Charges against gay basher reduced; victim and state's

attorney's office 'stunned'

A Bridgeview District Court judge decided Oct. 6 to reduce charges in an incident of gay bashing from armed violence and aggravated battery to simple battery. The decision of Judge Thomas Carmody downgrades the severity of the offense from a felony to a misdemeanor.

As originally charged, the beating of gay victim Joe Vertucci, 36, by defendant Daniel Wilson, 33, constituted a felony and could have been punishable by up to three years in prison. With the new downgraded charges, the maximum sentence Wilson can receive is 364 days in prison. Vertucci was "stunned and shocked" by the sudden and unexplained lessening of the charges against Wilson. Vertucci added that in his opinion, Judge Carmody seemed "pissy or pissed off" as he delivered his decision to downgrade the charges.

More than one year after the attack, Vertucci is still dependent on prescription painkillers; by his own estimation, he takes "at least 80 Vicodins per week. If anything, the pain is worse now." Vertucci still has a lump on his back from the beating by Wilson, who is free on bond pending the outcome of the criminal trial.

Vertucci has secured legal counsel for a civil lawsuit he intends to file against Wilson for "restitution" after the criminal trial concludes.

"My life has been permanently altered as a result of this. I want (Wilson) to pay for the suffering he's caused me," Vertucci said.

But Vertucci adds that he does not want Wilson to be incarcerated "because he has two small children, and they need to be provided for."

On July 12, 1996, Vertucci was invited to the Burbank home of his childhood friend, Michelle Wilson, who asked Vertucci to repay a loan he had made for $40. Vertucci arrived with the money and stayed for a brief visit. As Vertucci prepared to leave, he was met by Wilson's husband, Daniel. Daniel Wilson then allegedly told Vertucci he intended to "splatter (Vertucci's) faggot brains all over the floor" and proceeded to beat him severely with a lead pipe. Meanwhile, Michelle Wilson witnessed the incident without intervening. After the beating, Vertucci went home under his own power, summoned police, and reported the crime.

The State's Attorney report of the incident states that the attack occurred due to the fact that "(Wilson) did not like (Vertucci) being in his home, because Vertucci is gay."

According to Vertucci, "Everybody knows (Daniel Wilson) is a loose cannon, a freak ... he explodes if he doesn't get his way." Vertucci stated that Daniel Wilson had never been physically aggressive toward him prior to the July 12, 1996 attack, but added that "(Wilson has) beat people up before. It's not like this is something totally foreign to him." Wilson reportedly has a police record, but has never been in prison.

Vertucci also reported that he was threatened by the Wilsons at the Oct. 6 hearing, with Michelle Wilson telling a mutual friend that "we are prepared to take matters into our own hands ... I'm sick of the whole world knowing our business." Vertucci already has a restraining order against the Wilsons and "figures it's the best that can be done" to protect him.

Vernita Gray, Gay/Lesbian Victim Witness Advocate for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, expressed outrage at the reduction in charges against Wilson. "This victim is still in pain and still suffering from a reduced quality of life, more than one year after the attack. Clearly this case is more than just a simple battery."

A final sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 10 in Bridgeview District Court.

Douglas Pilachowski, 29, a former North Sider who had sex with men for money and confessed to murdering four Chicago men between November 1993 and February 1994, will spend his natural life in prison without possibility of parole after Judge John Morrissey opted not to enforce the death penalty during a hearing Thursday, Oct. 16.

Pilachowski pled guilty in September to four counts of murder in the slayings of Rolando Burgos, 33; Michael Watson, 40; Eladio Vazquez, 64; and Sean Messer, 28. In his original confession to police, given in December 1994, Pilachowski stated that he killed his victims when they refused to give him money to support his cocaine habit. Pilachowski stated that he killed Messer when the victim failed to produce $150 as payment for sexual relations. Burgos, Vazquez, and Watson, all acquaintances of Pilachowski's, were killed when they refused to give him money for drugs.

All the victims were strangled or stabbed. After killing the men, Pilachowski stole their valuables and sold them, ostensibly to obtain money for drugs.

