Legal Troubles

The Investor, The Groped Hostess, Tavern on Rush, Cops, and a Lawsuit

Photo: courtesy Tavern on Rush

This is today’s what the hell? news story if there ever was one. On the one hand, you have African-American real estate investor Craig Huffman, who is 6’1”, has gray hair, and was trying to raise $50 million at the time, which was November 2011. On the other hand… you have Tavern on Rush, owned by various entities of Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants, and with well-connected investors like Illinois Senate President John Cullerton. Next, you have a hostess who claimed she was groped by Huffman. You have the manager of Tavern on Rush who allegedly called for police to go arrest Huffman. And then you have… the judge who, upon hearing the hostess describe her alleged assailant as bald and 5’7 or so, took one look at Huffman and found him not guilty. So what the hell? How do you get a case so wrong and take a year to figure out your perp has to be shorter and shinier-pated than the guy you booked? Huffman has now filed a civil lawsuit against various Stefani entities, the manager and the various police officers involved for wrongful arrest. There’s more to this story, clearly, given all the well-connected players, but if anyone can figure out what it is so far based on these clues, they’ve got a better sense of under-the-table Chicago muscleball than we do. [Chicago Real Estate Daily]

The Investor, The Groped Hostess, Tavern on Rush, Cops, and a Lawsuit