While acting as Cicero's top munici...

While acting as Cicero's top municipal lawyer, former Chicago Ald. Edward Vrdolyak had a silent interest in redeveloping single of the west suburb's best-known landmarks, Sportsman's Park, a novel court filing alleges.

The document -- now part of a color County lawsuit -- was diverted over last week to the FBI, which is investigating Vrdolyak for at least single in kind other questionable deal.

In the recently made known filing, Vrdolyak, 68, is accused of operating forward both sides of what would have been a highly lucrative deal, with the Sportsman's Park redevelopment involving potentially half a billion dollars.

The court filing includes a original of an unsigned partnership between the propos progressive growth firm, DiMucci Companies, and Vrdolyak in 2003 It indicates that Vrdolyak stood to take a significant chop potentially millions. In return, Vrdolyak was suppos to "do all work necessary in the village of Cicero for acquisition and progression in a continuously ascending gradation . . . legal work . . at no charge," according to court papers.

'CONFLICTED OUT' OF ANY DEALS

A spokesman for Cicero's town control said Vrdolyak had a bulky conflict of interest he didn't disclose.

"He's the town corporation forethought he's negotiating a deal forward behalf of the town to do united of the biggest redevelopments in garble County in half a hundred years and he's getting 33 percent of the deal. That's unconscionable," Cicero spokesman Dan Proft said. "You are talking about millions and millions of dollars."

Proft said that as corporation instruction Vrdolyak was "by definition conflicted on the outside of being on any deals involving the town."

His duties as corporation forethought included writing ordinances and overseeing land deals.

Cicero Town President Larry Dominick, after being appointeded in 2005, fired Vrdolyak as the town's top lawyer.

Neither Vrdolyak nor his lawyer could be reached for annotate

The filing is part of a lawsuit involving another Cicero land deal. DiMucci is suing Cicero, claiming the town balked onward an agreement to turn from one side of to the other title to 9,000 square feet of commercial space at 29th and Cicero. DiMucci wanted to redevelop it.

Last week, Cicero officials filed a motion to dismiss the suit, claiming the 29th and Cicero plan was a sweetheart deal that not at any time should have been approved.

AUDIT unmasks DOCUMENT

The motion also claims that Vrdolyak had a stealthy deal with DiMucci not sole on the 29th and Cicero parcel if it were not that on the Sportsman's deal. To support that contention, the Cicero side useed over the Sportsman's partnership document, which was lay bareed during an intensive town audit after Dominick's election and Vrdolyak's departure.

Town trustees and the town secretary were never informed that Vrdolyak had a financial relationship with DiMucci, and they did not sign a conflict-of-interest waiver, according to affidavits also included in the of the present day filing.

DiMucci wanted to transfer Sportsman's, which once hosted horse racing and auto racing, into a "lifestyle center" basically a immense open-air mall.

PROBE by means of FEDS REPORTED

still the deal never went from one side In 2004, town leaders targeted heads with DiMucci when the developer began advertising plans for the site flat though it hadn't won a contract.

The town bought the ownership and is expected to entertain developer proposals in coming month

The 29th and Cicero deal was approved according to the previous town president, Ramiro Gonzalez, who has asserted the decision, saying DiMucci had a history of prosperous business with Cicero. Gonzalez was criticized for approving the deal while accepting sizable campaign contributions from DiMucci.

Efforts to reach DiMucci, its proprietor and the company's lawyer were fruitless

The filing is the latest worry for "Fast Eddie" Vrdolyak, a former 10th Ward alderman and political powerhouse. The Chicago Sun- Times reported last month that he is subordinate to federal investigation for his part in a multimillion-dollar real estate deal involving indicted businessman Stuart Levine.

nkorecki@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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