Mayor Emanuel Lashes Out At Owner Of Warehouse Where Firefighter Died
CHICAGO (CBS) -- An emotional Mayor Rahm Emanuel lashed out today at the developer who allegedly performed illegal renovation work that led to the death of firefighter Daniel Capuano and we're learning more about that businessman's activities in the 10th Ward, reports CBS 2's Derrick Blakley.
"You don't think they don't make people like Dan Capuano anymore," Emanuel said.
Mayor Emanuel's heartfelt tribute, after visiting the wife and three children of the fallen, 42-year-old Chicago firefighter, but Emanuel blasted the businessman renovating the South Chicago warehouse where Capuano died.
"Some guy pulls a permit to fix a building and then breaks the law, takes the elevator out and three kids are going to grow up without a father, because he broke the law," Emanuel said.
Capuano fell to his death down an open, unguarded elevator shaft, work performed without a city permit or a safety inspection.
"If they would have just pulled the right permits and had a barricade, a firefighter wouldn't be dead today," said 10th Ward Alderman Sandra Sadlowski Garza.
According to Sadlowski Garza, the warehouse was being converted to a grocery store by businessman Jantil Patel, who was making other investments in the ward.
"I was looking forward to those investments but I think this is going to put the brakes on some things," Sadlowski Garza said.
Patel owns a pharmacy across the street from the warehouse and he's converting a former bank into another pharmacy on South Ewing, but the city wants to demolish the warehouse, calling it unsafe, while the mayor called out Patel.
"I hope that gentleman carries that the rest of his life on his conscience," Emanuel said. "The Capuano children deserve better than what he did."
A building court hearing is set for Thursday afternoon in which the city will seek permission to tear down the warehouse. Meantime, the state's attorney is investigating the possibility of criminal charges.
