New-York tribune., 1919-02-10
Gamblers Fear Costigan
Case May Be Boomerang
And Close lid Tighter


rejoiced at first in the downfall of In
spector "Honest Dan" Costigan, to-day
is denouncing his removal, The gen.
eral fear is that the public c1amor
caused by Costigan's demoton will act
as boomerang and cause the cid" to
be shut down tighter than before.
Concern is expressed not for the well
fare of Costigan, but for the life Of
the gambling game The habtues Of
Broadway remember that police shake
ups before this have had the result of
focusing public attention on vice, with
dire consequences.
There is unquestionably more gam
bling than for long time past; but it
is not the high grade gambling that
made places like "Dick" Canfelds,
John Kelly's and Lou Betts's interna-
tionally notorious. There are a few
big games, but most Of the gaming is
small Of this there is much.
According to men closely in touch
with the situation, the system under
which gaming fourished in other days
in which the Tammany district leaders
and men high up in Fourteenth Street
were factors, has ceased.
A former political official who knows
his Tenderloin, said last night: "In
the old days the money was usually
split three ways. 1t was, as a rule,
collected by the captain or his ward
man, the captain retaining his bit and
the wardman doing the same and send
ing the bulk of the stuff downtown,
where it was divided two ways. If
,,1o
funds went through MN when they
were not collected by him.
"The district leader was taken care
Of by getting an interest in the game.
He would have his man or men work
ing in the houses, and in addition to
their wages get a definite part of the
profits.
"The old ward man is no longer part
OF the system, and so far as we know
no man now in the department collects
any money.
Through former policeman the
orders are given to captains to leave
alone or close place. This system is
more difficult to beat.
that the district leaders are in the
cold and are sore. No help can be
Locked for from any one in Fourteenth
street II anything goes wrong. There
Is also the danger that the district at
tcrney's office may break into the game
at any time.
There is also danger from Albany.
Al Smith has never been mixed up
with gambling graft, and with the or
ganizatiOn not in it, he is not likely
to stand still if the thing develops
into nasty scandal.
For that reason you don't see any
l1l, to
places cost money and the men who
have money for that sort of thing want
to be sure they will get run for theie
money before they let go of big roll
to fix up place.
The gang now running things is not
fussy about big games. AS q rule the
play is small. bat there are enough
stuss games running, and enough small
hand books and pool rooms
"These games are appealing to sol
diers and sailors, some still in the
service and others out cf it who have
little money. That's where the
hunger Of the East Slider threatens
to get everybody in dutch If some
there's apt to be real trouble"
There are very few vice resorts
that are operating openly. 1t is ex-
planned that there is a reason for this
Fears that the military police may
step in and take a hand. There is,
however, no interference with Ger
tain type of cabaret, little better than
the old time resorts. One group Of
such places is run by coterie of mon,
ali of whom were big figures in the
underworld when Twenty-eighth Street
was up town and the old uaymarket
was in it's glory.
Several of these have records Of con-
viction for running dives. but they also
have the reputation OF possessing a
pull" This reputation is enhanced
by the fact that they have not been
interfered with under the Hylan ad-
ministration, though the character Of
their places has distinctly changed for
the worse.
1t is true that there rarely, if ever,
have been fewer notorious women
than now in the district between Thir-
ty-fourth Street and Columbus Circle
The women frequent the cabarets run
by the former divekeepers.