> Bob Cooley . .. . > Butch Petrocelli . > Tony Spilotro
> Pat Marcy . . . . .> Judge Maloney .. > Count Dante
> Harry Aleman. ..> Judge Wilson . . ..> Ed Genson
> Marco D'Amico ..> Alderman Roti. .. > Guest Appearances
> John D'Arco Sr ..> John D'Arco Jr

Butch Petrocelli in 1972, then one of the Outfit’s “Young Turks” and top enforcers.

The Brit was so big, he could barely fit into the booth. After a little chitchat, he looked at me and asked, “Have you got the money?”

There was no stalling him. I had promised to bring all the money to the restaurant. I thought, “What the f**k am I going to do now?” At this point the waitress tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “Are you Bob Cooley? Telephone call.” She pointed to a phone on the lunch counter. I picked up the receiver and it was Butchie, calling from a pay phone on the street. He said, “Get the f**k out of there. Go take a ride.”

I hung the phone up, stared straight ahead and walked right past the booth where the Brit was sitting. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the surprised look on his face. As I pushed through the revolving door, Butchie pushed from the other side. Behind him were Bobby Salerno, Fat Mike Bryant, and another Hit Man. When I got into my car, I saw the four shove themselves into the booth around the Brit.

When Corruption Was King © 2004 by Robert Cooley and Hillel Levin

“Bob is every bit the hero because he didn’t have to
do what he did.”

Tom Durkin, former First
Assistant U.S. Attorney

“The man is a paragon of corruption. The man is
walking slime.”

Criminal Defense Attorney
Edward M. Genson

Never has a federal investigation accomplished
so much, and never has an investigation revolved as
much around one man. But
to this day, the reasons why Cooley decided to cooperate with federal authorities remain a mystery.