Tom Ryan, a Homewood writer and editor who works in publicrelations, was not indicted by a federal grand jury Friday.
"Yes, he's a Ryan," said a top law enforcement official, "but wecouldn't find anything wrong. After a thorough investigation, all wecan say for sure is that he works hard, loves his wife and dotes onhis kids. We don't know what to make of it. I mean, he is a Ryan."
Tom Ryan, 48, was the first Ryan in Illinois targeted by a special"Operation Ryan" state and federal task force, formed recently in thewake of eight other people named Ryan getting caught up in allegedmajor felonies, sordid peccadilloes and general foolishness. Civillibertarians have accused the task force of surname profiling --singling out for special scrutiny anybody named Ryan.
"Where there's smoke, there's fire," shot back one investigator."We'd be fools not to play the odds."
Just last week, former Sauk Village schools Supt. Thomas Ryan wascharged with stealing more than $100,000 from the district. Andformer Gov. George Ryan goes on trial Sept. 15 on a slew of politicalcorruption charges.
A reporter asked Tom Ryan -- Tom Ryan the Unindicted -- how he hasmanaged to stay out of trouble.
"What can I tell you?" he replied. "I certainly am a clean Ryan, Ican tell you that, as are all my relatives. I have three brothers anda sister, and we're all law-abiding citizens, clean as the drivensnow."
But, the reporter pressed, you're a Ryan.
"It's a good name," he replied. "As far as I know, we are anentire family of law-abiding citizens. I have an uncle who was aWorld War II veteran, and my dad was a fine, upstanding citizenhimself. Harry Ryan was his name. He was an electrical engineer."
Sealed court documents obtained by the Sun-Times reveal otherpertinent details about Tom Ryan: He is senior editorial manager atthe American Dietetic Association. He and his wife, Susan, have twoyoung kids. He encourages his daughter in her violin lessons. Hethinks she's quite good. He takes the kids to the movies. He followsthe White Sox. The neighbors say he's a nice guy, as neighbors alwaysdo.
"I'm a regular Ryan doing regular suburban things," he is quotedas insisting during one interrogation. "I'm perfectly happy with it."
Ryans falling flat in the news
In addition to the former governor (George) and former schoolsuperintendent (Thomas), the following Ryans have fallen on theirface in the news in the last three years:
Jim Ryan The former Illinois attorney general ran a lacklustercampaign for governor in 2002. His billboards urged voters to votefor "JIM" -- with only the tiniest mention of his last name -- sofolks wouldn't confuse him with the disgraced George. But Jim Ryanhad his own baggage. Critics will always believe he put politicsbefore principle when, as a prosecutor, he helped keep two innocentmen on Death Row for the murder of a little girl, Jeanine Nicarico.
Jack Ryan The wealthy North Shore investor and teacher won theRepublican nomination for the U.S. Senate last year, but dropped outof the race after salacious allegations surfaced that he had takenhis wife, actress Jeri Ryan, to sex clubs.
Andy Ryan The 19-year-old son of a Carpenters Union official washired as a city inspector despite bogus credentials. After Sun-Timescolumnist Carol Marin exposed the scam, Andy got the boot.
Patrick Ryan He was founder and CEO of Aon Corp., the world'ssecond-largest insurance broker. But when the feds beganinvestigating alleged fraud between brokers and insurers last year,Aon settled out of court for $190 million. Aon's stock plummeted.Ryan's compensation was cut 39 percent, and he was paid no bonus inhis final year on the job.
Jim Ryan An aide to Cook County Sheriff Michael Sheahan, he wascriticized last year by a county grand jury probing an alleged cover-up in the beating of 49 jail inmates. Jim Ryan is also Sheahan'scousin. All the same, he was elected a Cook County judge last fall.
James T. Ryan As a Cook County judge, he once refused to allow awoman in his courtroom to go to the bathroom until she had soiledherself. He once upheld a speeding ticket against a woman racing to ahospital to give birth. He once told two little girls that if theydid not tell the truth, they would go to hell. All the same, he wasre-elected last fall.
Tom Ryan -- Tom Ryan the Straight Arrow -- says he'll sometimestear a Ryan headline from the paper and tape it to a door.
"I try to imagine it being about me -- 'Ryan takes the stand' or'Ryan found not guilty,'" he said.
And every so often, he said, somebody will ask him if he's relatedto one or another shamed Ryan in the news.
Which he is not.
Not yet.
"It makes me do a double take, though," he said. "I'll wonder ifanybody thinks it's me. Do they Google their past and see that TomRyan is suspected of taking money from a school district and think,'Oh, that's the guy I went to high school with.'"
But, despite the best efforts of Operation Ryan to find otherwise,Tom Ryan the Innocent apparently has no dark deeds to hide. Hebelongs to that noble band of Ryans who still bring pride to thefamily name: Meg Ryan, Nolan Ryan, Private Ryan, Ryan's Daughter, TomClancy's heroic Jack Ryan, Von Ryan and his Express, and Dan Ryan andhis Expressway.
Federal investigators, however, did discover one disquieting fact.
Tom Ryan the Perfect, it turns out, grew up in a family ofDemocrats in Wheaton. His mother rang doorbells for Dan Walker whenhe ran for governor.
To be a Democrat in DuPage County in the 1970s -- back when everystalk of corn voted Republican -- now that, truly, was a scandal.
Tom McNamee's "The Chicago Way" column runs Mondays in the Sun-Times.
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