Pornography is an area of illicit enterprise long considered to be the mobs bailiwick. The Marcello operatives were reportedly very ingratiating, though the Sportspage people eventually swore off the negotiation because they thought they might wind up with some unwanted silent partners. The company, Pelican Tomatoes, listed a New Orleans home office and ownership including Marcello associates Joseph Sal-dino and Joseph Matassa, and one of Mar-cellos sons, Joey. In 1958, for example, he managed to sell a 183-acre parcel of land that had recently been valued at $40,000 for nearly $1 million. The extent of Thevis involvement here remains something of a mystery, but the bottom line of his Atlanta operations is exemplary: On a typical day, Thevis 10 different enterprises in a block-and-a-half area of Atlanta could gross $3 million. He helped valuable part of that organization, though his troubles with the law continued. Probably the biggest dealer snared by the law in recent memory is Joe Hicks, a heroin/cocaine smuggler who some law enforcement officials believe supplied 50 percent of the hard drugs to the black community here. Like most rumors, there are reasons for them. If New Orleans and Marcello retain a link to sports wagering in Dallas, it is through this lay off ritual. Privacy Notice A schematic of the nationwide wire system shows a direct link from New in the city. Until recently, distribution of obscene materials to Dallas 12 or so major bookstores and movie houses was thought to be controlled by Mike Thevis, an Atlanta-based operator believed to be among the three largest pornography distributors in the nation. There, some 35 associates of the Little Man have been identified. Specifically, the mob leaders had come to soothe the inter-family hostilities stirred by the recent gangland-style execution of New York mobster Albert Anastasia. Bookmaking by illegal telephone or teletype communication between racing tracks and betting parlors had existed since the I920s. The sheriffs department there became so allied with the Marcello bunch that it would, on occasion, provide the boss direct physical protection: In the early Sixties, a photographer was snapping shots of Marcello during one of his rare public forays. He did have distant blood ties to a New York character by the name of Pellegrini, but there remains considerable scattering of thought on just how big an operator Ianni himself was. Other officers simply say, Italians tend to know one another. Kohn now calls him probably the wealthiest man in New Orleans. His interests include land investments in tens of thousands of acres, interest in some 150 to 200 clubs and restaurants, motels, vending machine companies, sightseeing tour operations and dozens of other concerns. New Orleans Aaron Kohn once said, Organized crime often is subtle and insidious. The Matranga crime family, established by Charles (1857 - October 28, 1943) and Antonio (Tony) Matranga (d. 1890? In the late Sixties, Attorney General Jack Gremillion was appropriated funds to inpublic officials. Carrollo was the latest in a long line of Mafia chieftains who ruled crime in the Gulf Coast city, part of a legacy that stretched back to the infamous Black Hand gangs of the 1890s. Police found one ofCarlos Marcellos phone numbers in thesuspects diary. They had not come to socialize. who by now had learned the art of gentle persuasion from Costello, decided the best way to handle Fogarty was to become his partner. He first brought in Joe Por-etto, an associate from Houston, to set up a competing booking operation; Por-ettos front was Southern News and Publishing. Civello himself had been known to take more than a passing interest in various gambling rackets: He and. The sheriffs department there became so allied with the Marcello bunch that it would, on occasion, provide the boss direct physical protection: In the early Sixties, a photographer was snapping shots of Marcello during one of his rare public forays. The windfall profit was accomplished through a complex structure inup. By the mid-Forties, Marcello and Costello controlled several thousand machines operating from at least 80 different front businesses. On June 17, 1980, Carlos Marcello, along with three other men, was indicted by a federal grand jury of twelve counts of racketeering in the BRILAB case. