candidates to campaign from the pulpit. Perdomo loved the idea and wanted Blagojevich to join him. In fact, he wanted to see if Blagojevich would campaign with him all day on Sunday, March 6.
âWhy donât you come with?â Perdomo asked.
Blagojevich had little going on that day, so he agreed.
Two more things, Perdomo added. He was going to a fundraiser for a Northwest Side alderman, Dick Mell. Perdomo explained he had known Mell for years. They were members of the Young Democrats together. Rod said he knew Mell a little. Not only had he met him a few years ago during the Torres race, but he also met him in court when Mell showed up with residents upset about graffiti proliferation in their neighborhood.
The other thing, Perdomo said, was about Mellâs daughter, Patti. She was engaged to a guy in Italy, where she had studied for a time, but they broke up and now she was moping around the house, brokenhearted. Mell wanted to see his daughter happy again and was bringing her to the event.
I told Mell about you, Perdomo said. âI said, âI got this young assistant stateâs attorney.ââ
Then thirty-one years old, Blagojevich had been dating around for years, meeting women around town or through work circles. A few relationshipshad been serious, with some women even meeting his parents. But Blagojevich never thought of himself as the marrying type. All the same, he didnât mind being set up, especially with the daughter of a powerful alderman.
After visiting the True Temple of Solomon, the two men steered north toward Mellâs fundraiser. It was being held at a famous Chicago German restaurant on Southport called Zum Deutschen Eck. It sat in the shadow of the historic, Gothic-style St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, its gray steeple hovering overhead.
Inside, the men passed under the wood-carved doorways that matched the solid oak, handmade bar and were instantly in the middle of the hundreds of people there for Mellâs event. Perdomo scanned the crowd and spotted a brunette standing off in the distance, away from the throng. She was attractive and skinny and wore a red dress. She seemed disengaged with the festivities around her.
âThatâs Patti,â Perdomo said, grabbing Rodâs hand and pulling him toward her. Before either of them knew it, they were face to face.
About to turn twenty-three years old, Patricia Mell was the eldest daughter of Dick and Marge Mell. Patti had grown up in a household where her father was always a powerful alderman and kingmaker, and she was the princess. She was popular in school, attending St. Scholastica, an all-girls Catholic high school in Rogers Park run by the Benedictine Sisters. Chicagoâs first female mayor, Jane Byrne, graduated from St. Scholastica and even spoke to the students in 1982 while she was mayor and Patti was a junior.
Intelligent, Patti had shown some interest in French and the theater, especially Shakespeare. In her senior yearbook, she even quoted Hamletâs soliloquy contemplating suicide, âThat this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew!â She went to the University of Illinois and studied economics before coming back to Chicago, where she found herself looking at her future husband.
âPatti, this is Rod,â the judge said. âRod, Patti.â
Mell watched from a slight distance before saying hello to the young assistant stateâs attorney and then leaving the two to talk. Rod was quickly attracted to Patti. She was eight years younger but seemed smart and mature for her age. Rod did most of the talking, yammering on about work and politics and books. Patti listened intently. He was engaging and charming. Thesame way he was good at making friends and winning over judges, he was good at attracting women.
âIf you go out with me, Iâm going to show you the time of your life,â Blagojevich said, smiling. After accepting the offer, Patti
âWhy donât you come with?â Perdomo asked.
Blagojevich had little going on that day, so he agreed.
Two more things, Perdomo added. He was going to a fundraiser for a Northwest Side alderman, Dick Mell. Perdomo explained he had known Mell for years. They were members of the Young Democrats together. Rod said he knew Mell a little. Not only had he met him a few years ago during the Torres race, but he also met him in court when Mell showed up with residents upset about graffiti proliferation in their neighborhood.
The other thing, Perdomo said, was about Mellâs daughter, Patti. She was engaged to a guy in Italy, where she had studied for a time, but they broke up and now she was moping around the house, brokenhearted. Mell wanted to see his daughter happy again and was bringing her to the event.
I told Mell about you, Perdomo said. âI said, âI got this young assistant stateâs attorney.ââ
Then thirty-one years old, Blagojevich had been dating around for years, meeting women around town or through work circles. A few relationshipshad been serious, with some women even meeting his parents. But Blagojevich never thought of himself as the marrying type. All the same, he didnât mind being set up, especially with the daughter of a powerful alderman.
After visiting the True Temple of Solomon, the two men steered north toward Mellâs fundraiser. It was being held at a famous Chicago German restaurant on Southport called Zum Deutschen Eck. It sat in the shadow of the historic, Gothic-style St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, its gray steeple hovering overhead.
Inside, the men passed under the wood-carved doorways that matched the solid oak, handmade bar and were instantly in the middle of the hundreds of people there for Mellâs event. Perdomo scanned the crowd and spotted a brunette standing off in the distance, away from the throng. She was attractive and skinny and wore a red dress. She seemed disengaged with the festivities around her.
âThatâs Patti,â Perdomo said, grabbing Rodâs hand and pulling him toward her. Before either of them knew it, they were face to face.
About to turn twenty-three years old, Patricia Mell was the eldest daughter of Dick and Marge Mell. Patti had grown up in a household where her father was always a powerful alderman and kingmaker, and she was the princess. She was popular in school, attending St. Scholastica, an all-girls Catholic high school in Rogers Park run by the Benedictine Sisters. Chicagoâs first female mayor, Jane Byrne, graduated from St. Scholastica and even spoke to the students in 1982 while she was mayor and Patti was a junior.
Intelligent, Patti had shown some interest in French and the theater, especially Shakespeare. In her senior yearbook, she even quoted Hamletâs soliloquy contemplating suicide, âThat this too too solid flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew!â She went to the University of Illinois and studied economics before coming back to Chicago, where she found herself looking at her future husband.
âPatti, this is Rod,â the judge said. âRod, Patti.â
Mell watched from a slight distance before saying hello to the young assistant stateâs attorney and then leaving the two to talk. Rod was quickly attracted to Patti. She was eight years younger but seemed smart and mature for her age. Rod did most of the talking, yammering on about work and politics and books. Patti listened intently. He was engaging and charming. Thesame way he was good at making friends and winning over judges, he was good at attracting women.
âIf you go out with me, Iâm going to show you the time of your life,â Blagojevich said, smiling. After accepting the offer, Patti
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