The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-08-22
SKELETONS RATTLE
AS NEW DOCUMENTS
OF ZU7A ARE READ
Probers Find More Records Tell
ing of Gang|and and Its
Connections

Chicago, Aug. 22.-P-The lids of
Jack Zuta's strong boxes were torn
from their hinges today and hithcrto
unknown contents scattered far and
wide.
Reams Of additional papers and
records were made public by the in
vestigators some relating to public
officials, some to gangland activities.
Attorney Ben Laube, of Gary. Ind.
said today he was the writer of a let
ter mailed to frankie Gross, of Gary,
from Orlando. Fla. and signed Ben"
found in the possessions of zuta.
who was slain at a Wisconsin lake
resort three weeks ago.
"How the letter got there. I don't
know. Laube said. Il never heard
of Jack Zuta until the newspapers
told of his death"
Laube said he had been retained by
Gross, a Gary real estate man to
negotiate with purchase of some
hotel property in Florida.
i've been Gross attorney for six
or seven years, and l made several
trips to Florida for him last year,
Laube said. He told me that some
Chicago men were going to finance
the Florida deal. The transaction
later fell through when Gross could
not raise the money"
The letter to Gross mentioned my
son made several attempts to reach
Gov Doyle Carlton. Attorney General
Fred H. Davis and Senator John Wat
son by telephone tonight but these
men were unavailable"
Laube said his son was a news
paperman in Florida at that time.
l"I don't recall why I wanted to see
Gov. Carlton and the other Florida
officials but it probably had some
thing to do with the real estate trans
action. Laube said.
Had Police Confession
Another document, described py the
investigators as a police confession
told of the attempts of "MplS" Volpa
and Joe Genaro, notorious Chicago
gangsters, to kidnap and hold fol
$50, 900 ransom a man named Jack
Helen Delmar. a New York night
club hostess, made the confession
She said Genaro brought her from
New York to serve as a lure. A tip
off to the police caused the arrest
of the girl and the ransom plot was
thwarted, the investigators disclosed
However, 1t vas not disclosed how
the confession came into Zuta's pos.
session.
Another batch of correspondence
from Louis La Cava, one time Zuta
ally and later a Capone gunman was
described by Pat Roche, chief invcsti.
gator for the states attorney, a.
showing zuta's power in Chicago.
Wanted Fixing"
La Cava was sought as a suspect
in the sensational murder of Assistant
States Attorney William McSwiggir
several years ago. One letter from
La Cava, Roche disclosed, asked Zuts
to elk it" for him.
Police records show that La Cavs
was arrested in June, 1926, and tina
he was discharged as a suspect b!
Municipal Judge Joseph w. Schulman
who has previously been named in thu
zuta inquiry as the recipient of
check from the slain gangster.
A $500 check, drawn in 1922 anc
signed Jack Zuta". was made pay.
able to P. w. Rothenberg. formerly
a deputy coroner and now a republi
can ward committeeman.
A picture of Alderman George M
Maypole, taken with his wife ano
daughter at Hot Springs. Ark, in 1923
was found in zuta's possessions. Or
1t was inscribed: With regards, from
the Maypoles, Hot Springs, Ark"