Evening star., 1948-03-03
Probers Hunt for Mystery Man
Who HELPED Ito Free Gongsters
$4,000 Fee Described
To House Committee
In Bribery Inquiry
BY the Associoted Press

A House committee tried without
success late yesterday to learn the
identity of mystery man with a
liking for horses and diamonds who
befriended four Al Capone gangsters.
Maury Hughes, Dallas .(Tex.) at
torney, said the man-known to him
only as Mike Ryan-paid him SIS, 200
for getting a mail fraud indictment
against the four mobsters dismissed.
Dismissal of the indictment made
possible the paroles which the men
received last August after serving
about one-third of their 10-year
sentences for an alleged $1,000, ,00o
shakedown plot against the movie
industry.
MIR. Hughes said he thinks Mike
Ryan is fictitious name. That's
an Irish name and he was an Ital-
ian," he said.
Shows Gangster Pictures.
Committee Chairman Hoffman
showed Mr.. Hughes pictures of sew
eral Chicago gangsters, but the
Texan said none of them was Ryan.
He described Ryan as "a dapper,
soft-voiced" man with nothing
gaudy about him except he wore a
large-sized diamond on his little
finger" He said he was so to SIS
years of age, had an olive complex
ion and receding gray hair.
Mr.. Hughes. also said Ryan told
him he owned string of horses and
spent most of his time on the West
! Coast, although his home was in
Chicago But Mr.. Hughes said he
had seen him only four times and
didn't know much about him.
IT was thinking about my fee and
he was talking about horses" he
said of their meetings.
Other Developments.
Other developments as the COM
mittee continued its search for any
bribery or corruption" connected
with the paroling of Louis Cam
pagna, Philip D'Andrea, Charles
Gioe and Paul Ricca:
Boris Kostelanetz, who prosecuted
them for the Federal Government,
said he had recommended dismissal
of the mail fraud case but opposed
the parole applications OF all but
Gioe.
Mrs. Edward M. Brady, widow of
a st. Louis tavern owner and legis-
lator, denied a published report that
she had received $4,000 from Paul
Dillon, one-time campaign mana
ger of President Truman, in con-
nection with the case.
Mr.. Hoffman said the st. Louis
Post-Dispatch carried story say
ing that Dillon, st. Louis attor-
ney, paid Mrs. Brady the money for
her husbands intercession in behalf
of the gangsters.
At a previous hearing the wife of
one of the mobsters testified she
paid Dillon $4,000 for helping to
obtain the release of the men.
Mr.. Hoffman said that members
of the Federal Parole Board and
possibly Attorney General Clark
will be heard when the committee
resumes it's investigation this aft
ernoon. He added that Mr.. Hughes
also may be recalled.
Long Time Friend Of Clark.
Mr.. Hughes testified he is a long
time friend of the Attorney General
but said he never discussed dismis-
sal of the mail fraud case with him.
"Once or twice wanted to talk
to him." he remarked. But he was
out of the city" He added he
E"didn't want to practice any inf1u-
ence" in getting to see Mr.. Clark.
He said he had talked to Mr..
Clark's assistants and presumed
they had taken the case up with
him.
Mr.. Hughes repeatedly said he had
no part in seeking paroles for the
gangsters.
when I got my money I was
DONE" he told the committee.
He related he has never seen
Ryan since Ryan paid him $4,000
in a New York City bank the day
that the Federal Court dismissed the
mail fraud indictment. He previ-
ously was paid 81 900, he said.
Mr.. Kostelanetz, now in private
practice in New York City, resigned
as a special assistant to the Attor-
ney General in July. 1916. Just be-
fore he left he sent a confidential,
memorandum to Mr.. Clark recon-
mending that the mail fraud case
be dismissed.
Proposes Case Be Kept Open.
He proposed, however, that 1t be
kept open until April 30, 1947, OF
long enough to cover the maximum
time In which the gangsters would
be allowed by court rules to file a
motion for new trial on the ground
of newly discovered evidence.
The purpose, he explained, was to