Evening star., 1951-07-22


ever came of this episode, for
Guzik stoutly insisted it was just
a misunderstanding over a "busi-
ness transaction.
We didn't learn much directly
from either. Accardo answered
only a few elementary questions,
refusing even to tell about things
already part of police and court
records.
Refuses to Reveal Age.
The gray-visaged Guzik was
worse. When we asked him his
age, he refused to answer on the
grounds that it might "incrimi-
nate me or tend to incriminate
me-" After he had parroted this
monotonous phrase some 80 times,
Senator Wiley asked if he had
consulted a lawyer; Guzik an
swered that he had not.
Where did you get this phrase
you have been using all the time?'
asked Senator Wiley.
II have heard it on television,"
Guzik replied.
Though we did not learn much
from Guzik and Accardo, we
learned good deal about them
One topic we explored was their
shadowy association with policy
wheel operation.
In Chicago's teeming Negro dis
trict, policy wheel'-a variety OF
the numbers racket in which
there are daily drawings for COM
binations of winning numbers
have come to be big business. An
estimated SIS billion has been
played on them in the past five
years. Operations of this magni-
tude, of course could not exist
without graft being paid to dis
honest police for protection.
There is a melancholy moral in
this when one considers that the
staggering sum is amassed from
the nickels, dimes and quarters
of the inhabitants of some of the
worst slums in America. There
are numerous wheels operating
with fanciful names such as the
Roman Silver" the Calcutta
Green Dragon" the Jackpot
Whirlaway- Alabama Georgia"
The Capone mob, of course.
could not keep its hands off such
a bonanza. Coincidentally, nu-
merous instances Of violence-kid-
napings, bombings and such
began cropping up.
One witness We summoned was
Edward Jones, a time Pull
man porter. He was a partner
with his wife. mother, brother
and two other men in a policy
wheel known as The Maine,
Idaho and Ohio" It's net profits,
1916 through 1949, came to $3,-
656, ,968.22.
Still Fearful After. 5 Years.
In 1916, Ed Jones was kidnapped
and held until his family paid
100000 ransom. Even though
five years had elapsed since the
kidnapping at the time we ques-
toned him, the exporter, who
wore a huge star SAPPHIRE ring,
was exceedingly timorous. He in
sisted he did not even know
whether his abductors were white
persons or Negroes because they
were "bhndfolded" at the time. -
Whether Jones was kidnapped
solely for ransom, or whether il
was a muscle" operation whereby
gangsters took over part of the
business, never has been estab-
lished. Jones himself denies that
| the Maine -Idaho-Ohio" has beer
muscles. However, Ed Jones ano
his brother. George-though each
continues to draw a 20 per cent
share of the prof1ts-have liveo
in Mexico City since the kidnap-
ing.
/ Our Chicago hearings also pro-
vided case history of how a one
time hoodlum can establish him.
self in 8 legitimate business anc
become enormously wealthy. The
case was that of Joseph Charles
(Joe) Fusco. 48, now the operat-
ing vice president of Gold Sea.
/ Liquors, inc. wholesale distribut-
ors), stockholder in four other
liquor distributing companies anc
part-owner of a brewery
From a sales volume standpoint
Fusco boasted Gold Seal was Chi
cago's mo. l" dealer. His own net
worth was possibly 81 100000 anc
the book value of Gold Seal alone
of which he owns 25 per cent, wa:
81, 100000, he told us.
Virgil Peterson of the Chicago
Crime Commission gave us thi,
thumbnail report:> Joe Fusct
designated several years ago as &
public enemy, during the prohibi.
ton era, was principal lieuten.
ant in the Capone syndicate
handling the manufacture anc
distribution Of illicit beer. He i.
presently suspected of being tn,
respectable front in the liquor in.
dustry for the syndicate L
has been stated that the syndi.
cate owns or controls at least l.
per cent Of the retail liquor store.
in Chicago -
Petersen also identified Rocco
De Stefano. with whom Fusco ad
United doing business, as an i'm
lportant syndicate man"
Painfully, with the witnes
making long speeches at almos