Michael J. Corbitt
Encyclopedia
Michael Jerome Corbitt was a police chief of Willow Springs, Illinois
, and an associate of Chicago Outfit
mobsters such as Sal Bastone, Sam "Mo Mo" Giancana
and Antonino "Tony," "Joe Batters" Accardo
. He became a cooperating witness after being convicted of aiding in the murder of Chicagoan Diane Masters, by her husband, Alan. Corbitt has authored a book about his experiences entitled, "The Cop Who Was a Mobster."
family in Chicago, Illinois. After a several years in a Roman Catholic parochial school
, he was transferred to public school at age 9. He would later recall that, without a Catholic school uniform to hide behind, it was obvious just how poor his family was. Humiliated by the poverty of his parents and tired of hand-me-down toys and clothing, he turned to shoplifting and later graduated to running with an Italian-American street gang.
In always hanging around where Corbitt could be seen by Mob members, he soon drew the attention of the Chicago Outfit
, who recruited him into running errands around one of its social clubs. After several years of owning a and running a Sunoco
gas station set up by the Mob, which also doubled a mobster hang out, Outfit boss Sam Giancana
then offered Corbitt a position as a police officer in Willow Springs, Illinois
. According to Corbitt's memoirs, Giancana told him after he accepted the position, "But just remember kid...don't forget who your friends are." Shortly thereafter, Corbitt was sworn into the Willow Springs police department by notorious political boss
Doc Rust.
Michael J. Corbitt died from lung cancer
, at age 60, in 2004.
Willow Springs, Illinois
Willow Springs is a village in Cook and DuPage Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,027 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Willow Springs is located at ....
, and an associate of Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
mobsters such as Sal Bastone, Sam "Mo Mo" Giancana
Sam Giancana
Salvatore Giancana , better known as Sam Giancana, was a Sicilian-American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957-1966...
and Antonino "Tony," "Joe Batters" Accardo
Tony Accardo
Antonino Joseph Accardo , also known as "Joe Batters" or "Big Tuna", rose from small-time hoodlum to the position of day-to-day boss of the Chicago Outfit in 1947, to ultimately become the final Outfit authority in 1972, until his death...
. He became a cooperating witness after being convicted of aiding in the murder of Chicagoan Diane Masters, by her husband, Alan. Corbitt has authored a book about his experiences entitled, "The Cop Who Was a Mobster."
Life
Michael Corbitt was born to an Irish AmericanIrish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
family in Chicago, Illinois. After a several years in a Roman Catholic parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
, he was transferred to public school at age 9. He would later recall that, without a Catholic school uniform to hide behind, it was obvious just how poor his family was. Humiliated by the poverty of his parents and tired of hand-me-down toys and clothing, he turned to shoplifting and later graduated to running with an Italian-American street gang.
In always hanging around where Corbitt could be seen by Mob members, he soon drew the attention of the Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
, who recruited him into running errands around one of its social clubs. After several years of owning a and running a Sunoco
Sunoco
Sunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
gas station set up by the Mob, which also doubled a mobster hang out, Outfit boss Sam Giancana
Sam Giancana
Salvatore Giancana , better known as Sam Giancana, was a Sicilian-American mobster and boss of the Chicago Outfit from 1957-1966...
then offered Corbitt a position as a police officer in Willow Springs, Illinois
Willow Springs, Illinois
Willow Springs is a village in Cook and DuPage Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,027 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Willow Springs is located at ....
. According to Corbitt's memoirs, Giancana told him after he accepted the position, "But just remember kid...don't forget who your friends are." Shortly thereafter, Corbitt was sworn into the Willow Springs police department by notorious political boss
Political boss
A boss, in politics, is a person who wields the power over a particular political region or constituency. Bosses may dictate voting patterns, control appointments, and wield considerable influence in other political processes. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves...
Doc Rust.
Michael J. Corbitt died from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, at age 60, in 2004.
Quotes
- “In the Outfit, when you screwed up, you got planted. End of story. It wasn’t like they handed you a pink slip and you went to work for another crew. You were done. That is, unless you used a tactic that was a favorite with America ’s corporate set, the old CYA routine — cover your ass and blame whatever went wrong on the other guy.”
- "Any time you hear the FBI use the words witness protectionWitness protectionWitness protection is protection of a threatened witness or any person involved in the justice system, including defendants and other clients, before, during and after a trial, usually by police...
, you can bet you’ve got a problem."
- "In 1981 the Chicago OutfitChicago OutfitThe Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
was out of control. ToccoAlbert ToccoAlbert Tocco , also known as "Caesar" , was a high ranking member of the Chicago Outfit during the 1970s and '80s. He allegedly controlled the rackets on the South Side of Chicago, the south suburbs, and parts of Northern Indiana...
’s crew had taking killing to a whole new level, so that whacking a guy didn’t mean anything anymore. Forget finesse or discretion. Under cover of night or in broad daylight, it didn’t matter. If they had a job to, they did it. Guys were dropping like flies, the chop shop owners were still taking a beating, and the police departments were starting to look more like Outfit crews than crime fighters. Politicians like Doc Rust’s old friend Pat MarcyPat MarcyPat Marcy was a legendary political boss with great influence over the Illinois Democratic Party. According to Federal prosecutors, as well as informants Robert Cooley and Michael J. Corbitt, he was also a trusted and valued associate of the Chicago Outfit...
, from Chicago ’s First Ward, were operating more like godfathers than elected officials. And perhaps not coincidentally, cocaineCocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
was everywhere. A lot of the younger Outfit guys were dealing it--and doing it. They were living in the fast lane and dying there, too. Nightlife in Chicago meant discoDiscoDisco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
bars, free sex, and fast highs. And if you were an Outfit guy, a fast buck."
Further reading
- Drell, Adrienne. "Bribery charge hits suburb's ex-police chief". Chicago Sun-Times. 22 May 1987.
- Stebbins, John. "Neighbors surprised". Chicago Sun-Times. 14 Jun 1988.
- "Judge won't take self off Masters case". Chicago Sun-Times. 26 Jul 1988.
- Petacque, Art. "Did `hero' cop in Masters case inspire killing?". Chicago Sun-Times. 10 Sept 1989.
- Schaaf, Barbara C. Shattered Hopes: A True Story of Marriage, the Mob, and Murder. New York: HarperCollins Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0061008486
- Blog of death: http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/001136.html
Primary sources
- Cooley, RobertRobert CooleyRobert Cooley is a former Mafia lawyer, government informant and author of the 2004 autobiography, "When Corruption was King."-Early life:...
and Hillel Levin. When Corruption Was King: How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, Then Brought the Outfit DownWhen Corruption was KingWhen Corruption Was King: How I Helped the Mob Rule Chicago, then Brought the Outfit Down is a memoir written by Robert Cooley, a lawyer who worked for Mafia criminals in Chicago, U.S.A., but eventually turned in his former clients. The book is co-written by journalist Hillel Levin and was...
. New York: Caroll & graf Publishers, 2004. ISBN 0-7867-1583-9 - Corbitt, Michael and Sam Giancana. Double Deal: The Inside Story of Murder, Unbridled Corruption, and the Cop Who Was a Mobster. New York: HarperCollins Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-06-103048-1