The first floor contained a saloon, cafe, and the office of Torrio. Thank you. Going back again a long time in 1924, that is when I think I mentioned this morning they actually took over the town out there in an election, manned it with machine guns, and that sort of thing. In 1943, Accardos close friend, Paul (the Waiter) Ricca, allegedly assumed control and appointed Accardo underboss. 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. I think it was 2 or 3 years ago. That is right. The CHAIRMAN. (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.). His throat had been slashed from ear to ear and he had been shot four times. Mr. PETERSON. Mr. HALLEY. This is from recollection. But they would do their best in finding them. I think the union was thrown into receivership. Though he had vowed not to make the same mistakes as Capone, he was found guilty of tax evasion. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, Meyer Lansky, and Charles "Lucky" Luciano were said to be the enforcers for the gang and they engaged in terrorizing tactics as enforcers. If anyone,that's a criminal,had any smarts they'd read all they could about Mr. Accardos "mngmt" style. Nicholas De Grazia, 121 Twenty-second Avenue, Melrose Park, Ill., has been another important figure in the Capone syndicate's gambling operations. When Mayor LaGuardia conducted his campaign against the slot-machine operations of Costello and Kastel in New York, they negotiated with officials of Louisiana and began large-scale slot-machine operations there. Gambling is unquestionably closely associated with the top-ranking members of the syndicate. I was with the FBI about 12 years. (Whereupon, at 12: 25 p. m., the committee recessed until 2 : 30 p. m. the same day. Mr. PETERSON. The thing is, Accardo wasn't the type of guy you made fun of, and the burglars would find outvery soon. Powered by. to refuse to appear before the grand jury until the government demonstrates some compelling need for the counsel's testimony. On May 10, 1920, testimony was given before the Senate Judiciary Committee to the effect that Chicago was the center of race-track information for the entire United States. This burglary was a personal insult to Accardo, no doubt about it. Mr. PETERSON. His draft card in 1944 which was found on him when he was arrested carried the address of 5123 University Avenue. Last reports were to the effect that Imburgio was suffering from Burger's disease, which has incapacitated him. Early on in his career, Accardo allegedly tracked down colleagues who had betrayed Capone and beat them to death with a baseball bat. Mr. PETERSON. On one legitimate thing I think his income was supposed to have been $10,000 a year. Harry Levinson was one of those men who could call Antonino Accardo a friend. In connection with the investigation of the St. Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago in 1929, testimony was taken concerning the sale of a machine gun. Guzik's brother-in-law, Louis Lipschultz, has been active in Cook County. 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. The Capone syndicate then formed its own racing news information service which was called the Trans-American Publishing & News Service, Inc. Accardo, as I mentioned before, was one of the alleged plotters of the St. Valentine's Day massacre in 1929. This was a night club which featured big-time gambling. It is claimed that he graduated from the school of architects and engineering at the university. A call was made to Las Vegas where The Outfit's Anthony Spilotro (photo left) protected the mob's casino skimming operations. They began operations in Louisiana in 1934, and it is claimed that the first year of their activities there netted them about $800,000. Gus Liebe has served as the manager of many of their establishments, those that are controlled by Rocco Fischetti. The purchase was made in the name of Irving Haim and the money was obtained from a New Orleans bank on notes secured by Irving Haim, Phil Kastel, Frank Costello and William Helis. Joseph Peskin, alias Sugar Joe Peskin, 7625 Essex Avenue, Chicago, Ill., has been associated with members of the Capone syndicate and is one of the biggest juke box operators in Chicago. FURTHER TESTIMONY OF VIRGIL W. PETERSON, OPERATING DIRECTOR, CHICAGO CRIME COMMISSION, REPRESENTING THE AMERICAN MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION. In recent months John Capone has been associated with Herman Kiefus, who has been very active in gambling activities on the South Side. Most of the upper echelon was there, including Tony Accardo. Tony Accardo died on May 22, 1992, from congestive heart failure and acute respiratory failure. The principal purpose of my testimony is first to show the growth and development of some of the major gangs and the connections between these major gangs and many other sections of the country. Mr. PETERSON. Interestingly he never spent a night in jail in his entire life. establishment called the Dome at 7466 West Irving Park Road. 