Agency: FBI
Originator: FBI
From: ROEMER, WILLIAM F.
To: DIRECTOR, FBI
Document date: 02/18/1960
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

## Page 1

Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Note).

DATE: 11-14-2017

JFK Assassination System

Date:

6/12/201

Identification Form

Agency Information

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER: 124-10202-10023

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

92-3182-77

Document Information

ORIGINATOR:

FBI

FROM:

TO:

ROEMER, WILLIAM F.

DIRECTOR, FBI

TITLE :

DATE:

PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

02/18/1960

24

GAL, ACT, ASSOC, REL, BKG, MED/PER HIST

DOCUMENT TYPE :

PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION:

Unclassified

RESTRICTIONS :

4

CURRENT STATUS :

Redact

DATE OF LAST REVIEW:

02/12/1998

OPENING CRITERIA: INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

v9.1

DocTd: 32289747

Page 1

208

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection A0t of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Hote) •

DATE: 11-14-2017

Report Form

PD-263 (5-12-55)

-

FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

Offico of Origin

Date

Investigative Period

Heporting Office

TITLE OF CASE

41/60

Typed By:

ANTI-RACKETEERING

THIS REPORT IS NOT TO BE DISSENINATED.

od

made:

LEAD

THE CHICAGO DIVISION

AT CHICAGO; ILLINOIS

Will continue to investigato the criminal activities,

Of GUS ALEX In ConfOrManCe with Bureau letter to

ote York dated November 27, 1957, entitled "Top Hoodlum

Progran, AR".

Copies of this report are being sent registered Mall

In vion of the fact that a substantial portion of the cover

pages has been obtained fron OG 6343-C*, & highly sensitive

source.

Special Agent

Do sot wilte la spaces below

2 - Bureau (92-3182) (RN)KC4/12L

12-13/82-77

2 - Chicago (92-373)

COPIES DESTROYED

REC. 71

EX 101

15 FE8 23 1960

10-3-41

pirates..

COVER PAGE

6

of FBl - This report is loaned to you by the FBl, and neither it nor its contents are to be distributed outside the agency

# U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1058 a 944750

DocId: 32289747 Page 2

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## Page 3

Released under the John T. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act Of 1992 (4T USC 2107 Note).

DATE: 11-14-2017

CG 92-373

JOHNSON advised that MARIANNE ALEX stayed in the

JOHNSON residence on the South Side of Chicago on three

recent occasions, this being on weekends of December 19, 1959

and January 16, 1960 and overnight on January 20, 1960.

JOHNSON advised that this is a most unusual thing for

MARIANNE ALEX to do for the reason heretofore, ALEX

almost never allowed his wife to be away from bim.

JOHNSON

opined that the reason for MARIANNE's overnight visits

with them on these occasions was that AlEX was not in town

at least on these particular occasions.

JOHNSON advised that he is reasonably sure that

the ALExes have not traveled to Europe this year as has

been their practice in recent years.

The JOHNSONs were

in Europe during the entire months of October and November,

and JOHNSON advised that they received at least one letter

postmarked Chicago from MARIANNE RYAN during that time.

JOHNSON also noticed that MARIANNE ALEX handled the business

ventures which are carried on jointly by her and CAROLE

JOHNSON during the months of October and November. JOHNSON

is also aware of the fact that in late September GUS ALEX

was arrested in California on a traffic warrant. He advised

that ALEX was extremely upset over this occurrence and

that his health deteriorated as a result of it.

JOHNSON

further advised that when MARIANNE ALEX spent the weekend

during December 19,

1959, be took her to the airport where

she boarded a plane for Los Angeles for the purpose of

visiting her mother in Glendale, California, where she was

to remain for the holidays..

Based on the above information, JOHNSON is reasonably

certain that MARIANNE ALEX at least bas been in this country

from the period during late September to the present time.

On January 25, 1960, NY 2427-C, advised SA EDMUND

FLANAGAN of the New York Office that GUS

ALEX, whom the

informant knows as a well known gambler from Chicago and

who utilizes the nickname of "SLIN", was in New York City

during the weekend of January 23-24, 1960, where he was

staying at the St. Regis Hotel under his wife's maiden name,

MARIANNE RYAN.

COVER PAGE

809-10053

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act Of 1992 (44 USC 210T Note).

DATE: 11-14-2017

CG 92-373

According to NY 2427-C, ALEX has been out of the

Chicago area since the shooting of ROGER TOURY,

who was

murdered in gangland fashion on December 16, 1959. The

informant added that he had heard that ALEX "had been

hiding out in New Jersey" since the shooting of TOUHY.

II. STATUS OF HEALTH

'It is apparent from the information which will

be reported hereinafter in the cover pages of this report

under the caption "Information Received FrOM CG 6343-C*'

that ALEX has been in very poor physical health during

the recent several months.

It is noted particularly that

MURRAY HUMPHREYS in a recent conversation with SAM GIANCANA

spoke concerning the fact that "he is better than ever

during the past few years" and concerning the fact that

he does not intend to be retired by the Chicago Crime

Syndicate. HUMPHREYS and GIANCANA are Chicago Top Hoodlums.

