Taylor Street beat officer Chuck Parrillo retires

By Michael Comstock

After serving the Taylor Street and Near West Side neighborhoods for four decades, Officer Chuck Parrillo retired from the Chicago Police Department on March 11, three days before his 63rd birthday— the required age for Chicago Police officers to retire. He began his career in the 9th District on March 11, 1968. In 1995, he moved to the 12th District.

Parrillo was born on the Near West Side and reared there by his parents, Charles and Ruth. “My family is from there,” he said. “My mother and father and my grandparents lived there in the same family building since 1916.”

Parrillo earned high regard within the neighborhood. “He was very good to the community,” said Paul Rinaldi of Chiarugi Hardware, a lifelong friend. “An excellent man. He really looked after me. He knew I was here in the store by myself, and he made sure to always look out for me.”

Parrillo’s protective feelings extended to all the area’s businesses.

“We own a business in the neighborhood, and he was the beat cop that walks the neighborhood,” said Brian Miller, DC, of University Village Chiropractic, who knew Parrillo for the past seven years. “He came in every day to check up on us.”

“He was wonderful,” said Laurene Hynson, who served Parrillo breakfast every day at Sweet Maple Café for about eight years. “He was extremely responsive and very attentive to the needs of the business owners here on Taylor St.”

Carmen Gallucci, owner of C. Gallucci Realty, knew Parrillo for 15 years and praised his work highly, saying, “He’s always around if you need him, always responsive. He got involved and just did a great job all the time. He was there when you needed him, to help people out.”

Parrillo even helped beyond his normal police duties. About a decade ago when the City tried to take people’s properties from them on the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Fillmore and Grenshaw Sts. through eminent domain, Parrillo was there to assist.

“We owned property there,”  said Parrillo. “We had a family building on Laflin St. and Fillmore St., which we still own. The City was going to condemn the property, take it by eminent domain, and turn it over to the developers.”

Parrillo and others, including Gallucci, fought back. “We all went down to City Hall, and we got together and beat City Hall,” said Gallucci.

The properties were saved.  “The City finally realized what they were doing was obviously wrong, and they agreed with us and the entire development was stopped as far as taking the private property,” said Parrillo. “They still developed most of the new homes back there. They built, but it wasn’t where they took everybody’s property away from them.”

Parrillo’s retirement represents a loss to the neighborhood. “He is just the most wonderful person, and we will miss having him on Taylor St.,” said Hynson. “He really was a tremendous asset to the business community here. He’s just great. He will be much missed.”

As for post-retirement plans, things are up in the air, he said. Parrillo expects to spend time with his family, including his wife of 42 years, Donna, his three children, and nine grandchildren.

Parrillo looks back on his career fondly. “A lot of interesting investigations solved, and numerous crimes,” he said. “I think I’ve done some good for some people. I’ve done just about everything in the Police Department.

“Probably most of all, I’ll miss the people I worked with,” he went on. “They were very, very good people, very good police officers down in the 12th District. There are plenty of neighborhood people and residents that are good people. I’ll miss the interaction with them.”

“He did great work, he’s a good man,” said Rinaldi. “It’s a shame he had to retire. He always looked out for me. I always felt safe when he was around.”