Stop the presses! Turn off the ignition! INC. hears that close to 100 suppressed indictments stemming from a Chicago area chop-shop operation will be released Thursday. The operation was the result of a two-year probe into the $400-million-a-year stolen car business and was described by an INC. source as ”the largest sting operation ever undertaken by state law enforcement agencies.” Secretary of State Jim Edgar and James Zagel, director of the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement, will announce the details Thursday.
JUST ASKING . . .
Wasn`t there a last-minute rush by certain members of the city Revenue Department to sign contracts–just before the whistle was blown on the federal probe? . . . Has anybody in charge noticed that the licenses have expired on the vending machines at the State of Illinois Center? . . . Will WLUP-FM`s Jim DeCastro hire Steve Dahl and Garry Meier when their contract with WLS expires next month? Does DeCastro`s ”unavailable for comment” really mean ”You`ve gotta be kidding?” Has WLS-AM`s John Gehron, who banished the pair to mid-days on Monday and to ”vacation” on Wednesday, had it up to here with the bad boys of Chicago radio? Probably not, probably and you betcha.
THE SPRINGFIELD SESSION . . .
When the Illinois legislature returned from holiday recess on Wednesday:
— The House took a vote using its brand new, state-of-the-art tabulating system, and the vote totals came up wrong.
— House Minority Leader Lee Daniels (R., Elmhurst) installed a revolving door in his offices. Out were chief of staff Zale Glauberman, who will continue working for Daniels as a part-time consultant, and administrative assistant Kathy Brainerd, who turned down a demotion. In was aide Chris Freveletti, named acting chief of staff. Sounds like business an usual.
— Aurie Pucinski had a double reason to celebrate at a Springfield fundraiser thrown for her by Senate President Phil Rock (D., Oak Park). She`ll run unopposed in the Democratic primary for secretary of state now that Mike Howlett`s son, Ed, has dropped out.
STAR TRACKS . . .
Mikhail Baryshnikov`s appearance in ”White Nights” is getting much of the credit for the brisk ticket sales for the American Ballet Theater`s Feb. 3-15 run at the Auditorium. Now they should pick up even more; it`s about to be announced that artistic director Misha will dance in the ABT`s Feb. 7 and 10 performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber`s ”Requiem.” . . . Martha Quinn and a tape crew from MTV showed up last weekend at the Winnebago County home of Cheap Trick`s Rick Nielsen to tape a segment for this weekend`s ”Basement Tapes” show. But Nielsen`s home is no suburban ”little box”; it`s a 140-year-old Victorian mansion that`s listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
REEL NEWS . . .
Bryan Brown and director Daryl Duke are working together on ”Tai-pan,”
their first project since ”The Thorn Birds,” but things have not been going smoothly on the Canton, China, set of the $25 million movie. An English actor with a small part wound up on trial when he violated two of the government restrictions placed on the cast and crew: a 10 p.m. ”curfew” on guests in hotel rooms and a ban on ”fraternizing” with Chinese women. His late-night date, a Chinese hooker, wound up in jail; he was sent packing. Another actor, an American, was teaching English to a local woman, but when he asked if she would have dinner with him, she smiled and said, ”No go out with white devil.” (At least she was learning English.) Rafaella DiLaurentiis, Dino`s daughter and the movie`s producer, is telling pals she never would have made the movie in China had she known what problems would arise–like promises not kept, locations becoming ”unavailable” on the day of shooting and cash required up front for all products and services.
TV TRIVIA . . .
Channel 2`s Robin Robinson tells INC. that it looks like she and fiance Terrence Brantley will have a commuter marriage, at least for a while. She`s here, he`s in New York, and sometime before they celebrate their 10th anniversary they hope to wind up living in the same city. . . . Is David Letterman ready for Oprah? We`ll find out Monday. . . . So much for connections: Ken Earl, the Chicago actor who has been William ”Refrigerator” Perry`s stand-in for TV commercials, can`t get tickets for Sunday`s Bears-Rams playoff game.
CHICAGO FACES . . .
Watch for the First National Bank`s William McDonough, just named chairman of the Ravinia Festival, to push for the completion of a young artists pavilion there. . . . Couldn`t happen to a nicer guy: Tom King, former manager of the Merchandise Mart, is the new president and CEO of the Seay & Thomas real estate firm.
INC.LINGS . . .
Thursday birthdays: Joan Baez, 45; Susannah York, 45; Crystal Gayle, 35;
Bart Starr, 52; Richard Nixon, 73. . . . Nixon will be 74 by the time Random House publishes a biography of the former president by political columnist Tom Wicker. . . . Paul Harvey and Celeste Holm were two of the first people to make reservations for the Jan. 25 Statue of Liberty white-tie gala at the Chicago Hilton and Towers. The event is the first of several in Illinois that will help the state meet its $10 million share of the statue`s $230 million restoration. So far, the SOL Foundation has commitments for 50 fundraising events to be held by individuals, groups and schools over the next several months.
