The Mirage

About this book

Published two years after their award-winning newspaper series this is the compelling day-by-day account of two Sun-Times reporters who infiltrated the small businessmans world to expose corruption within the Chicago government. Zekman and Smith bought The Mirage tavern then sat back and recorded the parade of city inspectors liquor vendors tradesmen and others with their sticky fingers extended. With evidence in hand they shut down the bar and wrote a series of articles that have never been matched in intensity and long-term effect. The Mirage became synonymous with Chicago corruption. The journalistic accolades also flowed in but the Zekman and Smiths bid for the biggestthe Pulitzer Prizewas torpedoed perhaps by jealous colleagues at another major metropolitan paper. This edition includes a new afterword by the authors.