Brady Street

Selig Take A Hit

Washington Post Trashes Commissioner and Journal Communications. Plus: The Mea Culpa of Charles J. Sykes and Thompson’s Boycott of Miller Park.

Lavender, Black and Green

The Green Party’s national convention will be in Milwaukee this week, with voting by delegates to be held on Saturday. The big question: will the outfit endorse Ralph Nader? This vexing question will put Milwaukee, however briefly, once again in the national spotlight. The party has endorsed the formation of several subgroups including the Black Greens, and the Lavender Greens. The first group consists of African-American members of the party, and the second with its Gay, Lesbian, Transgendered and “Intergendered” (a new one for me) members. As of May there were 297,964 registered greens from 22 states, along with an undetermined number from states like Wisconsin where voter registration does not specify political party. Candidates for the party include four for U.S. Senate, 38 for the House of Representativees, one for Governor, one for Lieutenant Governor and 94 for State Legislatures. According to the party, at least 204 Greens hold office in 27 states, including Wisconsin. Nader, who received the party’s nomination in 2000, has 50 delegates thus far, behind David Cobb, with 194 and Peter Camejo with 112. Over 200 delegates support none of the above or are uncommitted. Nader wrote the party in March to say “I am running as an Independent and am not seeking nor accepting the Green Party nomination. If you do not choose a presidential candidate in Milwaukee, I would welcome your endorsement.” You can figure out for yourself whatever that means. Whomever the candidate, the party promises to run television ads in the presidential race, another first. One of the featured speakers at a post-convention rally will be Frank P. Zeidler, a former presidential candidate himself (Socialist Party) and reason enough to attend the event. A Man in a Hurray: Marc “Leadfoot” Marotta Department of Administration head Marc Marotta has a date in the Jefferson County intake court on June 29th at 9 a.m. in conjunction with his citation on May 24th for speeding on the freeway. The 41-year old attorney and former basketball star was busted for exceeding the speed limit by 20 – 24 miles per hour, an offense that carries a $255.40 bond. Officer Michael Meyers of the Jefferson County Sheriff Department collared the Mequon resident after clocking him going 21 miles over the limit. Earlier this year, on February 25th (the day after Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager was busted for drunk driving) Peter Moe of the State Patrol cited Marotta for speeding on the freeway, also in Jefferson County. It was a more easy-going Marotta that time, since he was caught speeding 16 – 19 miles per hour above the speed limit. On April 22nd, that charge was amended to Speeding on Freeway 1 – 10 miles above the limit. Marotta pled no contest to that charge and was fined $181. The vigilant officer Moe also noted that Marotta, a senior government official, had expired plates (PUR108), so we assume it is his personal vehicle in which he was hot-rodding, but that charge was dismissed. His attorney was Michael […]

“Groundbreaking” for Bridge

Changes at the Election Commission

Mary Glorioso’s Death a Shock to Brady Street Community

A car accident Saturday claimed the life of Mary Glorioso, 83, the matriarch of the family, a long-time fixture of the Brady Street neighborhood. Glorioso died Monday evening as the result of severe trauma she suffered in an automobile accident. Glorioso and her husband Joe opened Glorioso Brothers, 1020 E. Brady Street in 1948. The firm, which remains in business, is an importer and retailer of Italian foods and goods, and was a catalyst in the Brady Street rejuvenation. The family resides a block from the store. It was while walking between the two that Mary Glorioso was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of E. Brady Street and N. Astor Street. A diminutive woman who walked with the aid of a cane, Mary Glorioso always crossed at that intersection, between Regano’s Roman Coin tavern and the Brady Street Pharmacy, often with the aid of neighbors or store employees. “We are all shocked,” an employee of the store said Tuesday. Joe Glorioso was in seclusion. His brothers Ted Glorioso, who operates Glorioso’s Gold Imports from a shop above the store, and Eddie Glorioso, who works at the store’s deli counter were also unavailable for comment. Joe and Mary Glorioso were familiar names to readers of the Italian Times. Virtually every issue of the monthly newspaper of the Italian Community Center mentioned an example of the Gloriosos’ frequent gifts to the building fund there in memory of departed friends. Now, Mary Glorioso will be the one memorialized. Mrs. Glorioso also frequently oversaw operations at the store, and was usually no more than a step or two away from her husband. The two were an extremely devoted couple. A call to Bruce Scott, public information officer for the 5th District of the Milwaukee Police Department did not yield any information about the accident. “This is the first I’ve heard of it,” he said. Members of the Brady Street Business Improvement District have put traffic concerns on the agenda for their Wednesday meeting. Just a week or so another pedestrian suffered injuries after being struck by a car on Brady Street and dragged about a half a block. Information on funeral arrangements for Mary Glorioso will be in Wednesday’s newspaper. Trolley Returns Milwaukee Downtown BID #21, along with a host of participating businesses will bring back the downtown trolleys starting May 26th. The Milwaukee Trolley Loop travels one-way in a clockwise direction with departures every minutes. The circuit takes about 36 minutes to complete. It runs from 5th and Wisconsin Avenue at the south and west to Brady Street and Farwell Avenue at the northeast as it zigs and zags its way through town. The major shopping streets of downtown and the Historic Third Ward are included in the route. It makes about 20 stops along the way. The trolley will run Wednesday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The fare is $1.00. Seniors and the […]

