorce and the alleged murders that complicates the premeditation narrative. Menashe's philosophy is simple: she doesn't put on a defense case. She picks apart the prosecution's evidence piece by piece and lets it collapse under its own weight. McKee isn't fighting for freedom. He's fighting for degrees of punishment. And Menashe is the best in the business at finding daylight in the darkness. Two children lost their parents on December 30th. The man accused of making them orphans just hired Columbus's most formidable defense attorney.#MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #DianeMenashe #WilliamHusel #BobMotta #AggravatedMurder #ColumbusOhio #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

In a moment of national confusion and spiritual compromise, Elijah steps onto Mount Carmel with a question that cuts through every distraction: “How long will you go limping between two opinions?” Israel wanted the benefits of God while clinging to the idols of their culture — and Elijah makes it clear: neutrality is not an option. In this message, we confront the places where divided hearts keep us from fully following Jesus. God isn't asking for part-time allegiance; He's calling us to choose Him with clarity, courage, and conviction. When we finally pick a side, we begin to experience the freedom, fire, and faith that come from standing with the One true God.

Why does the Bible mention 400 prophets of Asherah at Mount Carmel only to vanish from the story? This episode digs into one of the Old Testament's most intriguing silent gaps. We'll explore the political and theological tensions in 1 Kings 18, asking the hard question, why Asherah was deleted from the Bible. Was it a scribal edit, a symbolic number, or a deliberate narrative to silence a female deity? Join us as we untangle the history, and theology, behind the controversial story of Asherah.

Dr. Michael McKee is facing four counts of aggravated murder for allegedly killing his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer in their Columbus home on December 30th. The prosecution has ballistics. Vehicle tracking. Video footage. A suppressed weapon. No forced entry.And McKee just hired Diane Menashe.If that name doesn't mean anything to you, it should. In 2022, Menashe co-counseled the defense of Dr. William Husel — the Mount Carmel physician charged with murdering 14 patients with fentanyl overdoses. The prosecution called 53 witnesses over six weeks. Menashe called one. Husel walked on every count.She also kept Reagan Tokes' killer Brian Golsby off death row when eight jurors wanted him executed. She saved cop-killer Quentin Smith from lethal injection.Diane Menashe doesn't do hopeless cases. She does cases everyone else thinks are hopeless — and finds the fractures in the prosecution's fortress.Today we analyze her potential defense strategy: attacking the NIBIN ballistics match that isn't as ironclad as it sounds, questioning the shadowy Ring camera identification, exploiting the missing motive, and potentially presenting McKee's documented spiral — malpractice suits, disappearing from colleagues, expired licenses — as evidence of psychological deterioration rather than cold premeditation.McKee isn't walking free. The evidence is too damning. But the difference between life with parole eligibility and life without parole? That's what Menashe fights for. That's what money buys.Two orphaned children. A thousand mourners. And the best defense attorney in Columbus.#HiddenKillers #MichaelMcKee #MoniquTepe #SpencerTepe #DianeMenashe #TrueCrime #MurderDefense #WilliamHusel #OhioMurder #DomesticViolenceJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

WSFI Catholic Radio hosted a Roe v Wade Day of Prayer, Reparation & Reflection. Fr. Dwight Campbell was a guest speaker. Fr. Campbell is the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Therese of Lisieux  Parishes in Kenosha WI. He is the Spiritual Advisor to WSFI Catholic Radio and hosts The Marian Hour aired on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. He is the author of To the Sacred Heart of Jesus Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.   Fr. Dwight Campbells's book is available at: academyoftheimmaculate.com/products/through-the-heart-of-mary-to-the-heart-of-jesus

The surgeon accused of killing Monique and Spencer Tepe in their Columbus home entered a not guilty plea Friday. Michael McKee stood silent while his defense attorney, Diane Menashe, spoke for him. That choice of attorney tells you everything about how this case is going to be fought.Menashe is the same lawyer who defended Dr. William Husel in 2022 — the Mount Carmel physician charged with murdering fourteen patients through allegedly lethal fentanyl doses. She called one witness during the entire defense. Husel was acquitted on all counts. Now she's representing another doctor facing murder charges.The prosecution includes Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor, taking on her first felony case after a career in property code enforcement. She'll be supported by veteran homicide prosecutors, but the matchup raises questions about experience and strategy in a case drawing national attention.Today we break down what the not guilty plea signals, how Menashe's defense philosophy could shape the trial, and the new details emerging about McKee's pattern of evasion — including a malpractice lawsuit that couldn't locate him for months before the killings. Process servers found fake addresses, TVs turning off when they knocked, and colleagues who said he "just disappeared."The battle lines are drawn. This is how it begins.#TrueCrimeToday #MichaelMcKee #TepeCase #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #DianeMenushe #ColumbusOhio #DomesticViolence #MurderTrial #WilliamHuselJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

Michael McKee entered his not guilty plea Friday. Silent. Stoic. His attorney did the talking. And if you want to understand what's coming in this case, you need to understand who that attorney is.Diane Menashe defended Dr. William Husel — the Mount Carmel physician accused of murdering fourteen ICU patients with lethal fentanyl doses. She called one witness. One. Husel walked on all fourteen counts. That's the playbook. That's who McKee hired.The prosecution team includes Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor, who has never tried a felony case in her career. She's third chair behind experienced prosecutors, but the optics are impossible to ignore. The heavyweight versus the newcomer. The doctor-defender versus the property code attorney.This episode goes deep on the legal chess match ahead. We break down Menashe's philosophy — why she believes presenting a defense shifts the burden to prove innocence. We examine what the suppressor allegation means for premeditation charges. And we dig into McKee's pattern of vanishing: fake addresses, expired licenses, process servers who couldn't find him for months before the murders.The evidence police have described sounds substantial. But Diane Menashe has beaten substantial before. The question now is whether she can do it again.#MichaelMcKee #SpencerTepe #MoniqueTepe #HiddenKillers #DianeMenushe #TrueCrimePodcast #ColumbusOhio #DomesticViolenceMurder #WilliamHusel #MountCarmelJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

The ballistic match that prosecutors say connects Dr. Michael McKee to the murders of his ex-wife and her husband is now central to the case against him. McKee, a 39-year-old vascular surgeon, pleaded not guilty on January 23rd to four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Monique Tepe and Dr. Spencer Tepe. The couple was found shot to death in their Weinland Park home on December 30th. Spencer had been shot multiple times; Monique sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. Their children, ages four and one, were in the home but physically unharmed. Columbus police say surveillance footage tracked McKee's vehicle to the neighborhood during the timeframe of the killings. When investigators seized firearms from his Illinois property, preliminary analysis through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network tied one weapon to three 9mm shell casings recovered from the Tepe residence. McKee is represented by defense attorney Diane Menashe, who previously represented Dr. William Husel in the Mount Carmel hospital deaths case. The prosecution team includes newly-elected Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor. Monique and McKee divorced in 2017. She married Spencer in 2019. A 911 call from April 2025 captured someone at the Tepe address saying she and her partner "got into it" before declining police assistance.#TepeMurders #MichaelMcKee #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #ColumbusOhioMurder #DomesticViolenceHomicide #WeinlandPark #TrueCrimePodcast #JusticeForTepe #HiddenKillersJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

Michael McKee stood before a Franklin County magistrate on January 23rd and pleaded not guilty to four counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Monique Tepe and Dr. Spencer Tepe. The 39-year-old vascular surgeon waived bond and remains in custody. His defense attorney, Diane Menashe—known for representing Dr. William Husel in the Mount Carmel deaths case—entered the plea on his behalf via video appearance. Prosecutors allege McKee traveled from Illinois to Columbus and killed his ex-wife and her husband in the early morning hours of December 30th while their two young children slept nearby. The children, ages four and one, were found unharmed but alone with their parents' bodies. Columbus police say they have surveillance footage placing McKee's vehicle at the scene before and after the killings, and preliminary ballistic analysis links a firearm seized from his property to shell casings recovered inside the home. The charges include firearm specifications for using a gun and a suppressor. McKee's medical license expired months before the killings. Monique divorced him in 2017 after less than two years of marriage. She and Spencer were days away from their fifth wedding anniversary. If convicted, McKee faces a minimum of life with parole eligibility after 32 years—or life without parole.#MichaelMcKee #TepeMurders #MoniqueTepe #SpencerTepe #ColumbusOhio #AggravatedMurder #TrueCrimeLive #DomesticViolenceCase #HiddenKillersLive #JusticeForTepeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

Elijah's story reveals that faithful prayer can include fear, exhaustion, and deep honesty with God. After the victory at Mount Carmel, Elijah flees in despair, convinced he is alone and that his obedience has led nowhere. God meets him with patience and care, tending first to his physical and emotional needs before speaking. Rather than appearing through dramatic displays of power, the Lord comes in a gentle whisper that restores Elijah's perspective, reminds him that he is not alone, and renews his sense of purpose. The passage shows that what is often needed most is not immediate change or spectacle, but the quiet, faithful presence of God that sustains and carries His people forward.

In this powerful "Anointed" sermon, explore Elijah and Elisha—biblical prophets who reveal sowing and reaping principles through fire from heaven and God's gentle whisper. Witness Elijah's Mount Carmel victory via the power of prayer, then follow his raw despair in the cave, battling spiritual burnout signs like feeling "I'm the only one."God meets him with food, rest, and a quiet lesson: He's nearer than we imagine, speaking in God's gentle whisper even amid fear. This message highlights missionary perspectives and Christian unity across cultures—from Peru to Burkina Faso—showing we share more with born-again believers worldwide than our own neighbors.Overcoming fear in faith doesn't demand constant miracles; it means tuning into that whisper where God asks, "What are you doing here?" Perfect for anyone facing doubts, isolation, or spiritual fatigue after seeing God's activity.Inspired by faith, anointed calling, prophets' discernment, and real missionary stories, this Christian and Missionary Alliance–aligned sermon reminds us we're embodied souls with heavenly citizenship and a singular focus: sharing Jesus.What hit home most—Elijah's cave moment, the whisper, or the missionary insights? Comment below, like if it encouraged you, share with someone needing hope, and subscribe for more sermons!

