Browning chief., 1952-01-25

times on charges ranging from
grand larceny to kidnapping and ex-
tortion, but had paid only insignifi-
cant fines.
Adonis is slick and smooth, an ex-
pensively tailored figure with iron
gray hair pomaded into a Holly
wood type hair-do. His voice was
deep and gruff, but the words that
came from his mouth were mostly
windy, meaningless, legalistic
phrases which sounded like the
words of his counsel.
A bizarre picture of still another
phase of underworld life was given
by the former Virginia Hill, now
Mrs. Hans Hauser, the once-strik-
ing, erstwhile consort of the muir
dered Bugsy Siegel and other gang
sters. The strain of the life she
had led since she ran away to Chi
cago at II from her little Alabama
town has taken its toll. Now IS, and
plumpish she no longer is the cap
tivating figure who once charmed
QUILL do olSBSl, f1OOIllS
and Frank Costello.
She told fantastic story of how
she collected an annaul income that
ran into thousands of dollars from
1.-The men I was around" she
Indignantly insisted, they were not
gangSterS or racketeers."
When she began living with the
late Ben Siegel-her eyes flashed
Indignantly when Counsel HALEY
referred to him as "Bugsy'-
gifts ran into big money and even
"a house in Florida" costing
$40 1000.
HALEY questioned Miss Hill about
famous six weeks she spent at
Sun Valley, where, incidentally, she
met her latest husband, skiing in
structor. In six weeks, she squand-
cred Sl2,000-all but $l,5OO of it
paid in cash. Most of the money
came from some Mexican gentle
men whose names she refused to
reveal, as HALEY suggested. "out of
chivalry."
Her income tax return shows that
she used to report large winnings
from betting on the horses, any,
where from $4,000 to $4,000. II
didn't keep any books or accounts
or anything, but l paid what
thought was right" she explained.
When HALEY suggested that this
sort Of tax reporting might seem. a
little irregular to Uncle Sam. she
peevishly snapped: "Well, then,
he'll have to take care OF that,
won't he?"
"Uncle Sam? Maybe he will,
Mrs. Hauser." HALEY said.
WELL" she retorted in her tough
little voice, that's all right. sure.
I don't blame him."
If Buggy or Joe Adonis or any
of her friends would start to talk
business around her. she testified,
she would just get up and walk
away. whether you believe it or
not," she flared at Haley, Il don't
know anything about :heir business
:. ! didn't want to know"
OF all the witnesses from the
crime world summoned before US
in New York, Frank Costello was
the focal point Of interest
mo, Mr.. Haley" Costello said
toward the end of his long exam
ination when counsel asked him if
he supported certain judges can
didacy. "Since the Aurelio case |
burned my fingers once and l nev-
er participated in any candidates"
1t was not a convincing picture
that Costello sought to paint OF his
lack of political influence There
can be no question" the committee
concluded that Franz Costello has
exercised a major influence upon
the New York County Democratic
organization. Tammany Hall, be-
cause of his personal friendships
and working relationships with its
officers and with Democratic dis
trict leaders even today in ten of
the sixteen Manhattan districts"
Next week: Smashing the Crime
Syndicate.
Condensed from the oook. Crime In
America" by Estes Kefauver. Cpr. 1851.
Pub. by Doubleday. Inc Dist General
Features Corp WNU
Window Stills
Wiplo,., ci1le H.