Liz Cheney to Open Bush-Cheney Office Here

If you are over by Mayfair Monday, you can drop by the grand opening of the Bush–Cheney’04 Wisconsin Headquarters, 2222 N. Mayfair Rd., Wauwatosa.  The opening is open to the press, and Liz Cheney will be available for interviews. The event is at noon and features such other dignitaries as Rep. Leah Vukmir, Rep. Mark Honadel, Rep. Curt Gielow, and County Executive Scott Walker. If you are in the neighborhood and would like to do something other than that, then get to the corner of Hwy. 100 and W. North Avenue where Wisconsin Citizen Action hosts a “Bash Bush” event at 11:30 a.m. Gary George Law License Suspended If you never got around to hiring Gary George as a lawyer like the Warshafsky Law Firm did, you’re “temporarily” out of luck. The disgraced former state senator’s license was temporarily suspended April 1st by an order of Cornelia G. Clark the Clerk of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, dated March 8, 2004.. Clark acted on a motion from the Office of Lawyer Regulation “seeking the temporary suspension of the license of Attorney Gary R. George to practice law in Wisconsin. … The basis for this motion is Attorney George’s January 22, 2004 guilty plea in United States District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, to one count of conspiracy.” It is not common for lawyers to plead guilty to felony charges – they usually put up a fight, and a law license won’t be of much use where Gary’s going – namely, federal prison. For one thing, the competition would be intense. Paul Henningsen’s already got most of the business locked up by now, one would imagine. Along with George’s demise we lose another annoyance – we shall no longer see or hear Gary George advertisements for the Warshafsky Law Firm. George taped his advertisements in August, 2000, back when the century was new and George’s integrity was unblemished. (We were a simpler people then.) Back then I asked the law firm about the ads. “Are they designed to help George in his reelection campaign?” The Warshafsky spokesperson replied, “It has no connection to the campaign. He just brings us a lot of business.” Election Night Approaches We are down to the final hours in our Mayoral election, with the result said to be a tossup. Much will be dependent on voter turnout, which itself can depend on things like the weather. The primary election had the added allure of a presidential primary to possibly juice the vote. On the other hand, it is possible that the lack of a republican presidential race kept Milwaukee republicans at home in February, and that they will come out to vote Tuesday, if there are enough of them to count. Then we have the white people for Pratt, and the black people for Barrett contingency. I should imagine they exist in roughly the same, small numbers. Among them – former candidates Frank Cumberbatch and Leon Todd have endorsed Barrett. Sandy Folaron and Vince Bobot have […]

The Last of Kerry as a Free Man?

Last Monday February 16th – Presidents Day – John Kerry, in Milwaukee, made what might have been one of his final appearances as a “free” man. By Friday, home in Boston, Kerry had asked for and received Secret Service protection. The protection, which will last through the election should he become the nominee, and for his lifetime should he become president, will contrast greatly with the free-and-easy access enjoyed by the crowd of perhaps 400 who gathered to see the Massachusetts senator at the Italian Community Center. The event was billed as a rally and was held the day before the Wisconsin primary. As mentioned here last week, the Kerry campaign printed up thousands of leaflets for the event, hastily writing in “and Ted Kennedy,” by hand when it appeared the other Massachusetts senator would be joining him there. The closest Kennedy came to the ICC, though, was in this lame joke by candidate Kerry: “Massachusetts is a Wampanoag Indian term meaning ‘Land of Many Kennedys,’” Kerry said at the beginning of his remarks. He spoke from a raised platform in the center of the ICC east ballroom. Arrayed on three walls of the room were risers filled with local politicians, and a lot of union workers. The crowd had been placed there about an hour before Kerry’s 7:30 speech, and was kept entertained by a band playing rousing, funky music. Among those on the risers: Senator Jeff Plale, Patti Keating Kahn (Mrs. Hon. Chuck Kahn), Marlene Johnson-Odom, Vel Phillips and Supervisor Willie Johnson. Ald. Ryan Schroeder was also there representing his constituents, back in whatever city he’s from. Tom Barrett worked the room, wearing a neat tie with pink triangles. “You either get it, or you don’t,” he said about his gay cravat. Vince Bobot, then still an opponent, went up and shaked Barrett’s hand, the way politicians do with their rivals. Matt Flynn worked the room, as did County Executive candidate David Riemer. Other notables included Angelo Cataldo, who is still operating his pizza bus, along with Jim and Joanne Klisch, having a look around. No Nuts, Crackpots – Or Secret Service Access to the room was simple: you just showed up and waited for the doors to open, and then waited some more for the candidate. No metal detectors, no guys with sunglasses, no hassle. This will change considerably with the candidate’s secret service protection. The good news: there were no nuts or crackpots in the audience, just democrats. Not everybody in the room was a Kerry supporter. Michael Retzer, the controller of W. G. Strohwig Tool & Die, Inc. came down from Industrial Road, in Richfield, to hand out cards from “Save American Manufacturing,” a “national organization concerned about the loss of all areas of manufacturing and services to non-domestic sources that is causing a rapid decline in the economic condition of the United States.” Business owners are having second thoughts about NAFTA, it seems. He handed out a list of John Kerry’s top contributors, including […]

Pratt’s “Reimbursement” Mystery Money

Acting Mayor Pockets $7,500 with no explanation

Art Jones Pension better than $100K per year

Two other Mayoral candidates eligible soon

Krug Scores Joint Finance Seat

Rep. Shirley Krug was chosen Monday to take a seat on the influential Joint Committee on Finance