The Key West citizen., 1952-12-22
Former New Jersey Governor Admits To Aiding
Imprisoned New York Gambler Joe Adonis Fri.
By EUGENE LEVIN

!, 6v EOOENE LEVIN
NEW YORK Up - Former Gov.
Harold G. Hoffman of New Jersey
admits he once offered to help an
lex-convict fight manager smuggle a
message to imprisoned gambler
Joe AdoniS.
But Hoffman, the Republican
governor of the Garden State from
1885 to 1887, says he did not know
that the fight manager, Anielo
Ercole, had a criminal record.
Moreover, Hoffman adds, he was
not himself acquainted with AdoniS,
reputedly a top underworld power.
The former governor, now New
Jersey state director Of employ
ment, testified yesterday before the
New York State Crime CommiS-
sion, which later recessed its cur
rent series of public hearings to an
unspecified date in January.
Hoffman's testimony came in the
Crime Commissions inquiry into
W.: erfront racketS which cost the
seven billion dollar shipping indus
try here an estimated $50 millions
year. New Jersey is cooperating
in the probe because the Port of
New York comprises miles of piers
on both sides of the Hudson River.
Yesterdays late test m n y
veered from the waterfront to New
York prize fight haunts in the COM
Missions attempt to expose to pub
lie view the activities Of Albert
Anastasia of Ft. Lee, N. j., al
legged lord high executioner Of
Brooklyn's kill-for-hire gang, Muir
der, Inc.
Anastasia, who also testified yes
terday, declined on grounds of pos.
sible self incrimination to say
whether he knew Peter Panto, a
reform-seeking longshoreman who
was murdered in 1899. His body
was found encased in lime in 1941
at Lyndhurst, N. J.
William O'Dwyer, former mayor
of New York and recently resigned
iU. S. ambassador to Mexico, was
Brooklyn district attorney at the
time. Edward A. Heffernan, ther
an O'Dwyer aide, told the Crime
Commission Thursday he had OBJ
tanned statement linking Anasta'
sia with the Panto Staying.
Last night in Mexico City o'Dwy.
er refused to further discuss the
Crime Commission testimony ex-
cept to say, eff they have a case
against him (Anastasia), why don't
they prosecutor"
A short time later Bergen Coun-
ty, N. j., Prosecutor Harry l..
Towe said he would seek an indict-
ment if he can get any evidence
Panto was killed in New Jersey.
The New York Times yesterday
quoted O'Dwyer as saying in a
telephone interview he could not
have prosecuted AnaStasia because
the murder occurred in New Jer
sey. a
In his statement last night, Towe
said he had been informed by John
J. Breslin, county prosecutor in
1941, that O'Dwyer then said Panto
was murdered ir New York.
Anastasia, in =, testimony yes
terday, admitte. he knew both
Adonis and Ercole but he refused
to say whether he had ever visited
Adonis in Jail in Trenton, N. j.,
or whether he had tried through
Ercole to get a pass to visit
Adonis.
Hoffman took the witness stand
in the afternoon and was confronted
with a transcript Of seven tapped
telephone calls with Ercole between
last Sept. 10 and Oct. 8. The for
mer governor admitted the trans
script was substantially correct.
The tel ephone conversation
transcript, read into the record by
the commission, showed Ercole
and Hoffman first discussed the
possibility Of getting Ercole a pass
TO see Adonis. This idea was
dropped, Hoffman said, when he
was advised police were checking
all visitors TO Adonis.
Deciding on the message, Hoff.
man was quoted as saying:
"You can write out any message
that you want to get to him
(Adonis) and put it in an envelope
and seal it all up, see, and this
fellow can get it to him, deliver
il TO him."
Hoffman denied any acquain.
tance with Anastasia as well as
AdoniS. The governor also said
he never received a message for
AdoniS.
Asked about Ercole. Hoffman
said he had known him for rs
7ears but never had any idea the
lght manager had a criminal
-ecord. Hoffman added that Ercole
described AdoniS as IAN old boy.
1ood friend" and therefore was
eager to see him.
Er.l,.nln hn1Enl - - -.