Mr. Peterson, how long have you been operating director of the Chicago Crime Commission? There is just a little bit left leading up to the background of the Capone gang here, and then perhaps that would be a good breaking off point. Scott M. Burnstein, a journalist and true-crime historian, is the author of five books on organized crime. Taran was finally located in Brainerd, Minn. De Lordo was named by James Egan, the payoff man in the gang killing of Martin (Sonny Boy) Quirk, which killing occurred on September 18, 1943, as having been implicated with John Joseph Williams and others in the killing. Now that youve learned about Tony Accardo, read more about Al Capone, his infamous predecessor. At that time O'Hara was working for Thomas Malloy in the Motion Picture Operators Union, which the press described as a $750,000-a-year racket. The CHAIRMAN. On March 2, 1933, Ralph O'Hara shot and killed Fred Oser in the office of the Motion Picture Operators Union, 506 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago. Renno had nothing to do with the Accardo robbery; he simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The CHAIRMAN. In 1941 he had an interest in the Individual Towel Co. which at that time had a $45,000 annual contract with the Chicago Board of Education, resulting in action by the State's attorney's office. Ralph Capone's conviction was upheld when the case was appealed. Mr. PETERSON. It seemed as if the group of burglars who were responsible for the grave insult had all been dealt with, but Accardo wasn't finished. It is a pretty good, substantial city. Information was received in May 1949 to the effect that Epstein had been sending Virginia Hill three or four thousand-dollar bills every week or two through the manager of a hotel in Mexico City. Published: January 18th, 2018 - By Scott Burnstein, Contributing Writer, Breaking Bad still resonates on 10th anniversary of its debut. Moretti, a former police officer, had been seen wearing Accardos gold cufflinks around town in the days before he was killed. The John Binder Collection Feeling disrespected and unappreciated, a rogue Chicago Outfit burglary crew robbed the suburban mansion of longtime crime boss Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo. Did they ever recover any of it? No indictments were returned, however, and no further action was taken. When an attempt was made to start in business in competition with the syndicate it would fail, because the new operators could not get a union label on their machines from the electrical workers' union. The arrest was merely one on suspicion, and they were released. His father was a humble shoemaker and his mother was a homemaker. Mr. PETERSON. As a result, Accardo and attorney, Eugene Bernstein, were indicted by the Federal grand jury. In 1944 Gus Alex, age 30 years, 4000 West Washington Boulevard, was arrested, together with Willie Niemoth, in connection with the shotgun wounding of Robert Bock. Pollack associated with numerous other members of the Capone syndicate, and it was customary for him to take them on airplane trips from Chicago to Miami. Seventeen of the defendants were found not guilty and the charges against Humphreys, Al Capone, and others were stricken off with leave to reinstate by the prosecutor's office. Email blog@themobmuseum.org. In the past he has spent a large amount of time at Russell's Silver Bar, 400 South State Street, Chicago, operated by Harry Russell, a big shot in the gambling set-up in Chicago and more recently in Florida. No more ties to Accardo. In 1943 Ricca had a suit pending against the tenant and owner of a downtown building for personal injuries suffered during an elevator fall. The CHAIRMAN. Through our files and through research. John Capone, another brother of Al Capone, at one time resided at 5400 South Park Boulevard. In December 1940, when the attorney general - that is, the attorney general of the State of Illinois secured an injunction against bookmakers in the State of Illinois, it appeared that Joe Epstein was then connected with Edward Stern, Jack Terman, Julius Horwick, and James Mondi. In fact, Capone trusted Accardo so much that he may have even asked him to participate in the 1929 St. Valentines Day Massacre. In 1943 Gus Alex was reputedly the owner of a gambling establishment at 2136 South Michigan Avenue, in which dice, roulette wheels, and other gambling was conducted. Prior to being operating director of the Chicago Crime Commission, you were associated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation? He, incidentally, was shot in Milwaukee a couple of years ago. Senator WILEY. His throat had been slashed from ear to ear and he had been shot four times. Interestingly he never spent a night in jail in his entire life. On June 27, 1933, Humphreys was indicted by the Federal grand jury in Chicago on a charge of income-tax evasion. The CHAIRMAN. After John Torrio left Chicago about 1929 is when Al Capone became the ruler of Chicago's underworld. Mr. Brown left before the name was mentioned, or I would have had him stay. Information has been received to the effect that Cavaliera has operated as a front man for the Capone syndicate and operated Barbout games in the Halsted-Blue Island area. He lost an arm in an automobile accident several years ago, which gives rise to his nickname "Armie.". He was found, weeks later, in the trunk of his car, stabbed and strangled to death. (That said, when Ricca was released from prison a few years later, the two men were said to share some power in practice for at least some time.). That was before the Taft-Hartley Act, in 1943. Just recently, however, in 1948, John C. Stofel