The Wilmington morning star., 1943-10-01
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORk.-lMS is 10 lulO1lH you ei1ot
Matthew M. Levy, former municipal judge
who has been Endorsed by the Democrats and
the American Labor party for place on the
supreme court bench, is no cleaner imam
Thomas A. Aurelio, whom the Democrats and
Republicans both repudiated after Thomas ).
Hogan, the district attorney, had revealed that
Aurelio had expressed deep obligation to
prominent and inveterate underworld racke-
teer with Democratic political connections and
predictions. The racketeer goes by the name
of frankie Costello, which is an alias.
The old parties are trying to throw Aurelo
off the ticket but it is my belief that they
are stuck with him and the interesting pos
sibilty exists that this consort of hoodlums
will be elected. However, as between Aurelo
and Levy, / am telling you that there is no
choice.
A few years ago Levy was retained by local
306 a New York chapter of the loathesome
Browne Bioff union and/or racket in the
amusement industry. This local had been a
racket in its own right and when the rank
and file finally got rebellion going he was
brought in as counsel, and not selfless al
trust either but on the usual business under
standing between lawyer and client.
In this position Levy had a fine opportunity
to observe the workings of Browne Bioff,
Circella, John P. Nick, and the rest of the
filthy virnain in control of the shake and
squeeze, and if he says he didn't learn that
they were rats, he indicts and disqualifies
himself on one of two grounds, either of them
absolutely compelling.
If you believe that he remained ignorant of
their character and of the character of the
union then you have to reject Levy as too
dumb for any job requiring the intelligence of
fool. I don't believe him, however, be-
cause have great respect for his intelligence
and I hold that he condemned himself on
moral and ethical grounds when he went to
the hoodlums old home week, or national con-
vention, of this gang of criminals in Louis
vile, KY, in June, 1910, and in a set speech,
paid elaborate compliments to George Browne,
the president of the mob.
He said he was proud to have been called
upon to greet the convention and tore into
the Communists like parson assailing sin,
but, standing there amid this brutal gang of
| cutthroats, he had not a single word to say
against them but, on the contrary. spoke of
Browne as modest, earnest, effective and
devoted leader.
l have the official report of the convention
quoting Levy, but his remarks in part are
paraphrased or omitted so l am unable to
corroborate the United Press report of the
time, which said that Levy had told the mob
that one of the principal problems of union
lists was the poison of certain columniSts and
the poison of all Communists. However,
think this would have been in character and I
believe he was referring to me as a poisonous
colunlnlst and l want to nail his hide to the
door at this point. Because every word of
the poison" that / discovered, verified and
published, in the interests Of clean unonism
and justice to the working staff has been
proved in court and Levy's modest, earn
est, effective and devoted friend who per-
sonified his ideal, has been sentenced to prison
for the very leadership that Levy found SO
admirable.
incidentally, on the program at Louisville
was Joe Padway general counsel of the ALL,
who includes this racket among his juicy
clients, and through whom President Roose-
welt last year insulted both the American and
British labor movements by sending PadWay
to Britain in the guise Of spokesman for
American labor.
And let nobody including Levy, tell you that
Browne, at that time, bore the reputation or
appearance of an honest man, for he was even
then notorious as a crook and traitor to the
| cause OF unionism. Levy knew as well as
did, in fact much better than I could know,
that his modest, earnest, effective and de-
voted pal was an enemy of labor, because
his position was on the inside, and therefore
saw now that the American Labor party and,
now, the organization democrats, in their con-
fusion, have Endorsed as a friend of labor
man who ran with some of labors worst enc
mics and knowingly Endorsed him in that
Louisville meeting.
And hope that nobody will think that am
using evasive language about Levy. am try
ing to demonstrate that he must have known
that Browne was crook and the leader of
an underworld mob of union crooks and that
he and Aurelio are six of one and half a
dozen of the other.
A bandit broke into an Illinois home and
took nothing but saxophone. We hope all
the neighbors have alibis.