The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-19

expressed in this article are
those of the author and may not
always harmonic with its posi-
tion.-The Editor.
NEW YORK, Oct. 18.-RCI love
it when these labor skates get sore
and start swinging from their heels
Then I stand back and pop them
silly, as I will now proceed to do
to the editors of a journal Of the
A. F. of L. called the labor union,
published in Dayton, O., by the
Central Labor union of that city.
incidentally, the editorial which /
am about to discuss is published
under a box listing the members
of the executive council of the A.
F. of L., including George Browne
the Chicago gangster, as twelfth
vice president, and Edward Flore
as thirteenth V. P. Flore is the
president of the Bartenders' union,
whose Chicago local is a racket
of the Capone or Nitti mob and
whose Miami local was, until last
spring, a racket of Capone's broth
er-in-law and household guard.
Danny Coughlan.
This editorial admits that gang
sterism is a terrible scourge, but
says that the actions of Bill Green,
the president of the A. F. of L.,
have been a thousand times more
effective than anything that I can
ever hope to do.
Ready For Controversy
On the subject of Mr.. Green's
actions I am ready to wage con-
troversy.
I take it that we are all familiar
by now with the background of
Brother Brownies racketeers in the
big stagehands and m movie en-
ployees' union and aware tn a t
Brother Green, on two occasions,
gave his Endorsement to the crooks
of this organization. He first in
dorsed the crooks to the detri-
ment of the working rank and file
when he ordered the central trades
and labor union of st. Louis to re-
Iject reform delegates elected by
the st. Louis local, which was try
ing to break the rule of a dirty
criminal named John P. N k.
Nick was notorious as a thief,
gangster and extortioner e e n
then, and he has since been con-
victed in the federal court on II
charges of racketeering and SEN
fenced to five years and fined $10,-
600. He was not only first vice
president of the international union
under the gangster, Browne but
was Brownies personal represen-
tative," or ambassador, with full
powers and one of three vicious
criminals enjoying such credentials
from the head hoodlum who sits
in the executive council of the A..
F. of l.. with Brother Green.
1t would be silly to entertain a
suggestion that Brother Green was
not thoroughly aware of the char
acter Of these gangsters, but, new
ertheless when the St. Louis work.
ers tried to break Nick's power
he threw his official influence to
the criminals.
Quotes Report
Now, as further showing Brother
Green's attitude toward gangsters,
I shall quote a little from the Of
ficjal printed report of B r o t h e r
Browne to the National conven-
ton of this racket union in Louis
vile, last June, at which meeting
Brother Green conferred his Of
fetal blessing on Gangster
Brownies administration.
Zone change TRANSFERRED in the
official family since the last con.
vention," Brother Browne wrote,
"Occasioned by the resignation of
first vice president John P. Nick.
who has been under the care of
his personal physician for the past
few years. The withdrawal was &C.
cepted with S n C e r e reluctance.
Former Vice President Nick has
1O41oC1 GU 1o1u11d1 d4lo CdpdUlc SS1 W
ice to the organization"
Brother Green did not dissent
from that.
In another paragraph Brother
Browne breaks the news that it
has been deemed advisable to en-
gage a general counsel, and whom
do you think the boys selected for
this profitable post? They chose
Brother Joseph A. Padway, who
is general counsel of the A. F.. of
L., and other organizations with
in it.
And now let us consider a mes.
sage of cheer dispatched to Broth
err Willie Bioff. the old brothel-
keeper and, like Nick, a personal
ambassador of Gangster Browne,
on the occasion of Bioff's matricu.
lation at the jail house in Chicago
last winter to spend six months
for serving as mackerel for a
bevy of prostitutes.
This message, reprinted in Broth.
err Brownies official report, is dated
San Francisco. It praises Bioff' S
splendid work" and excellent,
leadership" and concludes: You
have my personal wishes for the
best Of luck in your present diff
%culties."
1t is signed by Meyer l.. Lewis,
Brother GREEN'S personal ambas-
sador on the Pacific coast, who
last year stoutly fought a group
of local unioneers who were trying
to delouse their union of the mack
ere1 and Ganusfar Gaorno ca.I.