Betty Loren-Maltese Starts New Pizza Gig

Former Cicero town president now making minimum wage

Betty Loren-Maltese has gone from running a city to doing time to slinging pizza.

That latest chapter in the life of Cicero's former town president began Wednesday when Loren-Maltese started a new job as a hostess at Oak Park's Salerno's Pizza.

It's her first gig after returning back to the state in February after serving a 7-year prison sentence for corruption, convicted of bilking Cicero out of more than $10 million.

Loren-Maltese took a break from her new gig to talk to the assembled reporters, who she blamed for many of her past problems.

"You people painted me as the wife of a mobster who ruled with an iron fist, which was not true," Loren-Maltese said.

She says her main concern is getting her 13-year-old daughter back, who is now in the custody of her sister.

Getting a job was one of the many conditions the 60-year-old must follow as a condition of her release, but she still carries an opinion on Cicero politics. She calls the current administration, led by president Larry Dominick, "the Taj Majal."

Cicero residents are split on the fortunes of their former leader, some believing she's no different than most politicians, and others expressing sympathy for her plight.

"She's done, she's served her time, let her be," a Cicero resident told NBC Chicago.

Even though she's making minimum wage in her new gig, Loren-Maltese says she wants to focus on the positive.

"I expect all of you to come in on a regular basis and tip me for giving you a good seat," she said.

Salerno's can at least expect some increased business. Loren-Maltese will be working the late shift on Wednesdays through Sundays.

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