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. We've received your submission. If New Orleans and Marcello retain a link to sports wagering in Dallas, it is through this lay off ritual. In early 1953, the U.S. Department of Immigration and Naturalization issued a deportation order on Marcello: the feisty mobster immediately appealed, the first of nearly 40 court actions his Byzantine case would involve. The decision caused strong protests from residents, angered by the controversy surrounding the case (particularly in the face of incriminating evidence and jury tampering), and the following month a lynch mob stormed the jail killing 11 of the 19 defendantsfive of whom had not been triedon March 14, 1891. Chief among these individuals is Anthony Tony Caterine, former owner of the now defunct Losers Club in Dallas and several other clubs ranging from Memphis to Honolulu. Marcellos bookmaking operations worked in different ways with different hardware. From his lavish office in the Town and Country Motel in New Orleans, Marcel-lo commands a huge and diverse criminal empire estimated to be worth in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The bookies in Dallas do form their own criminal organization, though it is considerably more loose-knit than any Mafia family. Marcellos men jumped the photographer, stripped him of his camera and frisked him all within clear view of several expressionless deputy sheriffs. Today, particularly incities like Dallas, the cleverness of Mafiaheads like Carlos Marcello and the restrictions imposed on law enforcementofficials are letting it sink slowly backinto the underground. Marcello, one of the most powerful and sophisticated mob bosses in the nation, had wisely stayed away from Apalachin; strapped with a 1953 deportation order and other legal troubles, the 47-year-old Sicilian feared such a foray from his Louisiana fortress would overexpose him to federal authorities. Although the Provenzanos withdrew in favor of giving the Matrangas a cut of waterfront racketeering, by the late 1880s, the two families eventually went to war over the grocery and produce businesses held by the Provenzanos. Five months later, Carlos was nabbed for planning and commanding a grocery store robbery. Pascal was the manager of an illegal gambling business while Vincent was to oversee the operations of the Jefferson Music Company. In Marcellos case, the co-opting of the other side started early: During his slot machine days, the Marcello organization used the sheriff of Jefferson Parish a suburban area across the river from New Orleans to strong-arm local club owners into using Marcello-owned machines. ", "Mafia on the Bayou The Marcello Family of New Orleans", "The Little Man is Bigger than Ever: Louisiana Still Jumps for Mobster Marcello", "'Assassin's van' suggests organized crime elements", "'Sniper van' found in Metairie leads to mystery with mob ties", "Third Interim Report, Part B U.S. Senate Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce", "JFK, Macmillan Got Along Famously, Finally", "Marcello: Underworld's Man Without a Country", "Carlos Marcello, 83, Reputed Crime Boss In New Orleans Area", "I.C. Marcello's attorney admitted Heitler had been bribed but said that there was no evidence to connect the bribe with Marcello. Later, it was discovered that a bank Gre-million was involved in used some $26 million in deposits to make a series of loans to Marcellos interests. At one point, he even refused to state his place of birth on grounds that it might tend to incriminate me., Marcello has used the complicity of officialdom wisely. 19,396, This story has been shared 7,427 times. His deportation was delayed following the U.S. entry into World War II, and Carollo would continue to control the New Orleans crime family for several years before a campaign, begun by reporter Drew Pearson, exposed an attempt by Congressman Jimmy Morrison to pass a bill awarding Carollo with American citizenship (thereby making deportation illegal). O.K. The murder of Hennessey created a huge backlash from the city and, although Charles and several members of the Matrangas were arrested, they were eventually tried and acquitted in February 1891 with Charles Matranga and a 14-year-old member acquitted midway through the trial as well as four more who were eventually acquitted and three others released in hung juries. The dumpy, 5 1 gangster, affectionately known as the Little Man, is generally recognized as the first Mafia head to refine organized crime into a conglomerate-style business. Suddenly, Eastern Mafia families had another problem with infiltrating Dallas: tough and incorruptible law enforcement. The tickets were later used, redeemed at cash value or sold to Caterine associates at reduced rates. Law enforcement sources confirm that he has more than 100 associates operating in 10 different counties: Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Harris, Galveston, Webb, Cameron, Travis and McClennan. But narcotics peddling is not far behind. Moreover, the nature of the fraud Caterine was convicted of does not reflect the sophistication one would expect of a Marcello operative. Crosswell had noticed the strange parade of limos meandering through town earlier, and by noon, had traced them to the Barbara estate. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. Surrounded at all times by a cadre of lawyers, Marcello has become a master at making illicit money appear legitimate. A snitch can deliver good, solid information that leads to an arrest but he can just as easily deliver a bundle of rumors, even lies. Like bookmaking, hard drug smuggling is astoundingly lucrative: Hicks could buy one kilo of 90 percent pure Asian white for about $4,000. We salute the city's most important players in 2011. His organizations interests range from simple book-making to complex real estate investments. Marcello has always displayed a unique knack for reshaping his illicit activities to the climate of the times. In 1937, he had been arrested along with 10 others in connection with the Louis Daddy Ginsberg narcotics smuggling ring, reputed to be the largest heroin pushing organization in the Southwest. Jefferson Music was one of the few locations where Carlos Marcello himself was known to take phone calls. Activities of this family which included illegal and legal ones cut across several boundaries namely, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, California and Mexico. Among them was Dallasite Joe Civello. He was acquitted later that month on both charges. Born Calogero Minacore in 1910 in Tunis, Africa, Marcello emigrated to New Orleans with his Sicilian parents at the age of eight months. But lanni, who died just three years later, had fewer direct ties to New Orleans than Civello, only what some intelligence officers call friend of a friend of a friend relationships. Intelligence officers indicate between 100 and 200 distributors of various size currently operate in Dallas. Narcotics traffic in Dallas is based on the Mexican connection. Omerta, La CosaNostras time-honored tradition of secrecy, may live again. While sitting at the police station reporters asked him questions but the Little Man declined to make any comments on anything connected with his status as a Guatemalan citizen and only smiled when asked where he was born. According to Bayou Brief, Marcello became involved in petty crimes, getting to know the gangsters of the neighborhood. Some feel in his heyday, he was a big bookmaker: others say he was little more thana hip pocket book, In either case, no one could characterize Iannis ties to Marcello as anything more than a vague association. How about receiving a customized one? His Parents moved to the United States in Louisiana where they settled in a plantation. For the previous two decades. But lanni, who died just three years later, had fewer direct ties to New Orleans than Civello, only what some intelligence officers call friend of a friend of a friend relationships. Behind the tinted windows of those black and white limos sat some 100 of the highest ranking bosses in the infamous Italian criminal network, La Cosa Nostra. Carlos Marcello was born on month day 1910, at birth place, to Marcello and Marcello. In Irving, where pornography has boomed off and on for the past 10 years, three different organizations are believed to control distribution, including one group wth ties to a New York mob family. The regional booking headquarters such as New Orleans, in turn, leased phone or teletype lines linking each other: Bettors in New York could wager on New Orleans races, and vice versa. [emailprotected] Since then, it has been a hard and fast rule in the American Mafia that law enforcement and prosecutors are not to be harmed. As the Fifties turned to the Sixties, federal enforcement of bookmak-ing and narcotics smuggling became tougher, making involvement in such interests a riskier proposition. More than one intelligence officer characterizes him as his own operator. His name did turn up in the address book of a Shreveport clubowner with known ties to Marcello operatives in that area; and in his heyday, intelligence officers did note that he seemed to be able to expand his club business at will, suggesting that he knew who to call for help. Indeed, intelligence sources indicate the mob nationwide has lowered its profile in narcotics smuggling considerably in recent years, simply because of stepped-up law enforcement. Additionally, lines were cut between these centers and various other cities in the region. They then planted phony evidence implicating Castro. Some 20 respected New Orleans public officials and businessmen spoke up for him during this latest fray with the law, including one bank president, the sheriff and a state legislator, two police commanders and six clergymen. When he simple armed robbery. For the first time, the Cosa Nostra was real a fact which would be reaffirmed with brutal frankness the next year when Mafia operative Joe