Mr. PETERSON. Senator WILEY. Mr. PETERSON. For the information of the press and others here, the committee will continue with Mr. Peterson's statement at 2:30 this afternoon in this room, but his statement will be interrupted at 3:15, at which time Mr. William Brown, the president of the Pioneer News Service, will testify. That gives a brief background of the beginning of the Capone syndicate. He was given the nickname Big Tuna by a Chicago newspaper reporter after having his picture taken with a 400-pound tuna he caught off Florida. Released on parole in 1947. He was also alleged to be the owner of the Turf Club, Touhy and Western Avenues, a gasoline station across the street from the Turf Club, and a two-flat building in Skokie, Ill. Mr. Peterson, we will recess at about 12:25 if you can find some place where you can stop. Ricca frequently has used the name of DeLucia, and the owner of record of the property in Long Beach, Ind., is in the name of Nancy DeLucia. He was 86 years old a remarkable achievement for someone who had spent most of his life in such a dangerous business. In the first place, in order to have an understanding of organized crime in America today, it is necessary to review the growth and development of some of the major criminal gangs of approximately three decades ago. . A call was made to Las Vegas where The Outfit's Anthony Spilotro (photo left) protected the mob's casino skimming operations. In 1931, Capone was found guilty of tax evasion and sent to prison. I think you either told me or you stated somewhere that Mr. Annenberg and Molasky were indicted for income-tax evasion. And so he bought a twenty-two room mansion at 915 Franklin Avenue for $125,000. The CHAIRMAN. This organization was known as, as I said before, I believe, the Trans-American Publishing & News Service, Inc. On June 13, 1947, O'Hara publicly announced with reference to the Trans-American "We are going out of business. Many of the group of course were big-time operators in the field of gambling. You say that happened in Wisconsin? The CHAIRMAN. Accardo was convicted in 1960 of tax evasion and sentenced to six years in prison, but the conviction was overturned. That information, of course, has been a matter of public record over a long period of time. If anyone,that's a criminal,had any smarts they'd read all they could about Mr. Accardos "mngmt" style. In a criminal career that spanned eight decades, he rose from small-time hoodlum to the position of day-to-day boss of the Outfit in 1947, by moving the organization into new operations and. The arrest was merely one on suspicion, and they were released. When Capone was, committed to Federal prison, Frank Nitti became the head of the Capone gang. He was known as Joe the Boss, and was head of the Italian lotteries and similar illegal activities. Matt Capone formerly operated a tavern called the Hall of Fame, 4839 Ogden Avenue, Cicero, Ill. John Larisen, a gambler and a doper of race track horses was shot and killed in the Hall of Fame tavern a few years ago. De Stefano has come into prominence recently as an affiliate of such well-known members of the syndicate as Joe Fusco, vice president of Gold Seal Liquors, Jack Guzik, and Charles and Rocco Fischetti. A confidential address book was seized from Dragna's principal lieutenant, Giroloma Adamo, alias Mo Mo. "Chew Tobacco" Ryan, Hymie "Loud Mouth" Levin - I think that should have been Jack - Harry "Greasy Thumb" Guzik, the owners of the 400 Club at 29 West Randolph, and Maurice L. Goldstein operated an unlicensed radio-broadcasting station in violation of the Federal Communications Act in 1934. You have had experience with the FBI in most of the sections of the United States in the matter of Federal law enforcement? Rocco Fischetti, Sam Hunt, and Murray Humphreys also. What did you say about Lester Kruse just a minute ago? Nicholas De Grazia, 121 Twenty-second Avenue, Melrose Park, Ill., has been another important figure in the Capone syndicate's gambling operations. Ralph Capone spends a large amount of time in Mercer, Wis., where he is said to own a tavern and summer resort. Senator WILEY. On the west coast Fischetti has associated with Jack I. Dragna, one of the most powerful underworld leaders in that area. In 1929 the Federal grand jury charged Ralph Capone with failure to pay income taxes - November 1, 1929. As an interesting sidelight, at the time Colosimo was killed in Chicago, a United States Senate Judiciary hearing was in progress relating to the Sterling-Sims bill which was designed to prohibit the interstate transportation of racing information. Though Accardo technically retired from being a Mafia boss in the late 1950s, he continued to pull the strings as a consigliere. Claude Maddox, a public enemy and the member of the Capone syndicate, is also allegedly associated with Aiuppa in the Taylor Co. As a result, Accardo and attorney, Eugene Bernstein, were indicted by the Federal grand jury. Time goes fast. 