Title: "When You Don't Feel Like It" - Galatians 6:9 Series: ROOTED - Building a Life That Lasts (Week 4) Date: January 26, 2026 It's late January. The New Year excitement has faded. You started strong with spiritual disciplines, but now the motivation is gone. How do you keep going when you don't feel like it? This message addresses the reality every faithful Christian faces: spiritual weariness and the struggle to endure. Building on three weeks of learning what it means to be rooted in Christ, this sermon tackles the practical challenge of maintaining faithfulness when feelings fade. Using Galatians 6:9 as the foundation—"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up"—we explored three essential truths about spiritual endurance. First, weariness is normal—don't be surprised by it. The very fact that Paul warns against growing weary means it's a real threat. Every faithful Christian experiences spiritual fatigue. We looked at biblical examples: Elijah exhausted after his victory at Mount Carmel, Moses overwhelmed by the burden of leading Israel, David writing psalms about discouragement, and even Jesus experiencing weariness. Spiritual fatigue comes from multiple sources: the passage of time (January excitement becomes February routine), lack of visible results (you've been faithful but don't see much fruit yet), difficult life circumstances (you're already tired physically and emotionally), and spiritual opposition (the enemy uses discouragement to stop growth). The key isn't to avoid weariness but to respond correctly: acknowledge it honestly, remember it's normal, and keep going anyway. Second, harvest is coming—trust God's timing. Paul promises "in due season we will reap." Harvest is certain, but it happens according to God's schedule, not ours. Using the farming metaphor, we explored how farmers plant seeds, water them, and wait—sometimes for months—while nothing visible happens above ground. But underground, roots are growing and the seed is developing. The same is true spiritually. You're reading your Bible daily but don't feel transformed yet. You're praying consistently but don't sense God's presence. You're serving faithfully but don't see lives changed. Keep going—harvest is coming. God is working underground, growing roots, preparing you for fruit in due season. We heard Jennifer's story of struggling with bitterness for three years, faithfully praying and choosing obedience even when she didn't feel it, until one day she woke up and the bitterness was completely gone. God had been working slowly, deeply, thoroughly—in His perfect timing. Third, endurance requires one choice—don't give up. The promise of harvest is conditional: "if we do not give up." The only way to miss the harvest is by quitting before it comes. Most people give up right before the breakthrough, abandoning faithfulness just when the fruit is about to appear. Endurance comes down to one choice: keep going. When you don't feel like reading your Bible, read it anyway. When you don't feel like praying, pray anyway. Your feelings are not the boss; your commitment is. We explored three practical ways to keep from giving up: lower the bar when necessary (5 minutes is better than nothing—don't let perfection keep you from faithfulness), remember your why (you're building deep roots that will sustain you for life), and take it one day at a time (don't worry about being faithful forever—just be faithful today). The message concluded with a forward-looking challenge: Don't give up. Six months from now, look back and see that you didn't quit. A year from now, see deep roots. Five years from now, see fruit that came because you didn't give up in late January 2026. You will reap if you do not give up—that's God's promise. Key Scriptures: Galatians 6:9, Hebrews 10:35-36, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Matthew 6:34

Fr. Joseph Dalimata, FSSP, serves as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Littleton (Denver), Colorado. He was ordained in May of 2021. In Today's Show: Is it okay not to watch The Passion of the Christ and not focus too much on Jesus' crucifixion? How does the Church verify if a miracle is legitimate or not? Father Dalimata's music recommendations. Do we need to fully pay attention to the homily to fulfil our Sunday obligation? Is there a timeframe in which the Epiphany Blessing of Homes can be administered? Are there two active calendars in the Roman Rite? Is a wife obligated to always submit to her husband? Can a diocesan priest join the FSSP? Do we have a moral obligation to tell others their religion is false? How long should a good confession be? Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

A defining confrontation unfolds on Mount Carmel, where God exposes the danger of divided hearts. Elijah's question—how long will you limp between two opinions—reveals that Israel's deepest problem is not ignorance but hesitation. Baal offers the illusion of control and cultural comfort, much like the modern idols that promise security without surrender. Before rain can heal the land, fire must reveal the truth: false gods are silent, but the LORD answers decisively. As the altar is restored and fire falls, recognition comes before restoration and repentance before renewal. This moment ultimately points to the cross, where Christ bears the fire in our place and sends the Spirit to dwell within His people. Undisputed truth still calls for undivided allegiance, inviting us to stop limping and fully yield to the God who has already made Himself known.

Send us a textWe trace the Carmelite path from Elijah's quiet breeze to Teresa and John's reform, exploring how silence, scripture, and daily Eucharist shape a life of allegiance to Christ. Along the way, we look at Mary's role, major historical shifts, and why laypeople might discern the Secular Order.• origins on Mount Carmel and Elijah's witness• the Rule of St Albert and daily Eucharist• shift to mendicant life and urban presence• crises, mitigations and the call to reform• Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross' renewal• Mary as model contemplative and patron• Spain's Golden Age and Carmelite saints• differences with the Ancient Observance• why charisms matter for lay discernment• how the Secular Order forms prayer and lifeShare the podcast. Yep, like, subscribe, share all the good things, leave comments, leave reviews!Support the showClick here to support the Carmelite Friars! Have something you'd love to hear Fr. Stephen and John talk about? Email us at myfriendthefriar@gmail.com or click here!

In this episode, we sit down with Greg Sacavage, the Mayor of Kulpmont, and one of the most respected and knowledgeable advocates for the Shamokin–Mount Carmel region. Greg's story is built on grit, discipline, and service. A former standout wrestler at Bloomsburg University and an All-State linebacker, he carried a competitor's mindset into leadership roles off the field — serving as Athletic Director at Mount Carmel Area High School and now as Chairman of Central Susquehanna Opportunities. A major focus of this conversation is Mount Carmel pride — and why this small coal-region community continues to produce outsized leaders, innovators, and winners. Greg speaks passionately about the culture, toughness, and work ethic that define the area, highlighting influential figures who came from Mount Carmel and surrounding communities, including Brett Veach, Bobby Chesney, Stanley Kovaleski, and Len Eshmont. Greg explains why these success stories aren't accidents — they are the result of strong values, accountability, competitive sports, and a community that expects people to work hard, lead, and give back. He also shares why Shamokin and Mount Carmel continue to matter, how community pride fuels revitalization, and what it takes to build lasting impact in towns that shaped generations of resilient leaders. This episode is about legacy, identity, and leadership — proving that where you come from doesn't limit you; it prepares you.

Elijah confronts 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in one of the Bible's most dramatic showdowns!

Elijah challenges 450 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel — and God sends fire from heaven! In this powerful sermon from 1 Kings 18, Pastor Brandon exposes the danger of divided devotion and modern "Baals" (money, status, anxiety) that exhaust us but deliver nothing. Discover why only the Lord deserves your whole heart — and how Jesus offers true rest.

Dealing with Depression: Finding Hope and Victory in the God of All Comfort    Depression is a profound heaviness of soul that the Scriptures describe with raw honesty. The Bible does not employ our modern clinical term, but it portrays the experience vividly: the spirit overwhelmed, the heart cast down, the bones troubled, the soul in despair, even the wish that life would end. Yet the same Word that records this darkness repeatedly declares that God draws near to the brokenhearted, that He is the lifter of the head, that His comfort abounds in affliction, and that joy comes in the morning. Throughout Scripture we see God's choicest servants pass through seasons of deep discouragement. Their stories are recorded not to magnify their weakness but to display God's faithfulness in the lowest places. By examining these lives, and by listening carefully to the voice of God in His Word, we discover divine principles for enduring and overcoming depression from a thoroughly biblical standpoint. I. Elijah: Despair After Victory The prophet Elijah stands as one of the clearest examples. In 1 Kings 18 he experienced one of the greatest public triumphs in redemptive history—fire falling from heaven on Mount Carmel, the prophets of Baal defeated, the people confessing that the Lord is God, and rain ending a three-and-a-half-year drought. Yet in chapter 19, a single threat from Jezebel sends him fleeing in fear and exhaustion. Hear the Word of the Lord in 1 Kings 19:3-4 (KJV): “And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” Elijah, the man who had just called down fire, now prays for death. He feels his labor has been in vain, that he is no better than his fathers, that everything is “enough.” This is the language of depression: exhaustion, hopelessness, isolation, and suicidal ideation. But observe God's tender response. Verses 5-8: “And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee. And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.” God does not begin with rebuke. He begins with physical care—sleep, food, water—twice. The angel acknowledges the reality of Elijah's limitation: “the journey is too great for thee.” God remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:14). When Elijah reaches Horeb, he repeats his complaint in verses 9-10: “And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” Depression distorts perspective. Elijah believes he is utterly alone. God gently corrects him in verse 18: “Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” Then God gives Elijah new work and a successor. God meets Elijah in his depression with physical provision, truthful perspective, renewed purpose, and the quiet whisper of His presence (verses 11-13). II. Job: Prolonged Suffering and Overwhelming Grief Few stories portray sustained depression more graphically than Job's. A righteous man suddenly stripped of wealth, children, and health, Job sits in ashes, scraping his sores, wishing he had never been born. Job 3:1-3, 11-13, 20-26 (KJV): “After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived… Why died I not from the womb? why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly? Why did the knees prevent me? or why the breasts that I should suck? For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept: then had I been at rest… Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures; Which rejoice exceedingly, and are glad, when they can find the grave? Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I am not at ease, neither am I quiet, neither have I rest; but trouble cometh.” Job's anguish is physical, emotional, and spiritual. He cannot eat without sighing; anxiety and dread consume him. His friends' misguided counsel only deepens the wound. Yet through forty-two chapters God allows Job to pour out every complaint. God does not silence him. Finally, in chapters 38–41, the Lord speaks—not with easy answers, but with a revelation of His sovereign wisdom and power. Job's response in 42:5-6: “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Seeing God afresh brings repentance, humility, and eventual restoration. Job's depression lifts not when circumstances immediately improve, but when he encounters the majesty and goodness of God in a deeper way. III. David: The Psalms of the Cast-Down Soul No biblical figure gives us more transparent language for depression than David. The Psalms are filled with his cries from the depths. Psalm 42:1-11 (KJV): “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Notice David's pattern: honest lament (“my tears have been my meat,” “all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me”), self-exhortation (“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? … hope thou in God”), remembrance of God's past faithfulness, and confident expectation of future praise. Psalm 43 continues the same theme, ending with the identical refrain. Psalm 77 shows Asaph following the same path—remembering God's mighty deeds until hope revives. Psalm 88 is perhaps the darkest psalm, ending without explicit resolution on earth, yet still addressed to “LORD God of my salvation.” Even unresolved sorrow is brought to God. IV. Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet Jeremiah's ministry spanned decades of rejection and judgment upon Judah. He is called “the weeping prophet” for good reason. Lamentations 3:1-20 (selected verses, KJV): “I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light… He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer… He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood… And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.” Jeremiah feels God has become his enemy, that prayer is blocked, that hope has perished. Yet in the very center of Lamentations comes one of the most hope-filled passages in Scripture, verses 21-26: “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” Jeremiah preaches to himself the truth of God's character. Remembering God's steadfast love and faithfulness becomes the turning point. V. Other Examples: Moses, Hannah, Jonah, Paul Moses, burdened with leading a complaining people, cries in Numbers 11:11-15 (KJV): “And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? … I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.” God responds by sharing the burden with seventy elders and providing meat—practical help and companionship. Hannah, barren and provoked, is “in bitterness of soul” (1 Samuel 1:10). She pours out her soul before the Lord, and though her circumstances do not change immediately, “her countenance was no more sad” (1:18) after entrusting her grief to God. Jonah, angry at God's mercy to Nineveh, prays in Jonah 4:3 (KJV): “Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” God patiently teaches him through a plant, a worm, and a wind. Even the apostle Paul knew despair. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (KJV): “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.” Paul's despair drove him deeper into dependence upon the God who raises the dead. VI. The Lord Jesus: Sorrow Without Sin Our Savior Himself entered into sorrow. In Gethsemane, Matthew 26:38 (KJV): “Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” He sweat as it were great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Yet He submitted: “not my will, but thine, be done.” Hebrews 5:7 speaks of His “strong crying and tears.” Christ identifies with our weakness and intercedes for us as One touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). VII. God's Promises of Comfort and Deliverance The Scriptures abound with assurances: Psalm 34:17-19 (KJV): “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Isaiah 41:10 (KJV): “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (KJV): “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Psalm 30:5 (KJV): “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” VIII. How Believers Today Can Deal with Depression and Gain Victory from a Biblical Standpoint The examples and promises above yield clear, scriptural pathways for fighting depression today: Bring every feeling honestly before God. The Psalms model unfiltered lament. Do not hide your despair; pour it out. God invites it and can handle it. Preach truth to yourself. Like David and Jeremiah, recall God's character, past faithfulness, and unchanging promises. Speak Scripture aloud when feelings contradict truth. Care for the body God gave you. Elijah's story reminds us that exhaustion, hunger, and isolation exacerbate depression. Sleep, nourishment, exercise, and medical care when needed are acts of stewardship, not lack of faith. Seek godly community. Elijah felt alone, but was not. Isolation feeds depression; fellowship counters it. Confess faults, bear burdens, receive prayer (James 5:16; Galatians 6:2). Fix your eyes on Christ. He endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Our light affliction works an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). The gospel assures us that nothing can separate us from God's love (Romans 8:38-39). Wait upon the Lord with hope. Seasons of darkness do not last forever. “They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Victory is not always immediate deliverance from the feeling of depression, but it is certain triumph through union with Christ. Even if the night lingers, the Morning Star has risen in our hearts (2 Peter 1:19). One day He will wipe away every tear (Revelation 21:4). Until then, we walk by faith, anchored in the God who has never forsaken His own. The same God who sustained Elijah under the juniper tree, lifted Job from the ash heap, turned David's mourning into dancing, and carried Jeremiah through the furnace is your God. He is faithful. Hope in Him, and you shall yet praise Him, who is the health of your countenance and your God.