Valachi went public with the who, what, why and where of the organization in his famous Valachi Papers. There, some 35 associates of the Little Man have been identified. The acquisition of buildings in Rossier City marked the beginning of organized crime for what was to become the family of Carlos Marcello. For while organized crime had existed in the city since the outlaw gangs of the 19th century, the Mafia had always been kept at bay. Writer Waldron revealed this back in 2005. I'm glad I did. Dallas club owner Joseph Ianni, in fact, were regarded by some intelligence officers as major book-makers in the area. I encouraged her to post on the newsgroup, which . The tickets were later used, redeemed at cash value or sold to Caterine associates at former owner of the now defunct Losers Club in Dallas and several other clubs ranging from Memphis to Honolulu. Marcello was acquitted of both charges. Carlos Marcello headed the crime family for over thirty years. That would jibe with the Little Mans present style: His numerous run-ins with the law have taught him well to keep a low, even invisible profile, particularly when dealing on foreign turf. The roots of organized crime here are homegrown; and in some sense, the underworld in Dallas remains that way. line now faced the prospect of a stern and uncompromising lecture from Sheriff Bill Decker. The family had a history of criminal activity dating back to the late nineteenth century. The crime family Carlos inherited was a successful mixture of gangsters, policeman on the pad and corrupt politicians. Intelligence officers indicate that if big narcotics dealers have any relationship to the New Orleans mob, it might be through front money for large narcotics operations. Marcello had been known to be one of Louisianas major narcotics peddlers during this period. More recently, members of Marcellos Shreveport organization reportedly visited with some owners of the Sportspage Clubs, concerning a possible new club in New Orleans. However, the charges were later dropped. He, Costello and another mobster, Frank Kastel, built a lavish casino known as the Beverly Country Club; Marcello money would eventually back another casino called the Old Southport Club. Marcello was linked to the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy but his name was cleared since the drilling committee was deceived that he was not a prominent person to carry out such organized crime. The big books here know who to call if their wagering becomes drastically lopsided; the Marcello organization, with its nationwide contacts, can easily accept or refer lay offs. No criminal becomes as large and independent as Carlos Marcello without the complicity of law enforcement officials. As Crosswell and his superiors gasped their way through the astounding list of well and his men had rounded up some 65 of the crooks. Frances who was the wife of Pecora always acted as the secretary to Carlos. For while the Mafiosi enforced his edicts, their success depended as much on the people who wanted their illegal services and the bureaucrats who allowed them to operate openly to achieve their objectives. The case of one Mike Miller and associates should suffice as an example. More than one intelligence officer characterizes him as his own operator. His name did turn up in the address book of a Shreveport clubowner with known ties to Marcello operatives in that area; and in his heyday, intelligence officers did note that he seemed to be able to expand his club business at will, suggesting that he knew who to call for help. In March, 1973, a well-known Texas/Louisiana drug pusher, Andre AugustCrossley, was arrested for possession ofdangerous drugs. Indeed, it is likely in the aforementioned example that Mike Miller would have an overload of betting for Dallas say, $80,000 on the Cowboys and $20,000 on the Red-skins. One of the endless lists in the world comprise of criminals. When the air had cleared. Later, it was discovered that a bank Gre-million was involved in used some $26 million in deposits to make a series of loans to Marcellos interests. Anastasias bloody demise at the hands of a rival family the latest in a long succession of intra-Cosa Nostra slayings and counter-slayings had threatened the organizations cohesiveness asnever before. The company, Pelican Tomatoes, listed a New Orleans home office and ownership including Marcello associates Joseph Sal-dino and Joseph Matassa, and one of Mar-cellos sons, Joey. Indeed, it is likely in the aforementioned example that Mike Miller would have an overload of betting for Dallas say, $80,000 on the Cowboys and $20,000 on the Red-skins. That has made many previous valuable snitches button their lips for fear of reprisal from the criminals in question. After extensive testimony