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==Return to Chicago== Gacy was granted parole with twelve months' [[probation]] on June 18, 1970, having served eighteen months of his ten-year sentence.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=62–63}}{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}} Conditions of his probation included a nightly [[curfew]] and that Gacy relocate to Chicago to live with his mother.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=256–278}}{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=85–96}} On his release, Gacy told friend and fellow Jaycee Clarence Lane—who picked him up from the prison and had remained steadfast in his belief of Gacy's innocence—that he would "never go back to jail" and that he intended to re-establish himself in Waterloo. However, within twenty-four hours, Gacy had relocated to Chicago.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=256–278}} He arrived there by bus on June 19 and shortly thereafter obtained a job as a short-order cook.{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}} On February 12, 1971, Gacy was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy who claimed that he had lured him into his car at Chicago's [[Greyhound bus]] terminal and driven him to his home, where he had attempted to force the boy into sex. The court dismissed this complaint when the boy failed to appear.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=85–96}} On June 22, Gacy was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual battery and reckless conduct, in response to a complaint filed by a youth who claimed that Gacy had flashed a sheriff's badge, lured him into his car, and forced him to perform oral sex.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=112–123}} These charges were dropped after the complainant attempted to blackmail Gacy.{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}} The Iowa Board of Parole did not learn of these incidents. Gacy's parole ended on October 18, 1971,{{sfn|Cahill|1986|p=96}} and a month later the records of Gacy's criminal convictions in Iowa were [[Record sealing|sealed]].{{efn|Gacy successfully hid his criminal record from friends, neighbors, business associates and political acquaintances; they only learned of his past after the police began investigating him for his later murders.{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}}{{sfn|Amirante|2011|p=73}}}} ===8213 West Summerdale Avenue=== With financial assistance from his mother, Gacy bought a ranch-style house at 8213 West Summerdale Avenue in unincorporated [[Norwood Park Township, Cook County, Illinois|Norwood Park Township, Illinois]], part of [[Chicago metropolitan area|metropolitan Chicago]].{{sfn|Nelson|2021|p=19}} He lived there until his arrest in December 1978 and, according to Gacy, committed all his murders there.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=166–179}} Gacy was active in his local community and helpful towards his neighbors; he willingly loaned his construction tools and plowed snow from neighborhood walks free of charge.{{sfn|Linedecker|1980|pp=83–87}} From 1974 to 1978, he hosted themed annual summer parties. These events were attended by up to 400 people, including politicians and business associates.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=150–158}} === Second marriage and divorce === In August 1971, shortly after Gacy and his mother moved into the house, he became engaged to Carole Hoff, whom he had briefly dated in high school.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=256–278}} Carole and her two young daughters from a previous marriage moved into the house soon after.{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}} They were married on July 1, 1972.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=256–278}} Gacy's mother moved out of the house shortly before the wedding.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=256–278}} By 1975, Gacy had told his wife that he was bisexual.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=101–102}} After the couple had sex on [[Mother's Day (United States)|Mother's Day]] that year, he informed her this would be "the last time" they would do so.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=112–123}} He began spending most evenings away from home, only to return in the early morning with the excuse he had been working late, or conducting business meetings.<ref name="Seymour Tribune">{{cite news|last=Rossi|first=Rosalind A.|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27515759/the-tribune/|title=Gacy Charged With Most Murders in U.S. History|newspaper=[[The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana)|The Tribune]]|agency=[[United Press International]]|date=August 15, 1979|access-date=April 8, 2023}}</ref>{{efn|Carole would later state that during their marriage, Gacy "rarely" slept more than two hours per night.