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. Shortly after the shooting, Accardo was seen in the lobby of Capones headquarters, the Lexington Hotel on Michigan Avenue, with a machine gun. I think that is one of the real significant points of the entire organized-crime problem. But judging by Accardos relatively modest lifestyle, you might not guess that he was a wealthy man. Following the grand jury investigation there they moved back into the Chicago area. Frank Garnet has also been operating juke boxes as a distributor in Los Angeles. In order to cover his tracks and cut ties from the purge he set in motion, Accardo turned his wrath toward his own inner circle and the execution squad he had dispatched to do his bidding. And to this day, not nearly as many people know Accardos name. It is very interesting and most useful. I am not positive about that. (Mr. Peterson's testimony was interrupted while the committee took testimony from William P. Brown, Clayton, Mo. Mr. PETERSON. He had to eliminate two more men, men who could tie him to the killings of the burglars. In other words, the law violators dictate law-enforcement policies and control certain law-enforcement agencies. The CHAIRMAN. Accardo was convicted in 1960 of tax evasion and sentenced to six years in prison, but the conviction was overturned. The Museum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to advance the public understanding of organized crime's history and impact on American society. Ralph Capone surrendered on May 9, 1930, through the advice of his attorney, Joseph Lustfield. What position did you hold with the FBI when you left? In October, Accardos houseboy, native Sicilian Mike Volpe, vanished weeks after testifying in front of a grand jury investigating the slayings linked to the January break-in. In 1948 Peskin was a distributor of juke boxes under the name of the Automatic Music Instruments Co. in States of California, Nevada, and Washington. Is your testimony going to apply to gangs, as you say, attempting to take over local government? // ]]>, Report an Issue | Another important member is Murray Llewellyn Humphreys, alias J. Harris, known as "The Camel," 7710 Bennett Avenue. The CHAIRMAN. I have that in another paper here, I am sure, but I do not have it with me. That was a liquor association. Peskin at the hearing denied the assault and stated : This thing is bum publicity for me and no good for the industry. He was indicted also by the Federal grand jury in New York City with Paul Ricca, Phil D'Andrea, Nitti, and the others in connection with the movie extortion. Mr. PETERSON. He is an associate of many of the most important members of the Capone outfit, including Nitti, deceased leader of the gang, Murray Humphreys, Paul Ricca, and Louis Campagna. It proved an ill-conceived endeavor, and it didnt take long for Accardo to seek his proverbial pound of flesh. Of course, Torrio is no longer active. After four trials, Hunt was found not guilty on January 11, 1943. At the time of the accident Ricca was in the company of Charles Fischetti and Joseph Fischetti. The offer was turned down. He allegedly owned a home at 5352 LaGorce Drive. Willie Heeney has likewise been prominently identified as a member of the Capone syndicate for a long time. Mr. HALLEY. Circella has recently been interested in an air-conditioning unit for which he owns the patent rights. During the 1920's and 1930's Ralph Capone was associated with Al in the operation of gambling houses, houses of ill fame, illegal liquor traffic, and other forms of racketeering in Chicago and Cicero. He was closely associated with "Big Tim" Murphy, a notorious gang leader. They settled it for about 20 cents on the dollar. Wide open gambling operations have taken place at this establishment for many years. Mr. PETERSON. Prior to being operating director of the Chicago Crime Commission, you were associated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation? Mr. PETERSON. In September of 1978 a federal grand jury held hearings regarding this situation. Accardo moved the Outfit into new operations and territories, greatly increasing its power and wealth during his tenure as boss. He was frequently referred to as the master mind of the underworld. The CHAIRMAN. No, it was a State-wide trade liquor association. As a matter of background, he is a cousin of Al Capone and has been an important member of the syndicate for the greater part of three decades. Humphreys has also been involved in kidnaping. Mr. PETERSON. Then that is the same Mr. Annenberg that gave Mr. Molasky 22 1/2 shares of Pioneer News Service for $1, I believe. I would have to check on that. Senator WILEY. He dropped out of school in the sixth grade and was arrested for the first time at age 15. Of course, the significance of the organized-crime problem is its effect on government. In his later years, Tony Accardo would fiercely deny that he was ever a mob boss. But in 1931, the fearsome mobster was put behind bars for tax evasion. That was before the Taft-Hartley Act, in 1943. The CHAIRMAN. Ryans right-hand man, Stevie Garcia, made it until February 2 when he popped up as trunk music at the Sheraton Hotel next to OHare International Airport. Louis "Little New York" Campagna, 2927 Maple Avenue, Berwyn, Ill., also has farms in Berrien Springs, Mich., and Fowler, Ind. In 1941 the press reported that on the North Side and in the northwest suburbs the juke-box industry was under the control of Eddie Vogel, an important Capone syndicate member. Against All Odds: Oscar Goodman and the Jimmy Chagra Murder Trial, Drug trafficker Peter Shue on coke vs. heroin, doing 21 years, Suge, Alpo, Keith Sweat, Madonna & Mike Tyson, Inside Italy's biggest Mafia trial in decades. The CHAIRMAN. I have no control over anybody, he said. Tony Capezio was one of the suspects in the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago in 1929 and was also a suspect of the murder of Mike DePike Heitler. 