The extraordinary nature of this fire, it consumed "the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench," thus making it quite obvious that this was a fire whose agency nothing could resist. In each instance the action of this fire was downwards, which is contrary to the nature of all earthly fire. No trickery was at work here, but a supernatural power that removed every ground of suspicion in the spectators, leaving them face to face with the might and majesty of Him they had so grievously slighted.

In this episode of Extraordinary Living with Bill & Roger, Bill Gruhlkey explores the biblical stories of Elijah and John the Baptist to highlight the importance of maintaining one's guard and faith in God. Bill emphasizes how Elijah experienced supernatural events but faltered when he let his guard down. Similarly, John the Baptist questioned Jesus' identity while in prison, demonstrating human vulnerability. Bill encourages you to stay rooted in God's word and avoid the pitfalls of offense and envy. He shares personal anecdotes to underline the power of faith, the simplicity of God's guidance, and the significance of knowing His word. The episode concludes with an invitation to deepen your relationship with God and to support the ministry through partnership.   EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:   00:00 Introduction and Elijah's Journey 00:28 Welcome to Extraordinary Living 00:45 Elijah's Miracles and Challenges 02:29 The Contest on Mount Carmel 07:30 Elijah's Downfall and Lessons 10:26 John the Baptist's Doubts 13:48 The Power of Forgiveness 17:31 The Parable of the Lost Son 27:23 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action   Connect with Bill & Roger Ministries: www.billandroger.com   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064668460680

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --Jesus is certainly the center of it all, but the question remains: are we living lives truly centered on Him?Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-35 CSB The question isn't whether something is at the center of your life, but rather what or who that something is?For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see, such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:16-17 NLTIn geometry, the center point is the fixed reference from which distance and balance are measured.Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NLTWe often unnecessarily wobble our way through life.Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent. I Kings 18:20-21 NLTIn a world cursed by the uncertainty of fallen humanity, Jesus at the center offers peace and stabilityTo be clear, there is a serious element of surrender involved in being centered on Jesus.I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 ESVMy old identity built on ego, pride, sin and selfishness has been put to death. Surrendering my life to Christ isn't self-destruction, it's Christ-centered transformation. When I'm centered on Jesus, my values, motives, strength, and direction come from Jesus. If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Luke 9:23-24 NLTPoem - Christ The Center BeI think the fall knocked the world off it's axisCausing a wobble in humanity's walkAnd for Geometry's truth become praxisComing right will take more than talkPresently, beneath a cloud of doubt and fright,Mortal thoughts in a fog of confusion and chaos roam,While a gravitational force with prophetic mightDraws wandering souls who've strayed far from home.And just like the planets, that obey a pull they cannot see,So to hearts find peace and stability, when Christ the center be.-------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

We're so glad you are here! Thanks for checking out Sunday's message!-- SUNDAY'S NOTES --Jesus is certainly the center of it all, but the question remains: are we living lives truly centered on Him?Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-35 CSB The question isn't whether something is at the center of your life, but rather what or who that something is?For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see, such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Colossians 1:16-17 NLTIn geometry, the center point is the fixed reference from which distance and balance are measured.Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 NLTWe often unnecessarily wobble our way through life.Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets to Mount Carmel. Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent. I Kings 18:20-21 NLTIn a world cursed by the uncertainty of fallen humanity, Jesus at the center offers peace and stabilityTo be clear, there is a serious element of surrender involved in being centered on Jesus.I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 ESVMy old identity built on ego, pride, sin and selfishness has been put to death. Surrendering my life to Christ isn't self-destruction, it's Christ-centered transformation. When I'm centered on Jesus, my values, motives, strength, and direction come from Jesus. If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. Luke 9:23-24 NLTPoem - Christ The Center BeI think the fall knocked the world off it's axisCausing a wobble in humanity's walkAnd for Geometry's truth become praxisComing right will take more than talkPresently, beneath a cloud of doubt and fright,Mortal thoughts in a fog of confusion and chaos roam,While a gravitational force with prophetic mightDraws wandering souls who've strayed far from home.And just like the planets, that obey a pull they cannot see,So to hearts find peace and stability, when Christ the center be.-------------------------------------------------Download the 828 Church app!To view our latest e-newsletter, the Midweek Momentum, and subscribe to our weekly updates, go here! https://linktr.ee/828church

In this special short episode of Gangland Wire, Gary Jenkins presents a wild and largely forgotten chapter from Bob Cooley’s life—the former Chicago Outfit fixer, gambler, and lawyer whose career straddled the worlds of organized crime, corruption, and courtroom drama. Fresh off a long-form interview with Cooley, Gary pulls out a standalone story that feels almost too strange to be true: Cooley's first real legal case, involving the infamous Chicago martial arts cult figure Count Dante, self-proclaimed “Deadliest Man Alive.” The episode revisits 1970s Chicago, when Count Dante ran multiple dojos across the city and cultivated a fearsome public image. A rivalry with a competing martial arts school—the Green Dragon Dojo—boiled over into violence when Dante and his followers stormed the school armed with medieval-style weapons. The confrontation ended with one man dead, and Dante charged with murder. At the time, Bob Cooley wasn't even officially a lawyer yet—he had just taken the bar exam and was still working as a Chicago police officer. Despite that, Count Dante tracked him down, hired him on the spot, and insisted Cooley would be his attorney. What followed was a surreal two-year relationship involving Chicago nightlife, the Playboy Club and Mansion, mob figures, bar fights, and mounting public attention. When the case finally went to trial, the courtroom devolved into chaos as rival martial artists from both sides reenacted the violence with shouting, threats, and theatrical testimony. The judge, fed up with the spectacle, dismissed the case outright—instantly launching Bob Cooley's reputation as a lawyer who had “beaten” a murder charge. Get Bob Cooley’s book When Corruption Was King. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. [0:00] Hey guys, this is a little shorty, uh, part of the long interview I did with Bob Cooley, former Chicago outfit, mob fixer, lawyer, uh, general man about town gambler been in, uh, not in witness protection, but he has been off the radar for several years and in hiding. He recently came back and he got hold of me and he wanted to come on the podcast. And you know, I’ve done one story about him, part of his story. This is another part of his story that’s kind of separate from everything else. It’s about a guy by the name of Count Dante. Now, he was kind of well-known in Chicago at the time back in the 70s. You’ll see some images of him in the show. He liked Bob. He got hold of Bob, and he wanted him to defend him. And Bob wasn’t even out of law school yet, but he wanted him to defend him. He had got in an argument with something called the Green Dragon Dojo. He had a dojo, and he had a whole bunch of dojos around town. [1:04] And he was pretty successful, but he built himself as a deadliest man alive. And this other dojo, they said something bad about him or something. I don’t know exactly how it started. So he took a crew of his and went over to the Green Dragon Dojo and kicked in the front door and went in. they had a big battle and they had maces and spears and, and a huge big fight. And somebody ends up getting killed in this fight. So they charged the count with murder and end up going to trial. Uh, Bob’s got, he’ll talk a little bit about it and, and, and his relationship with the count. They became good friends and he did a lot of stuff with the count over two years. It’s, uh, he didn’t say a lot, but, uh, enough to let you know that he and the count were, were pals for a while. In the end, Bob defends him. He’s just out of law school. It was first case, really first client, I think maybe. And they go to trial and, and both the prosecution puts on all their. [2:03] Prosecution witnesses, which are people of this Green Dragon dojo. And then Bob puts on the count and some of his people. And by the time they get done screaming and yelling and almost replaying this whole fight in the courtroom, the judge is so fed up with the whole thing that he just dismisses the whole case. And of course, when the count, he goes around telling everybody how Bob Cooley helped him beat a murder case. And from then on, you know, that’s the start of his reputation as a lawyer so it’s a it’s a hell of a story i’ll tell you that right now it’s a it’s a heck of a story so i’m in the police station now i’m in in fact after that that’s when i got involved out there with all the mobsters and the rest of them in the 18th district when i wasn’t able to work i was i was working undercover out there with them because it was something to do and uh. [2:58] I’m in the police station. I get a call to come into the police station because I’m in law school. I had just taken the bar. I had just taken the bar, and I knew I passed it. I just did. I never had a problem with anything. I knew that it was just a matter of when I’d be practicing law. I get a call to come into the police station. And when I come in there, there was this silly looking guy with a cape, with one of those, a C-tooth mesh outfit with a cape on and using blue eyes and with what I call the Dante beard. And he says, you’re Bob Foley? Yeah. Yeah. He says, you know, can I talk to you? [3:46] Can I talk to you? And I said, he says, John Began told me that, you know, this is where you’re working now. He said, I’d like to talk to you. He said, I have a little problem. And we go upstairs. His little problem was it was front page news in the papers. And I didn’t notice it or realize it. He was involved. He was charged with murder because he had been involved in that situation up there at the Green Dragon. He had broken in there, and they had killed, and his friend Jim Concevic had gotten killed. But anyhow, he said, and I’m charged with murder. He says, and I want to hire you. I says, you want to hire me? I says, I’m not a lawyer yet. He says to me, I’ve been following you. I’ve been, he says, I’ve noticed, I’ve known who you were for a long time, he said, and I’ve really been anxious to maybe get to, you know, I didn’t know where you were or whatever happened to you, he said, but he said, he said, I knew you at Mount Carmel, he said, you were a wrestler, he said, I was a wrestler too, he said, I was a wrestler too, and I didn’t remember his name, because it was John Kean at the time, I didn’t, I didn’t remember him, you know, for anything. He says, I haven’t passed the bar yet. He says, but John, sure you are, and I’m sure you will. [5:16] And if you don’t pass the bar, I want you to find me somebody. He says, because John tells me, you know all kinds of people. You have a lot of connections, which I did. I had been friendly with a lot of judges and a lot of other people who had known me for a number of years as a policeman and whatever. And when I first started practicing, even before I started practicing, a lot of these were friends of mine at the time. But anyhow, he says, so he gives me $5,000, and he says, and he said to me, if you don’t, he said, I said, well, then here’s what you can do. I said, and he had one of the big-name lawyers in Chicago. I think his name was Conley. He was one of the top lawyers in the city. Just tell him, tell him, continue. You don’t want to, because the case was set for trial. It was supposed to go to trial in a couple of weeks. Oh, yeah. I says, tell him you want to get it continued. Yeah. No way. This is front page. This is front page. Newspaper. Yeah. [6:26] The deadliest man in the world. And it was, you know, when they broke into this place and constipated a spear put through him, the count had pulled the guy’s eye out or whatever. This is at this Green Dragon. It was like a Green Dragon. It was a restaurant. No, no, no. The Green Dragon was a school. It was a Kung Fu school. Oh. In the Kung Fu school, they teach you how to use weapons, maces and swords and daggers. The Count had a number of skulls, but they were skulls just to teach you how to fight with your hands and teach you how to do it, you know, not with weapons, just by your hands. They broke the count. [7:12] The place itself had like one of those real thick wooden doors. I don’t know how he did it, but he broke it off the hinges when he went in there, and he came in with like four people. There were four people and himself, Joey Casello, Konsevic, and I forgot the other two guys’ names. But they broke in there. When they broke in there, one of the guys came at the count with one of those maces, those big ball things that you throw around. And the count took his eye out. He blocked it, took his eye out. Wow. In Konsevic, they threw a spear through him. They first hit him with a, and they put a spear right through him. What was this all about? What was the deal? What had happened was the count, the count got a call from the guy, the guy who owned it. They were competitors. The count had all kinds of these schools. And the other guy from the other school, the count had about six schools all throughout the city. [8:17] The other guy that owned that called the count and called him a pussy. He called him because he was upset because a lot of his students were going to the count. And he calls up there and basically said, you’re nothing but a pussy or something like that. Whatever he said, I don’t know what it was. But the count told him, you motherfucker, I’ll see you. And with six of his guys he went over there and broke in the door during one of the classes, and that’s when this quick fight broke off but when Tonsavik got stabbed he ran about a block away and that’s when he fell over for dead, so anyhow so you got a continuance I assume you got a continuance so then what happened at trial was this one of your early fixes you got put in for this dude. [9:13] Well as i said i’m i’m not even practicing yet i just said i just get them i i had taken the bar already and the results were going to be coming out the results are going to be coming out real soon because it had been about maybe two months or three months since i had taken them and uh and i told them i said well i said if or he said let me too if you can’t if you don’t pass the bar I’d still like you to find me Find me a good lawyer or whatever Because I have, you know, John has all kinds of faith in you And I’ll have all kinds of faith in you, And I won’t. [9:53] And that same night, in fact, the same night, we go out together. He wants to go out. He wants to take me out to dinner over at the Playboy, and he wants to take me over into the mansion and take me to the mansion with him. And why not? You know, so anyhow, we go out that night, the very first night we go out and went to the Playboy Club itself. We had dinner, and we went over to the mansion, and he introduced me to Hugh Hefner and some of those people there. He tells me this is going to be my lawyer, he says, this is going to be my new lawyer. He’s a policeman in that district yeah, I’m there in 18 at the time I’m there in 18 at the time. They all probably thought he was crazy too a lot of people thought he was crazy when he indicated I’m continuing to make a case until I, until i get him but anyhow uh now during that same period he’s calling me all the time he wants to go out with me and and he’s going out we’re getting we’re getting into two or three different fights in different areas he was after you know i think he was looking to start fights with people, and and he’s telling the people now everybody uh. [11:15] I’m one of the toughest people he’s ever met. This is what he’s telling everybody. Here’s the deadliest man alive, and he’s telling these people that. Yeah, be careful what that guy would claim. [11:30] Including, you know, with all these people, with all these people that I’m involved with now, Marco D’Amico and Ricky Borelli and all these mobsters. And I took him one time over to the club and introduced him so he could say hello to these people. [11:53] What happened at trial? Yeah. Oh, I’m not guilty. Okay. It was about maybe about two weeks later when I got the results, I passed the bar. Yeah. Now the lawyers were going to be sworn in, and it was going to be two or three weeks afterwards. My father knew a judge in Springfield. And my father, we took a train ride down to Springfield, and I got sworn in the next day. The judge in Springfield swore me in. So now I’m a lawyer. Now I’m a lawyer. And so I go and I file my appearance right away. Right away on him. The same day, I quit the police department. I resigned. I resigned from the police department. In fact, I had already had four or five other cases already lined up before I even got on. before I even got off the job. And we went to trial. We went to public sites. Now we’ve got a new lawyer. [13:05] A new lawyer. Bob Cooley. Who the hell is he? I mean, a lot of people knew me in the court system because— But not like that. Well, not just—yeah, because I was involved in all kinds of trials. I had made all kinds of arrests, and I knew a lot of these people. Thanks a lot for listening and keep coming back. I keep putting something out all the time. Thanks guys.

