| ILLINOIS SCHOOL SYSTEM AUDITRivers Casino · JMB/Bluhm · Huizenga/Waste ManagementChicago's Biggest Political Machines — Money, Mob, Garbage, and Gaming |
|---|
| $3.5MNeil Bluhm + family IL political donations documented | $2.3BRivers Casino revenue last 5 years | $19BWaste Management sold in 1998 — Huizenga family fortune base | D&PDiFronzo mob waste hauler — killed Rosemont, found at Bally's 2025 |
|---|
866-312-6456 | auditor@illinoisschooldistrictaudit.com | IllinoisSchoolDistrictAudit.com | May 2026
PART I: NEIL BLUHM — JMB REALTY · RUSH STREET GAMING · RIVERS CASINO
| The Complete Picture: Billionaire Democratic Donor Who Bought His Monopoly Through SpringfieldNeil Gary Bluhm (born 1938, Albany Park, Chicago) is worth $6.4 billion. He built his fortune through JMB Realty (co-founded 1969 with Judd Malkin and Robert Judelson), then pivoted to gaming with Rush Street Gaming. He has been the single most influential donor in shaping Illinois gaming law for 30 years — always on the Democratic side, always protecting his monopoly. His three children are also casino investors. Federal securities rules barred Neil himself from donating in Illinois governor and Chicago mayor races, so his adult children did it for him. The family collectively donated $3.5 million to 692 Illinois candidates. When DraftKings and FanDuel ran a $1M ad campaign criticizing Bluhm, Governor Pritzker personally intervened to get TV stations to pull the ads. |
|---|
Neil Bluhm — Full Profile
| Item | Detail |
|---|
| Born | 1938; Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago; raised by single mother who was a bookkeeper; grew up in apartment above a drugstore |
| Education | University of Illinois B.S. Accounting; Northwestern University Law School 1962; started career at Mayer, Brown & Platt (now Mayer Brown) |
| JMB Realty | Co-founded 1969 with childhood friends Judd Malkin and Robert Judelson; grew to $15.5 billion in assets by 1987; 21,000 apartment units, 150 shopping centers, 15 hotels, 65 million sq ft office space; JMB bought Urban Development in 1984 — including Old Orchard Shopping Center in Skokie AND Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook; 900 N. Michigan with Bloomingdale's; Ritz-Carlton Chicago; Four Seasons Chicago |
| Rush Street Gaming | Co-founded; chairman; owns/operates Rivers Casino Des Plaines (38%, Churchill Downs 62%); Rivers Casino Pittsburgh; Rivers Casino Schenectady NY; SugarHouse Casino Philadelphia PA; Fallsview Casino Resort Niagara Falls Canada |
| Walton Street Capital | Co-founded; private equity real estate; manages $8B+ in institutional equity |
| Net worth | $6.4 billion (Forbes 2021); up from $4B in 2020 |
| Sports | Minority ownership stake in Chicago Bulls AND Chicago White Sox |
| Art collection | $300 million personal contemporary art collection; board Art Institute of Chicago; board Whitney Museum New York |
| Northwestern | Donated $15 million to Northwestern Law; Pritzker School of Law building |
| Organized crime fine | Rivers Casino fined $1.65 million in 2016 after gaming board found United Service Companies — security and cleaning firm — was hired there; United ran by former cop Richard 'Rick' Simon, who had business ties to reputed mob figures including Ben Stein |
The Political Machine — Every Key Donation and What It Bought
| Recipient | Amount/Period | What Bluhm Got |
|---|
| Michael Madigan (IL House Speaker) | ~$10,000 | Madigan ran the House that passed gambling expansion bills; Bluhm's lobbyist worked the floor |
| Lou Lang (IL House Gaming Committee Chairman) | ~$16,000 | Lang chaired the committee that controlled all gaming legislation; key Madigan ally; later forced to resign |
| Rod Blagojevich (Governor — convicted felon) | Multiple donations | Blagojevich's administration presided over the casino licensing environment; Bluhm donated before conviction |
