Darien Council Race Grabs Most Attention

DARIEN, IL — Much of the attention in the Darien City Council races has revolved around the one in Ward 5, where incumbent Mary Sullivan is facing John Laratta.

That's because of Laratta's encounter with police in late 2019, which the candidate himself has highlighted. It's also because of his statement in a candidate questionnaire that he has "retired to Florida." If that statement is true, he is ineligible to serve on the Darien council.

Three of Darien's four council races are competitive. In Ward 1, incumbent Ted Schauer is running unopposed. Mayor Joseph Marchese's term is not up for another two years. The election is Tuesday.

Here is a listing of the candidates in competitive races.

Ward 3

• Joseph Kenny — A resident of Darien since 1997, the Ward 3 incumbent has been a local real estate agent for nearly two decades. He was elected to the council in 2013.
• Pamela Taylor — A 20-year resident of Darien, she is a retired court reporter. She still does freelance court reporting work.

Ward 5

• Mary Sullivan — A Darien resident since 1996, she has a background in nonprofit management and was on the staff for the Darien Neighbors Magazine for eight years. She was appointed to the council in 2019.
• John Laratta — He is a former member of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and a former international business consultant for the U.S. Postal Service. He is a disabled Vietnam veteran.

Ward 7

• Tom Belczak — He has been a lawyer in the Chicago area since 1988. He was elected to the City Council in 2013.
• Norbert Tamos — He is a retired police officer with more than 25 years of experience. He works for Lombard as a code enforcement officer.

Since he filed his candidacy in December, Laratta has repeatedly written on Patch about a December 2019 incident with police. He alleges the police brutalized him during the encounter.

Police said they responded to Laratta's home late the night of Dec. 29, 2019, because they received calls about gunshots fired. Laratta was not charged, but the investigation lasted more than a year.

Laratta alleged that officers hurt him during his arrest and failed to provide a lawyer when he requested one. He also said officers laughed at him when his pants fell down.

Laratta filed a complaint with the police department, which the police chief determined was unfounded. Laratta said he did not fire shots that night, but his wife indicated he did during an interview with police. She said she was speaking on the phone with her niece when she heard a gunshot.

"I went, 'What the hell?', and John was downstairs in the living room and he — bang, bang — two shots out the patio door. And I said, 'Why the hell did you do that?' 'I don't know. I don't know why I did that.'"

The niece, who heard the gunshots, advised Laratta's wife to leave the house for her safety, which she did, the wife said in the interview.

An officer asked Laratta's wife if she saw the gun in his hand.

She responded, "I really didn't. I didn't see it, but he had to have had a firearm in his hand when you (heard) bang, bang."

She also told police her husband had drinks that night — before and after he got home. When asked whether he had had too much to drink that night, she said alcohol hits her husband, now 76, harder because he is older.

In January, Police Chief Greg Thomas told Patch that the state's attorney's office decided against charging Laratta with reckless discharge of a firearm. Thomas said there was plenty of probable cause for an arrest. The chief noted Laratta's wife had spousal privilege, meaning she could not be compelled to testify against her husband in court.

As for the length of the investigation, Thomas said it took nearly a year to get lab results for the gunshot residue.

Laratta has repeatedly criticized the police department for its handling of the matter. And he has taken Patch to task for its coverage of it.

In a Patch candidate questionnaire, Laratta said in a response to an inquiry about his occupation, "Retired to Florida. But this 5th Ward Aldermanic election needs to be contested. So I am doing so."

In the same document, Laratta listed Darien as his city of residence. He owns a town house in the 8000 block of Barrymore Drive. He and his wife also have a residence in an eight-story condominium complex in Redington Beach, Fla., a Tampa suburb.

Asked about his residence in early February, Laratta told Patch he had not been in Florida for nearly two years.

"I would love to be in sunny Florida enjoying a non-eventful life," Laratta said in a message. "If you had a chance to live in sunny Florida right now, would you? This should show the commitment I have to the political changes that need to be done in the Darien City Government and the Police Involvement, that have to be addressed NOW!"

Darien officials have largely been silent about Laratta's criticism of the city. But that changed in early March when Laratta alleged Police Chief Thomas was "found lying and giving false information again and again and again to the City Council." He provided no examples.

City Administrator Bryon Vana defended Thomas, a former Aurora police chief. He said Thomas has not been found to be lying or giving false information to the council.

"His dedication to the police profession, earning awards, attending special training, and receiving recognitions from many groups, speaks to Chief Thomas's credibility and professionalism during his career," Vana said. "As City Administrator, Chief Thomas reports to me. I say, with the utmost confidence, and Mayor (Joseph) Marchese concurs, that Chief Thomas is doing a tremendous job as your police chief.

The polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. For more information on polling locations, visit the DuPage County clerk's website.