In this episode of Gangland Wire, Gary Jenkins sits down with Bob Cooley, the once–well-connected Chicago lawyer who lived at the center of the city's most notorious corruption machine. After years out of the public eye, Cooley recently resurfaced to revisit his explosive memoir, When Corruption Was King—and this conversation offers a rare, firsthand look at how organized crime, politics, and the court system intersected in Chicago for decades. Cooley traces his journey from growing up in a police family to serving as a Chicago police officer and ultimately becoming a criminal defense attorney whose real job was quietly fixing cases for the Chicago Outfit. His deep understanding of the judicial system made him indispensable to mob-connected power brokers like Pat Marcy, a political fixer with direct access to judges, prosecutors, and court clerks. Inside the Chicago Corruption Machine Cooley explains how verdicts were bought, cases were steered, and justice was manipulated—what insiders called the “Chicago Method.” He describes his relationships with key figures in organized crime, including gambling bosses like Marco D'Amico and violent enforcers such as Harry Aleman and Tony Spilotro, painting a chilling picture of life inside a world where loyalty was enforced by fear.   As his role deepened, so did the psychological toll. Cooley recounts living under constant threat, including a contract placed on his life after he refused to betray a fellow associate—an event that forced him to confront the cost of the life he was leading. Turning Point: Becoming a Federal Witness The episode covers Cooley's pivotal decision in 1986 to cooperate with federal authorities, a move that helped dismantle powerful corruption networks through FBI Operation Gambat. Cooley breaks down how political connections—not just street-level violence—allowed the Outfit to operate with near-total impunity for so long.   Along the way, Cooley reflects on the moral reckoning that led him to turn on the system that had enriched and protected him, framing his story as one not just of crime and betrayal, but of reckoning and redemption. What Listeners Will Hear How Bob Cooley became the Outfit's go-to case fixer The role of Pat Marcy and political corruption in Chicago courts Firsthand stories involving Marco D'Amico, Harry Aleman, and Tony Spilotro The emotional and psychological strain of living among violent criminals The decision to cooperate and the impact of Operation Gambat Why Cooley believes Chicago's corruption endured for generations Why This Episode Matters Bob Cooley is one of the few people who saw the Chicago Outfit from inside the courtroom and the back rooms of power. His story reveals how deeply organized crime embedded itself into the institutions meant to uphold the law—and what it cost those who tried to escape it.   This episode sets the stage for a deeper follow-up conversation, where Gary and Cooley will continue unpacking the most dangerous and revealing moments of his life. Resources   Book: When Corruption Was King by Bob Cooley Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. 0:03 Prelude to Bob Cooley’s Story 1:57 Bob Cooley’s Background 5:24 The Chicago Outfit Connection 8:24 The Turning Point 15:20 The Rise of a Mob Lawyer 23:54 A Life of Crime and Consequences 26:03 The Incident at the Police Station 50:27 The Count and His Influence 1:19:51 The Murder of a Friend 1:35:26 Contracts and Betrayal 1:40:36 Conclusion and Future Stories Transcript [0:00] Well, hey guys, this is a little prelude to my next story. Bob Cooley was a Chicago lawyer and an outfit associate who had been in, who has been in hiding for many years. I contacted him about six or seven years ago when I first started a podcast, I was able to get a phone number on him and, and got him on the phone. He was, I think it was out in the desert in Las Vegas area at the time. And at the time he was trying to sell his book when corruption was king to a movie producer And he really didn’t want to overexpose himself, and they didn’t really want him to do anything. And eventually, COVID hit, and the movie production was canceled. And it was just all over. There were several movie productions were canceled during COVID, if I remember right. A couple people who I have interviewed and had a movie deal going. Well, Bob recently remembered me, and he contacted me. He just called me out of the clear blue, and he wanted to revive his book and his story. He’s been, you know, way out of the limelight for a long time. And so I thought, well, I always wanted to interview this guy because he’s got a real insider’s knowledge to Chicago Outfit, the one that very few people have. [1:08] You know, here’s what he knows about. And he provides valuable insight into the inner workings of the Outfit. And I don’t mean, you know, scheming up how to kill people and how to do robberies and burglars and all that. But the Chicago court system and Chicago politics, that’s a, that’s a, the, the mob, a mafia family can’t exist unless they have connections into the political system and especially the court system. Otherwise, what good are they? You know, I mean, they, they just take your money where they give you back. They can’t protect you from anybody. [1:42] So I need to give you a little more of the backstory before we go on to the actual interview with Bob, because he kind of rambles a little bit and goes off and comes back and drops [1:54] names that we don’t have time to go into explanation. So here’s a little bit of what he talked about. He went from being, as I said before, Chicago Outfit’s trusted fixer in the court system, and he eventually became the government star witness against them. He’s born, he’s about my age. He was born in 1943. He was an Irish-American police family and came from the Chicago South side. He was a cop himself for a short period of time, but he was going to law school while he was a policeman. And once he started practicing law, he moved right into criminal law and into first ward politics and the judicial world downtown. [2:36] And that’s where the outfit and the old democratic machine intersected. He was in a restaurant called Counselor’s Row, which was right down. Bob had an office downtown. Well, he’s inside that system, and he uses his insider’s knowledge to fix cases. Once an outfit started noticing him that he could fix a case if he wanted to, he immediately became connected to the first ward power broker and outfit political conduit, a guy named Pat Marcy. Pat Marcy knew all the judges He knew all the court clerks And all the police officers And Bob was getting to know him too During this time But Bob was a guy who was out in He was a lawyer And he was working inside the court system Marcy was just a downtown fixer. [3:22] But Bob got to where he could guarantee acquittals or light sentences for whoever came to him with the right amount of money, whether it be a mobster or a bookmaker or a juice loan guy or a crap politician, whoever it was, Bob could fix the case. [3:36] One of the main guys tied to his work he was kind of attached to a crew everybody’s owned by somebody he was attached to the Elmwood Park crew and Marco D’Amico who was under John DeFranco and I can’t remember who was before DeFranco, was kind of his boss and he was a gambling boss and Bob was a huge gambler I mean a huge gambler and Bob will help fix cases for some notorious people Really, one of the most important stories that we’ll go into in the second episode of this is Harry the Hook Aleman. And he also helped fix the case for Tony Spolatro and several others. He’s always paid him in cash. And he lived large. As you’ll see, he lived large. And he moved comfortably between mobsters and politicians and judges. And he was one of the insiders back in the 70s, 60s or 70s mainly. He was an insider. But by the 80s, he’s burned out. He’s disgusted with himself. He sees some things that he doesn’t like. They put a contract out on him once because he wouldn’t give somebody up as an informant, and he tipped one of his clients off that he was going to come out that he was an informant, and the guy was able to escape, I believe. Well, I have to go back and listen to my own story. [4:53] Finally in 1986 he walked unannounced they didn’t have a case on him and he walked unannounced in the U.S. Courthouse and offered himself up to take down this whole Pat Marcy and the whole mobster political clique in Chicago and he wore a wire for FBI an operation called Operation Gambat which is a gambling attorney because he was a huge gambler [5:17] huge huge gambler and they did a sweeping probe and indicted tons of people over this. So let’s go ahead and listen to Robert Cooley. [5:31] Uh, he, he, like I said, he’s a little bit rambling and a little bit hard to follow sometimes, but some of these names and, and, uh, and in the first episode, we’ll really talk about his history and, uh, where he came from and how he came up. He’ll mention somebody called the count and I’ll do that whole count story and a whole nother thing. So when he talks about the count, just disregard that it’ll be a short or something. And I got to tell that count story. It’s an interesting story. Uh, he, he gets involved with the only own, uh, association, uh, and, uh, and the, uh, Chinese Tong gang in, uh, Chicago and Chicago’s Chinatown. Uh, some of the other people he’ll talk about are Marco D’Amico, as I said, and D’Amico’s top aide, Rick Glantini, uh, another, uh, connected guy and worked for the city of Chicago is Robert Abinati. He was a truck driver. [6:25] He was also related to D’Amico and D’Amico’s cousin, former Chicago police officer Ricky Borelli. Those are some of the names that he’ll mention in this. So let’s settle back and listen to Bob Cooley. Hey, all you wiretappers. Good to be back here in studio gangland wire. This is Gary Jenkins, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective. And, you know, we we deal with the mob here once a week, sometimes twice a week on the podcast. And I have a special guest that hadn’t been heard from for a while. And, you know, to be honest, guys, I’ve kind of gotten away from the outfit. I’ve been doing a lot of New York stuff and Springfield, Massachusetts and all around the country. And I kind of got away from Chicago. And we’re going back to Chicago today. And I’m honored that Bob Cooley got hold of me. Now, you may not know who Bob Cooley was, but Bob Cooley was a guy. He was a mob lawyer in Chicago, and he really probably, he heard him as much as anybody’s ever heard him, and he did it all of his own accord. He was more like an undercover agent that just wasn’t officially designated an FBI agent rather than an informant. But anyhow, welcome, Bob. [7:37] Hello. Nice meeting you. Nice to meet you. And I’ve talked to you before. And you were busy before a few years ago. And you were getting ready to make some movies and stuff. And then COVID hit and a lot of that fell through. And that happened to several people I’ve talked to. You got a lot in common with me. I was a Kansas City policeman. And I ended up becoming a lawyer after I left the police department. And you were a Chicago copper. And then you left the police department a little bit earlier than I did and became a lawyer. And, and Bob, you’re from a Chicago police family, if I remember right. Is that correct? Oh, police, absolute police background, the whole family. Yes. Yeah. Your grandfather, your grandfather was killed in the line of duty. Is that right? [8:25] Both of my grandfathers were killed in the line of duty. Wow. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why I eventually did what I did. I was very, very close with my dad. Yeah, and your dad was a copper. [8:38] He was a policeman, yeah. And in fact, you use that term. I, for many, many years, wouldn’t use that word. It just aggravated me when people would use the word copper. To me, it would show disrespect. Oh, really? I said to us in Kansas City, that’s what we call each other, you know, among coppers. Oh, I know. I know. But I know. But, you know, I just, for whatever reason, one of the things that aggravated me the most, in fact, when I was being cross-examined by this piece of shit, Eddie Jensen, the one I wrote about in my book that was, you know, getting a lot of people killed and whatever. And he made some comment about my father. and I got furious and I had to, you know, my father was unbelievably honest as a policeman. [9:29] Everybody loved him because they didn’t have to share, uh, you know, but he was a detective. He had been written up many times in true and magazines and these magazines for making arrests. He was involved in the cartage detail. He was involved in all kinds of other things, but honest as the day is long. And, and, um, but, uh, again, the, uh, my father’s father was, uh, was a policeman and he was killed by a member of the Capone gang. And, uh, and when he was killed, after he was killed. [10:05] The, uh, well, after he got shot, he got shot during a robbery after he got shot, he was in the hospital for a while. And then he went, then he went back home. He went back home to his, uh, you know, to his house, uh, cause he had seven kids. He had a big family too. And, uh, stayed with his, you know, with his wife and, and, and eventually died. And when he died they had a very mediocre funeral for him. They had a bigger, much bigger funeral when Al Capone’s brother died. But during that time when I was a kid when I was about 13, 12, 13 years old, I worked among other places at a grocery store where I delivered to my grandmother. My grandmother lived in South Park which later became Mark Luther King Drive. She lived a very, very meager life because she basically had nothing. [11:09] What they gave them for the, at that time, what they gave them for the police department was a portion of the husband’s salary when they died, whatever. It was never a big deal like it is now, you know, like it is now when policemen get killed in the line of duty. and I’m thinking at the same time I’m thinking down the road, You know, about certain things from my past did come back to affect me. [11:38] Doing what I was doing, when I got involved, and I got involved absolutely with all these different people. My father hated these people. I didn’t, you know, I didn’t realize how much. I didn’t realize much when I was growing, you know, when I was growing up and whatever. And even when I was practicing law and when I opened up Pratt-Mose, I would have my father and mother come along with other people. And the place was all full of mobsters. I mean, we’re talking about, you know, a lot of Capone’s whole crew. A lot of the gunmen were still alive. In fact, the ones that ran the first award were all gunmen from Capone’s mob. And never said a word, never said a word about it. You know, he met my partner, Johnny Diaco, who was part of the mob, the senator, and whatever colitis could be. My dad, when my dad was dying. [12:38] When my dad was dying, he had what they didn’t call it, but it had to be Alzheimer’s because my dad was a unbelievably, he was a big, strong man, but he was never a fighter, sweet as could be to anybody and everybody. When he started getting bad, he started being mean to my mother and doing certain things. So we finally had to put him into a nursing home. When I went to see him in the nursing, and I had a close relationship with my dad because he saved my life many times when I was a kid. I was involved with stolen cars at school. I should have been thrown out of school. It was Mount Carmel, but he had been a Carmelite, almost a Carmelite priest. [13:25] And whatever, and that’s what kept me from being kicked out of school at Marquette when they were going to throw me out there because I was, again, involved in a lot of fights, and I also had an apartment that we had across the hall from the shorter hall where I was supposed to stay when I was a freshman, and we were throwing huge parties, and they wanted to throw me out of school. My dad came, my dad came and instead of throwing me out, they let me resign and whatever he had done so much, you know, for me. Yeah. [14:00] Now when I, when I meet, when I meet him up in the hospital, I, I came in the first time and it was about maybe 25 miles outside, you know, from where my office was downtown. And when I went in to see him, they had him strapped in a bed because apparently when he initially had two people in the room and when somebody would come in to try to talk to him and whatever, he would be nasty. And one time he punched one of the nurses who was, you know, because he was going in the bed and they wouldn’t, and he wouldn’t let him take him out. You know, I was furious and I had to go, I had to go through all that. And now, just before he died, it was about two or three days before he died, he didn’t recognize anybody except me. Didn’t recognize my mother. Didn’t recognize anybody. Yet when I would come into the room, son, that’s what he always called me, son, when I would come in. So he knew who I basically was. And he would even say, son, don’t let him do this to me when he had to go through or they took out something and he had to wear one. Of those, you know, those decatheters or whatever. Oh, yeah. [15:15] Just before he died, he said to me, he said, son, he said, those are the people that killed my father. He said, and his case was fixed. After, I had never known that. In fact, his father, Star, was there at 11th and State, and I would see it when everyone went in there. Star was up there on the board as if there’s a policeman or a policeman killed in the line of duty. When he told me that it really and I talked to my brother who knew all about all that that’s what happened, the gunman killed him on 22nd street when that happened the case went to trial and he was found not guilty apparently the case was fixed I tell you what talk about poetic justice there your grandson is now in that system of fixing cases. I can’t even imagine what you must have felt like when you learned that at that point in your life. Man, that would be a grief. That would be tough. That’s what eventually made me one day decide that I had to do something to put an end to all that was going on there. [16:25] I’m curious, what neighborhood did you grow up in? Neighborhood identity is pretty strong in Chicago. So what neighborhood do you claim? I grew up in the hood. First place I grew up, my first place when I was born, I was at 7428 South Vernon. Which is the south side, southeast side of the city. I was there until I was in sixth grade. That was St. Columbanus Parish. When I was in sixth grade, we had to move because that’s when they were doing all the blockbusting there in Chicago. That’s when the blacks were coming in. And when the blacks were coming in, and I truly recall, We’ve talked about this many times elsewhere. I remember knocking on the door and ringing the doorbell all hours of the day and night. A black family just moved in down the street. You’ve got to sell now. If you don’t, the values will all go down. And we would not move. My father’s philosophy, we wouldn’t move until somebody got killed in the area. Because he couldn’t afford it. He had nine kids. he’s an honest policeman making less than $5,000 a year. [17:45] Working two, three jobs so we could all survive when he finished up, When he finished up with, when we finally moved, we finally moved, he went to 7646 South Langley. That was, again, further south, further south, and the area was all white at that time. [18:09] We were there for like four years, and about maybe two or three years, and then the blacks started moving in again. The first one moved in, and it was the same pattern all over again. Yeah, same story in Kansas City and every other major city in the United States. They did that blockbusting and those real estate developers. Oh, yeah, blockbusters. They would call and tell you that the values wouldn’t go down. When I was 20, I joined the police department. Okay. That’s who paid my way through college and law school. All right. I joined the police department, and I became a policeman when I was 20. [18:49] As soon as I could. My father was in recruit processing and I became a policeman. During the riots, I had an excuse not to go. They thought I was working. I was in the bar meeting my pals before I went to work. That’s why I couldn’t go to school at that time. But anyhow, I took some time off. I took some time off to, you know, to study, uh, because, you know, I had all C’s in one D in my first, in my first semester. And if you didn’t have a B, if you didn’t have a C average, you couldn’t, you kicked out of school at the end of a quarter. This is law school. You’re going to law school while you’re still an active policeman. Oh yeah, sure. That’s okay. So you work full time and went to law school. You worked full-time and went to law school at the same time. When I was 20, I joined the police department. Okay. That’s who paid my way through college and law school. All right. I joined the police department, and I became a policeman when I was 20, as soon as I could. My father was in recruit processing, and I became a policeman. Yeah, yeah. But anyhow, I went to confession that night. [20:10] And when I went to confession, there was a girl, one of the few white people in the neighborhood, there was a girl who had gone before me into the confessional. And I knew the priest. I knew him because I used to go gambling with him. I knew the priest there at St. Felicis who heard the confessions. And this is the first time I had gone to confession with him even though I knew him. [20:36] And I wanted to get some help from the big guy upstairs. And anyhow, when I leave, I leave about maybe 10 minutes later, and she had been saying her grace, you know, when I left. And when I walked out, I saw she was right across the street from my house, and there’s an alley right there. And she was a bit away from it, and there were about maybe 13, 14, 15 kids. when I say kids, they were anywhere from the age of probably about 15, 16 to about 18, 19. And they’re dragging her. They’re trying to drag her into the alley. And when I see that, when I see that, I head over there. When I get over there, I have my gun out. I have the gun out. And, you know, what the hell is going on? And, you know, and I told her, I told her her car was parked over there. I told her, you know, get out of here. And I’ve got my gun. I’ve got my gun in my hand. And I don’t know what I’m going to do now in terms of doing anything because I’m not going to shoot them. They’re standing there looking at me. And after a little while, I hear sirens going on. [22:00] The Barton family lived across the street in an apartment building, and they saw what was going on. They saw me out there. It was about probably about seven o’clock at night. It was early at night and they put a call in 10-1 and call in 10-1. Assist the officer. Is that a assist the officer? It’s 1031. Police been in trouble. Yeah. And the squad’s from everywhere. