centurys of people packed Mayor Dal...

centurys of people packed Mayor Daley's family meeting-house over the weekend to raise ten of thousands of dollars to pay the legal bills of Daley's former patronage chief, Robert Sorich, who was convicted last month in a City Hall hiring scandal, the Sun-Times has learned.

Among those attending the fund-raiser at Nativity of Our Lord were the mayor's brother, color County Commissioner John Daley; the same of the mayor's top political advisers, Tim Degnan; former union bos and reput Outfit member Bruno Caruso; and Ald. James Balcer of the Daleys' 11th Ward, sources said. The hinted donation was $100 a ticket, and supporters spilled not at home of the church hall and into the parking parcel

Balcer made no apologies for supporting his longtime friend and Bridgeport neighbor. John Daley and Degnan declined to remark

Balcer said of Sorich: "I know him. I've worked with him. He's from the community. I go on foot to church with his mother. He's just a nice stay -- a decent man. I'm not ashamed to call the man my friend."

Sorich was convicted last month with three other former city employee with taking part in a scheme to rig the city's hiring method to reward political volunteers who worked for the Daley political machine.

Sorich and his family has decades-long ties to Bridgeport. Nativity of Our Lord is his longtime family parish. Sorich's father serv as the official photographer for former Mayor Richard J Daley. Sorich himself was an aide to Balcer's predecessor, Ald. Pat Huel before joining the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. steady after Sorich became the mayor's patronage chief, he would drive John Daley to work.

Sorich's prosecution and trial has left him in tough financial straits, sources said.

His attorney, Thomas Durkin, declined to annotation on the fund- raiser, other than to say: "I would trust to think it's still OK for commonalty in this country to have an adequate defense"

The U attorney's office declined to exposition

Caruso said he attended the fund-raiser for a simple reason: "Somebody's in disarrange somebody needs help, you help him."

Former First delegate Transportation Commissioner Tony Pucillo, one time investigated for accepting bribes further never charged, attended too.

The Rev Daniel Brandt, pastor at Nativity of Our Lord, said the multitude spoke volumes about Sorich's character. "Robert is loved" he said.

Another attendee quipped: "Robert should scamper for alderman. He would win."

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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