City Council caucus

Independent Aldermen and their staffs caucused prior to each City Council meeting in the late 70s and early 80s to share information, plan concerted action, and coordinate their legislative activities. Participants included David Orr (49th), Marion Volini (48th), Bruce Young (44th), Martin Oberman (43rd), and Larry Bloom (5th). Danny Davis (29th) attended one meeting. 

They were sometimes joined by Machine Aldermen who wanted to indicate their availability as occasional political allies. 

When Ald. Young resigned mid-term, he was succeeded by former State Senator John Merlo, the Democratic Ward Committeeman, who attended a couple of those meetings. 

He carried out his duties from Young’s former community service office, which had originally belonged to Ald. Dick Simpson, rather than from his political party office. He also kept his predecessors’ telephone number. 

Merlo had always been considered a “nice guy,” even by his adversaries, so his actions were viewed as a gesture of respect to Independents, not as an attempt to mask his Machine identity. 

William Lipinski (23rd), leader of the Council’s (State’s Attorney Rich) Daley faction, had cemented a relationship with Ald. Oberman. He attended several of the meetings, too, sometimes accompanied by Ald. Michael Sheahan (19th), just to network with potential allies. 

And 17th Ward Alderman Allan Streeter, suddenly dumped by the Machine shortly after being appointed to his post by Mayor Jane Byrne, shared a light-hearted moment at a 1981 meeting in the south side office of Ald. Bloom.  

Bloom had made a humorous comment about Aldermen who wore “pinkie rings,” and Streeter revealed two hands full of them. He did not participate in the Independent caucus but wanted to connect with his new political colleagues. (He later served jail time for corruption – as did Bloom).