Fred Roti

Fred B. Roti (December 18, 1920 – September 20, 1999) was an American Democratic politician from Chicago, Illinois. He was a state senator for six years, and an alderman for 24 years. He was a loyal member of the "Machine" established by Mayor Richard J. Daley, and widely believed to be an associate of the Mafia. In 1993, he was convicted in Federal court of 11 criminal counts, and was sent to prison.

Roti was born in an apartment in Chinatown. Fred's father, Bruno Roti, Sr., known as "Bruno the Bomber", was a henchman of Al Capone, was arrested twice in murder investigations, and was the first capo of what became the 26th Street/Chinatown "crew" of the Chicago Outfit. He owned a grocery store on the 2100 block of S. Wentworth Avenue, less than six blocks away from Capone's headquarters at 2135 S. Michigan.

Fred Roti's start in city government was modest: he shoveled asphalt on a city paving crew. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy as a machine-gunner on a boat in Europe. On his return to Chicago, Roti became active in the Democratic Party, serving as a precinct captain, and held a succession of mundane city and county jobs. The diminutive Fred Roti was nicknamed "Peanuts" because of his size and called "Freddie" by his friends.

Fred Roti was also the brother-in-law of Frank "Skids" Caruso, Roti, Sr.'s successor as capo.

In 1950, Roti was tapped by the Democrat Party organization to run for Illinois state senator from the 1st District. At the time of his slating by the 1st Ward Democrats, Roti was described as "a state revenue department investigator and precinct captain." Roti faced nominal Republican opposition in the election on November 7, 1950. He won easily, and served from 1951 to 1957. In the state legislature, Roti was a member of a bipartisan bloc of West Side lawmakers linked with organized crime, known as "The West Side Bloc." He was a consistent opponent of anti-crime bills.

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