Bromwell?s swaggering words

The Baltimore Sun

Excerpts from secret recordings made by an undercover FBI agent posing as an Atlanta financier and a business associate of former state Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell, both of whom wore hidden microphones, during an investigation of Bromwell, a Democrat who represented Baltimore County and was once considered one of the most powerful politicians in Maryland. Most of the remarks about a variety of public officials from Maryland and elsewhere were made during a Nov. 28, 2001, dinner at Ruth?s Chris Steak House in Baltimore.

On John Paterakis, head of H&S; Bakery and developer

?No, this ? this hotel over here was just built by one of Baltimore?s famous entrepreneurs, John Paterakis. He started about ? I?m going to say 50 years ago with one bakery. He now bakes 58 percent of all the rolls that McDonald?s uses worldwide. ? And you know what, to this day, he?ll tell you the story, to this day his only contract with McDonald?s is a handshake. ? Swear to God. That?s how he does business.?

On Sam Havrilak, former Colts wide receiver

?Let me tell you, my brother-in-law has a Super Bowl ring. He played for ? he played for the Baltimore Colts. ? His name is Sam Havrilak. He was a wide receiver. ? His locker ? his locker was next to Johnny Unitas. ? Listen to me. John Unitas.?

On Johnny Unitas and other former Colts

?Let me tell you. Johnny Unitas ? my ? and I?ll never forget ? the greatest day in my father?s life ? and I want to tell you something, it wasn?t the birth of his children, it wasn?t the day he got married. The greatest day is when his daughter got married, and he walked her down the aisle, and when he walked down the aisle, there?s Artie Donovan, there?s Johnny Unitas, there?s Mike Curtis ? there?s Rich Volk, there?s Bruce Laird, there?s Danny Sullivan.?

On Brian Billick, Ravens coach

?And you know what, most guys aren?t big fans of Brian Billick ? because he?s cocky as hell.?

On Maurice Wyatt, appointments secretary for former Gov. Marvin Mandel

?Well, let me tell you something. He can make things happen that would make your ears (unintelligible). ? Maurice Wyatt is a very, very close friend to this guy John Paterakis. ? Maurice Wyatt appointed every judge right now that is on the appellate court in the state of Maryland. ? He?s a player. ? Now, now let me tell you he owns a leasing company and I got a couple of interests, I got a couple of bars that I set guys up in. Three years ago I had a guy who needed a quarter of a million dollars. I put it through his leasing company and he got major juice. I mean, major juice.?

On Peter Angelos, owner of Orioles

?Peter Angelos was at my wedding.?

On Larry Young, former state senator

?I was almost in New Orleans and then this guy got indicted and I couldn?t go ? because they were going to pull a vote on throwing him out of the Senate. ? And I had to be there. ? Can I tell you something, though? When I think about it, it was the worst vote I ever cast. ? The guy happened to be black. I found myself voting against this guy because he was black. ? The guy still likes me and he?s still my friend.?

On The Rev. Al Sharpton, civil rights activist

?Al Sharpton shows up. ? Uninvited. I didn?t invite him, but I had to live with it. You know what, I don?t use the N-word, but he was an N.?

On The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, civil rights activist

?Jesse is so anti [expletive] woman. ? Yea. He?s a sexist. ? He talked down to her like she was a [expletive] Arab.?

On Casper R. Taylor, former speaker of the House

On being angry over a proposal to build a racetrack in Allegany County: ?Because it?s up in Western Maryland, nobody?s ever going to go to it, and the only way ? well, because the speaker of the House lives in Western Maryland.?

On Parris N. Glendening, former governor

?Next year, we?ll get slots at the track. This governor don?t want slot machines. ? because he?s a [expletive]. ? Big time. ... Let me tell you this ? let me tell you this about slots. This governor is a [expletive]. He?s a liberal [expletive] Democrat. And I?m a Democrat, don?t get me wrong.?

On Joseph A. De Francis, chief executive of the Maryland Jockey Club

?I?ve got to go to Joe De Francis and tell him I want the deal. The guy I just told [expletives]. I said, look, I?m your [expletive] whore in Maryland, in the Senate side, and you turn around and you ? I?m going to see him tomorrow night. He?s going to be licking my [expletive] boots.?

On Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former lieutenant governor.

?And let me tell you something, she?s a liberal [expletive]. I hate to use that word, but that?s what she is.?

On Tony Soprano, from the HBO show The Sopranos

?I built this house ? I built this house, this house is 5,000 square feet. It?s a beautiful home. ? I?m improvising on this design, right. I, I?m watching the Sopr?, I don?t miss The Sopranos. ? I love it. ? You know when you go in the Sopranos? hallway and you go into the living room there?s these two columns that are large, right? Joe ? Joe, the next day I go to my house. Coming in, I?ve got two, three-foot doors, with 14-inch panels on each side. ? Last Friday I put the column in. I got columns just like Tony Soprano.?

On Ray Lewis, Ravens linebacker

?You know what, it?s pathetic. It?s pathetic. You know what, first of all, the guy?s not that smart. ?You know what? The bottom line is, Baltimore has suffered because of Ray Lewis.?

On Marvin Mandel and William Donald Schaefer, former governors

?Last night I was with Marvin Mandel. Now listen to this. He?s 81 years old. He?s in great health. He had all the guys from his day ? all the king-makers of his day. ? I was the only elected official there, me and Schaefer. And they started tellin? stories. ? I stood up and I said I, I can?t tell you how honored I am to be here.?

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