Alleged mob figure shot

December 24, 1999

BY CAM SIMPSON AND MOLLY SULLIVAN STAFF REPORTERS

A reputed top mobster was shot and critically wounded Thursday morning as he stepped out of his Bridgeport home, reportedly heading to the funeral of an underworld pal.

The shooting of Ronald Jarrett, 55, who is a reputed lieutenant to suspected South Side rackets boss John "Johnny Apes" Monteleone, is believed by authorities to be the mob's first Chicago area shooting in at least seven years.

Jarrett was listed in critical but stable condition Thursday night at Cook County Hospital.

Police say Jarrett was shot several times about 10:18 a.m. on the street near his home in the 3000 block of South Lowe. He was hit in the right shoulder and in both arms, police said, and bullets grazed his head and chest.

At least two men were believed to be involved: the shooter and the driver of a small rental truck used in the attack. The truck was found burning in an alley a few blocks away from the scene, police confirmed Thursday.

Torching getaway vehicles is a common mob practice; it destroys evidence, including fingerprints and telltale fibers.

On Thursday, federal investigators were checking reports that Jarrett had recently had a dispute with other reputed South Side mobsters. Federal law enforcement officials also said privately that they feared the shooting may trigger more mob violence.

Jarrett was shot as he was heading to the funeral of Charles "Guy" Bills, a relative who had once been a member of Jarrett's infamous burglary crew, according to federal law enforcement sources.

Bills, who died of natural causes, had remained friends with Jarrett and other reputed mobsters despite becoming a key government witness in the prosecution of the Calabrese Street Crew, whose members were convicted in 1996 on charges ranging from loan sharking and racketeering to witness intimidation.

Visitation for Bills was under way at an Orland Park funeral home at the time of the Jarrett shooting.

Jarrett was convicted in 1980 for masterminding the $40,000 armed robbery of the Orange Blossom jewelry store in Oak Lawn. Jarrett was released only recently from federal prison after being sentenced to 25 years for that robbery under a federal law known as the "Dangerous Special Offender Statute."

At the time of his sentencing, Jarrett had been arrested 58 times as an adult and convicted 13 times, according to court records.

Contributing: Frank Main