Evening star., 1951-08-18
Kansas City Hood|um
Sought as Key Figure
In Basketball Bribes
BY the Associated Press

NEW YORK, Aug. 18-Police
the Nation today
hunted for a Kansas City hoodlum
indicted as the master briber OF
University basketball play
erS, including one All-America
star.
Authorities scrib ed their
quarry as Joseph Benintende. Al,
"a known gunman and very dam
gerous."
Benintende was named yester-
day along with three Bradley
cagers and seven assertedly lesser
fiXers in six indictments charging
bribery and conspiracy.
The Bradley players - ALL
America Gene (Squeaky) Mel
chiorre, William K. Mann and
George M. Chianakas-Were re-
leased in $500 bail each yesterday
after they pleaded not guilty.
Players Cooperate.
Five other Bradley players fig
ured in the investigation, but were
not cited In the indictments.
Low bail for the three indicted
Bradley players was set after a
representative of the District At
torney said they co-operated in
the inquiry.
Meanwhile, in Kansas City, po-
lice said they were investigating
reports Benintende was involved
in an alleged fix of a basketball
game there March 81, 1850, be-
tween Bradley and Kansas Uni
Iversity.
The Kansas City reports. ac-
cording to police, were that Brad
ley players received $4,000 to win
by less than four points. They
won by two, 59-57, and the fixer
Iallegedly raked in 100000 The
game was played in the National
ICollegiate Athletic Association
Western playoffs.
Convicted as Bank RObber.
District Attorney Frank S. Ho-
gan in New York said Benintende
was the leader of the gambling
ring and the other seven indicted
persons were his associates.
Mr.. Hogan said Benintende
served time for a 1886 robbery of
a Farmingdale IN. " baak and
was questioned in the April. 1850,
murders of Kansas City Demo-
cratic leader Charles Binaggio
and his top muscleman, Charles
Gargotta. They were shot by un-
known gunner still at large.
! Five of Benintende's ALLEGED
associates pleaded not guilty to
the bribery and conspiracy
charges.
These are Nicholas Englisis, 26;
his brother. Anthony Englisis. 25:
Marvin Mansberg. 25; Saul Fem
berg, 26, and Eli Kaye, 20, indicted
IN previous alleged basketball
fixes, who was continued in the
S50,000 bail.
Brothers Released.
Bail for the others was fixed
at amounts ranging from $4,000
to $4,000. The Englisis brothers
posted bail and went free although
a district attorneys aid said their
lives were in danger.
.J9PE tZiTI
indicted alleged gambler, has been
sought since the Bradley phase Of
/ the cage scandal broke several
weeks ago.
The seventh defendant. Jack
Rublnstein, 33, was out of town
and will be arraigned later. He IS
free in $4,000 bail in an earlier
fix case. All the alleged fxers,
except Benintende, are from New
York.
Played in Garden.
Games listed in the indictments
were Bradley-BoWling Green of
Ohio on March 10, 1919: Bradley
Manhattan College, January H.
1850, and Bradley-City College in
the National Collegiate Athletic
Association championship game
March %, 1850. All were played
IN Madison Square Garden.
The indictments say the PLAYERS
refused to go along on the Man
haitian and City College games. but
worked with the gamblers on the
Bowling Green game.
I Melchiorre allegedly turned
down a $4,000 bribe to lose the
City College game. City won.
! Since February, basketball's big
gest scandal has enmeshed 81
players from six big time college
teamS-Bradley, Toledo, City COL
lege. Manhattan. Long Island and
MoIry Vn,.I-