The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-04
AS Pegler Sees 1t
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
Copyright, 1947, by King Features
Syndieate Inc.)

NEW YORK. Allen Smiley, Of Los
Angeles, who poses ~ q producer and d.
rector Of motion pictures, was present IN
his own apartment on May Is, 1914, when
the late Bugsy Siegel, the gangster, was
arrested there on 4 charge of bookmak-
ing. Siegel was acquitted. George Raft, the
movie gangster, was among the company
and he testified as character witness Tor
Siegel. He said: II have known Mr.. Siegel
for many years We have been friends for
long time. We went UP to the apartment
(Smiley's) and were sitting there discus
sing things about going to New York"
In August, 1874, Smiley was indicted with
Tommy Dorsey, the band leader known as
"the sentimental gentleman OF swing, and
Pat Dane, a movie and night club person
ality of note, who was then Mrs. Dorsey.
They were charged with amputating pof-
tion Of the nose of Jon Hall, an actor, at
a party given by the Dorseys in their
home. They all were acquitted. Dorsey was
the first person in the amusement indus
try to perceive profitable talents in Frank
Sinatra. He hired him as a singer for his
band Presently, Sinatra became aware OF
unsuspected possibilities in himself but,
like Primo Carnera, the Italian prizefight-
er, and Max Schmeling, the German, he
unwisely "cut'' himself into so many
shares that he seemed destined to work
much of his future tor others unless ne
broke loose, Sinatra assigned or sold 80 l-3
per cent of himself to Dorsey, 10 per cent
to the General Amusement Corpor alton,
booking and management company, and
10 per cent to Leonard K. Vannerson. He
cut Dorsey and Vannerson in on his future
in return for his freedom to 60 his way.
Vannerson was Dorsey's manager. Later,
Sinatra refused to distribute these shares
of his earnings and settled with Dorsey
ch
Meanwhile, female pickets, ostenslbAy
bobby-sox fans of Sinatra, had picketed
Dorsey's shows.
On June 20 of this year, Buggy Siegel
was shot and killed by two bullets fired
through the window of home in Beverly
Hills, Calf, which had been rented by
Virginia Hill Miss Hill was friend OF
Siegel and of Joe Adonis, the eminent New
York and New Jersey criminal who is an
source of Virginia Hills income is not pub
licly known, although it appears to have
been large. Several pundits Of the gamb-
lng-house and underworld beat of the radio.
and journalism dropped knowing intima-
tons that she was a "divorcee" and an
'heiress'', as though that would explain
all. There are hardly any reporters among
these high-priced and pretentious impos-
tors, however, and the city side never
thought the matter worth good reporters
time for a day. Therefore Miss Hills in
come is still a confidential matter between
her and the internal revenue and others
concerned.
Allen Smiley was with Siegel when he
was shot. They were sitting together on a
couch.
No arrest has been made.
Siegel was by now heavily interested in
the hotel and gambling property at Las
Vegas, New, known as The Flamingo. 1t
is an elaborate plant. The original pro-
moter, Billy Wilkerson, a Hollywood pub
Usher and restaurant promoter said the
total investment was S., 600, 900 last winter
Wilkerson said Seigel had muscled in,
bringing two other new partners with him.
of the new partners introduced by Siegel.
Siegel was cordially received in that ele-
ment of financially successful performers,
promoters and parasites of the night club,
radio and moving picture trades who con-
stitute the Society of the amusement in
dustry. Allen Smiley also was received
without question. He has been known for
years in Hollywood business, social and
underworld affairs, which often are identi-
cal or indistinguishable, as Allen Smiley
and by no other name His identity has
never been questioned in this set.
In the records of the bureau Of immigra-
ton and natur ralization of the Department
of Justice, Allen Smiley is listed as Aaron
Smehoff, alias Abraham Srickoff. The
present address is given as Sunset Plaza
drive, Hollywood. The address at the time
of the arrest of Siegel for bookm aking was
on Sunset boulevard. The same record
states that Smiley, Smehoff or Srnickoff
was born in Bella, Russia, on Jan. 10, |
1907; was brought to Canada about Janu-
ary, 1914 by his parents; that his father, |
first name Hynan, became natur allied
citizen of Canada and under Canadian law
was able to natur alize his several children,
including Aaron or Abraham that this per-
son entered the United States by ferry at
Detroit in 1922, at the age Of Is; and. that,
in September, 1926 he was confined in the |
Preston School of Industry at lone Calf, |
upon his conviction of robbery, first de-
gree, in San Francisco. The bureau rec
ords indicate that Smiley was arrested in |
1910 charged with robbery and this is veri- |
fled by the Los Angeles police records. |
The case was dismissed He was fined
5000 for contempt in Los Angeles There |
are records of other arrests on charges of |
shooting crap, peddling without a license |
and violation of the state liquor laws. |
Smiley has a registered number with the |
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the |
California state and Los Angeles city DO |
lice.
In legal form for aliens which Smiley |
did not execute until 1945 several of these
On Sept 49, 1e45, charging that Smiley
arrests are listed. A warrant was issued |
had neither an immigration visa nor a |
passport when he entered this country and |
Ae was released on bond of S., 1000. Never
theless he has been granted repeated post
ponenents and he was not troubled even
when he happened to BE- the witness at the
murder Of Bugsy Siegel.
Decoration proceedings may be stirnu-
lated now. but Smiley obviously has strong ,
influence and may not be expelled Ther,
are indications that during the war an et.
fort was made to get him Tree commits |
sion in the Army Of Navy.