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Alfred Polizzi

May 06, 2023

Alfred Polizzi (born Alfonso Polizzi; Italian pronunciation: [alˈfɔnso poˈlittsi]; March 15, 1900 – May 26, 1975) was a Sicilian emigrant to the United States who was boss of the Cleveland crime family in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1935 to 1945. He stabilized the Cleveland crime family after a period of revenge killings, and was one of the most influential mobsters in the United States. He retired to Florida in 1945, where he was involved in the construction industry. He used several aliases, including "Big Al" and Albert Allen.

Alfred Polizzi
Born
Alfonso Polizzi

(1900-03-15)March 15, 1900
Siculiana, Agrigento, Italy
DiedMay 26, 1975(1975-05-26) (aged 75)
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
NationalityItalian
Other names"Big Al"
Albert Allen
CitizenshipAmerican
Occupation(s)Construction firm owner, crime boss
PredecessorFrank Milano
SuccessorJohn T. Scalish
SpousePhilomena Valentino
Children3
AllegianceCleveland crime family
Criminal chargeLiquor law violations
PenaltyTwo-year sentence

Early life

Alfonso Polizzi[1] was born in Siculiana, Sicily, Italy, on March 15, 1900, to Raimondo[2][3] and Giovannina (née Indelicato) Polizzi.[2][4] He emigrated from Italy to the United States with his family in 1909.[5][6] His father, a blacksmith,[7] settled the family on Woodland Avenue in one of Cleveland's Italian enclaves.[6] He quit school at the age of 14 to sell newspapers on the street for the Cleveland News.[5] The News was in a major circulation war with The Plain Dealer and the Cleveland Press. The News hired 24-year-old Arthur B. McBride as its circulation manager, and McBride hired young toughs like Polizzi not only to hawk newspapers but to intimidate sellers of other papers.[8] In the summer of 1917, Polizzi worked as a lifeguard at Luna Park, where he met future mobster Fred Angersola.[9]

Alfred had three brothers, Joseph (b. 1893?-d. 1965),[3][10] Jasper (b. 1895?-d. 1957),[3][11][12] and James (b. 1910?-d. 1979),[3][12][13] and two sisters, Carmela (or Carmelina; b.1892?-d. 1963)[3][12][10][2] and Catherine (b. 1920-d. ?).[3][12][10][a] Joseph was also involved in mafia activity, although at a low level.[14]

Alfonso had an adopted brother, Charles "Chuck" Polizzi,[15][16] also known as Albert Polizzi.[17] Chuck Polizzi was born Leo Berkowitz. His parents were Russian Jews who had emigrated to Cleveland but died soon after their son was born.[18][19] Historians Michael Newton and Hank Messick say Chuck was unofficially adopted by the Polizzis,[18][20] but historian Albert Fried says the adoption was formalized.[16] Chuck Polizzi is often mistakenly called Alfred's brother; Alfred himself said he felt Chuck to be a cousin.[18]

Cleveland crime family

Mayfield Road Mob and Cleveland Syndicate

In his late teens, Polizzi became a member of the Mayfield Road Mob,[21][19] an Italian American gang that had formed in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood.[22] As part of the Mayfield Road Mob, Polizzi became a close associate of mobsters Fred Angersola,[19] George Angersola, John Angersola,[4][19] Frank Brancato,[19] and Charles Colletti.[4][19] Polizzi quickly became gang leader Frank Milano's top lieutenant.[19]

Polizzi engaged in extortion[23] and robbery, bootlegging, and other crimes.[4] By the time he retired in 1945, he had been arrested seven times (four while using the alias "Albert Allen").[24] He was first arrested in 1920.[4] He was convicted of violating the Volstead Act in 1926; he served six months in prison[25] and was fined $1,000 ($13,527 in 2021 dollars).[26] He was arrested again in 1928 when Cleveland police suspected him of bombing the home of Nathan Weisenberg. Weisenberg ran a racket that controlled all the legal slot machines in the area, forcing customers to lease them at high prices and skimming part of the profits. The Mayfield Road Mob attempted to take over the business, and Polizzi and Colletti were believed to have placed the explosives at Weisenberg's home in September 1928.[19][27]

