As I told Capitol Fax readers earlier this week, Dem treasurer nominee Alexi Giannoulias was planning to meet with reporters in an all-out attempt to improve his image.
There appears to be mixed results. He answered some questions and backtracked from some of his dumber comments about an ex-mobster, but the Tribune found more problems.
Citing bank privacy laws in response to new questions about loans made by Broadway Bank, Giannoulias would not comment about the bank’s relationship with another borrower, Boris Stratievsky, whose companies received millions of dollars in loans before his federal indictment on money-laundering charges last year. […]
[Ex-mobster Michael Giorango] runs companies that own dozens of properties in the Chicago area, Florida and South Carolina. He also has financed real estate deals with other convicted felons. Broadway Bank in the last year has extended more than $6 million in mortgage loans to a company called 1201 South Western LLC run by Giorango and another convicted bookmaker, Demitri Stavropoulos.
The Broadway loans helped the firm acquire properties including a Loop restaurant and a West Side commercial property that boasts two large Giannoulias campaign signs.
Giorango’s 1201 firm also has made millions of dollars in mortgage loans to dozens of other property owners. The state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said it was unclear whether the 1201 firm should have registered as a mortgage lender. “We’re going to do further inquiries,” agency spokeswoman Susan Hofer said.
Read the whole thing. There’s plenty more.