Browning chief., 1952-01-25

ODWyer was questioned cl
ding, as district attorney, of the
wholesale homicide ring known as
Murder, Inc. A former O'Dwyer
appointee Frank c. Balls, one-time
chief investigator for District At
torney O'Dwyer and later the sew
enth deputy police commissioner
when O'Dwyer was mayor, was Sc
verely castigated by Senator Tobey.
The controversy was whether
O'Dwyer and Balls had mishandled
the case in such a manner as to
permit Albert (Umberto) Anasta-
sia. alleged boss of the murder
ring, to escape prosecution.
Murder, Inc, which the gang
sters themselves called 1.-THE Com
bination," was tightly run crime
syndicate which police believe was
responsible during the 'thirties for
assassinating between 120 and 100
persons throughout the country. It
has been charged publicly that An
astasia directed its execution
branch and that Joe Adonis was a
top leader.
The operations of Murder, Inc.
finally came to light when, through
confessions of underlings, police OBJ
tanned iron-clad evidence against
Abe (Kid Twist) Relies, who later
admitted he actually carried out
the murders under Anastasia's or
ders. Relies made deal with
O'Dwyer to turn informer in ex-
change for leniency. Information he
gave sent eight men to the chair
and some so others to prison.
But before Kid Twist could testify
against Anastasia, who was eluding
arrest, the informer met a mysteri-
GUS death. Relies was under pro-
tective custody, not in jail, but in
the suite of a Coney Island hotel.
Early one morning while supposed
ly guarded by six policemen. Relies.
fully clothed, went out of his hotel
window and was found dead five
stories below. Out the window with
him went the case against Anasta-
Sia.
Balls admitted that Relies was
so frightened of gang reprisals that
it was unlikely he intended to es-
cape; also that "he was too much
of coward to commit suicide"
When Senator Tobey, who later
declared he believed Relies must
have been thrown from the window,
demanded an explanation OF what
had happened, Balls finally came up
with the remarkable theory that the
killer-informer must have intended
to climb down one floor on knitted
bed sheet, come in window and
then trot back up to "kid around"
with his guards. who had fallen
asleep.
Even O'Dwyer later said he could
not 60 along with Balls on :he
"peek-a-boo" theory.
The fact remained that somehow,
whether through carelesSnesS or
design, not only was the star wit
ness against Anastasia eliminated,
but Anastasia himself never was
apprehended, although the Com
mittee learned that ne actually was
serving in the United States Army
and the fact was no secret-dur-
ing part of the time he was sup
posed to be a fugitive
Moreover. another O'Dwyer ap-
pointee, James Moran, then chief
clerk of the district attorneys Of.
flee, had caused withdrawal from
police files of the wanted notice
cards for Anastasia and other Muir
der, Inc, fugitives
Anastasia, who entered this coun
try by illegally jumping ship now
is a partner in prosperous dress
manufacturing business in Hazel
ton, Pa, and lives in S65. 1000
home in New Jersey. He replied.
II don't remember" whel we asked
him to name any occupation he
had engaged in between 1919 and
1912
As for Joe AdOnis, the commit.
tee found him one of the toughest.
most contemptous of all the racket.
eers we questioned. Like others,
Adonls knew all the big boys OF
crime, and followed the gangster
circuit of Miami in the winter. Hot
Springs ('for d bats" he told
us) in the Springs.
This man with blood-staIned
hands for years had set himself up
as bigger than the law and was
able to get away with it-until. in
the wake of the Committee hear
ings, he was sent to prison on the
New Jersey gambling charges. 3.s.
viously, he had been arrested many