During Prohibition, Polizzi sold bootleg alcohol in Detroit, Michigan, and became a close associate of Detroit mobster Moe Dalitz.[18] Dalitz, along with Maurice Kleinman, Louis Rothkopf, Sam Tucker, and Thomas "Blackjack" McGinty, was an original member of the Cleveland Syndicate, a group of Jewish and Irish mobsters based in Cleveland and Akron, who engaged in bootlegging and smuggling.[28][29] The Cleveland Syndicate preferred to give a cut of its profits to mobsters in other criminal organizations, who then did the actual work of bootlegging or running illegal gambling operations. John Angersola and Alfred Polizzi were the two members of the Cleveland crime family to do bootlegging for the Syndicate.[30] The Polizzi-run bootlegging operation moved large amounts of high-quality liquor into northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania, generating substantial profits for Polizzi and the others involved.[31]

The Arrowhead Club (or Arrowhead Inn) was established near Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1926, and featured bootleg liquor and illegal gambling.[32] A few years later (probably no later than 1929), Polizzi became an investor in the Arrowhead Club along with other members of the Cleveland crime family and the Syndicate.[33][34]

Role in the takeover by Frank Milano

By the early 1920s, the Cleveland mafia (or Cleveland crime family) had taken over the Mayfield Road Mob and become the dominant criminal organization in Cleveland.[22] It was led by boss Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo,[35] and both Alfred and Chuck Polizzi sometimes acted as bodyguards for Lonardo and his family.[36] Lonardo was assassinated in June 1927 by Salvatore "Black Sam" Todaro and Joseph "Big Joe" Porrello.[22] Todaro was killed by Lonardo family in June 1929.[37]

Corn sugar[b] was the key to the manufacture of corn whiskey. Corn whiskey was usually made with cornmeal or unground corn mixed with rye as the mash. Corn sugar could not only be substituted for grain as the mash ingredient but also permitted faster production of the final liquor.[39] Control of the corn sugar industry as well as the distribution of illegal liquor was critical to creating wealth, and the Porrellos produced and distributed most of the corn sugar in northeast Ohio. Frank Milano wanted the Porrellos' business, and in early 1930 invited Joseph Porrello and his top lieutenant, Sam Tilocco, to meet at Milano's Venetian Restaurant as 12601 Mayfield Road in Cleveland. Polizzi attended the meeting. It quickly became apparent to Porrello that Milano wanted to take over his business, not form a partnership. Porrello made a counter-proposal: That he be allowed to join the East End BiPartisan Political Club, an organization Milano had founded to put mafia money and organizational muscle behind preferred political candidates. Milano refused.[40]

In late June, Porrello established his own political club. On July 4, Polizzi telephoned Porrello and arranged a meeting for the following day at the Venetian Restaurant. Polizzi greeted Porrello and Tilocco as they arrived shortly before 2 PM on July 5.[41][c] Also present were Milano and Mayfield Road mobsters John Angersola and Charles Colletti.[15][43] The six men played cards and discussed business.[43] Gunfire erupted, and both Porrello and Tilocco were killed.[44]

Milano and the Mayfield Road Mob were now in control of the Cleveland crime family.[35] Polizzi, who fled the scene of the crime,[43] was wanted by the police for questioning. By the time he turned himself in to the police at the end of July, the police declined to interview him. The investigation into the Porrello/Tilocco murder had turned up no clues, and the police had no questions to ask him.[45]

Cleveland police arrested Milano in March 1932 for being a "suspicious person". Police officials at the time suspected him of bootlegging and attempting to take over a number of different rackets in the area.[46] A court dismissed the charge, saying being "suspicious" is not enough to warrant arrest.[47]

