The Cooley Account
What started as research for a movie resulted in these recordings. This is the life story of Bob Cooley, a man who accomplished the impossible by decapitating Al Capone's criminal operation.
In the 1970s, Bob Cooley was a young cop who decided to become a lawyer and quickly became an insider for the Chicago mob, which controlled the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois.
This multipart conversation details the inner workings of the notorious Chicago crime syndicate. From politicians on the take to a corrupt court system and cold-case murders. There are also never-before-revealed details about cult icon Count Dante and mob fixture Pat Marcy. If you’re intrigued by organized crime, political corruption, and other matters of deceit, this story is for you.
Episodes
17 episodes
Episode 17: In Conclusion
The final chapter and conclusion of the Bob Cooley journey. Thank you all for listening, and stay connected as the conversation continues on X and other social media platforms.
Episode 16: The End Of Pat Marcy
Pat Marcy is indicted on corruption charges; his co-defendant is Alderman Roti. Bob is the first witness to testify, but things go sideways immediately. This conversation details the end of Pat Marcy and Fred Roti, as well as a detailed d...
Episode 15: The Wire
Bob has to leave Chicago for good as the FBI fans across the city with subpoenas and indict a cadre of politicians and organized crime members. Also in this conversation, Bob details wearing a wire on Fred Roti and how he escaped a death test t...
Episode 14: The Beginning Of The End
Growing frustrated, Bob begins to build his own cases against the 1st Ward and the Chicago Outfit. He wears a wire on Pat Marcy and hatches a plan to bring down Johnny D'Arco Junior by passing legislation for a bribe. There's also a sting opera...
Episode 13: The Aftermath
After departing the Crime Task Force office, Bob carries with him the weight of a life-altering moment. In the days that follow, the FBI unexpectedly arrives at his office, driven by a mission to validate his claims, urging him to don a w...
Episode 12: A Crisis Of Conscience
At the behest of Pat Marcy, Bob defends a man accused of assaulting a female cop. Bob's encounter with Marcy after the trial is the spark that sends him to visit the Organized Crime Strike Force and turn on the 1st Ward. We also touch upon gamb...
Episode 11: The Chinese Mob (Chicago Style)
Bob is introduced to members of Chinese organized crime by Chicago Alderman Fred Roti. A few members of the Ghost Shadows are pinned for a murder and need Bob's help. This begins a new chapter in Bob's life that takes him to the East Coas...
Episode 10: The Strange Death Of Karen Lee Koppel
There's a hit on Bob’s life for refusing to expose a witness in a trial. We also discuss the disappearance of Karen Lee Koppel. Koppel goes missing after her relationship with the head of the janitors union goes sideways. (This was a cold...
Episode 9: Fixing Murder & Marcy Power
Carol Jean DiPasalegne was murdered by her husband, but the 1st Ward fixed the case so her husband would walk free so the machine could steal the insurance money on a double indemnity clause. Bob also explains how Pat Marcy gained control of th...
Episode 8: Harry Aleman's Double Jeopardy?
We continue our conversation about the Harry Aleman murder trial and detail how Bob fixed the case. The stakes are life and death for Bob as Judge Wilson wavers about his conclusion due to threats in the papers targeting Wilson and his family.&...
Episode 7: D'Arco, Marcy & Aleman
This conversation propels us into the inner sanctum of Chicago’s 1st Ward. A shadow government within a government that controlled the state of Illinois. Two men operate the levers of power, both of whom started as gunmen for Al Capone. O...
Episode 6: Beating Murder(s)
Bob takes on two high-profile murder cases and mounts the "jagoff defense" in the Joey Airdo trial. Early success catapults him on a trajectory toward becoming known as a fixer in Chicago, but he's also collecting enemies inside the FBI and the...
Episode 5: Count Dante And The Purolator Heist
A strange character named Count Dante enlists Bob for legal help. The Count is being charged with murder for an attack on an opposing dojo whose owner is siphoning his clients. Bob finds himself entangled in the Count's bizarre world, which he ...
Episode 4: Chicago’s Courts
The malfeasance in the Chicago courts inspires Bob to go to law school. Mob-connected cop Rick Borelli introduces him to the web of illegal gambling operations that reach into the western suburbs of Chicago.
Episode 3: Left For Dead
Bob becomes a Chicago cop and applies his street smarts to rise rapidly through the ranks. His encounters at the criminal courts inspire him to go to law school, but his world is shattered when he's left for dead after being run over by a patro...
Episode 2: The Police Test
Bob’s scholarship at Marquette ends abruptly because of his fighting and money-making schemes. He moves back home and bounces between odd jobs before he takes the Chicago Police exam. Once on the force, he teams up with a cop who introduc...