| Rahm Emanuel (Chicago Mayor) | $770,000 from Bluhm children + spouses in 6 months Dec 2014–Mar 2015 | Bluhm's children and their spouses mega-donated to Emanuel; Bluhm simultaneously called Emanuel's deputy mayor to lobby against allowing table games at racetracks that would compete with Rivers |
| Pat Quinn (Governor) | Major donations | Quinn twice vetoed legislation that would have added casino competition; consistent with Bluhm's interests |
| Lisa Madigan (IL Attorney General) | Significant donations | Lisa Madigan issued 2015 opinion declaring DFS illegal — the opinion Bluhm weaponized against DraftKings and FanDuel for years |
| Dick Durbin (U.S. Senator) | Significant donations | Federal level protection |
| Hillary Clinton | Donations | National level |
| Barack Obama | Major fundraiser — $30,000/person birthday party at Bluhm home for DNC | Obama was IL state senator, then U.S. Senator, then President; Bluhm relationship spans his entire career |
| J.B. Pritzker (Governor) | Bluhm family donations + Pritzker had joint Niagara Falls casino investment with Bluhm family | Pritzker signed 2019 gambling expansion that locked DraftKings/FanDuel out for 18 months; Pritzker personally called TV stations to pull $1M attack ads against Bluhm; Pritzker's Gaming Board has been described as a 'rubber stamp' for governors' administrations |
| Leslie Bluhm (daughter) | Biden bundler; appointed to AmeriCorps Board of Directors | Daughter got federal appointment after bundling for Biden |
| TOTAL DOCUMENTED | $3.5M to 692 IL candidates and committees | Protected monopoly through multiple administrations and gaming law changes |
How Rivers Casino Got Its License — The Rosemont Connection
| Step | What Happened |
|---|
| 1999 | IL Gaming Board issued 10th and final casino license; Rosemont Mayor Don Stephens had development ready to go |
| D&P Problem | D&P Construction Co. Inc. (dumpsters/waste hauling from Melrose Park) was found on the Rosemont construction site. Owner: Josephine DiFronzo — married to Peter DiFronzo, sister-in-law of John DiFronzo. FBI identified both DiFronzo brothers as 'known members of organized crime.' FBI memo alleged D&P 'obtained contracts through illegal payoffs or intimidation.' |
| 2001 | Gaming Board rejected Rosemont/Emerald Casino proposal citing D&P organized crime ties |
| 2003 | IL legislature passed law to reissue revoked license via bidding process |
| 2008 | Gaming Board accepted Midwest Gaming & Entertainment (Neil Bluhm's group) to take the license — the license Rosemont lost because of D&P/organized crime connection |
| 2011 | Rivers Casino opens July 18, 2011 at 3000 S. River Road, Des Plaines — essentially across the street from where the Rosemont/Emerald casino would have been |
| 2019 | Churchill Downs buys 62% stake for $407M from Bluhm's partners; Bluhm/Rush Street retain 38% and management |
| 2025 | D&P Construction Co. found providing dumpsters at Bally's Chicago casino construction site — same mob-tied company that killed the Rosemont license and gave Rivers its license. Gaming Board halts Bally's construction. D&P's connection to DiFronzo family 'unclear' as both brothers are now dead. |
| BOTTOM LINE | Rosemont lost its casino license over D&P organized crime connections. Neil Bluhm got that license. Rivers Casino raked in $2.3 billion in the last 5 years alone. In 2025, D&P showed up at Bally's — the only Chicago casino that threatens Rivers' dominance. |
| THE CRITICAL QUESTIONRivers Casino was fined $1.65M in 2015-2016 for hiring a janitor/security firm (United Service Companies) with mob-connected management. D&P now shows up at the casino that competes with Rivers. Pritzker's Gaming Board halted Bally's construction. Pritzker has Bluhm casino investment history. The same governor who pulled anti-Bluhm ads controls the Gaming Board that issued the stop-work order against Bluhm's competitor. Is this coincidence? Pull the full IGB investigation records. |
|---|
PART II: JMB REALTY — JUDD MALKIN AND THE OAK BROOK / ORLAND PARK CONNECTION