Career under Milano

Along with John Angersola, Charles Colletti, and Anthony Milano, Alfred Polizzi was one of the top leaders of the Cleveland crime family under Milano's rule.[48] Police believed he ran more numbers rackets in the area than any other criminal,[26] and he became close to Cleveland mobsters John DeMarco and John T. Scalish.[4] Although the Cleveland crime family had a reputation for using murder as a way of dealing with threats, Polizzi came to favor bribery instead.[49] He spent many years attempting bribe officials into paroling Toledo, Ohio, gangster Thomas "Yonnie" Licavoli,[50] who was convicted of murder in 1934.[51][d]

In December 1932, Polizzi and eight others from the Cleveland Syndicate and the Cleveland crime family formed Buckeye Enterprises Company.[53][e] Buckeye Enterprises invested in a wide range of legal and illegal businesses, including the Thomas Club (a luxury casino in the Cleveland suburb of Maple Heights),[55][56] the Continental Supper Club (a casino and restaurant located at 8591 Carnegie Avenue in Cleveland), Shaw-Clair Catering, Superior Catering, Eastern Service Company (a company which laundered income from Buckeye Enterprises so as not to draw attention from the Internal Revenue Service), and Buckeye Catering (which acted as a front for a slot machine leasing and profit-skimming business).[7][55][f]

Polizzi co-owned Tornello Importing Co.,[57] an olive oil, pasta, and tomato paste importation business,[26] with Frank Milano. It was a front for numerous illegal activities, and used to launder money.[58] With Frank Milano and Moe Dalitz,[59] Polizzi was also a partner in the Molaska Corporation.[60] Formed in 1933 just 10 days after the end of Prohibition,[61] it manufactured dehydrated molasses for use in alcohol manufacturing nationwide.[59][g] This product was also used in the illegal manufacture of alcohol, which was sold tax-free and often adulterated.[61]

Polizzi also invested widely in distilleries.[62] These investments were an attempt to "go legit" (invest in legal business enterprises),[63][h] Among the more important ones was Lubeck Brewing and Distributing of Cleveland, which he obtained control of in 1939.[26] The following year, Polizzi purchased the Sunrise Brewing Company of Cleveland. He changed the name to Tip Top Brewing, and the purchased an independent beer distributor.[63] Polizzi established a fake bank account at the Morris Plan Bank in Cleveland under the name of Fred W. Garmone,[65] a well-known local criminal defense attorney who did extensive work for the Cleveland crime family.[66] The money in this account was used to guarantee loans the bank made to retail customers of Tip Top. In return, the retailers purchased their alcoholic beverage exclusively from Tip Top. This created a "tied house" arrangement in violation of federal law.[65]

Boss of the Cleveland crime family

Becoming boss

On January 30, 1935, Milano fled to Mexico[67] to avoid prosecution for income tax evasion.[68][69] As Milano could not run the Cleveland crime family from across the border, he stepped down as boss and was succeeded by Alfred Polizzi.[70] Although most sources say Polizzi was officially named boss in 1935,[67] former Cleveland FBI chief Joe Griffin says power did not transfer until 1942.[71]

National leadership and power-sharing

Polizzi gained a seat on the Grand Council of the Sicilian Mafia, a group of nine leaders of the Sicilian Mafia in the United States.[72] According to future Cleveland crime family underboss Angelo Lonardo, Polizzi also had a seat on The Commission, a seven-member group of American mafia families that handled high-level disputes,[73] and began to associate with mobsters such as Frank Costello, Joe Doto (a.k.a. Joe Adonis), Lucky Luciano, and Joe Profaci.[4]

