Joseph Berrios

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Joseph Berrios

b. February 14, 1952

Chairman, Cook County Democratic Party (2007-)
Chicago, 31st Ward Democratic Committeeman (1987- )
Cook County, Commissioner, Board of Review (1988-)
Illinois, State Representative (1982-1988)

31st Ward Map

1 Clout and Influence
2 Employment and Electoral History
3 Education
4 Important Political Events
5 Sources

Clout and Influence

For almost eighty years the 31st Ward was ruled by men named Keane. Then-State Senator Thomas E. Keane took over 1945, when his father, Thomas P. Keane, died. Ten years later Young Keane led a group of committeemen to oust current mayor Martin Kennelly and slate Richard J. Daley for mayor in 1955. Now-mayor Daley made Keane his Council floor leader and was rewarded him with the Chair of the City Council Finance Committee in 1958. Keane, now the most powerful Chicago Alderman ever, unabashedly used his positions to enrich himself and everyone in his circle.

In 1974's his lack of ethics caught up with him when crusading Republican Cook County State's Attorney James Thompson won Keane's conviction for insider dealing. Although he was forced out of office, Keane managed to run ward affairs from his Kentucky federal jail cell, slating his wife for Alderman and passing the Committeeman job to 31st Ward Democratic Organization Secretary Edward Nezda in 1976. Here is where young precinct captain named Joe Berrios began to move up, becoming the 31st Ward Democratic Organization Secretary under Nezda.

By 1980 Keane and had Nezda split - but they were united in their opposition to Mayor Harold Washington. Keane as a close ally of Mayor Jane Byrne and Nezda and Berrios working to elect anti-Washington Aldermanic candidate Miguel Santiago in 1983. Santiago then became a founding member of the Vrdolyak 29 and an regular opponent of "independent" Latinos like Miguel Del Valle and Luis Gutierrez.

In 1987 Nezda was convicted of extortion charges, forcing him to resign the Committeeman post. Berrios was appointed by his precinct captains to replace Nezda and then chose to avoid a tough state legislature reelection race by seeking slating for Cook County Board of Appeals (now called the Board of Review) in 1988. The little-publicized Board of Review, responsible for granting multi-million dollar commercial property tax breaks, has traditionally been a favors and campaign contribution cash machine.

As committeeman Berrios has been a stalwart supporter of Mayor Richard M. Daley and was an early supporter of the Hispanic Democratic Organization (HDO).

Following Thomas Lyons' death in 2007, Berrios competed for Cook County Democratic Chairman with 29th Ward Committeeman (and Alderman) Isaac Carothers and Niles Township Committeeman (and State Representative) Lou Lang. While Lang gathered suburban committeemen votes, Carothers had the backing of Mayor Richard M. Daley and Berrios received the backing of Illinois State Democratic Party Chair (and House Speaker) Michael Madigan, who occasionally lobbies Berrios before the Board of Review. Berrios won the Chairmanship, but Carothers was given the chair of the (once powerful) Slating Committee.

On the Board of Review Berrios has received repeated challenges from Assessor James Houlihan. In 2004 Houlihan and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. sponsored the successful campaign of Larry Rodgers, Jr. to remove Berrios ally Robert Shaw and then in 2006 Houlihan sponsored Brendan Houlihan's (no relation) successful campaign to remove Berrios ally Maureen Murphy. In 2008 Houlihan, now partnered with County Board Commissioner Forrest Claypool, sponsored attorney Jay Paul Deratany's campaign to remove Berrios from the Board of Review. Berrios, who outspent Deratany's $1+ million campaign, held on to his seat by more than ten points.

Throughout his political career Berrios has worked closely with fellow 31st Warder, Thomas Jaconetty. An attorney who does election law work for many Berrios allies, Jaconetty was fired as Board of Review Deputy Commissioner in 2006, the most visible casualty of Jim Houlihan's new control of the Board of Review. When Berrios was appointed Cook County Board Chair, Jaconetty became the Committee's chief legal counsel.

In 2002 Berrios elected his then 25-year old daughter, Antonia Berrios, to a newly created majority-Latino district centered on the 31st Ward.

Employment and Electoral History

While serving in the Illinois House Berrios worked a second job as an accountant for the Cook County Board of Appeals (now called the Board of Review). Since then he launched a lobbying firm Berrios-Panayotovich with Sam Panayotovich, a close ally of former convicted Governor George Ryan and of former Alderman Edward Vrdolyak. Berrios also operates an insurance brokerage, J.B. Insurance.

Education

Lane Technical High School
University of Illinois, B.S., Accounting

Important Political Events

1983, Elected Illinois State Representative, first Latino state legislator
1987, Appointed 31st Ward Democratic Committeeman, replacing Edward Nezda
1988, Elected 31st Ward Democratic Committeeman, defeating Raymond Figueroa
1988, Elected Commissioner, Cook County Board of Appeals (now Board of Review)
2002, Slates and assists daughter Antonia Berrios' election to Illinois House
2007, Appointed Chairman, Cook County Democratic Party by county Democratic committeemen