John Kass: With help from judge, Eddie makes a fast exit
When Fast Eddie Vrdolyak effectively got his hand kissed by a federal judge Thursday and walked free after pleading guilty to a million-dollar fraud, I thought of that movie.
The one with Michael, Fredo, Frankie Five Angels and Hyman Roth. And that line uttered by Kay, after Michael beat the feds:
“I suppose that I always knew you were too smart to let any of them beat you.”
You want smart? Vrdolyak didn’t have to pay for a trial. He admitted guilt and walked anyway.
I’ve known him for years, fascinated by this highly charismatic, yet dangerous Mephistophelean who spent his life leveraging political power the Chicago Way. Unlike some current phonies, he never hid his ambition behind a lace curtain. He was about what he was about: the action, the money and the chase.