Grim Reaper Beats Mike Satz
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The Grim Reaper beat State Attorney Mike Satz to the punch this week.
Marc Sultanof, a long-time political power in Tamarac, died. He was 90.
At the time of his death, Sultanof was facing a trial for bribery.
Sultanof was a former city commissioner and a Democratic leader at Kings Point condos for many years. He had helped presidents, governors, congressmen and county commissioners get elected.
He should have been relaxing and enjoying his Golden Age. Instead he was fighting to stay out of jail.
Sultanof had been scooped up in the huge corruption investigation involving the Chait’s. They are two developers who wanted to build houses on Tamarac golf courses and didn’t mind paying off a few politicians to get their way.
The case was a tricky one for Satz. A Catch 22. A no-win situation.
Some, including Sultanof’s politically potent friends in the Democratic Party, believed Satz was a bully picking on a 90-year-old.
But Satz had little choice. If he couldn’t get a plea, he had to drag an aging sick man before a jury.
Perhaps if Sultanof had been accused of stealing underwear from Wal-Mart, Satz would have some latitude, one prosecutor said. But Satz can never overlook public corruption that he believed could be proven.
Public corruption is is a crime that eats away at the very fabric of our government. Satz must crack down on it whenever he finds it. So when the Chaits and evidence alleged that Sultanof took $30,000 for a new car, Satz had to act.
Isn’t that what we want from the State Attorney?
Still, the on-going case, trial preparation and trial would have been expensive and time-consuming. It would have tied up prosecutors for days, if not weeks. And there was always a chance that a jury would have acquitted Sultanof.
Even if he were found guilty, this one wouldn’t be another notch in Satz’s pistol. More like a scratch on the handle.
No judge would have done anything more than slap Sultanof on the wrist. To jail a 90-year-old, ill man would have been ridiculous and highly costly for taxpayers.
Few would applaude Sultanof being put on trial.
Perhaps Sultanof’s death was the best option for Satz and taxpayers.
The political boss’s supporters might feel differently and I agree with them. Having pled not guilty and proclaimed his innocence, Sultanof never got to explain himself.
As the defendant, Sultanof could have demanded a speedy trial. He didn’t. So we never got to hear his side.
And that could be the saddest part of this story.
Rest in peace, Marc.
June 22nd, 2011 at 6:07 pm
So it’s OK to be a corrupt elected official if your old? This explains why Satz hasn’t gone after Ed Portner, Sultanof’s BFF and fellow automobile recipient! R.I.P. (Rot In Perpetuity!)
June 22nd, 2011 at 6:41 pm
I have a different take on this… Its easier to pick on Sultanof than Ilene or Stacy. They have the political capital to hurt Satz. That is the tragedy in this case.
Instead of going after those who built empires on corrupt dealing you get a guy who got a car.
He should have been charged. He did it. There are a lot more officials who also should’ve been charged too.
June 22nd, 2011 at 7:46 pm
In 2000 & 2001 I served with Mark Sultanof on a committee while I was a Democratic Committeeman. He was thoughtful and always courteous to everyone. He had a wonderful sense of humor and I always felt comfortable around him. His warm smile will be missed by all who knew him. Am, very sad to read of his passing.
June 22nd, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Another one for Mike to answer for on judgement day. What do you prefer Mike, a cockroach or plague carrying rat in your next go round?
June 23rd, 2011 at 3:03 pm
OOOOOooohhhhhhhhhhhh pppppuuuuulllleeeeeeaaassssssseeeee,
what are you meshogana? He got caught….once. How many other criminal acts did he commit? Look, I read the article and threw up a lil in my mouth. The people of Kings Point got a water bpttle left over from a meeting and a stale bagel, the poor schmucks in the mainlands, got piles of dirt, unfinished roads and a gold course view destroyed, for what? So some ol’ fart can drive a new Honda? Listen, as I was telling Satan da other day, watch this new guy, he’ll rob your blind! And at 90, what did Satz steal???? A few months?weeks? Damn, milk has a longer expiration date!
June 23rd, 2011 at 3:16 pm
You described very well the difficulty prosecutors have every day when deciding who to prosecute and whether he has enough evidence to convince a jury of wrongdoing. I work on the other side but I understand.
June 23rd, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Buddy, you’ve been a political shill for years, so what you are saying, depending on the age, you go free? Ask Roswell Gilbert how’d that work out for him? Sorry, but when you see satz you’re tail starts wagging like a puppy.
June 23rd, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Dead norms da bomb !
June 24th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
No, Satz is de bomb. He takes out an old condo leader regardless of how it would affect his reelection.