From our March 2005 issue: To people accused of doing bad things—embezzling millions, bribing judges, putting a bullet in someone’s head—Ed Genson may be the go-to lawyer in town. For years the Mob had him on speed dial. And pols in trouble (including Larry Warner, Governor Ryan’s friend and codefendant) regularly sign up with him. He’s cunning, funny, sometimes outrageous—a master of the cross examination. But what matters most to his clients: He’ll do (almost) anything to win.

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Calling himself an electronic Robin Hood, Jeremy Hammond used his computer savvy to attack a conservative group's Web site. He called it an act of civil disobedience. The FBI called it theft. Read more
On the eve of a major exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Oak Park cartoonist (along with some of his contemporaries) offers an introduction to a genre that is successfully blurring the line between literature and art. Read more
What do you do when your maid won't clean? In an acclaimed new comedy about class and gender, Wilmette native Sarah Ruhl brings her brand of postmodern magical realism to the Goodman Read more
Chicago’s eight “selective enrollment” public high schools are fielding some of the city’s top graduates, giving parents an attractive alternative to fleeing for the suburbs. But are these elite institutions draining the brains out of the neighborhoods? Read more
Ken Dunn embodies an American ideal of intelligence, an extraordinary melding of farmer and philosopher. He just might be the smartest man in the city. And he grows magnificent tomatoes. Read more
A chilling series of small mistakes led to the midair collision that took the life of the radio personality Bob Collins and two others almost four years ago. Today, several lawsuits are arguing that the tragedy signals a much larger problem with aviation. Read more
The Pritzker family's $15-billion fortune represents a great American success story—a rags-to-riches tale of hugely profitable deals and dedicated philanthropy. Now, beset by the collapse of a financial institution it owned, and pulled apart by diverse interests, a new generation struggles to keep the dynasty on course. Read more