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Water Dept. foreman accused of gambling on city time

October 6, 2005

An internal city investigation touched off by a laborer's charge that bribes were traded for overtime in the Chicago Department of Water Management has spread to a new allegation: a foreman participated in gambling on city time.

Tom Briatta, a foreman of water pipe construction in the department at the center of the Hired Truck and city hiring scandals, was accused of driving to city work sites and either participating in gambling, overseeing gambling by other city employees or a combination of the two.

Overtime for sale, laborer says

Briatta is a cousin of John Briatta, one of nine politically connected employees swept out in June for allegedly participating in a payroll scam in the water management department.

John Briatta was the department's $94,827-a-year chief equipment dispatcher. He is the brother-in-law of Cook County Commissioner John Daley, the mayor's brother. Tom Briatta was described by co-workers as a cousin of John Briatta. Tom Briatta could not be reached for comment.

The allegations about gambling and overtime-for-sale were made by laborer Richard Pacheco during sworn testimony this week before the city's Personnel Board. Pacheco was testifying under oath at a hearing called to challenge the firing of a co-worker.

During several hours of testimony, Pacheco charged that lucrative city overtime was for sale. He said he gave cash to a pair of supervisors disguised as Christmas gifts and got overtime in return. During one of the years in question, he made $14,000 in overtime. That reportedly added 25 percent to his base pay.

Within hours of the testimony, the city's inspector general's office, soon to be run by highly regarded federal prosecutor David Hoffman, had seized the work computer of Mike Tierney, water management's north district superintendent.

The gambling allegation is also being investigated, according to Chicago Law Department spokeswoman Jennifer Hoyle.

""I'm hearing third-hand that the individual who testified also said that Tom Briatta was involved at gambling at city's work sites. We've asked the inspector general to investigate that. We have no information beyond what this individual said in his testimony,"" Hoyle said.

Not the first betting charge

""It's a violation of the personnel rules and something that has to be thoroughly investigated. If it was happening, any employee involved would be disciplined. We've asked for an expedited transcript. The inspector general will have to determine if there's anything to these charges and, if so, if it's widespread.""

If gambling was, in fact, going on at city work sites, it wouldn't be the first time.

A few years ago, then-Inspector General Alexander Vroustouris uncovered an alleged sports betting ring at O'Hare Airport. And over the years, city employees allegedly participated in an illegal lottery with a cash payout that rose into the tens of thousands of dollars.

Overtime is supposed to be doled out by a formalized rotation policy, but that's not how it actually operated, according to convicted First Deputy Water Commissioner Donald Tomczak.

In his guilty plea in the Hired Truck scandal, Tomczak acknowledged that he commanded an army of water management employees who did political work for Mayor Daley and others in exchange for promotions, pay raises and overtime.

""The transcript has not yet been delivered. But, any allegation contained in that testimony will be investigated,"" said water management spokesman Tom LaPorte.