Ever since Springfield developer Bill Cellini sought and got permission to develop the Vulcan Lakes TIF property owned by the City of Crystal Lake, I have wondered why he came on October 10, 2006, and why the group he led won Mayor Aaron Shepley’s city council’s approval for the $115 million project.

(October 10th was three days before he was implicated in the Tony Rezko probe.)

I still wonder every time I see Cellini’s name in the paper.

Thursday was no different.

Gaming Board Chairman and former State Rep. And Judge Aaron Jaffe issued the following statement, printed by the Daily Herald:

“The Cellini Group, however, continues to hold an interest in a casino awarded to the Waukegan applicant, Indeed, if Waukegan is ever selected, Michael Pizzuto, a longtime associate of Mr. Cellini who purchased the collective Cellini interests for $32,450, must pay the Cellini interests the balance of their prior costs in the Waukegan project, an amount in excess of $600,000. The fact that the Cellini-Pizzuto agreement provides that the payment of prior costs may be disallowed does not abate our concern.”

Here is a short part of Cellini’s appearance at Crystal Lake City Hall.