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-wife Recalls Four Years With Gacy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GG0fAAAAIBAJ&q=john+gacy&pg=PA2&article_id=2595,673289#v=onepage|access-date=August 29, 2023|work=[[The Southeast Missourian]]|date=January 8, 1979}}</ref>}} Carole observed Gacy bringing teenage boys into his garage in the early hours and also found gay pornography and men's wallets and identification inside the house. When she confronted Gacy about these items, he informed her angrily that it was none of her business.{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}} In October 1975, after a heated argument, Carole asked Gacy for a divorce.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=140–147}} He agreed although, by mutual consent, she continued to live at his house until February 1976. On March 2, the Gacys' divorce—decreed on the false grounds of Gacy's infidelity with women—was finalized.{{sfn|Linedecker|1980|pp=83–87}}{{sfn|Cavendish|1997|p=28}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o64yAAAAIBAJ&pg=2634,556459|title=John Gacy: Businessman, Clown, Mass Killer|newspaper=[[The Ottawa Citizen]]|date=May 1, 1982|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929092706/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o64yAAAAIBAJ&pg=2634%2C556459|archive-date=September 29, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref>{{efn|Hoping to reconcile, Gacy and Carole began dating again in late 1977, but she became engaged to another man the following year.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=205–233}}}} ===PDM Contractors=== In 1971, Gacy established a part-time construction business, PDM Contractors (for "Painting, Decorating, and Maintenance").{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}} With the approval of his [[probation officer]], Gacy worked evenings on his construction contracts while working as a cook during the day. Initially, he undertook minor repair work, but later expanded to include projects such as interior design, remodeling, and landscaping. In mid-1973, Gacy quit his job as a cook so he could commit fully to his construction business.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=112–123}} By 1975, PDM was expanding rapidly and Gacy was working up to sixteen hours per day. In March 1977, he became a supervisor for PE Systems, a firm specializing in the remodeling of drugstores. Between PE Systems and PDM, Gacy worked on up to four projects simultaneously and frequently traveled to other states.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=177–184}} By 1978, PDM's annual revenue was over $200,000.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=205–233}}{{efn|In September 1978, Gacy was also appointed as vice president of RaphCo Incorporated, a contracting firm owned by a business associate.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|page=66}}}} ====Clown==== [[File:John Gacy Pogo December 1976 Martin Zielinski.jpg|thumb|upright|Gacy as Pogo the Clown|alt=A heavy-set man in a clown costume, with balloons and waving]] Through his membership in a local [[Moose International|Moose Club]], Gacy became aware of a "Jolly Joker" clown club, whose members regularly performed at fundraising events and parades in addition to voluntarily entertaining hospitalized children.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=140–147}} In late 1975, Gacy joined the clown club and created his own characters "Pogo the Clown" and "Patches the Clown", devising his own makeup and costumes. He described Pogo as a "happy clown", whereas Patches was a "more serious" character.{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=68–77}} Gacy seldom earned money for his performances and later said that acting as a clown allowed him to "regress into childhood". He performed as both Pogo and Patches at numerous local parties, political functions, charitable events, and children's hospitals.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=140–147}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 16, 2023 |title=John Wayne Gacy: The "Killer Clown"|url=https://www.biography.com/crime/john-wayne-gacy |access-date=April 23, 2025 |website=[[Biography.com]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Gacy's voluntary public service as a clown throughout the years of his murders led to him being known as the "Killer Clown".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/john-wayne-gacy|title=John Wayne Gacy Biography|work=Biography.com|access-date=October 7, 2020|archive-date=May 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522032202/https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/john-wayne-gacy|url-status=live}}</ref> ====Employees==== Much of PDM's workforce consisted of high school students and young men.{{sfn|Amirante|2011|p=1}} Gacy would often proposition his workers for sex, or insist on sexual favors in return for lending his vehicles, financial assistance or promotions.<ref name="Seymour Tribune"/>{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=165–172}} Gacy also claimed to own guns, once telling an employee, "Do you know how easy it would be to get one of my guns and kill you—and how easy it would be to get rid of the body?"