became the village president out in Cicero and was doing a very excellent job. In the income tax hearing there it was claimed that Lipschultz then received a gross income of $107,111 from the Harlem Tavern in Stickney, Ill., the Stockdale Saloon in Forest View, and the old Hawthorne Kennel Club, which was known as a Capone syndicate enterprise. All of those are well-known syndicate members. On April 29, 1926, Ralph Capone and Charles Fischetti were arrested in Cicero, Ill. On May 27, Al Capone, Ralph Capone, Charles Fischetti, and other individuals were charged with conspiracy to violate the National Prohibition Act in Chicago. In addition, Fusco admits ownership of three other wholesale distributing houses for liquor. It was also alleged at that time that Humphreys and other hoodlums were attempting to muscle in to a milk-drivers union. FURTHER TESTIMONY OF VIRGIL W. PETERSON, OPERATING DIRECTOR, CHICAGO CRIME COMMISSION, REPRESENTING THE AMERICAN MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION. That covers it I think, mostly. On June 17, 1942, there was a finding of "not guilty" as to Tremont and other individuals indicted. Printed for the use of Special Committee to Investigate That information, of course, has been a matter of public record over a long period of time. Anyway he wasn't a Wisconsin citizen. I have the one extra copy that I gave to your committee here. I will be glad to do that when I get back. This is not allowed by the union, and with the union's help I have gotten back all 50 of the 50 spots they took. Several months ago it was alleged that Harry Russell had "muscled" into the S. & G. Syndicate, Miami Beach, Fla. Harry Russell, together with his brother Dave Russell, operated a handbook at 186 North Clark Street, Chicago. Mr. PETERSON. Claude Maddox has been a prominent member of the syndicate for many years. The CHAIRMAN. He has been arrested numerous times. That was what it was. Mr. PETERSON. And as he distanced himself from the Outfit, Accardo began to enjoy the spoils of his job. Is that true? The CHAIRMAN. The testimony you refer to was before the Hoffman committee? The CHAIRMAN. Five days after Mendell went missing, his second-in-charge, Bernard Buddy Ryan, was discovered dead behind the wheel of his car with four bullet holes in the back of his head. He is one of the big-shot policy racketeers on Chicago's South Side. Peter Tremont has operated in Chicago the Silver Wheel, the Ditto Wheel, and the Rome Wheel. The book also contained the name of Joe Batters, which is the name frequently used by Accardo. He writes daily for The Oakland Press in Metro Detroit and focuses on Mob activity in Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia and New England. Mr. PETERSON. On May 8, 1930, the Federal prohibition agents raided the Cotton Club, 5340 West Twenty-second Street and the Monmarte Cafe, 4835 West Twenty-second Street, both Cicero, Ill., and alleged that these places were owned by Ralph Capone. In May 1931 Ralph Capone was allegedly operating the Casanova Club, 1025 North State Street, Chicago, Ill. With reference to the Federal income-tax violation Ralph Capone received a sentence of 3 years in a Federal penitentiary and a $10,000 fine in one case, a similar sentence in a second case and a year in the Cook County House of Correction and a $10,000 fine in the third indictment. Arrested in this raid were John Patton, Robert Larris McCullough, Joe Fusco, Frank Nitti, and others. Colosimo's Restaurant become nationally famous. William Roemer, a retired FBI agent who tracked Accardos career for years, said recently he could never charge Accardo but believed he was one of the triggermen in the St. Valentines Day massacre in Chicago in 1929. Senator WILEY. With the distribution of alcohol once again legal, the Outfit had to find a new source of income. 4 or 5 months in connection with the reorganization. Accardo was called to testify, but he took the fifth and revealed nothing. With reference to juke boxes generally in Chicago, the Loop area has been controlled by the Century Music Co., which was originally under the domination of Denis Cooney; Capone's syndicate vice manager of the first ward. As a result of that, I was requested to appear before the American Municipal Association at its annual meeting in Cleveland. I would have to check that, though. Campagna originally came from New York City, and at first it is claimed that he hung around Taylor and Halsted Streets in the old "bloody twentieth" ward in Chicago. It will be recalled that both Maddox and Tony Accardo were both sought as suspects in connection with the St. Valentine's Day massacre in February 1929. In the autumn of 1931 Al Capone was brought to trial in Federal court for income-tax evasion. Levinson explained his problem to Accardo, who told him not to worry. During the 1920's and the early 1930's Frank Costello numbered among his associates such individuals as Louis Lepke Buchalter, Dutch Schultz, Arnold Rothstein, Joe Adonis, Owney Madden, and Willie Bioff, who incidentally testified at the moving-picture extortion trial that Costello was a member of the conspiracy through which he and George Brown had obtained control of the stage-hands' union. Mr. PETERSON. Although he was not officially implicated in the movie extortion case the Chicago press reported on June 29, 1942, that the president of the Chicago Motion Picture Operators Union was to testify in New York City on the following day regarding statements made by him concerning payments made by the union to the Capone syndicate. This indictment charged conspiracy to operate a policy game. 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