The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-11-01
Careers of Big Shot Gapgzamd
Chiefs Are EUentfuI But Brief
Arrest of Bugs Moran and
Legs Diamond Attack Re-
call Adage: Wages of
Sin Is Death
BY BRUCE CATION
NEA Service Writer

CHICAGO, Nov. When the
well-known Bugs Moran, one-time
underworld power on Chicago's north
side, fell into the tolls of the law
at Waukegan the other day, he I'M
Willingly provoked an illustration
Tor one of the memorable but little
known natural laws of gangland.
This law, briefly, is that the I'M
derworld big shots" career is nearly
always a short one. The beer run
ner, the racketeer and the gunman,
here and elsewhere, do not hold theiI
thrones for any great period Of time.
In that fact, long suffering pub
lie which finds its public officials
powerless to enforce the law against
these underworld rulers may find
grain or two of comfort.
The old adage that crime doesn't
pay" may have been knocked sky
high by developments Of the last
decade, but a still older one is still
holding good. 1t is, The wages Of
sin is death"
They Rose, Ruled, Died
Bugs Moran, arrested, frisked and
booked. provides one instance. Jack
Gegs) Diamond of New York pro-
vides another. And the roster of
gangland, here and elsewhere, pro-
vides many more.
Go back over underworld his
story here in Chicago, the labora-
tory and testing ground for
Americas underworld, and see
what you find:
Jim Colosimo, first man to get
an inkling of the possibilities in
herent in gangland empires,
built himself up into big shot,
ruled briefly, and then died,
matter of ten years ago, with
bullet in his skull
Enemies Shot TOrriO
Colosimo's place was taken by
Johnny Torrio, a hardbitten, ca
pable man from New Yorks ten
derloin. Torrio took what Colo
simo bequeathed him and added
to it.
He established the south side
gang on its eminence, building it
up from a neighborhood group of
panders and high binders to an all
powerful, city-wide organization.
And what happened to Torrio? He
had three or four years of power;
then his enemies shot him, he re-
covered in a guarded hospital, foiled
his attackers by standing the rap in
Jail for six months on a liquor
charge; handed over his scepter to
AL Capone, and lit out for Europe.
He has not been back since, never
will be. He is the only gangland big
shot to resign and get away with it.
Capone Is Exception
Capone, of course, is the excep-
ton. Coming to power some six
years ago, he still is on the throne,
unhurt and unmolested. But per-
hapS it takes a few exceptions to
prove the rule. Where are his chief
lieutenantS?
Tony Lombardo for years was one
of the mightlest of Capone'S eXecu-
tive officers; and Tony, in 1928, died
on a downtown Chicago street cor
ner, shot from behind in the midst
of a crowd
He was succeeded, in the powerful
Unione Siciliana, by PaSquale Lo-
lordo. Lolordo ruled a few months;
then, one night, some men called
at his house, sat down to drink with
him, and shot him to death when
he lifted a glass of wine to drink
their good health.
Succeeded by Triumvirate
Lolordo was succeeded by tri-
umvirate; John Scalisi, Albert An
selmi and Joe Guinto. For some
thing like a year, perhaps longer,
they enjoyed power and riches.
Then some one, somehow, enticeo
them into an automobile one dark
night. The next Gay their lifeless
bodies were found alongside road
near the Indiana border.
Among Capone's business rivals,
what has been the situation?
Dion O'Banion, first and tough
est of the north side gangsters