# Metra chief commits suicide



## Trogdor (May 7, 2010)

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=38143


----------



## fredevad (May 7, 2010)

Trogdor said:


> http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=38143


This hits close to home for me. A business partner of my company that I've been working with lately is less than 1/4 mile from where this happened.


----------



## MikefromCrete (May 7, 2010)

Wow, this is really tragic. I met Pagano on number of occasions in my job as a newspaper reporter and was always impressed by his leaderhip of Metra. This investigation was really drilling in on the $56,000 "bonus" with even Sen. Durkin joining in. His apparent "suicide by train" is doubly tragic. I'm suprised he would put his own crews through such a terrible event.


----------



## oldtimer (May 7, 2010)

MikefromCrete said:


> Wow, this is really tragic. I met Pagano on number of occasions in my job as a newspaper reporter and was always impressed by his leaderhip of Metra. This investigation was really drilling in on the $56,000 "bonus" with even Sen. Durkin joining in. His apparent "suicide by train" is doubly tragic. I'm suprised he would put his own crews through such a terrible event.



I have to agree with you Mike as I had also met Phil Pagano on several occasions in my union position. I also cannot believe that he would do this to a Metra crew. I can say from personal experience that any suicide has a dramatic effect on the crew and also the first responders. My heart goes out to them especially since Phil was a very visible person on the railroad and in all probability the crew had met him. I will also keep the Pagano family in my prayers.


----------



## Trogdor (May 7, 2010)

Not to detract from the seriousness of the situation, but the train would have been operated by a Union Pacific crew, and not actual Metra employees.


----------



## rrdude (May 7, 2010)

Best quote I read in the blogs about his death.

"Live by the train, die by the train............"


----------



## Green Maned Lion (May 7, 2010)

Why are we assuming this is suicide and not either a very tragic accident, or a very tragic on purpose?


----------



## Donctor (May 7, 2010)

Green Maned Lion said:


> Why are we assuming this is suicide and not either a very tragic accident, or a very tragic on purpose?


Because he was very probably going to lose his job (his identity) today.


----------



## AlanB (May 7, 2010)

Green Maned Lion said:


> Why are we assuming this is suicide and not either a very tragic accident, or a very tragic on purpose?


Because there is no way it could have been an accident and because the police have found evidence that allows them to conclude that it was a suicide.


----------



## Green Maned Lion (May 7, 2010)

Amtking said:


> Green Maned Lion said:
> 
> 
> > Why are we assuming this is suicide and not either a very tragic accident, or a very tragic on purpose?
> ...


Most people don't feel that strongly about their jobs in this country.



AlanB said:


> Green Maned Lion said:
> 
> 
> > Why are we assuming this is suicide and not either a very tragic accident, or a very tragic on purpose?
> ...


Alan, your logic is flawed. Chicago is one of the most corrupt cities in the US. Evidence is not always the truth.


----------



## AlanB (May 7, 2010)

Green Maned Lion said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > Green Maned Lion said:
> ...


He didn't commit suicide in Chicago and the Chicago PD is not investigating this. He committed suicide in McHenry County some 45 miles outside of Chicago.


----------



## RTOlson (May 7, 2010)

@GML - Many people may not feel their jobs are their lives, but Pagano was in his position since 1990. That's 20 years. I can't say if his identity was intrinsically tied to his career, but I would feel a strong connection being in the same job for two decades.

Apparently the evidence pointing to Pagano taking his life includes a personal note he apparently left before his death. Take that with a grain of salt if you wish.


----------



## Spokker (May 8, 2010)

The fact that he committed suicide leads me to believe that he did whatever crime they are accusing him of and did not want to face the consequences. But hey, I could be wrong. I'm just glad there's a transit executive that actually uses transit. To create the same sense of irony, other transit executives and those who sit on the boards of transit agencies would have to step in front of an SUV.


----------



## Green Maned Lion (May 8, 2010)

NJ Transit includes a driven car as part of its Executive Director's compensation, IIRC.


----------



## WhoozOn1st (May 12, 2010)

The investigation resumes...

Pagano inquiry continues

"Metra’s board of directors will meet Friday to continue its investigation into financial irregularities that likely prompted former director Phil Pagano’s suicide by train.

"Board members plan to create a committee to conduct a top-to-bottom analysis of Metra’s practices, as well as appoint an inspector general to receive complaints about Metra operations. Both are actions that board members planned to take last Friday at an emergency meeting, which they canceled after learning of Pagano’s death."

...and an editorial critical of Metra from the McHenry County, IL, Northwest Herald:

Metra not a good steward

"Pagano died the same day that Metra’s board of directors was planning to fire him amid allegations he misappropriated public money for personal use.

"Pagano, who had been on paid leave since the allegations first were reported by Crain’s Chicago Business, apparently secured himself a $56,000 advance on 2010-2011 vacation time in late summer 2009 without Metra Board approval.

"Metra didn’t start investigating the misappropriation of funds until Crain’s started asking questions about it."


----------



## Bob Dylan (May 12, 2010)

I'm SHOCKED!SHOCKED! that corruption was going on in a Chicago area political influenced operation!  All things considered, compared to places like Louisiana, New Jersey and New York it sounds like small potatos!  Wonder if he kept it in his freezer or a shoe box like other scoundrels that were found out and disgraced! Not that I am glad that he took his life over such chump change but that he took the fall for what I'm sure is much larger and far reaching corruption! 

Hope fares don't go up and service has to be cut like so many other states/cities that are making rail and bus transportation scapegoats for poor management by political leaders! :angry: (Down here CapMetro is the example of this!)


----------



## had8ley (May 13, 2010)

Spokker said:


> " To create the same sense of irony, other transit executives and those who sit on the boards of transit agencies would have to step in front of an SUV."


...or the wheels of a 737... h34r:


----------



## WhoozOn1st (May 15, 2010)

It appears the deceased Metra chief was into the outfit for a pretty good chunk of change over time...

Chicago Metra executive had defrauded agency before committing suicide

"[special counsel James] Sotos said that his investigation revealed that Pagano, Metra’s executive director for 20 years, defrauded Metra out of about $475,000 since 1999. He also said that in the last two years, Pagano’s efforts to get his hands on more and more money intensified."

At a wild guess, the pattern described in the story seems like someone perhaps trying to cover gambling losses.


----------



## Bob Dylan (May 15, 2010)

WhoozOn1st said:


> It appears the deceased Metra chief was into the outfit for a pretty good chunk of change over time...
> Chicago Metra executive had defrauded agency before committing suicide
> 
> "[special counsel James] Sotos said that his investigation revealed that Pagano, Metra’s executive director for 20 years, defrauded Metra out of about $475,000 since 1999. He also said that in the last two years, Pagano’s efforts to get his hands on more and more money intensified."
> ...


You are probably correct Patrick, however since he was a career Illinois guy perhaps he was just doing business as usual since most Chicago area political type jobs come with a license to steal! Still looks like fairly small chump change compared to most political thiefs, perhaps he had a girlfriend (or a boyfriend)????


----------

