Pam Zekman

Pam Zekman, Z-E-K-M-A-N, and I'm an investigative reporter now with the CBS station in Chicago.

Pam Zekman, Z-E-K-M-A-N, and I'm an investigative reporter now with the CBS station in Chicago.

But one of the most difficult tips that we got was tips from small businesses that said that they were sick and tired of having to pay bribes to all kinds of inspectors that would demand payoffs and keep coming. It never ended.

But one of the most difficult tips that we got was tips from small businesses that said that they were sick and tired of having to pay bribes to all kinds of inspectors that would demand payoffs and keep coming. It never ended.

People would say, everyone does it. It's systemic. You'll never be able to do anything about it. It's just the Chicago way. And we wanted the tipsters to go public with us. And they wouldn't understandably, they would not.

People would say, everyone does it. It's systemic. You'll never be able to do anything about it. It's just the Chicago way. And we wanted the tipsters to go public with us. And they wouldn't understandably, they would not.

My biggest fear was that we would have something terrible happen in the bar and that it would become a horrible mistake.

My biggest fear was that we would have something terrible happen in the bar and that it would become a horrible mistake.

We looked at dozens of places, tried to find a bar that was in our price range. We were looking for a place where we could conceal our photographers.

We looked at dozens of places, tried to find a bar that was in our price range. We were looking for a place where we could conceal our photographers.

Most important of all, from the get-go, it had a lot of obvious violations. There were drain boards behind the bar that were rotting. There were bar sinks that dumped water directly onto the floor. There was a pool of water in the basement that we thought had maggots in it. It looked like maggots. There were electrical wires hanging down from all sorts of places. One of the toilets didn't flush.

Most important of all, from the get-go, it had a lot of obvious violations. There were drain boards behind the bar that were rotting. There were bar sinks that dumped water directly onto the floor. There was a pool of water in the basement that we thought had maggots in it. It looked like maggots. There were electrical wires hanging down from all sorts of places. One of the toilets didn't flush.

It was wonderful. And incredibly, the owner said in five years he'd never been cited for a single violation. We couldn't believe it. We had just started fixing the place up minimally when the first inspector that came in was a plumbing inspector. Older man, very heavy set. He was looking at behind the bar.

It was wonderful. And incredibly, the owner said in five years he'd never been cited for a single violation. We couldn't believe it. We had just started fixing the place up minimally when the first inspector that came in was a plumbing inspector. Older man, very heavy set. He was looking at behind the bar.

He wound up being unconcerned about water that was like a waterfall, practically, dripping from the sinks. And he said, nothing here is up to code. And then he made a comment about probably we didn't have enough money to fix it. So leave it, he said. That's not something an inspector should say, leave your code violations. He said, don't worry about it. We'll work something out.

He wound up being unconcerned about water that was like a waterfall, practically, dripping from the sinks. And he said, nothing here is up to code. And then he made a comment about probably we didn't have enough money to fix it. So leave it, he said. That's not something an inspector should say, leave your code violations. He said, don't worry about it. We'll work something out.

Fear. I did not expect that we would have a lot of business in the neighborhood that we were in. I was wrong. I mean, on opening day, I was having trouble pouring beer. And a customer had wound up giving me a lesson in pouring beer without having it foam and out of the glass and gave me a pat on the back and said, that's very good. There was another time when somebody asked me for a Drambuie.

Fear. I did not expect that we would have a lot of business in the neighborhood that we were in. I was wrong. I mean, on opening day, I was having trouble pouring beer. And a customer had wound up giving me a lesson in pouring beer without having it foam and out of the glass and gave me a pat on the back and said, that's very good. There was another time when somebody asked me for a Drambuie.

And I said, a what? And he said, a Drambuie. And he said, I don't think we have that. And the customer said, what do you mean you don't have it? It's right behind you. I have no idea. One guy came in one morning and wanted a shot and a beer. And I poured the shot in the beer.

And I said, a what? And he said, a Drambuie. And he said, I don't think we have that. And the customer said, what do you mean you don't have it? It's right behind you. I have no idea. One guy came in one morning and wanted a shot and a beer. And I poured the shot in the beer.