Pilachowski, whose arrest record contained more than 20 misdemeanor convictions and felony convictions for burglary and indecent exposure, confessed his crimes first to his mother and then to Chicago police, who were contacted by the mother on Nov. 19, 1994. Police subsequently arrested Pilachowski, who was denied bond on Nov. 21, 1994. He has been incarcerated since that time. -Lori Weiner

The Chicago Commission on Human Relations' Advisory Council on Gay and Lesbian Issues has announced the new inductees into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame. The 7th annual induction and reception will be Wed., Oct. 22, in the Sidney Yates Gallery of Chicago Cultural Center, 77 East Randolph St., 5:30-7 p.m. Admission is free.

The Hall of Fame was established in 1991 by the ACGLI to recognize the achievements of gay men and lesbians and their contribution to the development of the city. No other city in the U.S. has an established, city-sponsored gay and lesbian hall of fame. The inductees are:

Toni Armstrong Jr., 43, high school teacher, for her work as an educator, publisher, entertainer, and organizer, most recently with the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network and Student Pride USA.

Miguel Ayala, 18, college freshman, for his courage, visibility, and leadership as an openly gay high school student, the first to be elected as an Honorary Student Member of the Chicago Board of Education.

Roger J. Chaffin, 45, entrepreneur, for two decades of creative involvement and support for numerous lesbigay organizations and causes, including Chicago House, Howard Brown Health Center, NAMES Project, Strike Against AIDS, International Mr. Leather, and the Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps (ROTC).

James C. Darby, 65, retired high school teacher, for being a role model and for his local, regional, and national leadership in the Gay, Lesbian &Bisexual Veterans of America.

John R. Hammell (posthumous), attorney, for his leadership as director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Gay and Lesbian Rights Project and the AIDS and Civil Liberties Project, as well as for his brilliant legal career. (Hammell died from AIDS-related complications in 1995 at the age of 37.)

Rick Karlin, 44, high school teacher, for 20-plus years of commitment to and behind-the-scenes work for a variety of organizations, including the Gay and Lesbian Parents' Coalition and the Pink Angels, as well as for his public persona at Gay Chicago (and now Outlines) and for lesbigay and HIV/AIDS charities.

Corinne Kawecki, 45, businesswoman, for her volunteer work with Horizons Community Services, the Chicago Abused Women's Coalition, and the Lesbian Community Cancer Project.

Larry McKeon, 43, State Rep., for his distinguished service as Mayor Richard M.Daley's liaison to Chicago's gay and lesbian community, gaining allies in all of our subcultures, for his historic election to the Illinois State Legislature, and for being an HIV+ role model.

David Ostrow, M.D., psychiatrist, for his pioneer work in the creation of the Howard Brown Health Center, for his research work on sexually transmitted diseases, and for his local and national leadership role in HIV/AIDS prevention.

Organization: Dignity/Chicago, for 25 years of involvement in social and social justice activities and events, seeking full acceptance and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bi and trans people in the life of all faith communities, and especially as full and equal members of the Roman Catholic Church.

Friends of the Community: Ida Greathouse (posthumous), mother and community leader; and Ald. Mary Ann Smith, for her responsiveness to gay and lesbian issues-including the Human Rights Ordinance, the Domestic Partnership Ordinance.

The Chicago Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has announced the list of business owners it will honor at its "Making Business History" event on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The event will be at Paris Dance, 1122 W. Montrose, in Chicago from 6-9 p.m. The event is timed to help celebrate October as "Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual History Month" and honors gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered persons who have owned a business or businesses for 20 years or more. Honorees are:

Tickets for the Chamber's "Making Business History" reception are $25, and include hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. For more information or to RSVP, call toll free at 1-888- GLCHAMBER.

The Chicago Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1996 and has a membership of nearly 250 businesses throughout Chicago and its suburbs. The Chamber offers cooperative advertising and marketing opportunities, monthly educational programs, monthly news publication, suburban networking and after-hours meetings, and free information for gay/lesbian visitors to Chicago. The Chamber is the sponsor of Pride Dollars, a card good for discounts at nearly 150 Chamber members, including some major retailers. For more information about the Chamber, call 1-888-GLCHAMBER.