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That was the warning journalist Gary Rivlin received just days after publishing an investigation into the murder of Rudy Lozano — a labor organizer, political strategist, and rising force in Chicago’s Latino community whose work threatened powerful interests spanning organized crime, abusive labor practices, and the city’s political machine.
In 1985, the Chicago Reader published Rivlin’s thirteen-page article, “Who Killed Rudy Lozano?” A sweeping, deeply reported examination of a killing that sent shockwaves through Chicago.
If you’ve listened to our earlier episodes, you already know Rudy Lozano: an organizer who confronted crime-connected businesses exploiting undocumented workers; a close ally of Harold Washington, on the eve of his historic election as Chicago’s first Black mayor; and a bridge-builder between communities that didn’t always trust one another.
To those in power, Rudy Lozano was himself a threat.
This bonus episode presents the full interview with Gary Rivlin, released in its entirety. Rivlin reflects on the intimidation he faced and the questions law enforcement never answered. The conversation also illuminates Chicago through the 70s and 80s, the racial tensions that dominated the period, and the importance of empathetic, deeply reported stories.
Beyond the Reader, Rivlin’s writing has appeared in The New York Times and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his work on the team of journalists reporting the Panama Papers — the trove of leaked financial documents exposing a global industry of crime and corruption hidden by “offshore” companies.
He also authored, Fire on the Prairie, the definitive history of the election of Harold Washington. His most recent, AI Valley: Microsoft, Google, and the Trillion-Doller Race to Cash In on Artificial Intelligence is just the latest example of Rivlin’s style: longform stories full of vivid detail that he admits were a sort of competitive “revenge” against less ambitious colleagues and publications.
But at its core, this episode is about one story that refuses to disappear — preserved, almost by accident — and a question that still lingers decades later:
Who killed Rudy Lozano?
Resources:
“Who Killed Rudy Lozano?” — Gary Rivlin
https://garyrivlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Who-Killed-Rudy-Lozano.pdf
Episode 1 covering Rudy Lozano & ‘Chuy’ Negrete, the creation of Aquí En Chicago and the students who prevented his legacy from disappearing.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-missing-exhibition/id1843229463?i=1000729508603
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4n8qsRp8JrcpahgdtNs4Rh?si=A1QCNcCQTyuWhEQPe5N-bw
Harold — This American Life, featuring Gary Rivlin
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/869/transcript
Ending Song: Rudy Lozano Corrido by Jesus 'Chuy' Negrete
For more about “The Missing Exhibition: Building Aquí” or the Aquí En Chicago Exhibition please visit:
https://www.chicagohistory.org/exhibitions/building-aqui-podcast/
