Bankruptcy Attorney News – Peter Francis Geraci Law, call us at 800 CALL PFG

Holly Geraci and her husband, Chicago attorney Peter Francis Geraci, attended the Holy Name Cathedral annual Parish Gala at the four seasons Hotel on Friday, October 29. Although Holy Name is a Cathedral, it is also the home of a parish of communicants. The annual gathering of parishioners raises money for the charitable work of the cathedral itself. Holly and Peter were very happy to be invited by Kathy Barr, a parishioner, and to meet new and old friends. At Kathy’s table were Stanley Kusper and his wife. Mr. Kusper is best known as the former Chicago City Clerk, and a partner in the prominent law firm of Kusper and Raucci.

  Mr. Geraci clerked for a law firm in the old Peerless Federal Savings and Loan building on the northwest side of Chicago, where Mr. Custer’s partner, Andrew Raucci, established an office when he got out of law school a year or two before Mr. Geraci.  After the opening invocation, the rector of holy name Cathedral, Rev. Gregory Sakowicz, was introduced and welcomed everyone. It was then that Mr. Geraci asked if the Rev. was related to legendary Chicago entertainer Sig Sakowicz.   Mr. Geraci was the editor of the Depaul University newspaper, the De Paulia, in 1972, and also a big fan of Sig. Sig was featured on the cover of the April 25, 1972 issue. Kathy introduced Mr. Geraci to Rev. Sakowicz, who was quite surprised to hear of Mr. Geraci’s admiration for his dad and Rev. Sakowicz’s sister, who is an attorney with Clifford law firm in Chicago.

Rev. Sakowicz is an avid longtime birdwatcher, and his auction of the early morning springtime birdwatching trip to Montrose Harbor, to view the southern migration, was “avidly” bid on; obtaining $3,000.00 in bids, one from Mr. Geraci.

Peter Francis Geraci has become a partner of the Keystone Society Members for the Indiana Bar Foundation.  Mr. Geraci donates to a number of Bar Associations.  The Indiana State Bar focuses on helping individuals who need a lawyer, but may not be able to afford a lawyer.

The Keystone Society was created to raise awareness and to get more lawyers to donate to the bar foundation.

Mr. Geraci, a member of multiple state bars, regularly contributes to bar foundations.  He understands the importance of helping individuals who need a good lawyer, but have limited funds.  Mr. Geraci recently accepted a case in East Moline; as he is among a list of lawyers who accept pro-bono cases.

 

 

One of the worlds foremost jazz performers, Freddie Cole, performed Friday night at the University of Chicago performance all. Mr. Cole is a Juilliard trained pianist on vocalist, and is the youngest brother of Nat King Cole.

Peter Francis Geraci and his wife Holly Geraci were kindly invited by their dear friends George and Leslie Jackson, who attended with their extended family, and many friends as well as the regular subscribers to the concert program. It was a packed house.

Mr. Cole was accompanied by guitar bass and drums, and they were fantastic especially the drummer; who would have been up to Nat King Cole standards, but what really stood out was Mr. Cole’s performance of Going Down Slowly.  The blues tune Mr. Geraci first heard when he was nine years old looking into the doorway of bars on 41st and calumet where he grew up. Has Mr. Cole said, every house should have at least one Freddie Cole CD in it!

Peter Francis Geraci Donates to the Florida Bar Foundation, State Bar of California, Wisconsin Law Foundation, Minnesota Bar Foundation and the Illinois Bar Foundation.

The purpose of the foundations is to provide legal aid to individuals who are disadvantaged.  Millions of individuals each year can use legal assistance, but very few can actually afford it.  By supporting these foundations, the state bar foundations can provide legal services.

Not only do these foundations provide legal assistance to low-income individuals, but the foundations will also provide support to youths.  There are a number of cases where a youth needs attorney representation.  Without state foundations, providing free or reduced cost legal services, individuals under the age of 18 could have no legal representation.

The bar foundations, and the attorneys who donate money and their time to them, provide excellent services to the community.  Geraci Law  encourages anyone who can donate, to do so.

Not only does Mr. Geraci support the bar foundations, he is also part of a list of attorneys who accept pro bono cases.  You can read our story about a recent case Mr. Geraci accepted in East Moline here. 

Mussels are tasty little shellfish. They have an elongated black shell and the inside is a mussel that holds the shell closed. The inside of the mussel is not all slimy like the oyster. So, the mussel has an entirely different taste. As with any shellfish, it has to be alive when you cook it, unless you’re buying it precooked. You can buy precooked mussels, just like crab meat. What I like to do is find fresh mussels, that are still alive; and the way you know they’re still alive is that the shell will, if it is open a bit, close when you tap it. So if you see a bag of mussels, and the shells are all closed, they’re probably still alive. If they’re not still alive, the shell will be open, and will not close when you tap. Throw that sucker out. Never eat a mussel that has its shell open and doesn’t close when you tap or when you rinse it with cold water.

So anyway, mussels are pretty cheap, they are farm raised, and they are tasty eating.  Here are the ingredients you need:

A 2 pound bag of mussels,

A pound of linguine,

Some garlic olive oil parsley,

A can of chopped tomatoes,

A chopped up onion,

Some Parmesan cheese.

*That is all you need.