<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16613729/house-smelled-like-dead-rats/|title=House Smelled Like Dead Rats|newspaper=[[The Journal Gazette]]|date=December 23, 1978|via=Newspapers.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929093616/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16613729/house-smelled-like-dead-rats/|archive-date=September 29, 2020}} {{free access}}</ref> In 1973, Gacy and a teenage employee traveled to [[Florida]] to view a property Gacy had purchased; while there, Gacy raped the employee in their hotel room. After returning to Chicago, this employee drove to Gacy's house and beat him in his front yard. Gacy told his wife he had been attacked for refusing to pay him for poor quality painting work.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=112–123}} In May 1975, Gacy hired 15-year-old Anthony Antonucci. Two months later, he went to Antonucci's home, knowing the youth had an injured foot. The two drank a bottle of wine, then watched a heterosexual stag film before Gacy wrestled Antonucci to the floor and cuffed his hands behind his back. One cuff was loose and Antonucci freed his arm while Gacy was out of the room. When Gacy returned, Antonucci—a high school wrestler—grappled with him, obtained the key, and cuffed Gacy's hands behind his back. Gacy threatened Antonucci, then calmed down and promised to leave if he was freed. Antonucci agreed and Gacy left. Antonucci continued working for PDM for nine months after this incident, and Gacy made no further attempts to assault him.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=121–123}} On July 26, 1976, Gacy picked up 18-year-old hitchhiker David Cram and offered him a job with PDM; he began work the same evening. On August 21, Cram moved into Gacy's house. The next day, Cram and Gacy had several drinks to celebrate his 19th birthday, with Gacy dressed as Pogo. Gacy conned Cram into donning handcuffs, his wrists cuffed in front of his body rather than behind. He swung Cram around while holding the chain linking the cuffs, then said he intended to rape him. Cram kicked Gacy in the face and freed himself.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=165–172}} A month later, Gacy appeared at Cram's bedroom door intending to rape him, saying, "Dave, you really don't know who I am. Maybe it would be good if you give me what I want." Cram resisted, straddling Gacy, who left the bedroom, stating, "You ain't no fun." Cram moved out on October 5 and left PDM (although he periodically worked for Gacy over the following two years).{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=165–172}}<ref name="Cram">{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=slsxAAAAIBAJ&pg=1116,946568|title=Man Helped Dig Trenches at Gacy Home|newspaper=[[The Montreal Gazette]]|date=February 13, 1980|via=Google News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929093025/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=slsxAAAAIBAJ&pg=1116%2C946568|archive-date=September 29, 2020}} {{Open access}}</ref> Shortly afterwards, another employee, 18-year-old Michael Rossi, moved in.{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}}{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=177–184}}{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=184–188}} Rossi had worked for PDM since May 23, 1976.{{sfn|Sullivan|2000|pp=58–60}} He lived with Gacy until April 1977.{{efn|The same month, Gacy became engaged to a woman he had been dating for three months, who moved into his house. In June of that year, by mutual agreement, the engagement was called off and she moved out.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=165–172}}}} Rossi sometimes assisted Gacy in clowning at grand openings of businesses: Gacy as Pogo and Rossi as Patches.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=140–147}}{{sfn|Foreman|1992|pp=68–77}} ====Politics==== [[File:Johnwaynegacyrosalynncarter.jpg|alt=|thumb|Gacy with First Lady [[Rosalynn Carter]] on May 6, 1978, six years after his first murder and seven months before his final arrest]] Gacy entered local Democratic Party politics, initially offering use of his employees to clean party headquarters at no charge. He was rewarded with an invitation to serve on the Norwood Park Township street lighting committee, subsequently earning the title of precinct captain.{{sfn|Linedecker|1986|pp=47–72}}{{sfn|Amirante|2011|p=73}}{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=205–233}} In 1975, Gacy was appointed director of Chicago's annual [[Polish Constitution Day Parade]].<ref name="auto"/>{{sfn|Cahill|1986|p=142}} Through his work with the parade, which he would supervise until 1978, Gacy met and was photographed with [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Rosalynn Carter]] wearing an "S" pin, indicating a person given special clearance.{{sfn|Cahill|1986|pp=205–233}}{{sfn|Linedecker|1980|pp=140–153}} The event later became an embarrassment to the [[United States Secret Service]].{{sfn|Linedecker|1980|pp=140–153}}
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