Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1951-12-14

After he made even the counties
too hot for them, the Cleveland
syndicate moved its operations
across the Ohio river into wide
open northern Kentucky communi-
ties in Campbell and Kenton coun-
ties. Covington and Newport, just
across from Cincinnati, became the
big gambling centers. There the
CASINOS were so unconcerned with
police that they advertised openly
IN Cincinnati n e W S p r. S, and
placed streamers on automobile
Windshields.
The syndicate became so rich
that when Gambler Wilbur Clark
needed more than 81 10000 to COM
plete his luxurious Desert Inn in
Las Vegas, ne obtained the money
from Cleveland gamblers who, in
turn, acquired a 60 per cent in
terest in his gambling
Some members also branched out
to Florida. Gameboy Miller, for
one, was a partner in Miami's
swank Island Club
Clcvelanl itself. Safety Director
Sutton said, has erased virtually
all traces of gangdom. "Racketeers
still may make their headquarters
here he declared, "but they have
to set up shop somewhere else if
they are going to make any
money I
We ferreted out the case of a
racketeer who set up shop some
where else. and made money. He
was Cleveland hoodlum who got
Ills start in gambling and bootleg
ging, amiable Alfred (Big AD Po-
liZzi.
Big Al loudly announced. in about
1910, that he was going straight.
He had plenty of money. He had
been dabbling in Florida real estate
with Arthur Mickey Mcbride, the
Cleveland millionaire who founded
the Continental Press racing news
service. Then, too, there was the
money he had made in breweries
and. of course. from his illegal &C.
tivities.
He went straight. all right,
straight to prison on a black mar
ket whisky charge. Once freed, he
moved to Miami Beach. He became
partner in construction COM
pany there and in plush hotel the
haunt of visiting mobsters.
Tanned and dapper, Big AL was
the picture of propriety in his ap-
pearance before US. He gestured
with his horn-rmmed glasses and,
when asked him one question,
cried: well, goodness! don't
know" He primly apologized when
he was forced to use the word
'helP' in quoting someone else.
What bothered US, however, was
| Polizzi's association with his old
gang-mates. He confessed that his
construction company partner had
sponsored the parole of extortionist
| James Licavoli AL had visited New
! York c'to see the fghts'') with his
old pal, Moe Kleinman, and around
his hotel fraternized with other
known gangsters.
Il don't butt into other peoples
business" he argued.
In Cleveland, we also unfolded
the strange story of Alvin Giesey,
former internal revenue agent and
now thriving public accountant
1t was Giesey's gumshoeing which
sent Moe kleinman to prison in 1888
on an income tax count Oddly,
| when Kleinman was freed, he per-
suaded Giesey to resign from the
government and take over his own
tax and accounting problems.
Gicscy went further. He also took
over the tax problems of such shad-
owy figures as Polizzi. Dalitz. and
Rothkopf. and became secretary of
the real estate phase of two
gambling clubs
What is the inducement to you?"
Committee Counsel Rudolph HALEY
asked him in awe. "Why do you
do these things?"
The ex-treasury man blurted
back: For the almighty dollar,
The same as you're doing. the Job
you're doing right now
Next week: Detroit; Where I'm
derworld and Business World
Merge.
Condensed from the book. Crime In
America" by Estes Kciauvcr. Cpr 1851,
Pub: by Doubleday; Inc Dist. General
Features Corp WNU.