It never ceases to amaze me, how milk turns up in places you'd least expect it.

Take the "Family Secrets" federal organized crime trial going on in Chicago right now, for example. I admit to having more than a passing interest in the mob. Godfathers 1 and 2 are among my favorite films, as are "Goodfellas," "Casino" and "Donnie Brasco," the latter perhaps the most gritty, least glamorous look into the underworld.

Of course, the Chicago Tribune -- my hometown paper of choice -- is covering this historic trial from every conceivable angle. The latest feature ran this past Sunday, a cute sidebar headlined "10 Things You Might Not Know About the Outfit." (For the uninitated, the Outfit is what us guys over by here in Chicago call the mafia.)

What especially caught my eye was No. 4, an item telling how the mob occasionally did good deeds to boost their public image. The Trib piece quotes mob historian Gus Russo explaining how henchmen of Al Capone successfully pressured the Chicago City Council to require a date stamp on milk cartons and establish guidelines for what could be sold as Grade A milk.

So, apparently consumers owe a debt of gratitude to the Chicago Outfit for helping to ensure they'd find fresh, wholesome milk at their local grocery store. That's quite a tale of food security, especially in a town that inspired Upton Sinclair to pen "The Jungle."

Too bad a similar story can't be told for the meat industry. I won't get into item No. 5, about the Outfit's role in what became known as the "horseburger" scandal ...

- J.D.