Carl

I was born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois. I graduated from high school and went to Robert Morris College in Chicago. After that, in 1988, I decided to join the Army. I stayed in the Army from '88 to '91 and I was a reservist from '91 to '96. I was still living in Waukegan, and in 1993-94 I decided to buy a home in North Chicago. I've been a resident ever since.

What was your area of study in college?

I went to Robert Morris College and got an Associates Degree in word processing. Imagine that: word processing!

So, if I were to pull out a typewriter right now…

Oh, I can still type! I was doing 80 [words per minute]!  I worked for a temporary company– a lot of different jobs. If somebody needed a fill-in, we’d be there. It worked out really well. Then, you know, I decided to join Army.

How’d you come to that decision?

I was much younger. I was in my 20s, and I was having car trouble all the time. One day the car broke down on me, so I'm walking down Washington Street in Waukegan. I was so sick and tired of this car. As I'm walking down the street, I look to my left and I see Uncle Sam pointing his finger, sayin': "I want you." I said, "You know what? What the heck? Let me see what he's talking about." That's the truth. Nobody'd believe I'd join the Army, right? Because at the time it would have never crossed my mind. I'm walking down the street. I see that sign. The sign is pointing at me. So I go in and talk to the guy. I told him that I'd join. That was in the month of June and I ended up leaving the month of August. And I'll tell you something else: at the time, I had a big Jheri Curl. Hair everywhere! You really wouldn't have believed it. What is he joining the Army for? Because I just got frustrated! Everybody could not believe– but that's how I joined the army.

You enlisted because you were mad about your car?!

I was really mad about that car. You've never heard of that before, huh?

What did the recruiter have to say?

They were really surprised when I came in there, right? I was telling you, I was totally different. So I walk in, they give me this test. We talked, and he's telling me about how I could go places and do this and do that. Then they offer me a bonus because I had already gone to Robert Morris [College], and he said, "What do you want to do?" I really didn't know, to be honest with you. I was saying “clerical," and he was saying, "we've got units, that you could be clerical…” and then he said I could be a truck driver too. So I said, "Okay." They sent me to Fort Leonard Wood, in Missouri. I did my basic training, A.I.T. [Advanced Individual Training]... and then I was supposed to go to New Jersey, but instead they sent me to Germany. My first time out the country, and it was Germany. 

And what happened to the car?!

Oh! I gave that car to my uncle. I left that car. I told him: “Go get it, and you can have it.” I'll tell ya, I was really mad! It was 1978/79 Grand Prix. Very nice. 

Maybe, but it was always breaking down…
So it was driving that drove you into the Army, combined with one of the most well-known American advertising campaigns of all time. And did you become a truck driver as the recruiter suggested? 

I did! I went to a unit, and they told me that I was going to be doing clerical work with the truck drivers and stuff, so I thought I was gonna be a dispatcher. That didn't happen. They put me in an infantry unit. That was a surprise. My whole time in the army I was in Europe. Just as I was getting ready to come back home, the war broke out: Kuwait. So guess where I went? Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. I was transporting ammo, transporting people.

Fast forward to 1993. You’ve left the Army but are still in the Reserves, and you decide to buy that home in North Chicago.

I wanted to purchase the house because I ‘cuz I had served my time in the military. Gotta get something to show for it, right?! I was looking and I found a really, really nice house here. When I decided to buy that home, there was a hotel next door. I was at a different age, and that hotel didn’t bother me. The hotel was there first, and I came second. But the hotel had a lot of different “activities.” Prostitution, selling drugs, stealing, you name it– it was there at that hotel. 

At the time, there was an alley; my house sits on one side and I had a garage on the other side. Anyone could drive through this alley between my house and the garage. I wanted a way to connect the two, so I ended up buying the alley between, and I put a fence around the whole house. And now you’ve got people that are looking at me and threatening me and talking crazy to me from the hotel. I knew some of the people over there of course, but I also knew what they were doing. It was far, far from a regular hotel.

One thing led to another and I got with one of the Aldermen at the time, and we decided this hotel needed to be torn down. I went to the Alderman, and I went to the mayor. I went to the fire department, police chief– everyone in the city. Then, the thing caught on fire. I had many days I'd thought about doing it, but I never never did. I never did. I was out there the night the hotel caught on fire. The mayor of North Chicago at the time, the fire chief, they were out there. They had the roads blocked, and I came outside and I told them: "Let it burn. LET. IT. BURN! Let it burn down!! They wouldn't do it: “We can't do that!" I said "It's okay! Let it burn!” [laughter] But guess what? They saved it. I could not believe it.

It was still up, and I said, “Look, I am going to go through every legal process there is to get this hotel torn down.” It took eight to 10 years, but I finally accomplished what I set out to do. We got the hotel down. It was a big accomplishment that brought me to think that I would be a really big asset of this city. Once I got that hotel down, I decided to run for office. I was already doing community work at the time, so I ran for Alderman. Approximately 10 years ago, I won the position, and ever since I've been an Alderman in the Third Ward of North Chicago.

And as Alderman, you’ve gained a reputation for your fashion sense.

Well, yes. I'm known for wearing suits all the time. I love wearing suits, shoes, and glossy hats. I've always dressed like that since I was a teenager. Matter of fact, I got a suit when I was a little kid. You'll see me [in pictures] with one as a baby, and I had a suit as I was growing up. There's one news reporter, when she writes a news story on me she always writes: "He's got on a Zoot Suit today."

Your parents influenced you in other ways, too.

Well, they taught me how to go to church. I've been an active member of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Waukegan for about the past 20 years. I'm a deacon at that church. I believe in God, and I believe in doing the right thing. 

I believe in helping people. I told you that from the beginning. That's just something that's instilled in me. No matter what, I'm gonna help you if you need help. Why not? I think it's really selfish for people not to want to help others when they need it. If you're in a position to help somebody– you don't have to be rich to help people– but just take the time out.

There's no goal for me to not help you out. Thank goodness, I am a person that cares enough about people– and it doesn’t matter what color you are, how you look, or whatever the situation is. My whole thing is, if you call me and and I'm in a position where I can help you– whether it's for food, or whether it's to help fix your streets or do something to provide a service for you– that's why I'm here.

What are you most proud of?

I am proud that I have accomplished a lot of things in my life– such as purchasing a house. And now doing this aldermanic work, providing a service for the city. Being there for my daughter, and my grandson, and being there for my dad. You know, I'm really proud of my family. Family is very, very important. 

What's the best advice you’ve ever received?

Just to be humble. 

Who told you that? 

My dad.

How would your dad describe you in three words?

He's good. He's kind. And everybody loves him.

Everybody loves him?! Is that true?

That's what they tell me. [laughter] Well, I'm sure we got some... but I'll just go with the majority!

Spoken like a true politician! So what’s next? What do you aspire to?

Oh man, I hope this life to be just as good as it is today. For real. Because it's really nice. Life is good. 

I love this city. I'm telling you, when I tell you about that hotel– If I've survived that whole scenario– I know that everything will be okay.

This conversation has been edited and condensed.