The good people of Chicago are sweeping their streets clean, and dumping the trash in prison.
Yesterday so-called "video poker king" Casey Szaflarski was sentenced to 3+ years following his conviction in December 2010 on gambling and tax charges as reported by Steve Warmbir for the Chicago Sun-Times:
Szaflarski may have been a gentleman to people, including the bar owners where he placed the Chicago mob's video poker machines, but only because he could afford to be, U.S. District Judge Ronald Guzman determined. After all, Szaflarski, 54, had guys like reputed Cicero mob boss Michael "Big Mike" Sarno behind him.
Sarno was a co-defendant in the 2010 trial who was convicted on racketeering charges for heading a crew which bombed a rival video poker firm and robbed jewelry stores, and he faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced today as reported by The Associated Press.
Good riddance to bad trash.
UPDATE: Michael Sarno was sentenced to the maximum twenty-five years as reported by Annie Sweeney for the Chicago Tribune: "he struggled to fight back tears throughout the nearly 2 ½-hour hearing and turned toward his family and blew them a kiss after he was sentenced." The sentencing judge apparently wasn't impressed with the "100 letters from Sarno's friends, neighbors and relatives that portrayed him as a good family man and a fine American" as reported by Chuck Goudie and Barb Markoff for WLS. U.S. District Judge Ronald Guzman" said the danger posed by Sarno to the public is 'grave'" as reported by Steve Warmbir for the Chicago Sun-Times.
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