| JMB Bought Oakbrook Center in 1984 — The Mall That Is Oak Brook's Entire Tax BaseWhen JMB Realty bought Urban Development in 1984, they acquired Oakbrook Center — the massive regional mall that is the primary commercial tax base for the entire Village of Oak Brook. Oak Brook was designed by Paul Butler (died 1981) to have NO INDUSTRY and depend on a massive shopping center for its tax base. JMB owned Oakbrook Center through the 1980s and 1990s. Paul Butler also designed and founded Butler National Golf Club (men-only, hosted Western Open 1974-1990) and Christ Church of Oak Brook — the same church where Huizenga family held memorial services. The Butler, Huizenga, and JMB networks are all physically centered on Oak Brook. |
|---|
| Entity | Oak Brook Connection |
|---|
| JMB Realty (Bluhm + Malkin) | Owned Oakbrook Center (Old Orchard + Oakbrook Center via Urban Development acquisition 1984); also owns 900 N. Michigan, Ritz-Carlton Chicago; Four Seasons Chicago |
| Huizenga Capital Management | HQ: 2215 York Road Suite 500, Oak Brook IL 60523; single family office for Huizenga family wealth management |
| Wayne Huizenga (1937-2018) | Born Evergreen Park IL; grandfather founded first Chicago garbage hauling company 1894; family combined with Dean Buntrock (WMX/Waste Management); HQ was Oak Brook IL |
| Peter Huizenga (died 2018) | Managed Huizenga family fortune from Oak Brook; memorialized at Christ Church of Oak Brook; active with Big Shoulders Fund, Timothy Christian Schools, Trinity Christian College |
| Waste Management Inc. | HQ was Oak Brook IL; largest garbage hauling company in U.S. by 1983; sold to USA Waste Services for $19 billion in 1998; 1985: WMI subsidiary GM convicted of bribing Illinois town mayor for waste contract |
| Dean Buntrock | Waste Management founder/CEO; lives in Oakbrook Terrace (adjacent to Oak Brook); Republican donor — $1K to Santorum, $1K to Jenkins, $2K to various |
| Butler National Golf Club | Paul Butler's private men-only club in Oak Brook; hosted Western Open (now BMW Championship) 1974-1990; current membership includes Chicago corporate elite |
| Christ Church of Oak Brook | Paul Butler donated land; Huizenga family connection; Timothy Christian Schools connection; private Christian school network backed by Huizenga family |
PART III: HUIZENGA DYNASTY — WASTE MANAGEMENT, OAK BROOK, AND ILLINOIS POLITICS
| From Chicago Garbage to $19 Billion — The Dynasty That Literally Owns Your TrashThe Huizenga family history is the history of Chicago garbage hauling. The grandfather of H. Wayne Huizenga founded the first garbage hauling business in Chicago in 1894. Wayne and cousin Peter combined with Dean Buntrock to form Waste Management Inc. in 1971. By 1983 it was the largest garbage hauler in America. In 1998 USA Waste Services bought the company for $19 billion. The Illinois-based family maintained Huizenga Capital Management in Oak Brook managing the fortune. Both Wayne (died March 2018, Florida) and Peter (died May 2018, Downers Grove) are gone. The next generation — P.J. Huizenga, Tim Huizenga, David Bradley (son-in-law) — now runs the family office from Oak Brook. |
|---|
The Waste Management Illinois Corruption Pattern
| Year | Event |
|---|
| 1894 | Harm Huizenga (grandfather) founds first Chicago garbage hauling company |
| 1971 | Wayne Huizenga + cousin Peter Huizenga + Dean Buntrock form Waste Management Inc. |
| 1972 | WMI goes public; Peter Huizenga serves as director for 30 years |
| 1980 | WMI grand jury indictment (Atlanta): officials convicted of conspiring to fix prices for 6 years; FBI memo noted activities 'probably directed by corporate officials from headquarters' |
| 1983 | WMI largest garbage hauler in U.S. |
| 1984 | Wayne Huizenga resigns, starts Huizenga Holdings; JMB Realty buys Urban Development (including Oakbrook Center) |
| 1985 | John Horak (WMI subsidiary GM) convicted of bribing mayor of small Illinois town to obtain a waste-hauling contract; Horak claimed he expected reimbursement from WMI officials |