In this connection he commented that "GUSSIE says they're

It would appear that what

HUMPHREYS was referring to was undoubtedly referring to

ALEX and to his recent poor health. It would also appear

that it is very possible that ALEX is retiring from Crime

Syndicate activities.

As corroboration of this presumption,

it is noted that when CG 6343-C* was established in July of

1959, it was expected that this informant would be able to

follow very closely, activities of ALEX due to the fact that

it was ALEX who most frequently of all the Chicago Top

Hoodlums appeared where his activities would be followed

by the informant. It would appear that the reason that

this has not been true is due to the fact that ALEX has

been sick, as evidenced by his two visits to the Mayo

Clinic in

Rochester, Minnesota and has not taken anywhere

near the active position which he assumed in the Chicago

Crime Syndicate up until the last eight or nine months.

Questions concerning the bealth of GUS ALEX

were put to GEORGE JOHNSON, above. JOHNSON advised that

inasmuch as heis not in contact with GUS and only knows

of ALEX through his close friendship with ALEX's wife,

he is not in a position to furnish current information

concerning the status of ALEX's health, however, he does

know that MARIANNE ALEX has been very concerned concerning

the health of ALEX in the recent past but is of the opinion

=D =

COVER PAGE

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act Of T997 711 USC 2107 Hote).

DATE: 11-14-2017

CG 92-373

It would appear that PETE's reference to SLIM

is to GUS ALEX and his reference to FRANKIE is to FRANKIE

FERRARO:

It would also appear from the conversation that

ALEX and FERRARO haVE Some jurisdiction over TORnBeNE and

ARGER. . From CG 6232-C it is known that ALEX and FERRARO

have sanctioned TORNBENE's and ARGER's activities in

the loop and without their approval ARGER and TORNBENE

could not continue to operate as they do.:

This information

has been reported in the past.

CG 6343-C* reported on January 18, 1960, that

on that date SAM GIANCANA and MURRAY HUMPHREYS, Chicago

Top Hoodlums had a conversation. HUMPHREYS made the

following comment:

"You know, the older I get, the better I get.

You guys better not

put me on the (obscene) farm'.

GIANCANA laughed at that remark.

HUMPHREYS continued:

"What with GUSSIE saying that they're gonna put

him on the (obscene) farm, you better keep me around.!'

HUMPHREYS reference to GUSSIE is obviously

to GUSSIE ALEX and it would appear that in view of ALEX's

deteriorating health, ALEX is considering retiring from

the Chicago Crime

Syndicate, at least to some extent.

On the same date HUMPHREYS had a conversation with

FRANK FERRARO concerning MIKE BRODKIN, well known Chicago

criminal lawyer with offices at 188 West Randolph. In

this regard FERRARO made the following comment:

"That money hungry MIKE. GUSSIE is the guy who

controls him on the price".

Later on this same date BRODKIN had a conversation

with FERRARO and HUMPHREYS. HUMPHREYS and FERRARO were angry

-J-

COVERPRAGE

907-10053

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## Page 6

Released under the John I. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1997 (TUSC IÜTHöte).

DATE: 11-14-2017

CG 92-373

IV. INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM CG 6232-C

CG 6232-C advised SA WILLIAM A. MEINCKE On

December 23, 1959 that he had recently learned that

GUS ALEX is absorbing a lot of "heat" from his associates

regarding the recent publicity linking himself and "strongy"

of the Normandy Lounge which had been, up until all of

the publicity, one of ALEX's prime meeting places and

a place where he conducted a lot of his business tran-

sactions.

He advised that the newspaper publicity linking

ALEX tO LOUIS BRIATTA regarding the recent city payroll

scandäl further caused ALEX embarrassment.

Regarding the old Viaduct Lounge, the informant

advised that there was an individual known

only to him as

RAMMIE who was described as white, nale, slim, Italian,

160 pounds, 5'g", well built, well dressed, residing on

the southside in

the vicinity of 31st and Wentworth. He

advised that RAMMIE was a front man for GUS ALEX in

the huge crap game operated at the Viaduct Lounge. He

advised that since the activity at the Viaduct Lounge RAMMIE

has fallen out of favor with ALEX and is no. longer on the

payroll.

Informant advised that RAMMIE gambled extensively

himself and when ALEX found out about it he got rid of

him immediately. The informant advised that ALEX did

not consider the offense too serious and possibly again

RAMMIE would act in ALEX's behalf at a later date in other

gambling operations.

Informant advised that be recently learned that

one JIMMY CONTRUSI is becoming more and more prominent among

southside hoodlums.

The informant advised that since RODI

died, his son-in-law "SKID" CARUSO controls all the books and

gambling on the southside which was formerly operated by

his father-in-law.

The informant advised, however, that

CARUSO is not near the man that RODI was.

He is slow

moving and not a quick thinker and as a result, other hoodlume

are moving in for power in his area.

Informant advised that

JIMMY CONTRUSI is one who collects money from all the bookies

in the immediate southside area. He is supposed to turn

all of this money over to CARUSO who in turn brings the good

portion of it to GUS ALEX. Inasmuch as "SKID" CARUSO is not

- M -

COVER PAGE

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