It's unclear how much control Polizzi had over the Cleveland mafia. Cleveland mafia historian Rick Porrello has written that The Commission made it clear to Polizzi that Syndicate leader Moe Dalitz was the real authority in Cleveland.[74][i] Dalitz and Polizzi also stayed in routine touch with Frank Milano in Mexico, occasionally traveling to see and consult with him.[74][j] Polizzi partnered with Dalitz in various illegal enterprises while head of the Cleveland crime family, which allegedly made both men wealthy.[74] Nevertheless, at one point U.S. Senate investigators characterized Polizzi as one of the most influential members of the American mafia.[4]

In addition to his partnerships with Moe Dalitz, Polizzi continued to engage in a wide range of lucrative criminal activities on his own.[74] Mobster James Ragen and U.S. Senate investigators believed that Polizzi controlled the wire service in Cleveland, bringing him extensive income from betting shops and parlors.[77][78] During Polizzi's tenure as boss in Cleveland, he relinquished control of mafia activities in Youngstown, Ohio, to another family. (It is unclear whether he did so on his own initiative, or at the request of another crime family.)[79] The Cleveland crime family continued to receive 25 percent of the profits from the Youngstown rackets (primarily gambling and vending machines), which averaged about $5,000 to $6,000 ($75,259 to $90,311 in 2021 dollars) a month in the 1970s.[80]

Polizzi was also an investor in the Beverly Hills Country Club of Newport, Kentucky. The casino, established in 1937, was one of the most lucrative gambling establishments in the region and heavily patronized by organized crime leaders.[81] Polizzi received a portion of the profits, and continued to do so long after he had retired.[82]

In 1938, former Detroit gangster James T. Licavoli, Yonnie Licavoli's cousin, asked Polizzi for permission to operate in Cleveland. The Licavolis had left Detroit for Toledo in 1931,[83][84] but returned to Detroit about 1933 or 1934.[83] The establishment of the Detroit crime family in 1931 under William "Black Bill" Tocco[85][86] left the Licavolis with no room to operate. Polizzi gave Licavoli permission to resettle in Cleveland and begin criminal activities.[87]

Protecting Angelo Lonardo

Lonardo says he sought permission from boss Frank Milano to kill Giuseppe "Dr. Joe" Romano, whom Lonardo believed to be involved in the murder of his father, Joseph "Big Joe" Lonardo. Milano approved the assassination, which occurred on June 10, 1936.[88][89] The revenge-killing of a crime family boss required approval by The Commission, approval that had not been sought. To protect Lonardo (who was not then a "made man" and member of any mafia) from assassination, Alfred Polizzi was forced to defend the killing before a meeting of the Commission. Lonardo was permitted to live only because Polizzi successfully argued that as a "civilian" he did not yet know the rules of the mafia.[90]

Liquor dealing conviction

In 1943, Polizzi got involved in an illegal liquor sales operation that later led to a conviction under federal law.

At the time, the state of Ohio had a monopoly on the sale of liquor, which sold it to dealers and retailers at a set price. Liquor was scarce due to World War II, so the state permitted liquor to be purchased from out-of-state manufacturers. The state required that out-of-state suppliers be registered, and taxes paid on the alcohol.[91][k] Polizzi purchased 1,501 cases of liquor from Peerless and sold it to tavern owners at a price $9.00 ($141 in 2021 dollars) above the legal price. Of this markup, $5.00 ($78 in 2021 dollars) went to Peerless and $4.00 ($63 in 2021 dollars) to Polizzi.[91]

The venture proved so profitable that Polizzi made a new deal with Peerless. Peerless agreed to register the Ohio Department of Liquor as an importer of out-of-state liquor and as a liquor retailer.[92] Out-of-state liquor manufacturers often found themselves with excess stock they could not sell, or for which they lacked bottles. Peerless obtained this excess stock and brought it to Ohio.[93] Polizzi illegally sold the liquor, and kicked back $1.00 ($16 in 2021 dollars) for every case of liquor imported.[91] The scheme worked so long as the state of Ohio and the federal government believed the imported liquor remained in warehouses and was not sold. For this, Peerless and Polizzi needed warehouse receipts. Through a series of middlemen, Polizzi purchased legitimate warehouse receipts for use by his liquor distributors.[93] The scheme made an extremely large amount of money.[94]