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. So you can hear, you can hear them coming. And now one of them says to me, and I know they’re pretty close. One of them says to me, you know, put away your gun and we’ll see how tough you are. And I did. [22:42] Because you know they’re close. And I’m busy fighting with a couple of them. And they start running and I grab onto two of them. I’m holding onto them. I could only hold two. I couldn’t hold anymore. And the next thing I know, I wake up in the hospital about four days later. Wow. What had happened was they pushed me. Somebody, there was another one behind who pushed me right in front of a squad car coming down the street. Oh, shit. Yeah, man. And the car ran completely over me. They pulled me off from under the, just under the back wheels, I was told were right next to, were onto me, blood all over the place. Everybody thought I was dead. Right. Because my brothers, my one brother who was a police kid that, you know, heard all the noise and the family came in. I tried to prostrate my house and they all thought I was dead. But anyhow, I wake up in the hospital about three days later. When I wake up in the hospital, I’m like. [23:54] Every bone of my body was broken. I’m up there like a mummy. And the mayor came to see me. All kinds of people came to see me. They made me into an even bigger star in my neighborhood. The Count lives down the street and is seeing all this stuff about me and whatever. Jumping quickly to another thing, which got me furious. Willie Grimes was the cop that was driving this quad. He was a racist. We had some blacks in the job. He was a total racist. When my brother and when some others were doing their best to try to find these people, he was protecting them. Some of them, if they caught, he was protecting them. [24:48] I was off the job for like nine months when I came back to work. I never came to the hospital to see me. I mean, everybody came. Every day, my hospital went. Because one of the nurses that I was dating, in fact, she was one of those killed. That’s when Richard Speck wound up killing her and some of the others at the same time. It was at the South Chicago Hospital. Holy darn. What they did for me, I had buckets in my womb with ice. We were bringing beer and pizzas and whatever. Every day was like a party in there. When I finally came back to work, it was 11 o’clock at night. I worked out in South Chicago, and I’m sitting in the parking lot, and the media is there. The media, they had all kinds of cameras there. Robert Cooley’s coming back to work after like nine months. They wouldn’t let me go back. [25:51] I’m walking by the squads. And Willie was a big guy. He was probably about 220, a big one of these big muscle builders and all that nonsense. [26:04] He’s sitting in the first car. The cars are all lined up because when we would change, when we would change at like 11 30 uh you know the cars would all be waiting we jumped into the cars and off we go as i’m walking by the car i hear aren’t you afraid to walk in front of my car. [26:26] I look over and he had a distinctive voice i walk over to the car and i reach in and i start punching them, and I’m trying to drag them out of the car. The cameras, the cameras are, you know, they’re all basically inside. They’re all inside. You know, as you walk in there, they’re all inside there. When I do, I eventually walk up there. But the other police came, and they dragged me. They dragged me away, and they brought me in, and whatever. We got transferred out the next day out of the district. And the first policeman I meet is Rick, Rick Dorelli, who’s connected with, who’s a monster. He’s connected with them. And, and he’s the one who told me, he said to me, you know, we played cards and he realized I was a gambler, but I had never dealt with bookmakers. And he said, he says, yeah, you want to make some money? You want to make some easy money? Well, yeah, sure. You know, uh, you know, and thinking that’s, you know, working security or something like that, like I had done back in Chicago, you know, like I had done on the south side. And he said, I want you to make some bets for me with somebody who said. [27:43] And I remember him using the term. He said, I want you to be my face. He said, and I want you to make some bets for me. He said, and he said, and if you, if you’ll do it, I’ll give you a hundred dollars a week just to make the bets for me. And then, you know, and then meet with these people and pay these people off. And I said, sure. You know, I said, you know, why? He says, because I can’t play with these. people he said i’m connected with him he said and i’m not allowed to gamble myself he said but he told me he said i’ve got a couple people i take bets from i’ve got my own side deal going so i want you to do it i want you to do it and i’ll give i’ll give you to them as a customer, and you’re gonna be a customer and he’s and he tells people now that i got this other police He’s in law school. He comes from a real wealthy family, and he’s looking for a place to bet. He’s in Gambia. He’s looking for a place to bet. [28:47] So I call this number, and I talk to this guy. He gives me a number. When you bet, you call, and you do this, and you do that. And I’m going to get $100 at the end of the week. Now, I’m making $5,200 a year, and they’re taking money out of my chest. I’m going to double my salary. I’m going to double my salary immediately. Why wouldn’t you do it? That’s fantastic money at the time. So I start doing it. And the first week I’m doing it, it was baseball season. [29:19] And I’m making these bets. He’s betting $500 a game on a number of games. And he’s winning some, he’s losing some. But now, when I’m checking my numbers with the guy there, he owes, at the end of the week, he owes $3,500. [29:38] And now, it’s getting bigger and bigger, he’s losing. I’m getting worried. What have I got myself into? Yeah, because it’s not him losing, it’s you losing to the bookie. That’s what I’m thinking. I’m thinking, holy, holy, Christopher, I’m thinking. But, you know, I’ve already jumped off the building. So anyhow. I’d be thinking, you better come up with a jack, dude. It’s time to pay up, man. Anyhow, so when I come to work the next day, I’m supposed to meet this guy at one of the clubs out there in the western suburbs. [30:21] I’m supposed to meet the bookmaker out there. And Ricky meets me that morning, and he gives me the money. It’s like $3,400, and here’s $100 for you. Bingo. That’s great. So, okay. When I go to make the payment to him, it’s a nightclub, and I got some money in my pocket. Somebody, one of the guys, some guy walks up. I’m sitting at the bar and, you know, I hear you’re a copper. I said, pardon me? He says, I hear you’re a copper. He was a big guy. Yeah. I hear you’re a copper. Because at that time, I still only weighed maybe like, well, maybe 60, 65 pounds. I mean, I was in fantastic shape, but I wasn’t real big. And I said, I’m a policeman. I don’t like policemen. I said, go fuck yourself. or something like that. And before he could do anything, I labeled him. That was my first of about a half a dozen fights in those different bars out there. [31:32] And the fights only lasted a few minutes because I would knock the person down. And if the person was real big, at times I’d get on top and just keep pounding before they could do anything. So I started with a reputation with those people at that time now as I’m, going through my world with these people oh no let’s stay with that one area now after the second week he loses again, this time not as much but he loses again and I’m thinking wow, He’s betting, and I’m contacted by a couple of people there. Yeah. Because these are all bookmakers there, and they see me paying off. So I’m going to be, listen, if you want another place to play, and I say, well, yeah. So my thought is, with baseball, it’s a game where you’re laying a price, laying 160, laying 170, laying 180. So if you lose $500, if you lose, you pay $850, and if you win, you only get $500. [32:52] I’ve got a couple of people now, and they’ve got different lines. And what I can do now is I check with their lines. I check with Ricky’s guy and see what his line is. And I start moving his money elsewhere where I’ve got a 30, 40, sometimes 50 cent difference in the price. So I’d set it up where no matter what, I’m going to make some money, No matter what happens, I’ll make some money. But what I’m also doing is I’m making my own bets in there that will be covered. And as I start early winning, maybe for that week I win maybe $1,000, $1,500. And then as I meet other people and I’m making payments, within about four or five months, I’ve got 10 different bookmakers I’m dealing with. Who I’m dealing with. And it’s become like a business. I’m getting all the business from him, 500 a game, whatever. And I’ve got other people that are betting, you know, are betting big, who are betting through me. And I’m making all kinds of money at that time. [34:14] But anyhow, now I mentioned a number of people, A number of people are, I’ve been with a number of people that got killed after dinner. One of the first ones was Tony Borsellino, a bookmaker. Tony was connected with the Northside people, with DeVarco, the one they called DeVarco. And we had gone to a we had gone to a I knew he was a hit man, we had gone to a basketball game over at DePaul because he had become a good friend of mine he liked hanging with me, because I was because at that time now I’m representing the main madams in Chicago too and they loved being around me they liked going wherever I was going to go so I always had all kinds of We left the ladies around. And we went to the basketball game. Afterwards, we went to a restaurant, a steakhouse on Chicago Avenue. [35:26] Gee, why can’t I think of a name right now? We went to a steakhouse, and we had dinner. And when we finished up, it came over there. And when we finished up, I’d been there probably half a dozen times with him. And he was there with his girlfriend. We had dinner and about, I’d say it was maybe 10, 30, 11 o’clock, he says, you know, Bob, can you do me a favor? What’s that? Can you drop her off? He said, I have to go meet some friends. I have to go meet some friends of ours. And, you know, okay, sure, Tony, not a problem. And, you know, I took her home. [36:09] The next day I wake up, Tony Barcellino was found dead. They killed him. He was found with some bullets in the back of his head. They killed him. Holy Christopher. And that’s my first—I found that I had been killed before that. But, you know, wow, that was—, prior to that, when I was betting, there was i paid off a bookmaker a guy named uh ritten shirt, rittenger yeah john rittenger yeah yeah yeah he was a personal friend yeah was he a personal friend of yours yeah they offed him too well i in fact i he i was paying him i met him to pay him I owed him around $4,500, and I met him at Greco’s at my restaurant he wanted to meet me out there because he wanted to talk to me about something else he had a problem some kind of a problem I can’t remember what that was. [37:19] But he wanted to meet me at the restaurant so I met him at Greco’s, And I paid him the money. We talked for a while. And then he says, you know, I got to go. I got to go meet somebody. I got to go meet somebody else. I got to go straight now with somebody else. And he said, I’ll give you a call. He said, I’ll give you a call later. He said, because, you know, I want to talk to you about a problem that I have. He says, I want to talk to you about a problem that I have. I said, okay, sure. He goes to a pizza place. Up there in the Taylor Street area. That’s where he met Butchie and Harry. In fact, at the time, I knew both of them. Yeah, guys, that’s Butch Petrucelli and Harry Alem and a couple of really well-known mob outfit hitmen. Yeah, and they’re the ones that kill them. I’m thinking afterwards, I mean, But, you know, I wish I hadn’t, I wish I hadn’t, you know, I wish I could save him. I just gave him. Man, you’re cold, man. [38:34] You could have walked with that money. That’s what I’m saying. So now, another situation. Let me cut in here a minute, guys. As I remember this Reitlinger hit, Joe Ferriola was a crew boss, and he was trying to line up all the bookies, as he called it. He wanted to line them up like Al Capone lined up all the speaks, that all the bookies had to fall in line and kick something into the outfit, and Reitlinger wouldn’t do it. He refused to do it no matter. They kept coming to him and asking him his way. I understand that. Is that what you remember? I knew him very well. Yeah. He was not the boss. Oh, the Ferriola? Yeah, he wasn’t the boss, but he was kind of the, he had a crew. He was the boss of the Cicero crew. Right. I saw Joe all the time at the racetrack. In fact, I’m the one who, I’m the one, by the time when I started wearing a wire, I was bringing undercover agents over. I was responsible for all that family secret stuff that happened down the road. Oh, really? You set the stage for all that? I’m the one who put them all in jail. All of them. [39:52] So anyhow, we’re kind of getting ahead of ourselves. Reitlinger’s been killed. Joe Borelli or Ricky Borelli’s been killed. These guys are dropping around you, and you’re getting drawn into it deeper and deeper, it sounds to me like. Now, is this when you – what happens? How do you get drawn into this Chicago outfit even more and more as a bookie? Were you kicking up, too? Well, it started, it started, so many things happened that it just fell into place. It started, like I say, with building a reputation like I had. But the final situation in terms of with all the mobsters thinking that I’m not just a tough guy, I’m a bad guy. [40:35] When I get a call, when Joey Cosella, Joey Cosella was a big, tough Italian kid. And he was involved heavily in bookmaking, and we became real close friends. Joey and I became real close friends. He raised Dobermans, and he’s the one who had the lion over at the car dealership. I get a call from Joey. He says, you’ve got to come over. I said, what’s up? He says, some guys came in, and they’re going to kill the count. They want to kill the count. And I said, And I said, what? This is before the Pewter thing. I said, what do you mean? And so I drive over there, and he says, Sammy Annarino and Pete Cucci. And Pete Cucci came in here, and they came in with shotguns, and they were going to kill them. I said, this was Chicago at the time. It’s hard to believe, but this was Chicago. And I said, who are they? I didn’t know who they were. I said, who are they? I mean, I didn’t know them by name. It turns out I did know them, but I didn’t know them by name. They were people that were always in Greco’s, and everybody in Greco knew me because I’m the owner. [41:49] But anyhow, so I get a hold of Marco, and I said, Marco, and I told him what happened. I said, these guys, a couple of guys come in there looking for the talent. That are going to kill him because apparently he extorted somebody out of his business. And I said, who were they with? And he said, they were with Jimmy the bomber. They were with Jimmy Couture. [42:15] I said, oh, they’re for legit then? I said, yeah. I said, can you call? I said, call Jimmy. I knew who he was. He was at the restaurant all the time. He was at Threatfuls all the time with a lot of these other people. And I met him, but I had no interest in him. He didn’t seem like a very friendly sort of anyone. I could care less about him. I represented a lot of guys that worked for him, that were involved with problems, but never really had a conversation with him other than I. [42:53] I’m the owner. So I met with him. I wrote about that in the book. I met with them and got that straightened out where the count’s going to pay $25,000 and you’ll get a contract to the… He ripped off some guy out of a parlor, one of those massage parlors, not massage parlor, but one of those adult bookstores that were big money deals. Oh, yeah. So when I go to meet these guys, I’m told, go meet them and straighten this thing out. So I took Colin with me over to a motel right down the street from the racetrack, right down from the racetrack, and I met with him. I met with Pete Gucci. He was the boss of, you know, this sort of loop. When I get finished talking with him, I come back, and here’s the count and Sammy, and Sammy’s picking a fork with his finger and saying, you know, I rip out eyes with these. [43:56] And the count says, I rip out eyes with these. And I said, what the fuck is going on here? I said, Pete, I said, you know, get him the fuck out of here. And you all at the count said, what’s the matter with you? You know, these guys are going to kill him. And now the moment I get involved in it, he knows he’s not going to have a problem. You know, he’s pulling this nonsense. [44:23] So anyhow, this is how I meet Pete Gucci and Sammy Annarino. After a while, I stopped hanging around with the count because he was starting to go off the deep end. Yeah. Yeah. [44:39] And we were at a party, a bear party with, I remember Willie Holman was there, and they were mostly black, the black guys up there on the south side. And I had just met this girl a day or two before, and the count says, you know, let’s go up to a party, a bear’s party up there on Lakeshore Drive. If we go up there, we go to this party, it’s going to be about maybe 35, 40 people in there, one or two whites, other than the players. And other than that, we’re the only white people there. When we walk into the place, there’s a couple of guys out there with shotguns. It was in a motel. And you walk through like an area where you go in there, and there’s a couple of guys standing there with shotguns. We go in and we go upstairs and, hey, how are you? And we’re talking with people. And I go in one room. I’m in one room. [45:45] There were two rooms there. I’m in one room with a bunch of people and, you know, just talking and having a good old time. And the count was in the second room. And I hear Spade. He always called me Spade. Spade, Spade, you know. And I go in there, and he’s talking with Willie Holman. I remember it was one of them. He was the tackle, I think, with the Bears and a couple of others. And this whole room, all these black guys. And he goes, that’s Spade Cooley. He says, him and I will take on every one of you. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And we’re in a room, and he goes, that’s what he says. You know, him and I will take it on every one of you. And Willie did that. He calmed down. He’s telling him, calmed down. What the fuck? It was about a week or so after this. And because I had been out with the county, he’s calling me two or three times a week to go out. And we’re going, a lot of times it was these areas in the south side with a lot of blood. He liked being around Blacks. [47:00] That’s when I met Gail Sayers, and I met some of these others through him. But a lot of the parties and stuff were in the South Side out there, mostly Blacks and all. But we had gone someplace for dinner, and we’re heading back home. We’re heading back to my place, and we’re in his car. He had a brown Cadillac convertible. On the side of it, it had these, you know, the Count Dante press. And he always ran around. He ran around most of the time in these goofy, you know, these goofy outfits with capes and things like that. I’m driving and when we’re talking and I’m like distracted looking at him. And I’m waiting at a stoplight over there right off of Chicago Avenue. And as we’re there. [47:48] I barely touched the car in front of us, you know, as I’m drifting a little bit and barely touch it. There were four guys in the car and, you know, and the one guy jumps out first, one guy jumps out first and then second one, and they start screaming. And when the count gets out, the guy starts calling you, you faggot or something like that, you know, whatever. And as the other one gets out, I get out of the car. And the next thing I know, they jump back in the car, and they run through a red light, and they disappear. Somebody must have recognized them. One of the other people there must have realized who this is that they’re about to get into a little battle with. In fact, they ran the red light. They just ran the red light and disappeared. They come, no, no, no, no, no. And we go off to my apartment and I’m here with this girl, another girl I had just met a day or so before, because I was constantly meeting new people, uh, running around and, uh, we’re sitting on the couch. I’m sitting in the couch next to her and the count, the count was over there. And he suddenly says to her, he says, he says, this is one of the toughest people I’ve ever met. He said, and he says, tell her how tough you are. Tell her how tough you are. [49:10] I said, you know, I said, you know, you know, and he says, tell them how tough you are. And I said, John, you know, and he walks over, And he makes a motion like this towards me. And he barely touched my chin. But I thought he broke it. He then steps back and he goes, I got to cut this hand off. He says, you saved my life. He said, you saved my life. He said, the only two friends I’ve had in the world were my father and you. He says, I wasn’t even that crazy about my mother. That’s when I said then he goes and he stands and I’m looking at it now he stands up against the window I looked up on the 29th floor, he stands by the window he says get your gun he says and I want you to aim it at me, and say now before you pull the trigger and I’ll stop the bullet, I’ll stop the bullet this guy was nuts and I said I said, what? [50:28] He says, before you pull the trigger. [50:36] Tell me before you pull the trigger and I’ll stop the bullet. He wanted me to shoot him. He stopped the bullet. When I got him out of there, Now when he’s calling me, I’m busy. I’m busy. Once in a while, I’d meet him someplace. No more driving or whatever. That was smart. I hadn’t seen him in probably five or six months. And this is, again, after the situation when I had met with Anna Randall and Gooch and the others. I’m up in my office and I get a I get a call from the county, and he said and I hadn’t probably seen him even maybe in a month or two at all and he said, can I come over and talk to you and I was playing cards in fact I had card games up in my office and, we called him Commissioner. [51:41] O’Malley Ray O’Malley, he was the head of the police department at night. On midnights, he got there at 4 to 12. He started at 4 to 12 until midnights. He was the head of them. He was the commissioner. He was in charge of the whole department. He used to play cards up in my office. We had big card games up in my office. And when he’d come up there, we’d have the blue goose parked out in front. We’d have his bodyguard sitting out there by my door. When he was playing in the games. This went on for a couple of years. [52:15] I was at the office, but, you know, I’m at the office playing cards. [52:20] And I had a, it was a big suite. We had, you know, my office was a big office in this suite. We had about six other, you know, big, big suites in there. And so he comes over, he comes over to meet with me. And so I figure he’s in trouble. He’s arrested. He says, I’ve got a situation going. He says, well, you can get a million dollars. And he said, but if I tell you what it is, he says, and you’re in, he said, you got to be in. I’ll tell you what it is. I said, John, if I need money, I said, you get $2 million, then you can loan me if you want, but I don’t want to know what it is. I said, I just don’t want to know what it is. [52:59] It was about a week or two later. It was a pure later, basically. It was a pure later caper. Yeah, guys, this was like the huge, huge. And the one he set it up with was Pete Gucci, the guy that was going to kill him. That was the one who set it up. I knew that. I thought I remembered that name from somewhere. I don’t remember. They ended up getting popped, but everybody got caught, and most of the money got returned. No, no. No bit that the outfit kept, I understand, if I remember right. What was the deal on that? There was more to it than that. Just before that happened, I go up, and Jerry Workman was another lawyer. Actually, he was attorney up in the office, post-rending bank. When I’m going up into the office, I see Pete Gucci there. This is probably a week or so after the situation with the count. Or maybe even a little bit longer than that. I said, Pete, what are you doing? I said, what are you doing here? Jerry Workston’s my lawyer. Oh, okay. [53:55] Okay. He said, I didn’t know you were off here. I said, yeah. I said, Jerry’s a good friend of mine. Okay. And as I’m walking away, he says, you tell your friend the count to stop calling me at two, three in the morning. He says, I got a wife and kids and whatever. And I said to him, I said, Pete, you got no business dealing. I don’t know what it is. I said, but you guys got no business dealing involved in anything. You got no business being involved with him. And I walked away. I see him and I see him as he’s leaving. I see him as he’s leaving and say goodbye to him. Jerry was going to be playing cards. [54:39] It was card night too. Jerry was going to be playing cards in my office because the people would come in usually about 9 o’clock, 9.30 is when the game would usually start. I talked with Jerry. He had been in there for a while. He was arrested a day or two later. The fbi comes in there because he had stashed about 35 000 in jerry’s couch oh really that was his bond money he got that was his bond money if he got to get bailed out to get him bailed out that was his bond money that was there that’s how bizarre so i got involved in so many situations like this but anyhow anyhow now sammy uh, So it’s about maybe a week or two later after this, when I’m in the car driving, I hear they robbed a purulator. The purulator was about a block and a half from my last police station. It was right down the street from the 18th district. That was the place that they robbed. And not long after that, word came out that supposedly a million dollars was dropped off in front of Jimmy the bomber, in front of his place. With Jimmy the bomber, both Sammy Ann Arino and Pete Gucci were under him. They were gunmen from his group. Now I get a call from, I get a count was never, you never heard the count’s name mentioned in there with anybody. [56:07] The guy from Boston, you know, who they indicated, you know, came in to set it up. The count knew him from Boston. The count had some schools in Boston. And this was one of his students. And that’s how he knew this guy from Boston that got caught trying to take a, trying to leave the country with, you know, with a couple thousand, a couple million dollars of the money. Yeah, I read that. It was going down to the Caribbean somewhere and they caught him. And Sammy Ann Arino didn’t get involved in that. He wasn’t involved in that because I think he was back in the prison at the time. [56:44] Now, when he’s out of prison, probably no more than about maybe three or four months after all that toilet stuff had died down, I get a call from Sam, and he wants me to represent him because he was arrested. What happened was he was shot in a car. He was in a car, and he had gotten shot. And when they shot him, he kicked out the window and somehow fought the guys off. When they found him there in the car and in his trunk, they found a hit kit. They said it was a hit kit. How could they know? It was a box that had core form in it, a ski mask, a ski mask, a gun, a gun with tape wrapped around it and the rest of it. Yeah. And he’s an extra time. Mask and tape or little bits of rope and shit like that. I’d say no. So he was charged with it, and he was charged with it in his case, and he had a case coming up. I met him the first time I met him. He came by my office, and he said, you know, and I said, no, that’s not a problem. And he says, but I’ve got to use Eddie Jensen, too. [57:52] And I said, I said, what do you mean? I said, you don’t need Eddie. And he says, I was told I have to use him. Jimmy Couture, his boy, he said, I have to use him. I know why, because Eddie lets these mobsters know whenever anybody’s an informant, or if he’s mad at somebody, he can tell him he’s an informant, they get killed. And so I said, you know, that piece of shit. I said, you know, I want nothing to do with him. I had some interesting run-ins with him before, and I said, I want nothing to do with that worthless piece of shit. You know, he’s a jagoff. And I said, you know, I says, no. He said, please. I said, no. I said, Sammy, you know, you don’t need me. He knows the judge like I know the judge, Sardini. I said, you know, you’re not going to have a problem in there. I get a call from him again, maybe four or five days after that. He’s out of my restaurant and he says, Bob, please. He said, You know, he says, please, can I meet you? He says, I got a problem. I go out to the meeting. And so I thought, there’s something new. I want you to represent me. I want you to represent me, you know, on the case. And I says, did you get rid of that fence? He says, no, I have to use him. But I says, look, I’m not going to, I want, no, Sammy, no, I’m not going to do it. He leaves the restaurant. He gets about a mile and a half away. He gets shotgunned and he gets killed. In fact, I read about that a couple of days ago. [59:22] I know it’s bullshit. They said he was leaving the restaurant. It was Marabelli’s. It was Marabelli’s Furniture Store. They said he was leaving the furniture store. What they did was they stopped traffic out there. They had people on the one side of the street, the other side of the street, and they followed, they chased him. When he got out of his car and was going to the furniture store, They blasted him with shotguns. They made sure he was killed this time. After that happened, it’s about maybe three or four days after that, I’m up in my office and I get a call. All right, when I come out, I always parked in front of City Hall. That was my parking spot. Mike and CM saved my spot. I parked there, or I parked in the bus stop, or in the mayor’s spot. Those were my spots. They saved it for me. I mean, that was it, for three, four, five years. That’s how it was. I didn’t want to wait in line in the parking lot. So my car is parked right in front of the parking lot. And as I go to get in my car, just fast, fast, so walking, because he was at 134 right down the street from my office and he parks like everybody else in the parking lot so he can wait 20 minutes to get his car. [1:00:40] And, and, and Bob, Bob, and, you know, and when I meet up with him, I’m both standing and we’re both standing right there in front of the, in front of the, uh, the parking lot. And he was a big guy. He weighed probably about 280, 290, maybe more. You know, mushy, mushy type, not in good shape at all. In fact, he walked with a gimp or whatever. And he says, you better be careful, he says. Jimmy Couture is furious. He heard what you’ve been saying about me. [1:01:17] You’ve been saying about me. and something’s liable to happen. And I went reserved. I grabbed him, and I threw him up on the wall, and I says, you motherfuckers. I said, my friends are killing your friends. [1:01:34] I said, my friends, because he represented a number of these groups, but I’m with the most powerful group of all. And when I say I’m with him, I’m with him day and night, not like him just as their lawyer. Most of them hated him, too, because most of them knew what he was doing. Yeah most of these and most of these guys hated him and i said you know but i and and i just like you’re kissing his pants and i don’t know if he crapped in his pants too and uh you know because i just turned around i left that same night jimmy katura winds up getting six in the back of the head maybe three miles from where that took place yeah he was uh some kind of trouble been going on for a while. He was a guy who was like in that cop shop racket, and he had been killing some people involved with that. He was kind of like out away from the main crew closer to downtown, is my understanding. Like, you were in who were you in? Who was I talking about? Jimmy Couture? Jimmy Couture, yeah. He was no, Jimmy Couture was Jimmy Couture, in fact, all these killers, we’ll try and stay with this a little bit first. Jimmy Couture was a boss and he had probably about maybe a dozen, maybe more in his crew and, He didn’t get the message, I’m sure. [1:03:01] Eddie Jensen firmly believes, obviously, because it’s the same day and same night when I tell him that my friends are killing your friends. [1:03:14] He’s telling everybody that I had him kill, I’m sure. Yeah, yeah. Because it was about another few days after that when I’m out in Evanston going to a courthouse. And there you had to park down the street because there was no parking lot. Here I hear Eddie, you know, stay. I’m going to say Bob, Bob. And when he gets up, he says, Bob, he says, when I told you, I think you misunderstood. When I told you it was Jimmy Cattrone. it was it was jimmy katron was a lawyer that you know worked in out of his office close friend of mine too he was a good friend of mine it was jimmy it was jimmy katron that you know not because he obviously thought he believed so he’s got all these mobsters too bosses and all the rest thinking that i was involved in that when i when i wasn’t uh when i was when i wasn’t actually But it’s so amazing, Gary. And that’s one of a dozen stories of the same sort. I met unbelievable people. I mean, we’re talking about in New Orleans. We’re talking about in Boston. Now, if you were to say, who were you with? Always somebody’s with somebody. Were you with any particular crew or any particular crew. [1:04:41] Buzz, were you totally independent? [1:04:46] Everybody knew me to be with the Elmwood Park crew. And that was Jackie Cerrone before Michael, I mean, before Johnny DeFranco. That was Jackie Cerrone. Okay. That was Giancana. That was Mo Giancana. Mo was moving at the clubhouse all the time. That was the major people. [1:05:13] And where was their clubhouse? What did they call their clubhouse? Was that the Survivors Clubhouse, or what was the name of their operation? Every group had one, sometimes more clubhouses. Right. That was where they would have card games in there. They’d have all kinds of other things going. the place was full of like in Marcos I call it Marcos but it was actually Jackie Sharon’s when I first got involved Jackie Sharon was the boss who became a good friend of mine, Jackie Sharon was the boss and Johnny DeFranco was, right under him and then a number of others as we go down, our group alone we had. [1:06:04] Minimum, I’d say, a thousand or more people in our group alone. And who knows how many others, because we had control of the sheriff’s office, of the police department, of the sheriff, of the attorney general. We had control of all that through the elections. We controlled all that. So you had 1,000 people. You’re talking about all these different people who we would maybe call associates. It would be in and out of our club all the time. Okay. Yeah. We’re talking a number of policemen, a number of policemen, a number of different politicians of all sorts that we had. I knew dozens of people with no-show jobs there. We had control of all the departments, streets and sanitation, of absolutely urbanizing. We controlled all the way up to the Supreme Court. What about the first ward, Pat Marcy, and the first ward now? Was your crew and Jackie Cerrone’s crew, did that fall into the first ward, or were they totally there? How did that relate, the Pat Marcy and the politicians? And I found out all this over a period of time. [1:07:28] Everything had changed right about the time I first got involved with these people. All these people you’ve read about, no one knows they were still alive. I met just about all of them when I got connected over there with the first word. A lot of the, we were talking about the gunmen themselves. All the Jackie not just Jackie but I’m talking about Milwaukee Phil Milwaukee Phil and all the rest of them they were over there at Councilors Row all the time because when they were to meet Pat Marcy, what they had there in the first war and, It just so happened, when I started in my office, it was with Alan Ackerman, who was at 100 North, where all their offices were upstairs. The first ward office was upstairs. [1:08:22] And below the office, two floors below, I found out on this when I got involved with them, we had an office. looked like it was a vacant office because the windows were all blackened out. That’s where he had all the meetings with people. When Arcado or Yupa, anybody else, any of the other people came in, this is where he met them. When the people from out of town came in, we’re talking about when, what do you think? [1:08:58] But when Alpha, when Fitzgerald, when all these people would come in, this is where they would have their meetings. Or these are the ones who would be out with us on these casino rides. When these people came in, this is where they would do the real talking because we’d go to different restaurants that weren’t bugged. If this office was checked every day, the one that they had down below, and nobody, nobody, their office was, I think it was on the 28th floor, the first ward office. You had the first ward office, and right next to it, you had the insurance office when everybody had to buy their insurance. Obviously at upper rates big office connected to the first ward office when the back there’s a door that goes right into into theirs but the people were told you never get off or you get off you get off at the office floor but then you you walk you you get off it and i’m sorry you get off it at the. [1:10:11] You don’t get off at the first ward office you get off at one of the other offices one of the other offices or the other floors and when you come in there, then you’ll be taken someplace else after that a double shop that’s where they would go and in fact when I had to talk to Petter Cary messages or whatever people like Marco couldn’t talk to Marcy. [1:10:41] Only a few people could. Only people at the very top level could. Marco, he was a major boss. He could not talk to Marco. If he needed, you know, whatever. Marco D’Amico. Marco was, you had, Marco was the one right under Johnny DeFonza. Yeah. Marco’s the one that was in charge. He was the one who was in charge of all the gambling. Not just in Chicago, but around all those areas in Cook County. We had not just Chicago. They were also the ones that were in charge of all the street tax, collecting all the street tax. That’s where the big, big money was also. Everybody paid. What happened was in the 70s, right as I got involved

