Federal agents arrested the mayor of Niles, Ill., while he was in the middle of his 78th birthday party, accusing him of taking kickbacks to force businesses to use a friend’s insurance company. A lawyer for Mayor Nicholas Blase said the government’s evidence is weak and his client, who has been mayor since 1961, will be vindicated, according to the Chicago Tribune. Prosecutors say they have witnesses to prove that Blase coerced business into using Ralph Weiner & Associates for insurance, threatening them with problems over liquor licenses and zoning.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0606090156jun09,1,4406750.story?coll=chi-news-hed