from Kohn detailing Mar-cellos activities in 1951, the Little Man himself took the Fifth Amendment in response to over 140 questions. There has been continuous emergence of criminals throughout history with some having family background influence. This is where laying off comes in. Slot machine and casino gambling were becoming increasingly risky because of stiffened state laws. Thereafter, he successfully fought efforts by the government to deport him. His operation was a healthy one with some 66 drops or booking joints in the New Orleans area. In his 1994 autobiography Mob Lawyer, Ragano recounted his career in defending members of organized crime, and made the controversial allegation that Florida mob boss Santo Trafficante, Jr. confessed to him shortly before he died in 1987 that he and Carlos Marcello had arranged for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. As such, they became part of a nationwide Mafia network and close associates of mob kingpin Frank Costello. Marcellos guile is only part of the problem. If you cross that line a mile away, youll go to jail. The Marcello operatives were reportedly very ingratiating, though the Sportspage people eventually swore off the negotiation because they thought they might wind up with some unwanted silent partners. The casino was abruptly shut down in August, 1976 when officials realized the operators were working with loaded dice and crooked dealers. After he was released in 1938, he got associated with a criminal group in New York City called the Genovese Crime Family. Commander Almeida again seems to escape Castros revenge and he is believed able even yet to play a role in resolving the impasse between the US and Cuba. And . Marcellos introduction to big-time crime came through Sylvestro Carrollo, the New Orleans mob boss at the time. In one case in 1951, when the tall, strapping sheriff received a tip from an underworld snitch that a carload of Chicago mobsters was headed for Dallas to strong-arm into the vending machine business. Basically, through bribing telephone company employees, phone or teletype lines were set up between New Orleans area race tracks and various drops his booking under the name of The Daily Sports News. After extensive testimony from Kohn detailing Mar-cellos activities in 1951, the Little Man himself took the Fifth Amendment in response to over 140 questions. He is a member of famous Actor with the age 83 years old group. The appeal was denied, but immigration authorities quickly discovered another became part of the growing Marcello empire. As cash from the bookmaking operation began to flow in, Marcello diversified his interests. In 1957, 65 top Mafia bosses were arrested in Apalachin, New York. At one point, vestigate organized crime in the state: the study, predictably, turned up nothing. New Orleans Aaron Kohn once said, Organized crime often is subtle and insidious. Dallasite Joe Civellos presence at Apalachin in 1957 would turn out to be less significant than the absence of another key underworld figure: New Orleans Mafia boss Carlos Marcello. As Crosswell and his men charged the gathering from all sides, some dozen of the gangsters broke for the thick woods surrounding the estate; others jumped in their cars and tried to run roadblocks Cross-well had placed about the estate; still others simply stood paralyzed by the sneak attack. Carlos "The Little Man" Marcello was the boss of the New Orleans crime family - the first Mafia family in the US - from 1947 until 1983/1990. Employing a corps of lawyers and front men to mask his investments, Marcello began investing in motels, including two Holiday Inns in Louisiana, and bought up raw land in the state in thousand-acre hunks. He served fewer than five, managing to secure a pardon from Louisiana Gov. Most people will also assume that the first Mafia family was in New York City. Official investigations into Marcellos activities in the New Orleans area reflect his control over public officialdom there. 350 5th Ave, New York, NY 10118, USA. That, coupled with the state of confusion the organization found itself in, had made the New York capos ascension to the throne inevitable. Genovese recognized that some handshaking and backslapping were needed in the wake of this latest assassination. area gambling bosses, including Frank Vaci, known to be an associate of Marcello. Through carefully building the complicity of public officialdom and even more carefully masking his operations, Carlos Marcello has built one of the largest criminal empires in the history of crime an empire that stretches from New Orleans to Atlanta to Hot Springs to Dallas. He did have distant blood ties to a New York character by the name of Pellegrini, but there remains considerable scattering of thought on just