Names in the News: Mayor Werner Speaks Out on Why He Didn't Speak Up for Villa Rosa

Mokena Mayor Joe Werner purposely stayed out of the situation between Tony's Villa Rosa and Great Lakes Bank, he told Patch. Despite the best efforts of Tony's management and  staff, including Trustee Don Labriola and Director of Community and Economic Development Alan Zordan, Great Lakes Bank and Tony's couldn't reach a lease agreement, . Werner didn't pipe up, he said, because it wouldn't have helped. 

“I didn't only because I was aware of so many other people bludgeoning them,” Werner said. “I believed in my own mind, that if there's something that Great Lakes could have done differently, they would have.”

Read more about why Werner didn't interject, and what readers had to say in reaction .