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. On July 18, 1932, John Capone, then 29 years of age, was arrested with his bodyguard who at that time was Rocco Fischetti. Guzik's brother-in-law, Louis Lipschultz, has been active in Cook County. Levin was an important cog in the Capone organization during the heyday of Al Capone. Among his other partners in gambling enterprises is John Patrick Borcia, whose activities extended from Chicago to California, where he has been operating the Primrose Bar, which incidentally is a hangout for hoodlums. TESTIMONY OF VIRGIL W. PETERSON, OPERATING DIRECTOR, CHICAGO CRIME COMMISSION, REPRESENTING THE AMERICAN MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION. Also known as Joe Batters and Big Tuna, Tony Accardo. The St. Valentines Day Massacre sent shockwaves throughout Chicago, causing the government to crack down harder on organized crime in the city. Vogel, among other contacts, did have one George "Babe" Tottenelli, who was the trouble-shooter for Ed Vogel on the south side in connection with slot-machine activities for a number of years. After four trials, Hunt was found not guilty on January 11, 1943. McDonald was shot in the back of the head, his body dumped in an alley on April 14. Mr. PETERSON. At that time he lived at 1722 East Seventieth Street, Chicago. He was arrested many times afterward on a charge of carrying concealed weapons. And for a while, it was unclear who the best man for the job would be. Accardo family members and Michael Volpe, a handyman for Accardo who discovered the burglary, appeared before the grand jury, represented by appellee Carl M. Walsh. So Stofel resigned rather than keep the responsibility, powerless to act. Tony Accardo, a.k.a. Following the 1924 election, Cicero became the headquarters for the Torrio-Capone combination, and an influence of the members of this organization has been strong until the present time. He owns a home, in addition to his address in Chicago at 6471 Allison Road, Miami, Fla., Allison Island. Tony Accardo died on May 22, 1992, from congestive heart failure and acute respiratory failure. That was in testimony before the Hoffman committee. In 1947 it was estimated that Joe Peskin of Universal Automatic Music Corp. had about 900 juke boxes placed on location. Mr. PETERSON. Accardo was called to testify, but he took the fifth and revealed nothing. By the late 1940s the "Capone mob" was called The Outfit, and was run by Antonino "Joe Batters" Accardo (photo right). While it remains unknown if Accardo was one of the gunmen, theres no question that he wouldve done just about anything for Capone. A five-bedroom, 6,200-square-foot Colonial-style mansion in River Forest once owned by legendary Chicago Outfit figure Anthony "Tony" Accardo sold Friday for $1.13 million exactly half what. Prior to the time they were released I think there were back taxes on the part of Campagna and Ricca to the extent of about $500,000, as I recall. Sedway's testimony apparently did not carry a whole lot of weight, as the final 11,500-page Kefauver Committee report included just four pages from the Las Vegas proceedings. In February 1945 he was arrested with Tony Accardo, top-ranking man of the syndicate, and one Daniel Beneduce, of 4259 Gladys Avenue, Chicago, as suspects in a kidnaping. Senator WILEY. This was business as usual. I have the one extra copy that I gave to your committee here. The CHAIRMAN. He has been arrested with Claude Maddox as well as with Rocco De Grazio, Fred Rossi, and others. Accardo started out as a bodyguard for Al Capone during Prohibition and later had his own 40-year reign as a Windy City mob boss. The store was owned by a friend of Accardo a Jewish bookie paying the Big Tuna protection money. As early as 1932 Joe Adonis, Frank Erickson, and others were promoting a big sweepstakes operation. Rocco De Stefano and others were indicted February 24, 1936, in Cook County on robbery charges wherein the loot was totaled at $75,000. Europe and others push for a standard lunar time zone. A few years ago Rocco and Andrew De Grazio were indicted in Federal court in connection with a narcotics charge. No arrests were made until April 25, 2005, when 14 members of the Chicago Outfit (including reputed boss James Marcello) were . Numerous others have grown to power and have become influential within the organization. The second and third floors were devoted to gambling and the fourth floor to prostitution. Mr. Peterson, before you start your formal statement I thought we should have a further word about the American Municipal Association. He was implicated in the million-dollar movie-extortion case along with the other Capone gangsters. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. PETERSON. He did an excellent job for a few months, and then there was so much pressure brought that Stofel was forced to resign. 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. As a result of that, I was requested to appear before the American Municipal Association at its annual meeting in Cleveland. My recollection is that Campagna's wife is also a part owner of that shop. Gus Liebe has served as the manager of many of their establishments, those that are controlled by Rocco Fischetti. Since his parole from Federal penitentiary in 1947 he has naturally kept in the background. He was picked up, arrested, following that. The CHAIRMAN. 48.8k members in the Mafia community. I would hate to say that definitely, but it could very well be. But despite his violent tendencies, Accardo also had a reputation for a quiet and calm demeanor that allowed him to climb the ranks of the Outfit faster than anyone had ever done before. Levinson had a successful jewelry store on North Clark Street. After leaving school as a young teenager, Accardo joined a group of local hoodlums. As I said before, until the repeal of prohibition the principal activities of this group were related to the illegal liquor traffic. Mr. PETERSON. The headquarters for the Torrio mob was at the Four Deuces, 2222 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago. Then that is the same Mr. Annenberg that gave Mr. Molasky 22 1/2 shares of Pioneer News Service for $1, I believe. Though Accardo started out as one of Capones low-ranking associates, he quietly moved up in the ranks of the Chicago Mafia as time went on. Heeney was arrested in 1926 as a suspect in the murder of an assistant State's attorney in Chicago. The Accardo family had for years lived in a modest ranch house at 1431 Ashland Avenue in the Chicago suburb of River Forest. Borcia has a criminal record and was paroled May 14, 1941, from the Auburn State Penitentiary in New York. But not all families were equal. Charlie Fischetti, one of the leading gangsters in America today, was present with Frank Capone and other hoodlums during the time the election violence was in progress. Nathan blamed Peskin for the slugging but later repudiated same, and the case was dismissed. The committee should know that that Mr. Peterson made every effort to have a copy of his statement that could be made public in the committee's hands by yesterday, so it could be mimeographed, but he found that the pressure of work was such that he just could not do it. He is a prominent businessman. Born Antonino Leonardo Accardo on April 28, 1906, the future kingpin grew up in the Little Sicily area of Chicago. Before long, the mob was wealthier than it had been in years. Mr. PETERSON. On May 2, 1933, the chief investigator for the State's attorney's office described Humphreys as public enemy No. Heres a list, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Stationmaster arrested after train collision in Greece kills at least 36, Ohios senators to unveil rail safety bill in wake of East Palestine derailment, After months of pounding, Ukrainian official says military may pull back from Bakhmut, Elizabeth Holmes cites her new baby as a reason she should avoid prison for Theranos scam, What time is it on the moon? Tony Accardo met and married Clarice Pordzany in 1934. Matter of fact, in 1951 he had just bought his dream house. Published: January 18th, 2018 - By Scott Burnstein, Contributing Writer, Breaking Bad still resonates on 10th anniversary of its debut. The investigation conducted by the police revealed that until 3 days before the massacre Guzik had been holding daily long-distance telephone conversation with Al Capone in Florida. Early in 1950 the Los Angeles Police Department was seeking Jack I. Dragna, one of the most notorious gangsters on the west coast. Its no wonder why FBI agent William F. Roemer Jr. called Accardo the genuine godfather.. Then Michael Volpe, the man responsible for watching the house, was called to testify. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Long-lost ship found at the bottom of Lake Huron, confirming story of tragic collision, TikTok to set default daily time limit of up to 60 minutes for minors, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a Guatemalan jungle and Maya ruins, TikTok faces bans in a number of countries over security fears. Through Edward Vogel, plans were made for the underworld organization headed by Torrio to elect its ticket in the mayoralty election. Named in the injunction were Louis Romano, president of the union, Frank Nitti, Murray Humphreys, Louis "Little New York" Campagna, Fred Evans, and Paul Ricca. Jack Guzik was then the business manager of the illegal empire controlled by Capone. He has been affiliated in gambling activities with Willie Heeney, an important figure in Cicero, Joseph Corngold, alias Fifke, of the El Patio gambling establishment, 5914 West Cermak Road, Cicero. It was charged by the State's attorney's office in Chicago on August 21, 1941, that Pat Manno together with the others that I mentioned a few moments ago had attempted to loot or actually spent a large amount of that $910,000 from the Retail Clerks Protective Association. However, that association began before that time, where both the Fischettis and the Kings have spent a large amount of time recently. Hetogs was the final member of the crew of burglars who could have been or were involved in the burglary of Accardo's home. Capone's bodyguard at that time was Phil D'Andrea, who, true to form, appeared in court with a concealed weapon and was sentenced by a. In other words, I am paving the way to show that these men are still prominent - not all of them. 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. What was the result of that? Chicago. Is that true? I mean the one before that, the tourists' association. Should rap lyrics be used as evidence in court? So he decided to call his friend Joe Batters. Evans was born in November 1898 in St. Louis, Mo. Without any question he is one of the leading members of the syndicate. With the distribution of alcohol once again legal, the Outfit had to find a new source of income. As I understand it, today you are testifying on behalf of the American Municipal Association. He allegedly owned a home at 5352 LaGorce Drive. HEARINGS BEFORE THE Phil D'Andrea, as you know, was recently - in 1943 - convicted with other Capone gangsters in the movie extortion case. On February 20 police discovered the body of John Mendell, the man who could defeat most burglar alarms and who was believed to be the mastermind behind the burglary had also been tortured before his throat had been slashed. But in 1931, the fearsome mobster was put behind bars for tax evasion. Scott M. Burnstein, a journalist and true-crime historian, is the author of five books on organized crime. The $275,000 seized in the raid on Accardo's home was later returned to him. Mr. Peterson, what was the State-wide association? I don't remember the exact testimony. The owner of this place would not allow slot machines in his place and the press alleged that the slaying was intended to intimidate the road house owner. He is commonly known as Frank "Chew Tobacco" Ryan. Mr. SHENKER. Mr. PETERSON. I know it is very difficult for them to follow this. On October 5 his family reported him missing, and he hasn't been seen since. In connection with these activities Peskin was associated with individuals who were known to be close to the Capone syndicate. Apparently pleased with his work, Capone gave him the nickname Joe Batters.. The De Grazios. He financed many important underworld leaders in their activities, and among those who were close to Rothstein and who benefited from his financial assistance were Frank Costello, Eddie Costello, a brother of Frank, George Uffner, a dealer in narcotics who was closely associated with Charles "Lucky" Luciano and Dandy Phil Kastel. In other words, as the distinguished Governor just mentioned a few moments ago, there is very seldom any political campaign in his area in which the racketeering elements - and, of course, gambling is very lucrative - do not attempt to make political contributions and that sort of thing. Claude Maddox has been a prominent member of the syndicate for many years. 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. But just before he began serving his sentence he was ambushed and shot. In 1937 -. Phil D'Andrea, who supposedly is in bad health now, formerly the bodyguard for Al Capone, was convicted along with the other Capone gangsters. His face had been burned off with an acetylene torch. Mr. PETERSON. Western Union provided the technical equipment. He was rejected for military service. In recent years he has operated the Primrose Path, 1159 North Clark Street, Chicago, and in recent months has operated a place called the Primrose Bar in Los Angeles. I think it was 2 or 3 years ago. 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