ISAIAH 35Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.   The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers   and singing and joy!The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,   as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.There the Lord will display his glory,   the splendor of our God.With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,   and encourage those who have weak knees.Say to those with fearful hearts,   “Be strong, and do not fear,for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.   He is coming to save you.”And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind   and unplug the ears of the deaf.The lame will leap like a deer,   and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,   and streams will water the wasteland.The parched ground will become a pool,   and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land.Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish   where desert jackals once lived.And a great road will go through that once deserted land.   It will be named the Highway of Holiness.Evil-minded people will never travel on it.   It will be only for those who walk in God's ways;   fools will never walk there.Lions will not lurk along its course,   nor any other ferocious beasts.There will be no other dangers.   Only the redeemed will walk on it.Those who have been ransomed by the Lord will return.   They will enter Jerusalem[a] singing,   crowned with everlasting joy.—-Sorrow and mourning will disappear,   and they will be filled with joy and gladness.PRAY:Father, we thank you for this time of joyful waiting. May the hope and joy of this season fill our hearts and make us living signs of your love for a world that hungers for your peace. Immanuel, God with us. Amen

Join Rabbi Schneider as he shares the story of Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal during this special Holy Land journey to Mount Carmel. Do you serve God or compromise your faith? Do you recognize how worldly distractions and idolatry enter your life? Learn holy choices and how to avoid compromising your faith today on this episode of Discovering the Jewish Jesus as we explore Elijah's faith-filled example. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner  **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/x2l 