The scheme fell apart when Polizzi's warehousemen failed to produce the proper receipts for federal inspectors.[94] Polizzi and three others were arrested in late December 1943 on 28 counts of federal liquor and tax law violations.[95][96] Deciding to get out of the brewery business, Polizzi sold Tip Top Brewing in July 1944 for $1 million ($15,659,615.38462 in 2021 dollars).[97] Polizzi reached a plea bargain with federal prosecutors about September 20, 1944,[96] under which he agreed to plead guilty to a single count of selling liquor without a federal wholesale liquor dealer's license. Polizzi was sentenced to two years in jail, and required to pay a $5,000 fine ($100,000 in 2021 dollars).[98][99]

Polizzi was released in prison in late 1945 (having served a total of two years),[71][92] and moved to Coral Gables, Florida. He retired as boss of the Cleveland crime family,[74] and was succeeded by John T. Scalish.[100][71]

Post-conviction career

Legitimate business activities

By his own account, Polizzi moved to Florida with $300,000 to $500,000 ($4,700,000 to $7,800,000 in 2021 dollars) in profits from past criminal and legitimate activities.[101] Media reports in 1951 said the amount was closer to $300,000,[102] although mafia historian Rick Porrello puts the amount at $400,000 ($6,020,702.40296 in 2021 dollars)[74][l]

George and John Angersola settled near Coral Gables as well.[74] Polizzi loaned them a large amount of money, and went into business with them. The three established the Polkin Company (an amalgam King—the Angersola alias—and Polizzi)[101] to build homes and hotels.[74][m]

In 1947, Polizzi went into business with Forrest Thompson.[104] About six months earlier, Cleveland mafioso Vincent "Doc" Mangine introduced the two.[105] Assisted by attorney Nick Mangine, Vincent's brother,[104] they formed Thompson-Polizzi Construction[4] in Coral Gables.[106] By this time, Arthur McBride was also involved in real estate development in southern Florida.[9] Partnering with McBride, Thompson-Polizzi Construction built extensively in and around Coral Gables.[101][74] The company built two luxury movie theaters, an A&P supermarket, and other structures which are now landmarks in the city.[104][n] He built a shopping center for Charles "Bebe" Rebozo (a confidante of President Richard Nixon) in 1967.[106]

Polizzi and McBride often co-invested as individuals in construction projects which made substantial profits.[104] Their first business transaction together occurred in 1948 when they formed H.&I. Holdings, a real estate development company. Both men turned over property to the company as their initial investment.[24] About 1949 or 1950, Polizzi and McBride purchased a former golf course in Coral Gables and built homes there.[24] The deal was worth at least $102,000 ($1,148,804.97925 in 2021 dollars).[78]

Polizzi was also involved in Arizona real estate. On August 8, 1947, members of the Cleveland crime family and the Cleveland Syndicate formed Tucson Motels.[107] Polizzi had become interested in Arizona during his 1937 and subsequent visits, and Moe Dalitz had a large ranch there which he used for hunting.[108] Alfred Polizzi put in $35,000 ($424,746.6468 in 2021 dollars) into Tucson Motels, making him the biggest investor. Chuck Polizzi, Dalitz, Kleinman, Rothkopf, and Tucker each put up $14,000 ($424,746.6468 in 2021 dollars).[107] Tucson Motels constructed several luxury hotels in the area, which were used by visiting mobsters. Arizona quickly became heavily infiltrated by organized crime.[109]

When Cleveland mobster Thomas J. McGinty settled in Palm Beach, Florida, in the early 1950s, Polizzi staked him the cash he needed to form his own real estate company.[74] McGinty was one of a large group of gangsters who rapidly built up Palm Beach,[101] and ending up owning extensive real estate north and south of the city as well.[110]