how big an operator Ianni himself was. [21] Their report stated: "The committee found that Marcello had the motive, means and opportunity to have President John F. Kennedy assassinated, though it was unable to establish direct evidence of Marcello's complicity". The Marcello family was on its way to becoming one of the largest and most independent organized crime operations in the nation. Though in his early years he employed it to protect flagrantly illicit activities, during the Sixties and Seventies he increasingly used it to shield quasi-legitimate enterprises. There was a wider domain of sourcing income with most of these activities if not all being illegal and against the law (Jones). Described as a used car salesman, Hicks began dope smuggling in the wake of the Vietnam war. To this day, intelligence officials remain widely divided on the nature and extent of the businessmans direct activity: Some feel that even an acquaintance with the Marcello family is sufficient food for suspicion. As long as his bets are even, he can pay his winners with the cash collections from his losers, then rake off his 10 percent free and clear. . After Collins introduced himself, Marcello promptly slugged him an act which resulted in arrest and indictment for assaulting a police officer. Laying off is the way a book keeps his bets balanced, and ultimately, how he makes his daily profit. Carlos Marcello, in fact, started his life of crime as little more than a common street thug. The Marcello family was on . Beginning a pattern that would characterize his later career, Marcello also began sinking money into legitimate enterprises: Food storage and shrimp trawling companies, legit coin machine operations, news-stands and bookstores, gift shops all became part of the growing Marcello empire. In his real estate activities, Marcello quickly became a master at combining illicit money, the cooperation of public officialdom, and legitimate investment. Was it possible Civello served as a Dallas connection for Marcellos narcotics operation? He died March 3 1993. They had one child. Amidst the revelations concerning the casino, Dallas News reporters Earl Golz and Dan Watkins reported that Caterine not only was reportedly a partner in the casino, but that he had agreed to become an undercover agent for the U. S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Caterine, initially sent to Seagoville Federal Prison, has now been moved to an unknown correctional institution. Heres how it works: A bookie like Miller makes his money off juice or vigorish a 10 percent commission or penalty fee he charges losing bettors. Even the United States Senate, during the 1951 Kefauver hearings and 1959 McClellan hearings, could not crack Mar-cellos facade of legitimacy. Caterine, now serving 27 months for a conviction on credit card swindling, was known to be a character of diverse interests. Officers are left, regrettably, to the whim and fancy of their informants. Sports wagering being, at the minimum, a regional business, Marcello needed trusted associates in his outposts to keep an eye on things. In turn, he can accept lay offs from other books to build up the light side of the line. Joseph Civello lay low after the Ap-alachin bust in 1957, surfacing only to appeal and win a reversal on Apalachin-related perjury charges in 1961. Anyone who has lived in Dallas for any length of time has heard the rumors about the Mafia here. [26] In September 1995, Carollo pleaded guilty to a single count of racketeering conspiracy, with associates Frank Gagliano, Joseph Gagliano, Felix Riggio III, and Cade Carber.[27]. But documentation of direct associations or working relationships with Marcello has been slim to non-existent. Even many locals don't know that New Orleans has Mafia roots predating the Civil War, giving their wonderful city the distinction of being home to the first Mafia family . His eldest brother, Peter was in charge of strip clubs which were mainly in French Quarters. The committee was unable to identify the other gunmen or the extent of the conspiracy", "AROUND THE NATION; Trial Opens in New Orleans For Reputed Mafia Leader", "ALLEGED UNDERWORLD LEADER IS ASSAILED AT BRIBERY TRIAL", "U.S. TO PLAY MORE TAPES AT LOUISIANA BRIBERY TRAIL", "Ex-Louisiana Aide Acquitted in Bribery Trial", "Charges in Louisiana on video poker probe", "LOUISIANA 'CRIME FAMILY' MEMBERS PLEAD GUILTY IN VIDEO POKER CASE", "Salvatore Matranga, New Orleans 1896 Nov 15", LAM: A Site Dedicated to the History of the Louisiana Mafia, David "Blackie" Steece - The True Narrative of a Real Street Man - New Orleans Gangster Turned Law Enforcer, Carlos Marcello: Big Daddy in the Big Easy, Sylvestro Carollo: Will the Real "Silver Dollar Sam" Please Stand Up, The American "Mafia": Who Was Who?