Bob Wiedrich

Windy City Watchdog Bob Wiedrich

Brief Description: "Bob Wiedrich for many years was Chicago's foremost newspaper columnist, writing in the Chicago Tribune about crime, corrupt politicians, and major personalities. He made his mark shortly after mid-century, an era when the Mafia held a dominant role and the power of the press was at its zenith. In those days, the Tribune called itself the World's Greatest Newspaper. Hoodlums lived in fear of Wiedrich, who rooted out their nefarious activities, serving as a prod to law enforcement and the courts. It was a time when television and radio wer unable to push the newspapers aside and there was yet no cable TV, satellite communication, or the internet. In these pages, Wiedrich recounts his exploits and the highlights of a career that can never be duplicated, as the forces of new media continue to fragment the nation's press. In addition to the assassination of Robert Kennedy, Wiedrich writes of the deadly Our Lady of Angels elementary school fire, the trail of mass murderer Richard Speck, and efforts to quell Chicago gangland's sinister floating crap grame. As well, he documents his world travels to 17 countries, including Afghanistan, in pursuit of the global narcotics trade. Wiedrich's career spanned the newspaper era from the typewriter and Linotype machine to the digital age. He would not write 30 to his reporting until he was in hailing distance of a new millennium." (Found on book website)