| 1990 | Huizenga Capital Management founded in Oak Brook |
| 1998 | USA Waste Services buys WMI for $19 billion; Huizenga family realizes fortune |
| 2005 | Peter Huizenga profiled in Crain's; photos on family office walls include Hastert, Hyde, Tom DeLay, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan; donations 'mainly to Republicans'; also gave to Dan Hynes (D): 'You have to be a realist in politics, and this is a Democratic state' |
| 2018 | Both Wayne and Peter Huizenga die within 6 weeks of each other |
| Current | Next generation: P.J. Huizenga, Tim Huizenga, David Bradley (son-in-law/president) run firm from Oak Brook; invested in SMS Assist (facility maintenance) and Chicago Fulton Market real estate |
| THE POLITICAL PATTERN — SAME AS INSURANCE AND CONSTRUCTIONWaste Management bribed an Illinois municipal mayor to get a garbage contract. That is documented in a criminal conviction. The same dynamic applies statewide: municipalities award waste hauling contracts to companies that donate to the politicians who award those contracts. The same no-RFP pattern as insurance (Sandner/Horton) and construction (Ozinga/Curran) applies to garbage hauling. Every school district and municipality in Cook, Will, and DuPage counties has a waste hauling contract. Who has those contracts? Republic Services? Waste Management (now WM)? Local connected haulers? Who donated to the mayors and trustees who awarded them? This is a completely undocumented network waiting to be mapped. |
|---|
PART IV: D&P CONSTRUCTION — THE MOB WASTE HAULER THAT CONNECTS EVERYTHING
| The Same Company That Killed the Rosemont Casino Is Still Operating in 2025D&P Construction Co. Inc., based in Melrose Park IL, provided waste hauling (dumpsters) at multiple Chicago-area casino construction sites. The DiFronzo brothers — John and Peter DiFronzo — were identified by the FBI as 'known members of organized crime' who 'controlled' D&P and used it to 'obtain contracts through illegal payoffs or intimidation.' Josephine DiFronzo (Peter's wife) was the nominal owner. When D&P showed up on the Rosemont/Emerald casino site in 2001, the Gaming Board revoked the Emerald license. Neil Bluhm's group got that license. Rivers Casino opened in 2011. In 2025, D&P dumpsters appeared at the Bally's Chicago casino construction site — the only competitor that threatens Rivers. Gaming Board halted construction. |
|---|
| Timeline | Event |
|---|
| Pre-2001 | FBI memo: D&P 'controlled' by DiFronzo brothers; obtained contracts through 'illegal payoffs or intimidation' |
| 2001 | D&P dumpsters found at Rosemont/Emerald casino construction site; Gaming Board complaint against Emerald — 'owner of D&P married to Peter DiFronzo, sister-in-law of John DiFronzo, individuals identified as known members of organized crime' |
| 2001 | Emerald Casino license revoked over D&P organized crime concerns |
| 2005 | Gaming Board hearing officer cites FBI memo: D&P 'controlled' by DiFronzo brothers; license never restored to Rosemont |
| 2008 | Neil Bluhm's Midwest Gaming wins the reissued license |
| 2011 | Rivers Casino opens where Rosemont would have been |
| 2015-2016 | Rivers Casino fined $1.65M for hiring United Service Cos. — security/cleaning firm run by Richard 'Rick' Simon with mob connections including Ben Stein |
| 2019 | Grand Victoria Casino (Elgin) had already been fined $3.2M for hiring mob-connected air filtration contractor |
| 2025 (May 1) | Chicago Sun-Times discovers D&P dumpsters on Bally's Chicago casino construction site at 777 W. Chicago Ave |
| 2025 (May 1) | Gaming Board issues stop-work order halting Bally's $1.7B construction |
| 2025 (Jul) | Gaming Board allows Bally's construction to resume after new vendor vetting plan approved |
| NOW | John DiFronzo died; Peter DiFronzo died; 'current relationship to DiFronzo family unclear'; Peter's widow was 'long on paperwork as top officer, but is no longer' |
Illinois School System Audit | 866-312-6456 | auditor@illinoisschooldistrictaudit.com | May 2026