Mell 'horribly sad' for Patti, grandkids

Ald. Richard Mell (33rd) could have felt vindicated Tuesday when he learned that his estranged son-in-law, Gov. Blagojevich, had been arrested and charged with a stunning series of political shakedowns.

After all, it was Mell who drew the attention of state and federal investigators with his charge to the Chicago Sun-Times in 2005 that the governor's chief fund-raiser had traded prime state appointments for $50,000 donations to the governor.

But instead of feeling vindicated, Mell was just "horribly sad," according to a longtime friend.

"My concern now is for my daughter and my grandchildren," said Mell, whose daughter Patti allegedly can be heard on federal wiretaps swearing like a sailor.

Asked how he learned of his son-in-law's arrest, Mell said, "The same way you did."

Actually, Mell got the news during a wake-up call from a top aide. The assistant had gotten a tip from the local police commander that Blagojevich was about to be taken into custody. The commander called the staffer, who called Mell.

In 2005, Mell went on a tirade after Blagojevich's aides publicly linked him to a Joliet landfill that was shut down amid environmental violations. The landfill was owned by a second cousin of Patti's. The governor said he wouldn't let family ties stand in the way of him upholding state law.

Mell told the Sun-Times he regretted the day he backed Blagojevich for governor and hoped that his daughter -- who had "blinders on" about her husband -- would "wake up someday."

Then, he dropped a bombshell when he talked about being displaced by the governor's chief fund-raiser.

"When we first started raising money, we would come to your house and have dinner with you and your family. We'd paint your kid's bedroom and wash your dog for a $2,000 donation. And we did that constantly for a year. Now, he raises $50,000 at a crack from his ace fund-raiser, Chris Kelly, who trades appointments to commissions for checks of $50,000," the alderman said then.

Mell later recanted the charges under Kelly's threat of a lawsuit. But the damage was done.

Illinois' divided first family tried to bury the hatchet in December 2006, after the death of Mell's wife. But it wasn't long before Blagojevich and Mell were at each other's throats once again.

"Right after Margie passed away, they had meetings. They had dinner. There was an absolute commitment to put past differences aside for the good of the family," said a source familiar with the feud.

"Then, Patti kind of broke the truce. Rod kept having problems and moments with [Mell] and she just went with her husband. After that, Dick didn't get to see the grandchildren. He was very upset. The grandchildren were very important to him."

The source added, "I don't think he cares a bit about what happens to Rod. But he cares a lot about his daughter and grandchildren. This is not a time for feeling vindicated. He just feels horribly sad."