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 1924 he began operating the Evans Co., at 311 Curtiss Street. A young Tony Accardo in 1930, when he was still moving up in the ranks of the mob. Now that youve learned about Tony Accardo, read more about Al Capone, his infamous predecessor. In 1931 the crime commission named him as a public enemy. At the time Capone went to prison the following individuals had grown in stature within the Capone organization and were powerful members of the Capone syndicate: Frank Nitti, Louis (Little New York) Campagna, Paul Ricca, Phil D'Andrea, Jack Guzik, Tony Accardo, Charles Fischetti, Edward Vogel, Hymie (Loud Mouth) Levin, Ralph Capone, Tony Capezio, Ralph Pierce, Murray Humphreys, Frank Maritote, alias Frank Diamond, Nick Circella, alias Nick Dean, Lawrence Imburgio, Charles Gioe, Anthony (Mops) Volpe, William Niemoth, and Sam (Golf Bag) Hunt. Luckily for Accardo, he was a close confidant of Ricca, who had actually named him as his underboss before going to prison. He is known as a gunman and dangerous. On February 14, 1929 - I am sure you are all familiar with the St. Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago. I see you have about three more pages on Chicago. He had been robbed of over $1 million in jewelry. What's the use of risking your life, when you can't enjoy the wealth that comes with it? On October 1, 1926, he was indicted, together with Al Capone, the mayor and chief of police of Cicero, Ill., and many others. The CHAIRMAN. In addition to maintaining close contact with various prominent members of the syndicate in Chicago, he has associated with John and Fred Angersola, usually referred to as John and Fred King, from Cleveland. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); It would be a pretty fast mimeographing job. That was their testimony. Dobkin has been a betting commissioner for many years. On August 21, 1941, the State's attorney of Chicago charged that Rocco De Stefano together with Harry V. Russell, prominent handbook operator, Peter Tremont, policy operator, Patrick Manno, policy operator, Max Caldwell, Milton Schwartz, and Maurice Margolis, had helped spend $910,000 looted from the treasury of local 1248, Retail Clerks Protective Association, union funds. Senator WILEY. Numerous others have grown to power and have become influential within the organization. No indictments were returned, however, and no further action was taken. With the distribution of alcohol once again legal, the Outfit had to find a new source of income. He, incidentally, was shot in Milwaukee a couple of years ago. In connection with the Federal parole of Paul Ricca, "Little New York" Campagna, Charles Gioe, and Phil D'Andrea, Accardo was indicted in Federal court in Chicago. I have the one extra copy that I gave to your committee here. I think he was shot in connection with a union election out there. On July 30, 1931, O'Hara was indicted by the Cook County grand jury on a charge of conspiracy. This has to do with allegedly setting up this racing news service to take over the old Annenberg regime. No witnesses could be produced and the case was then dismissed. Some of these fellows have been city office holders in Cicero? The Big Tuna himself died peacefully in 1992, having served close to a half-century at the helm of the Outfit and never doing any significant time behind bars. I don't know. That company has the cigarette-vending machines where you put in 20 cents and get out a package of cigarettes. They'd learn the key to longterm health and freedom is to act "normal" and respect everyone. The St. Valentines Day Massacre saw seven associates of Chicagos North Side Gang gunned down. The heat on Accardo intensified after that when the FBI searched his house and found $275,000, with some money bundles wrapped in bank wrappers from the Valley Bank in Las Vegas. Accardo was famously protective of his beloved River Forest mansion, having even bumped off the architect who designed it out of suspicion that he had shared the blueprints with the FBI. Moretti, a former police officer, had been seen wearing Accardos gold cufflinks around town in the days before he was killed. Peskin admitted to the police, however, that he had made a threat to Nathan that he would "cut his throat" but claimed he meant it only in a business way. That is right. At one time it was believed that he would eventually succeed to Al Capone's shoes, although he never actually gained that status. His first employment upon coming to Chicago was that of a waiter in a coffee shop on Halstead Street and later as a waiter in a restaurant on Wabash Avenue near Harrison, where Frank Nitti and other hoodlums frequently gathered. The Chicago Crime Commission credited Accardos long life to his insistence that the Chicago mob should stay away from drug trafficking which exerted a corrupting influence on many other criminal organizations. Accardo was supposedly heard whistling 'You are my sunshine' referring to a Vegas lawyer nicknamed 'Sunshine'. Bookmaking operations were in progress there under his ownership. 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