What Now? | 6
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....
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Aurora Kids | 5
City 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...
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A Seat at the Table | 4
City 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...
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Single-Issue Candidate | 3
City 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...
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The Culture of the Department | 2
City 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...
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It Could Be A Thick Book | 1
City 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,...
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Introducing: City of Lights
City 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 runs for city council. He finds himself up against more than his opponents in the election.
DONATE: If you feel this podcast is worth your time, please consider donating $3 on 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. Has been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora.
Al Signorelli: Jeff's father. Born and raised in Chicago. Long-time resident of Aurora, IL. Ran for the open seat of alderman-at-large on Aurora City Council in 2003. Has also been involved in historic preservation efforts in Aurora.
Jim Meisch: Alderman-at-Large on Aurora City Council for five terms. Announced in late 2002 that he would retire, which kicked off the competition to fill his open seat.
Laurie Meisch Gette: Daughter of Jim Meisch. Aurora native. Ran for her father's open seat on city council. One of Al's three opponents in this election.
Jeffrey Donelson: Pastor of the Everlasting Word Church in Aurora. Aurora native. Nephew was murdered in Aurora in 2000. Ran for Jim Meisch's open seat on city council. One of Al's three opponents in this election.
Bob Shelton: Corporate computer salesman. Ran for Jim Meisch's open seat on city council. One of Al's three opponents in this election. Had lived in Aurora for about 5 years at the time of the election.
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.
Tom Weisner: Mayor of Aurora following David Stover, from 2007-2016. Died in 2018.
David Pierce: Mayor of Aurora from 1985-1997.
Bill Catching: Former Beacon News reporter, covering the APD for many years. Later joined Mayor Stover's staff.
Ron Newman: Anchor at WBIG Radio in Aurora. Interviewed each of the candidates in the election for WBIG.
Music courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions.
Chapters:
(00:00:00) Previously
(00:01:02) Wrong End of Public Opinion
(00:05:02) The Candidates
(00:30:05) An Emotional Campaign
(00:38:42) Quid Pro Quo
(00:48:36) The Dog Catches the Rabbit
(01:02:12) Credits