Pastor Wayne's message from 1 Kings 19:1–18 explores Elijah's deep exhaustion and despair after Mount Carmel, and how God meets him not with spectacle, but with provision, presence, and a quiet word. God restores Elijah through rest, nourishment, guidance, and the still, small voice—correcting his belief that he is alone or that his mission has failed. Even in brokenness, God is actively at work and faithfully calling His people forward.

Fr. Joseph Dalimata, FSSP, serves as Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Littleton (Denver), Colorado. He was ordained in May of 2021. In Today's Show: Do Catholics believe in ghosts? Is Elf on the Shelf okay for Catholic families to do? Was my healing divine intervention or just my mind? Is "Mary Did You Know" blasphemous? Advice on writing messages to convicts Should we display a crucifix with the risen Lord on it? What does it mean to "die to self"? How should Catholics approach cancel culture? Advice on dealing with spouses addicted to pornography Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

The altar ornament and Mr. Truman reminds us of Elijah's showdown on Mount Carmel. God sent fire from heaven to show He alone is God. Elijah called people back to the Lord—but Jesus is the true and better Elijah who brings hearts to life through His Spirit. As the Jesse Tree grows, we remember that only Jesus can turn our hearts fully back to God.Follow Us:Instagram | Website | Newsletter Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when a culture chases every option for hope—and none of them answer back? In one of the Bible's most dramatic stories, Elijah confronts false powers on Mount Carmel and reveals a God who is real, present, and unmatched in power. This message explores why divided loyalty leaves us empty and why trusting the God who truly responds changes everything.