Empty your bag of mussels into a bowl of cold water, or the sink. They should all be closed. Pick out any mussel that is not closed and throw it out. Take a large frying pan or saucepan the largest you have, like 12 inches. Then set the spaghetti water on to boil in the meantime. Add a little olive oil and salt into the water. Did I say spaghetti? I meant to say linguine! What’s the difference. Linguine is flat spaghetti is around. And linguine tastes a little different as far as mouth feel. So, it’s linguine with clams or mussels, and it’s spaghetti with meatballs. Don’t ask me why, it just is

While your water is boiling you can chop up some garlic and put it in the saucepan, with olive oil, and turn it up to high heat and then turn off. Let the garlic cook with the fire off otherwise you’ll burn it up. Put your one can of chopped tomatoes into the saucepan, and if you like onions, chop up a yellow onion before you put it in the sauce and sauté it with the garlic. When your water comes to a boil  put in your linguine. Heat up the sauce till it’s boiling, put the mussels in the sauce and put a cover on the pan to let it cook in steam. Don’t have your fire under the pan too hot or you’ll burn up your sauce. That’s how you cook the mussels, they steam in the boiling sauce. When your linguine is ready strain it put it on the pan with the linguine and mussels.

Now you have a big saucepan and it’s got tomatoes taken up the sauce.  You’ve got your mussels which as of now are all opened up and are cooked.  Add your linguine and mix it all around in the pan.  Put some Parmesan cheese in the mix, all graded up, and you can serve it all as a one dish meal. If you used a pound of linguine and 2 pounds of mussels, you’ve got a meal for four, or a meal for two with plenty left over for lunches, or another dinner.

In the last 5 years, Geraci Law has recovered over 20 Million dollars for Geraci Law clients due to harm.  Geraci Law L.L.C. has been practicing Bankruptcy and Personal Injury for nearly 40 years and has accepted various claims, requiring recovery, for Geraci Law clients.  Some cases are smaller than others, but these settlements are indicative of the services Geraci Law provides their clients.

The cases have ranged from basic worker’s compensation claims to complex birth injury cases and even cases involving medical procedures gone wrong.

Geraci Law accepts Personal Injury Cases, Worker’s Compensation Cases, Birth Injury Cases, and Medical Malpractice Claims.  If you have a claims and need a lawyer, dial 1-800-CALL-PFG to speak to a counselor.

 

The Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund sent a thank you to Attorney Peter Francis Geraci for his contribution.  The donation, by Mr. Geraci, will be used to support three member legal service providers: Disability Rights Wisconsin, Legal Action of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Judicare.

The donation will be used to help people in need.  Recently the Disability Rights of Wisconsin (DRW) assisted a woman, named Mary, who was discharged from a county Health Facility.  The Group Home Staff attempts to relocate Mary to a housing community failed.

The DRW took over to help Mary relocate.  DRW was able to help Mary successfully find a housing community and put down a security deposit on an apartment of her own choosing.  Mary now has a place she can call, “home”. Mary said, “I was led out of the desert to an oasis.” when commenting on the assistance from DRW employees.

Donations to the Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund will help prevent homelessness, joblessness, discrimination and other problems.

Melendez 10/3/2016:  “I am so glad i hired this law group. The help i have received has been amazing. They were with me from start to finish. And someone always answered by questions by email or by phone. I never felt like another file on someones desk. They took the time to make sure we selected the best plan for me and my situations.

Now that it is all done, I can say THANK YOU! Getting your help was the best decision I made and I know I wont be messing up this new chance.”

Carolyn 10/5/2016: “I went to PFG and met with attorney Mario. He was very knowledgeable and courteous. I felt at ease and comfortable when he explained my options. He even gave history on law firm. He was so good my niece met with him a month later!!!”

Chris 10/4/2016: “Geraci’s firm handled a Ch13 form e in 2009. Years later, long after the case was over, I needed copies of the petition and discharge. I couldn’t find them. One call to a Geraci office had pdf copies in my email within 10 minutes for me to use for the purposes needed. From the initial consultation, through the process and now years later helping me once again. Many thanks and a hearty recommendation for Geraci’s practice.”

 

Peter had an appointment at the Rockford rescue mission. Peter Francis Geraci and his wife Holly B Geraci raise money for various charities per providing matching funds at www.helpHollyhelp.com. Here is Rus Howard of the rescue mission before channel 23 cameras, explaining the kickoff of the help Holly help $10,000 matching grant challenge for Rockford rescue mission.

Russ explained that challenge grants are a wonderful idea, because instead of just giving money, it encourages members of the community to be aware of the need of others in the community.  In addition, challenge grants encourage others to contribute, and that has a beneficial effect on society as a whole. The history of Rockford rescue mission can be seen on their website, through the link at www.helpHollyhelp.com

Most of the donations, Russ said, that come into the Rockford rescue mission are very small $5, 10 or $20 dollars. The interview with Peter Francis Geraci and Rus Howard can be seen at the channel 23 website or at www.helpHollyhelp.com. If 400 people give $20 each, and that is not too much in the city, like Rockford, with 150,000 residents; that will mean that Rockford residents have matched $10,000, and Peter and Holly will match that 10,000, giving Rockford Rescue Mission a $20,000 boost.

Jonathan Parker and Peter Francis Geraci were scheduled to attend the Winnebago County Bar Association and Federal Bar Association joint continuing legal education program on practice before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The Hon. Diane P Wood, chief judge US Circuit Court of Appeals the Seventh Circuit as well as Donald J Wall counsel to the circuit executive, and James J Grogan deputy administrator and Chief Counsel of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of the Supreme Court of Illinois spoke, ending with a session on role 33 mediation conferences; led by Seventh

Circuit mediator Rocco Spagna, and the Hon. Ian Johnston, US magistrate Judge, with Stephen Balogh of Williams and McCarthy.

 

There was an oversupply of doughnuts, however. Repeated pleas to use the doughnuts were wasted upon this diet conscious crowd. There were about three dozen donuts purchased and only eight or 10 eaten.

Peter and Jonathan were tempted to grab them and take them back to the hungry crew at Geraci law, but did not know if that would be a federal offense or not. Not to mention the strict scrutiny that Holly Geraci subjects Peter to on a constant basis. She does not want him to gain weight and slow down. A good donut has been known to have that effect on him.