Evening star., 1943-03-19
Nine Bioff Associates
Indicted in $1,000, 600
Film lhakedown Plot
Bidd,e Declares Group
Conspired to Force
Protection Payments
B. he A, >nCiate0 Pro-

By ne A~N0Cla te0 Press.
Attorney General Riddle an
nounCed today the indictment in
New York Of nine men on A charge
Of conspirine with union leaders TO
obtain more than $1,000 000 in pro
lection payments from four lOr
motion picture producers through
wrongful use Of force and fear"
MI Biddle listed as defendants
Frank Nitto. alias Frank Nitti:
Louis Campaena, alias Louis Cook
ahas Lefty Louie and alias Little
New York: Paul dc Lucia, alias Paul
Rioca. Phil Dandrea. Francis Mar
ltote. alias Frank Diamond: Charles
Goie. alias Charlie Jov, Ralph
Pierce. John Roselh and Louis
kaufman.
The charge is an outgroWth of
he case IN which GEORGE F. Browne
former president Of the Intema-
tiOnal Alliance of Theatrica Stage
FmnlOveS. 9Nd his personal repre-
sentative. Willie Biof. were SON
tcNccd to prison in l94l under the
anti aCketeerlng law.
Four Confcderatcs Named
Browne, BlofT. Nicr Circella faliae
Nick Dean End Ieadorc Zevin. sec
retary to Browne. were named as
confederateS Of the nine men in
diCted today under the anti
racketeering law but were not
themselves made defendants.
A second indictment which named
NittO, Campa2na De Lucia
D Andrea. MaritOte. Cole. Pierce and
Rosseli charged use of the mails
10 defraud members of the IATSE.
the Attorney General said. through
per cent salary assessment fund
ostensibly intended for union pur-
poses. but allegedlv turned to the
benefit of the defendants.
Mr.. Biddle said the indictments
We're sought in New York, although
most Of the defendants live in Chi
caeo because the specific ofense
allegedlv occurred there
The nine alleged conSpirators are
charged with demanding money
from LoeWs, INC, Paramount Pic
lures, Twentieth Centurv-Fox Film
Corp. and Warner Bros. Pictures for
not restraining, impeding and OBJ
structlng the production. and OBJ
structine the production. interstate
distribution and exhibition of mo-
ton pictures and otherwise
injuring and destroying and at
tempting to injure and destroy the
business of Ctheir) victims
Face Heavy Penalties.
Mr.. Biddle said the Indictment
charges that the alleged conspiracy
began in June, 1884. and has con-
tinued to the present. Maximum
penalty on conviction under the
anti-ra cketeering law is 10 years in
prison and $4,000 fine.
The second indictment is in four
counts, three charging mail fraud
and one charging mail fraud con-
spiracy in connection with an allie
cation that eight Of the nine men
used fraudulent pretenses, repre-
sentations. promises to induce
1ATSE members to contribute per
cent of their wages and salaries into
a fund which was maintained in the
Riggs National Bank here
The defendants are alledeed to
have created records of the special
fund showing payment purporting
to reflect salaries. wages. legal fees
and expenses of the IATSE' and to
have falsely represented to the union
membership:
/. That The fund was TO be used
solely for the protection and pro-
motion of the IATSE"
2. That the fund was needed to
combat the activities of the CIO."
3, That additional funds were
needed TO wage a defensive fight
and preserve and safeguard the in
terests of the 1ATSE."
4. That the assessment would be
used to restore union members TO
full control in the moving picture
studios at Hollywood"
5. That the money would be used
to advance the legitimate labor pur-
poses and needs of the IATSE."
The mail fraud charges cite the
mailing at New York of letters to
LeVln IN CfllcaRO.
Former CapOne Henchmen.
Relatives and former henchmen of
Al CapOne. one time Chicago rackets
king, were among the nine named in
/ the indictments, Matthias E. Correa
United States District Attorney at
New York, said
Mr.. Correa said that Nitto was
! first cousin an dthat Maritote was
brother-ln law Of CapOne.
! Compagna was one Of CapOne's
original bodyguardS; Ralph Pierce
was former Capone lieutenant. and
( De Lucia was gangSter questioned
in connection with the murder of
Alfred Jake Lingle. Chicago news
/ paperman, in 1880, Mr.. Correa said.
DAndrea also was bodvguard of
! the man who controlled bootleg
/ liquor and vice in the MidWestern
city during prohibition days as well
as former head of the Italo-Amer-
lcan National Union and publisher
Of an Italian language newspaper
IN Chicago, MI Corea said.
/ Maritote had been arrested on
several murder charges, MI Correa
! said. John RoSselh was a former
/ husband Of June Lang, motion pic
ture actress, he said and Kaufman
was business representa- tive of the
Newark IN. j. local of the IATSE.