KATHY POSNER QUESTIONED BY CHICAGO FBI

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THE CHICAGO GOSSIP
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FBI Informant Kathy Posner

As background, for more than 20 years I have been carrying a tape recorder where I constantly give myself reminders throughout the day of things I need to remember to accomplish. It has become such a part of my life that I don’t even think about it; I take it out frequently and speak into it without thought to where I am. It is as much an appendage of mine as an arm or leg. You will see where this fits in later. The other evening I was at a party at the home of the British Consul General, Robert Chatterton Dickson. I noticed my friend Better Government Association Executive Director Andy Shaw across the room and went to greet him. He was standing with a gentleman that I did not recognize. Shaw introduced us; it was Robert Grant, Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI in Chicago. The SAC is the boss! I am an FBIphile, so meeting Grant was the same to me as a teenager meeting Justin Beiber or Kim Kardashian. I was blubbering like a little school girl. I told Grant how much I respected the work of the FBI and had read every book published about its history. I also told him that I write a blog and in one of my posting, “No Left Turns,” (September 10, 2010) I related the story about J. Edgar Hoover never allowing his drivers to make a left turn. I asked him if he had a Hoover story that I could tell in my blog. He did. He told me that every day Hoover would have his driver drop him off in front of the Department of Justice at the same time every morning. There were always two agents in front who would tip their hats and say, “Good Morning, Mr. Hoover.” Grant said Hoover hated brown-nosers, so after a few weeks one of the men was transferred. The next day when he pulled up, only one agent was standing there who gave the customary greeting. Hoover said to him, “I know what you and your fat friend are up to and I better not see you out here tomorrow morning.” Needless to say, no one was there the next day. As Grant was telling me the tale, without thinking, I took out my tape recorder and started repeating the story so I would not forget it. Grant looked at me, tilted his head in wonder, and asked what I was doing. And then I realized I was almost wiretapping an FBI agent! That does not happen too often! I saved the recording for posterity.

A WEIRD PHONE CALL FROM MANCOW

Kathy Posner With Mancow

The other day I had just finished a manicure when my cell phone rang. It was nationally-syndicated radio host Mancow Muller. He said to me, “You know that I have a part in a new TV show for Fox called Chicago Code. I am playing a radio talk show host. I need you to be a caller into the radio show. You won’t get paid any money or get any screen credit.” I said,”Fine. When do you want me to do this?” He said, “Right Now.” I said, “I am on my cell phone in a salon, can I call you when I get home?” He said, “No. I need you to do it right now. The set up is that there is a terrible heat wave in Chicago and the electricity has gone off. You are the Mother of three children and are in a panic.” With that he clicked over to a microphone and said, “Our next caller is Kathy.” Being the great improvisation artist that I am, I immediately spoke in a frightful tone and said,”Mancow. I don’t know what to do. I have three children under the age of 10. My electricity is out. The baby’s formula is in the refrigerator and it’s not working. I can’t heat it up on the stove because it is out. Please help me.” The call ended. I hung up and then looked around. Everyone in the salon was starring at me. They had no idea what was going on! Since they had not heard Mancow’s part of the conversation, their only vantage point of knowledge was hearing one-sided that all of a sudden I was hysterical about my three children -- which I have none! I was almost going to walk away leaving everyone dumbfounded, but decided to explain. As I left the salon I started wondering if maybe I had been part of a Mancow phone scam. Now I will have to watch every episode of the show when it starts airing in February to see if I really had my network prime-time drama series debut.

ANOTHER REASON TO VOTE FOR GERY CHICO

Kathy Posner With Mayor Richard M. Daley

NBC’s political website, The Ward Room, did a story on how people are supposed to pronounce Chicago. The story said, "It's an age-old Chicago debate, similar to whether Pulaski is "four-thousand west" or "forty-hunnert west." Is the name of our city pronounced "Chi-cah-go" or "Chi-caw-go"? In the Mayor's English, it's "Chi-caw-go." That's how Richard M. Daley and his father pronounced it. So did Elwood Blues. In a more refined strata of the city, that's also how the announcers on WTTW and WFMT say it. Dictionary.com lists both pronunciations as acceptable." The Ward Room conducted a linguistic analysis of the mayoral candidates by listening to their speeches on YouTube and determined that the only mayoral candidate who says Chi-caw-go is Gery Chico. I like that pronunciation. I will like it even more if said by Mayor Chico.

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COP KIDS AND KINDNESS

The Chicago Police have made great strides into trying to get people in a community to report gang activity and other illegal shenanigans. Without the added eyes and ears of citizens, the police force is not populous enough to even come close to the number of gang members. Getting children comfortable with their local policemen is not easy. The children do not want to be considered snitches and will keep their mouths shut. That is why events such as last week’s Cop, Kids and Kindness at the 18th District Police Station are so important. I was one of the organizers of the event where members of the community come to the station to decorate for the holidays. About 75 local children and adults were treated to a hot breakfast, courtesy of T.G.I. Fridays, carolers courtesy of Vander Cook College of Music and arts & craft materials courtesy of the Community Policing Office. Look at the pictures of the children having fun at a police station—usually thought of as a scary place. They made friends with the police that day and found out that the officers cared about them. If they see a crime, maybe now they will feel comfortable talking about it to someone in authority.

Editors Note: We just worry what Kathy Posner told the FBI about my trips to Chicago and my adventures with Lady Shafran....

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