Restaurateur takes out ad calling Peterson’s legal team ‘shameless’
By Janet Lundquist jlundquist@stmedianetwork.com August 9, 2012 8:28PM
Jeff Ruby, owner of Jeff Ruby's Restaurants
Updated: September 11, 2012 6:14AM
The chances of the members of Drew Peterson’s high-powered defense team snagging a table at one of Jeff Ruby’s steakhouses are slim to none.
The fine-dining restaurateur, who made national headlines five years ago when he booted O.J. Simpson out of his posh Louisville, Ky., steakhouse, has fixed his sights on Peterson’s defense team’s leaders.
Ruby didn’t like O.J.’s attitude, and he feels the same way about Joel Brodsky, Steve Greenberg and Joe Lopez.
“I was disgusted when I saw those three goons hold that press conference. (They) find it just hilarious to make fun of the disappearance of Stacy Peterson,” Ruby said Wednesday, speaking by phone from Cincinnati. “With their sunglasses on and they’re trying to see which one could be funnier, making light of the obvious death of a person. Of a human being. The mother of children. The daughter of parents.”
He was so upset by their televised antics that he bought ad space in Sun-Times Media newspapers to chew them out.
“Shameless!” screamed Ruby’s ad that ran in the Aug. 7 issue of The Herald-News. It accused the trio of staging a “Three Stooges With Sunglasses” routine, and said they disgrace their profession.
“And you know who’s watching all this? The children and the loved ones of the person who was murdered,” Ruby said. “Regardless if the person was proven guilty or not, you don’t need the attorneys laughing about it.”
During a break in court Thursday, two of Peterson’s attorneys blew off the criticism.
“He’s just blowing off steam. Just another weirdo,” Lopez said. “He should’ve put our pictures in there, at least.”
Greenberg chalked it up to a publicity stunt.
“Business must be bad,” he said.
The Peterson team hasn’t been the only target of Ruby’s ads. Last year, he took out a half-page ad in an Orlando, Fla., newspaper criticizing the verdict in the Casey Anthony trial.
A jury found Anthony not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, in July 2011.
Watching trials like Anthony’s set Ruby’s teeth on edge, in large part because his own brother-in-law was murdered, he said.
The 26-year-old was “like a son to me,” Ruby said.
Ruby, who owns seven restaurants in three states, said he watches the Peterson trial on In Session, a program broadcast on TruTV.
“It’s like they were mentored by their client, Drew Peterson,” Ruby said. “I’ve never seen an attorney like this at any murder trial, especially when there’s two women dead. It was like they were performing at the Catskills.”
On the other hand, Ruby said, Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow appears to be on the ball.
“He walks and he talks like a pro, he looks like a professional,” Ruby said. “He’s dressed professionally. He won’t talk to the media other than a courtesy. He’s a class act and he’s a pro.”
Ruby said he’s planning to take out another, bigger, Peterson-themed ad in Sun-Times Media newspapers next week, against his lawyer’s wishes.
“I’m very outspoken, I’m emotionally honest and I’m a very controversial figure in Cincinnati,” Ruby said. “I do what I think is right.”
