The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-07-15


 Dick Leche, who 50 hurriedly resigned the governorship when WPA scandals got hot, was an affable. easy-going puppet from the Huey Long successors. Earl Long, the new governor, never was cn the inside until recently. Seymour Weiss, Huey's pal and mentor, has been treading softly since his in- come tax difficulties. Others tried to talk big but lacked the gall and guts of Mayor Maestri
 If Huey was the Kingfish, Maes- tri today is Kingpin. He plays a background role, makes no speech es which woull betray his "dis, dat and dc odder"; but today he is probably more powerful than Huey Lcng ever was.
 For he controls two machines; his own machine in New Orleans where Huey never was strong; and the old state machine inherited from Long.
 A believer in ruthless ruling tactics, Maestri first took to Huey when the Kingfish gave him the dressing down of his life, called him all the vile names in the dictionary. These are the tactics Maestri understands. He listened, liked it, and became Huey's faith full follower.
 MAEsTRI AND ROOSEVELT
 Short, chunky, but weighinga about 200 pounds, Maestri likes to act strong, silent, Calvin Cool idge role. He hates palaver. Char. acteristic of him was an incident which occurred during the visit cf President Roosevelt en route to fishing trip in the Gulf of Mex leo two years ago.
 Leche, Maestri, ct, al., had taken Roosevelt to Antoine's, fa- nous New Orleans restaurant, where the finest food was set be- fore him, first dish being oysters Rockefeller. Mayor Maestri ate silently, rapidly, keeping his eyes on the oysters. Roosevelt ate with gusto and relish. Finely, Macs tri leaned over and spoke his first word of the meal: "Howdoya like em?"
 Roosevelt, replying at length. emphasized his appreciation of this informal and delightful gath. ering.
 Maestri said nothing. Not until the end of the lunch did the Mayor speak again "Was 1t Q pretty good meal?" he rasped out of the side of his mouth.
 Effusively Roosevelt replied that he wished he could have food like that in the White House. and so on.
 Afterward Eddie Hebert, edi- tor of The New Orleans States, remarked to Maestri: "You cer- tainIy were doing g lot of talk ing with the President. What did he say to you?"
 "Aw," replied the mayor, "he's full of bull."
 MAESTRI's FRIENDS
 As a young man, Maestri worked in his fathers furniture. store and hung around Tom Anderson's sa- looms, one on Rampant street, and the other in the red light dis trict. Maestri's family owned property in the district, though he denies that he owned any him. self. They also ran the Maestri Furniture company (now the Eddy Furniture company, so 1t was not unnatural that they should sell beds in this area.
 Bob Maestri has always had money, and was generous with 1t when it came to helping Huey Long. When Huey was up on impeachment charges, Maestri saw at a glance that he was going to need 6 campaign fund" with the state legislators if they were to vote against impeachment. So Maestri stepped in and raised the money.
 A grateful governor then ape pointed him commissioner of the State Conservation Commission, job which hIaestri held for seven years, apparently with no loss Co himself. In this Job he had supervision of the states oil lands, . matter now the subject of some investigation plus considerable charge end counter charge in Louisiana.
 One close friend. if not partner of Macstrl'g is q Greek named