The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-11-30

the war years to go into business
for himself as candy wholesaler
IN d manufacturer. The Eatsum
company which he bought had not
been in business long enough, un-
der OPA regulations, to have any
appreciable sugar quota.
Then he met William Giglio, q
smart operator, and Frank Livorsi,
an ex-convict. The pair had &C.
quired a jelly factory with a sugar
quota of 100000 pounds a year.
AS Lubben told US, all he could
think was that "14, 000, 900 pounds
would make me as big as Hershey"
Soon the operator and the ex-
convict were his partners in Eat
sum, and then came the memorable
finale: Lubben W out and they
were in.
Livorsi, the 47-year-old ex-con-
vict, was an admitted friend Of
such underworld characters as
Frank Costello, Willie Moretti, and
others. He had been arrested, &C.
cording to his own recollection, at
least 10 times, including twice on
homicide charges. His only convic-
ton, however, was a two-year SEN
tence for narcotics peddling.
Gould Livorsi, we asked, think
of any legitimate business he ever
was in before he went to jail? II
can't think Of any legitimate bust
ness" he suddenly replied. In 1945,
Livorsi teamed up with Smooth<talk-
ing William Giglio, then 30 years old.
They acquired Tavern Fruit Juice,
a jelly manufacturing business. With
the company came the precious
sugar quota.
Lubben made a deal to transfer
a so per cent interest in his COM
pany to Giglio and Livorsi; the sale
price was around $4,000, but Lub-
ben claimed his new partners &C.
tually paid nothing until they had
drawn out enough profits to effect
a paper" liquidation Of the pur-
chase price. In exchange for half
of his business, Lubben said, his
new partners were to see that /
got some sugar" But, he mourn
fully related, he never got so much
sugar that you could sweeten your
coffee with"
Soon . number Of things began
to happen, all Of which added up
to grief for Lubben. Giglio insisted
that Eatsum move out of its modest
offices and into "a regular Holly
wood suite"
There was an infiltration into the
firm Of characters such as Big John
Ormonte, who had been in Jail with
Livorsi, and another chap identified
as big Louie" who wore a race
track suit and scared off the WON.
en- buyers. Lubben said he heard
that Frank Costello, the New York
underworld king, was the "real
boss" Of the Giglio organization.
Whether it was true, Lubben never
found out, but he did see Costello
with Giglio and Livorsi.
Lubben was no angel. He con.
fessed that he set up arrangements
for buying corn syrup by making
understandable black market pay
ments to farmers and selling it or
the same basis. Everything was
done for cash and, in five months
of 1945, more than $400, 600 in cash
was received from these transac
tons, Lubben testified.
The money was kept in ga little
green cash box" hidden in ga pane
In back Of the bar in the WALL o.
Gigho's office. "The last time
knew about it there was $l40,O0(
in there"
But Lubben, after about nine
months, lost both his nerve AMI
his taste for the fantastic deal. HI
had a harder time getting ava!
from GigIo & Co. than Br'er Rab
bit had with the Tar Baby. TIT
business at that time, according Il
Lubben's figures disputed by Gig
lio) was worth $940, 900.
Lubben claimed he took back tn
lease on the plant and machiner.
he originally had in the Bronx AM
turned everything else over to tn
Giglio group, with the understanding
"that they would pay my income ta
for the nine months in which wa
a partner" Sin fact" said LUZ
ben, ''they later on charged m
back, about $2S because ON
raisins / had in tn warehous
shrunk a little Bit"
Senator Tobey asked Lubben
he had not had "a sense Of apprt
hension and fear that If you di
not play ball and do what they sale
they might do physical harm I
your"
81 did, yes, did," Lubben fel
vently replied. THAT was the rel
son / wanted to get away froI
them" He had counted, he wer
on, on receiving half Of the none
in the cash box. But when he aske
| Giglio about it, Lubben testifie'
Iirlio coldly told him, "You kno