South Cook News

South Holland's Frank Zuccarelli, 66, is a familiar name who is now a rising star in Illinois' most powerful political machine.

New Cook County Democrat Party Chairman, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (D-Hyde Park) announced last week that she is elevating Zuccarelli to the role of First Vice Chairman, lauding his success getting out the Democrat vote in Thornton Township.

Zuccarelli has served as Thornton Township supervisor since 1993.

Zuccarelli, then age 24, first ran for office in 1978 | The Star

In 2002, Zuccarelli won election as Thornton Township Democrat Committeeman, ousting his longtime rival and former state representative Frank Giglio of Calumet City.

His "Z Team" has since consolidated political power in Thornton Township, home to 121,033 voters in Calumet City (21 percent of Thornton Township), Dolton (15 percent), South Holland (15 percent), Lansing (15 percent), Harvey (12 percent), Riverdale (six percent), Homewood (4 percent), Markham, (3 percent), Burnham (2 percent), Hazel Crest (2 percent), and Thornton, Phoenix, Dixmoor, Blue Island, East Hazel Crest and Glenwood (all 1 percent).

Zuccarelli started his political career in 1978, winning election to the then-Thornton Community College (TCC)board at age 24. It's an office he still holds today, four decades later.

Two years after graduating from TCC, Zuccarelli ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility and lowering tuition, arguing that "tuition at Thornton Community college is the highest the state of Illinois will allow."

"The University of Illinois does not charge as much tuition as Thornton Community College," Zuccarelli told The Star newspaper.

But one year into his term, fellow board members were sparring with Zuccarelli over power and politics, not policy.

A fellow trustee from South Holland, four-term Republican Raymond Dohmeyer chided the newly elected Zuccarelli for trying to control the board seat reserved for TCC students.

"He's got ambition, this kid, and he's playing monopoly with us," Dohmeyer said of Zuccarelli.

Dohmeyer was prescient. 

Amid massive demographic change in Thornton Township, Zuccarelli maneuvered to wrest Democrat party control of the TCC board from Republicans. Then later took control of Thornton Township itself from fellow Democrats.

In 1983, the TCC board unanimously fired Zuccarelli from his job as board secretary after he announced he intended to "control" the distribution of TCC school board candidate petitions, required for candidates to get on the ballot.

Richard Krilich, a candidate for TCC board, accused Zuccarelli of using TCC computer equipment to address letters urging students and alumni to support his slate In 1985.

Two years later, the "Frank Zuccarelli" slate, including Zuccarelli, Carol Krusynski-Koch of Calumet City and future Democrat state Rep. Harold Murphy (D-Markham) officially took control of the TCC board.

Now called South Suburban College (SSC), the school was much bigger than when Zuccarelli first arrived-- 11,342 students, or more than three times the school's size today (3,703 enrollment).

TCC also spends much more -- $5,184 per student in 2017-18, versus $1,966 in 1979 (inflation-adjusted).

As for tuition, the issue Zuccarelli says drove him to first run for office? 

During his reign, it has more than doubled, too, to $4,883 per year, up from $1,753 (inflation-adjusted) in 1979.