RICO Act architect George Blakey dies at 90 as ICE shooting probe lingers
George Robert Blakey, the legal scholar who helped draft the influential RICO Act, has died at 90. His funeral will take place later this year at the University of Notre Dame law school. Meanwhile, Illinois authorities continue to investigate a fatal shooting involving an ICE officer from last September. Blakey’s career left a lasting mark on American law. As a key architect of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), he shaped a statute now widely used against organised crime, gangs, white-collar fraud, and public corruption. His son, John Robert Blakey, later presided over the high-profile corruption trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in 2024 and 2025.
In a separate case, Illinois State Police are examining the death of Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, who was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Franklin Park last September. The Franklin Park Police Department requested the investigation, which remains under the Public Integrity Task Force’s review. Once complete, the findings will be passed to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Records show Gonzalez was in the country illegally at the time of the incident. Authorities state he attempted to flee, drove his vehicle towards officers, and dragged an ICE agent with his car before the shooting occurred.
Blakey’s contributions to criminal law will be remembered during his upcoming memorial at Notre Dame. The outcome of the ICE shooting investigation, meanwhile, will determine whether charges follow. Both cases reflect ongoing debates over justice, accountability, and the reach of federal law.
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