Evening star., 1951-07-19

Shodowy Mofio Organization
Turks Behind II. S. Gungsterism

Inere was Zoo mucn Solo eV1-
dence showing that Luciano,
though exiled. still maintained
his contacts with overlords of
United States crime.
Luciano-born Salvatore Luca-
lnia-was fabulous gang figure
Of the lurid 1920s and early 1930s.
He lived In kingly fashion In one
|of New York's finest hotels and
he travelled constantly to Ameri-
cas- finest resorts, accompanied
|by ornamental women. His illegal
activities allegedly included pro-
|stitution, alcohol. narcotics. book
making and even q hand In the
infamous Murder, Inc. Then
Dewey sent him to jail.
During World War II, there was
"a lot of hocus-pocus about sup
|posedly valuable services that
Luciano. then a convict, was sup
posed to have furnished the MILL
tary authorities In connection
with plans for the invasion Of his
native Sicily. We dug into this
and obtained a number Of con-
flicting stories. This is one Of the
points about which the commit
tee would have questioned Gov
|ernor Dewey. who commuted
Luciano's sentence, If the Cover
nor had not declined our invita-
ton to come to New York City to
testify.
Tells Of Luciano Aid Sought.
One story which we heard from
Attorney Moses Polakoff was
that naval intelligence had sought
out Luciano's aid and had asked
Polakoff to be the intermediary.
Polakoff, who had represented
Luciano, said, "The theory be-
hind 1t was that the government
had the Germans pretty well
spotted, but they were afraid
that If any sabotage might be
done it would be done through
Italians. who weren't well spotted" :"
He was referring to sabotage
along the New York waterfront.
From a retired naval commander.
who had a hand in the affair, we
received inconcluSive testimony as
to the substance and value of the
information obtained from Luci-
ano.
On the other hand, Federal
Narcotics Agent George White
testified of having been ap-
preached in Luciano's behalf by
a narcotics smuggler who claimed
he was acting on behalf of two
attorneys and man named
Frank Costello who was spear
heading the movement to get
Luciano out Of the penitentiary.
HE (the smuggler) said Luci-
ano had many potent connections
In the Italian underworld and
Luciano was one Of the princip.
members of the Mafia." The prof
fered deal, White went on, was
that Luciano would use his Malta
position to arrange contracts for
undercover American agents "and
that therefore Sicily would be a
much softer target than it might
otherwise be-"
Luciano's price was that the
military authorities should arrange
for his parole. White said he told
the emissary that no such deal
could be promised, and that he
personally heard no more of it'll
after that.
Anyhow, in 1946. Luciano finally
was paroled and deported to Italy.
Meyer Lansky. Frank Costello and
q man named Michael Lascari.
who now is partner in a tobacco
vending company with Abner
Oongie) Zwillman, New Jersey
racketeer, went to Ellis Island to-
see him of.
Party Aboard Ship.
From a reputable witness, whom
we heard In secret to protect his
personal safety, we received con-
vincing evidence that there had
been a party at which Luciano's
guards were contemptuously or
dered to stand aside, while bas-
kets Of food and wine were carted
aboard the ship for Luciano and
his gangster friends. Expensively
dressed men carrying obviously
phony cards certifying that they
were "Stevedores" were allowed to
pass picket lines set up on the dock
by waterfront thugs, who chased
newspaper reporters and photog-
raphers.
Meyer Lansky's relationship
with Luciano aroused our curiosi-
ty. We had been told earlier that
Lansky, Luciano and the gangster|
Bugsy Siegel at one time "had
comprised the enforcement branch
OF the Costello organization" and
that their particular little group
was known as the Bug and Meyer
mob Of executioners." In addi-
ton to seeing off Luciano at Ellis
Island, Lansky after much prod
ding, recalled that maybe he had
seen him a couple of times in Ha-
IN n m HEA