Betty Loren-Maltese Selling Personal Items at 'Estate Sale' to Send Daughter to Beauty School

Everything must go at former Cicero town president Betty Loren-Maltese’s estate sale Oct. 9-10. Items for sale include sports memorabilia, ceramic Christmas decorations she made in prison, a Marina Tower whiskey decanter and political T-shirts from her campaigns for town president of Cicero.

Former Cicero town president Betty Loren-Maltese is opening her storage space and selling her personal belongings at an “estate sale” so that she can raise money to send her adopted daughter to beauty school.

Loren-Maltese, 65, was imprisoned for seven years after she was convicted (wrongfully she insists) in 2003 for her role in a scheme that bilked the town out of more than $12 million

Now living in a rented condo in Glen Ellyn with her adopted daughter, Ashleigh,18, Loren-Maltese will be selling such personal items as Emmett Kelly clown figurines and bedroom sets at a two-day sale from Oct. 9-10, at Tavern on LaGrange, 5403 S. La Grange Road, Countryside.

“I’ve been planning it for the last three years but haven’t been able to get it together,” Loren-Maltese said. “I’ll be selling Christmas decorations that I made in prison.”

The former Cicero mayor has been promoting the sale on her Facebook page:

“Huge estate sale with new collectible Barbies, pokemon, Precious Moments, collectible dolls, Emmett Kelly clowns. Antique items, sports memorabilia, crystal, serving dishes, Christmas items new and used, Halloween items new and used, dishes, gold plated silverware, bedroom sets, outdoor furniture, jewelry, fishing equipment, new boxed toys and games, oil paintings, kitchenware, and much, much more. Political t-shirts also available … Visa and Mastercard will be accepted.”

Loren-Maltese doesn’t mind if some buyers flip her possessions on eBay.

“Things will be cheaper at the sale than on eBay,” she said. “I told Ashleigh, ‘if we lose a few bucks, so what?’”

She’s been polishing silverware and washing apparel accumulating in her storage space, getting them ready for the sale.

“Seems like the stuff is better than when I had it,” Loren-Maltese said. “I’m getting it ready so it’s nice for the sale.”

Betty is also entertaining pre-sales on Facebook, where she has been holding pre-trunk sales. Items, such as animated Mickey and Minnie Mouse Christmas figurines, and a Halloween scarecrow with light-up eyes, sold fast.

These days Loren-Maltese says she gets by on social security and a small income she earns from a work-from-home job. From her modest income, she also pays $475 in restitution for her conviction.

Loren-Maltese says that Ashleigh has a talent for styling hair, and wants to attend Paul Mitchell Beauty School where Ashleigh hopes to become a colorist. The proceeds from the sale will go toward Ashleigh’s tuition.

One person mother and daughter aren’t counting on is Ashleigh’s godfather, former Chicago alderman Ed Vrdolyak, who’s had his own run-ins with the feds.

“He always promised Ashleigh that he’d pay for her to go to college, where it was Harvard or community college. She called him but he didn’t return her call,” Loren Maltese said. “I’ve applied for a Pell grant but it’s not going to cover the whole tuition.”

The sale will be held in the banquet room at Tavern on LaGrange. The owners are also planning a special buffet in anticipation of the large crowd that is likely to come to the sale. Loren-Maltese says there is an elevator in the building and gaming machines are on the premises to help pass the time.

Loren-Maltese advises people to come to the estate sale early. The last she held a sale of her personal possessions in Stickney in 2011, everything was gone the first day.

“It should be interesting,” she said.