Pops Panczko Wouldn’t ‘Cell Out’ His Reputation

--Joseph (Pops) Panczko is hardly shy and Chicago police say he doesn’t appear to be retiring either, since they’ve just arrested him for at least the 150th time. Panczko, 66, whose eight-page police record goes back nearly five decades, was freed after posting a $25,000 bond following his arrest on a burglary charge. “He is more or less a living legend,” said Sgt. Phil Watzke, who works the district where Panczko’s latest arrest took place. “He’s notorious--armed robberies, bank robberies, burglaries, you name it.” Panczko has often regaled arresting officers and reporters with his gift of gab, once offering the alibi: “I don’t know nothing and I can prove it.” And rather than shy away from the notoriety that followed in the wake of so many arrests, he once told reporters his reputation as a lawbreaker has its advantages. “I buy watches legitimately for $11 each and sell them for $20 after telling people they’re ‘hot,’ ” he said. That business, he added, is easier than driving a soda pop truck, the job from which his nickname “Pops” stemmed.