City of Lights
In a final interview with Al and Mary Ann, Willy aims to answer unresolved questions. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains a description of suicide (from a work of fiction). This begins at 6 minutes 30 seconds and ends at 7 minutes. : If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3. : Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com Key figures in this episode: Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved. Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother....
info_outlineCity of Lights
Al and Mary Ann drive to the hospital to find Jeff. : If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3. : Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com Key figures in this episode: Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved. Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Has been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora. Al Signorelli: Jeff's father. Born and raised in Chicago. Long-time resident of...
info_outlineCity of Lights
A promising anti-violence program comes to Aurora. Mary Ann makes moves to keep it from falling apart. : If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3. : Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com Key figures in this episode: Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved. Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Has been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora. Did research on CeaseFire and explored...
info_outlineCity of Lights
Al runs for city council. He finds himself up against more than his opponents in the election. : If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3 on Patreon. : Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com Key figures in this episode: Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved. Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Has been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora. Al Signorelli: Jeff's father. Born and...
info_outlineCity of Lights
Al and Mary Ann meet with Aurora’s new chief of police, which sets the tone for their relationship with the APD. : If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3 at Patreon. : Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com Key figures in this episode: Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved. Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Her grandmother Ana immigrated to the United States from Romania in the early...
info_outlineCity of Lights
Willy visits Al and Mary Ann for the first time. He learns more about his hometown than he expected. : If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3 at Patreon. : Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com Key figures in this episode: Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved. Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Al Signorelli: Jeff's father. Born and raised in Chicago, long-time resident of Aurora,...
info_outlineCity of Lights
In 2002, in the city of Aurora, Illinois, an 18-year-old man named Jeff Signorelli was killed in a completely random act of violence. His murder remains unsolved. In the years following Jeff's murder, his parents Al and Mary Ann led efforts to make Aurora a safer place. But those efforts put them at odds with leaders in Aurora, including the mayor and chief of police. As the investigation into Jeff’s murder grew cold, their grief was amplified by a growing frustration. City of Lights is a true crime podcast about real life after the crime. Instead of asking "whodunnit?" or "how?" or...
info_outlineAl and Mary Ann meet with Aurora’s new chief of police, which sets the tone for their relationship with the APD.
DONATE: If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3 at Patreon.
CONTACT: Send Willy an email at wn@willynast.com
Key figures in this episode:
Jeff Signorelli (1984-2002): 18-year-old man from Aurora, IL. Recent graduate of Aurora Central Catholic High School. Murdered on July 11, 2002. The case remains unsolved.
Mary Ann Signorelli: Jeff's mother. Third-generation native of Aurora, IL. Her grandmother Ana immigrated to the United States from Romania in the early 1900s and made a life for herself in Aurora.
Al Signorelli: Jeff's father. Born and raised in Chicago. Long-time resident of Aurora, IL.
Bill Lawler: Long-time officer in the Aurora Police Department who became the Chief of Police in 2002, a few weeks after Jeff's murder.
David Stover: Chief of the Aurora Police Department from 1991-1996, then Mayor of Aurora from 1997-2005. Born and raised in Aurora. Vietnam veteran. His father Herschel Stover had also been a long-time officer in the APD, and for several years in the 1960s was the department's only detective.
Bob Wadman: Chief of the APD prior to David Stover. Was previously the Chief of Police in Omaha, Nebraska. Served only 22 months as Chief, largely due to his contentious relationship with many within the APD.
David Pierce: Mayor of Aurora from 1985 - 1997. Hired Bob Wadman and later David Stover as the Chief of the APD. Lost mayor's office to David Stover.
Bill Catching: Former Beacon News reporter, covering the APD for many years. Later joined Mayor Stover's staff.
Mike Cetera: Former Beacon News reporter and editor. Wrote the first article about Jeff's murder to appear in the Beacon.
Frank Callahan: Former Beacon News reporter, covered the APD prior to Bill Catching. Was allegedly not well-liked by many within the police department. Died in 1993.
Music courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions.
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Previously
(00:01:00) Officer Friendly
(00:04:42) Ana to Mary to Mary Ann
(00:16:10) The Glass Dolphin
(00:23:09) Community Involvement
(00:33:40) Inside Edition
(00:41:01) Very Sensitive to Coverage
(00:49:21) The Outsider and the Company Man
(01:03:05) Credits