{{Short description|American politician}} {{Use American English|date=December 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = |image = |office = 1st Vice Mayor of Chicago |1blankname = Mayor |1namedata = Michael Bilandic |term_start = 1976 |term_end = 1979 |predecessor = ''Office established'' |successor = Richard Mell |office1 = Member of the Chicago City Council<br>from the 35th ward |term_start1 = April 20, 1955 |term_end1 = April 16, 1979 |predecessor1 = Frank Peska |successor1 = John Marcin |birth_date = {{birth date|1918|11|23|mf=y}} |birth_place = |death_date = {{death date and age|2003|8|15|1918|11|23}} |death_place = |party = Democratic |education = DePaul University |occupation = Mortician and politician }}
'''Casimir "Casey" Laskowski''' (November 23, 1918 – August 15, 2003) was an American politician and mortician who served on the Chicago City Council for 24 years.
==Early life and education== Laskowski was born to immigrants from Białystok, Poland.<ref name="CTobit"/> Laskowski attended DePaul University. He received his mortician's license. Known for his musical skills, he also studied at the American Conservatory of Music.<ref name="CTobit"/>
During World War II, he served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force.<ref name="CTobit"/><ref name="CTobtsmall">{{cite web |title=Laskowski, Casimir |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-08-18-0308180033-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=19 November 2022 |date=August 18, 2003}}</ref>
==City Council career== Laskowki was elected to the Chicago City Council in 1955. In his first campaign, he tied himself to Ben Adamowski. Adamowski ran an outsider campaign for the Democratic nomination in the 1955 Chicago mayoral election, ultimately losing to Richard J. Daley. His decision to side with Adamowski over Daley, the establishment candidate, earned Laskowski the nickname "The Rebel".<ref name="CTobit">{{cite web |title=Casimir Laskowski, 84 |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2003-08-18-0308180077-story.html |website=Chicago Tribune |date=18 August 2003 |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref>
After winning election to the City Council, Laskowski made an unsuccessful attempt to take control of Democratic Party power in the 35th ward from City Clerk John Marcin. After this, however, Laskowski became largely aligned with the city's Democratic machine.<ref name="CTobit"/>
Laskowski's ward was located in a heavily Polish neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side. He belonged to the City Council's "Polish bloc". In 1976, this bloc voted together in the deciding votes which established a vice mayor position to resolve uncertainties about mayoral succession in the city. Laskowski was made the inaugural vice mayor of the city.<ref name="CTobit"/> The position, largely honorary, meant that he would have served as acting mayor if the mayoralty had become vacant.<ref name="polticsward"/>
For years, Laskowski chaired the City Council Aviation Committee. He was an early and strong proponent of building a south suburban airport.<ref name="CTobit"/>
In 1979, Ward party boss John Marcin, who had not been slated by the Democratic Party for reelection as clerk, challenged Laskowski for his City Council seat and defeated him.<ref name="CTobit"/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Colby |first1=Peter W. |last2=Green |first2=Paul Michael |title=The vote power of Chicago Democrats from Cermak to Bilandic The consolidation of clout |journal=Illinois Issues |date=February 1979 |issue=20 |url=https://www.lib.niu.edu/1979/ii790211.html |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref> Laskowski and Marcin had previously, for a long time, been political allies.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bloom |first1=Mina |title=Chicago History Buffs Discover Old City Clerk's Abandoned Office In Avondale, Full Of Decades Worth Of Political Dirt |url=https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/07/01/chicago-history-buffs-discover-abandoned-ward-office-in-avondale-full-of-60s-era-aldermans-political-dirt-and-more/ |website=Block Club Chicago |access-date=19 November 2022 |language=en |date=1 July 2019}}</ref> Laskowski was blindsided by Marcin's move to run against him. He attempted to hurt Marcin's candidacy by disclosing that Marcin's functional primary residence was not his humble apartment in the ward, but rather, was a mansion in the Lake County suburb of Antioch, Illinois.<ref name="polticsward">{{cite book |last1=Fremon |first1=David K. |title=Chicago Politics Ward by Ward |date=22 October 1988 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-20490-5 |page=232 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wrYGjB8Ixq0C&dq=casey+laskowski+chicago+alderman&pg=PA232 |access-date=19 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
==Personal life and other activities== Laskowski was a licensed mortician.<ref name="CTobit"/> He founded and owned Casey Laskowski and Sons Funeral Home<ref name="CTobtsmall"/><ref name="CST1">{{cite web |title=Casimir "Casey" Laskowski's Obituary (2003) Chicago Sun-Times |url=https://legacy.suntimes.com/us/obituaries/chicagosuntimes/name/casimir-laskowski-obituary?id=30156307 |website=legacy.suntimes.com |publisher=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=19 November 2022 |date=August 2003}}</ref> in the Kelvyn Park neighborhood.<ref name="CTobit"/> He and his family lived above the funeral home.<ref name="CTobit"/> He and his wife, Virginia, had three children.<ref name="CTobit"/>
He served as the president of the Polish American Businessmen's Club. He also served on the John Barry School Board. He was also a member of the American Legion, AMVETS, Knights of Columbus, LaFourths Association, Lafayette Council #361, Funeral Directors Service Association, I.F.D.A., N.F.D.A., Chicago Society P.N.A., and P.L.A.V.<ref name="CTobtsmall"/>
Laskowski died of complications from a heart surgery on August 15, 2003, at the age of 84.<ref name="CTobit"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Vice Mayors of Chicago|state=collapsed}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Laskowski, Casey}} Category:Chicago City Council members Category:1918 births Category:2003 deaths Category:American politicians of Polish descent Category:DePaul University alumni Category:Vice mayors of Chicago