Continuing criminal activity

While in prison awaiting trial, Polizzi was involved in helping a number of gangsters to flee Cleveland. In 1943, George Angersola, John Angersola, Shondor Birns, Angelo Lonardo, Chuck Polizzi, Milton Rockman (Scalish's brother-in-law), Angelo Sciria, and 17 other Cleveland area mobsters were indicted for running numbers rackets.[101][111] Although the indictments were a secret, most of these individuals fled Cleveland secretly aboard Arthur McBride's yacht, the Wood Duck, and relocated to Florida.[112][o] On June 3, 1944, Polizzi purchased the Wood Duck for $5,000 ($100,000 in 2021 dollars).[113]

In 1946, Polizzi helped James Licavoli win parole.[114][115]

When Wilbur Clark built the Desert Inn casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1947, he sought and received capital from a group of mobsters that included Moe Dalitz, Maurice Kleinman, Thomas J. McGinty, Louis Rothkopf, and Sammy Tucker.[116] Polizzi and the Cleveland crime family were asked to also provide capital. Polizzi turned down the deal, afraid that gambling licenses wouldn't be issued and the family would lose their investment.[117] A few years later, this group sold a piece of their investment to John Angersola,[p] Frank Milano, and Alfred Polizzi.[116] Polizzi agreed to prevent other organized crime figures from interfering with the casino and in return became a "silent partner" in the casino.[116][118] Profits skimmed from the casino continued to flow to the Polizzi and the Cleveland crime family until Howard Hughes purchased the Desert Inn in 1967.[118][119] Polizzi continued to receive part of the "skim" even in retirement, about $1,000 to $2,000 ($8,352 to $16,704 in 2021 dollars) a month.[120] U.S. Senate investigators and former mafia members said Polizzi also invested secretly in the Stardust Resort and Casino. He shared in the $50,000 ($400,000 in 2021 dollars) a month cut with John Angersola and John T. Scalish, a practice that continued into the mid-1960s.[121]

Polizzi was also suspected of running several illegal gambling rackets and assisting traffickers in illegal narcotics while living in Florida.[4] He openly associated with organized crime figures such as Tony Accardo, Anthony "Little Augie Pisano" Carfano, Charles Fischetti, Rocco Fischetti, Vincent Mangano, Joe Massei, and Harry "Nig" Rosen.[102]

Polizzi himself strenuously denied that he was engaged in anything illegal. After Look magazine ran an article on organized crime which mentioned Polizzi, he sued the magazine for libel in June 1950 and demanded $500,000 ($5,631,396.95712 in 2021 dollars) in damages.[122]

1951 Senate testimony

The United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce held hearings in Cleveland, Ohio, in January 1951. Among area organized crime figures testifying where Alvin Giesey, Thomas J. McGinty, Arthur McBride, and Anthony Milano.[123] Alfred Polizzi also testified[123] after being subpoenaed by the committee.[124] Polizzi's initial testimony before the committee was so vague and lacking in details that the committee threatened to pursue perjury and contempt of Congress charges against him. Polizzi voluntarily agreed to testify again.[125]

In testimony before the committee on February 19, 1951, Polizzi admitted to bootlegging during Prohibition and to having had a substantial ownership interest in Buckeye Catering, which at one time controlled 25 percent of the illegal slot machine business in northeast Ohio. He denied having had any involvement in casinos, and claimed to have left organized crime in 1938. Polizzi also told the committee that he had invested his earnings in real estate development, which included the Sands Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. He said he had earned about $130,000 ($1,357,166.66667 in 2021 dollars) over the past six years.[7]

Death

Alfred Polizzi died on May 26, 1975, in Denver, Colorado, while attending his granddaughter's college graduation.[126] His funeral was held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Coral Gables,[127] and he was buried at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Doral, Florida.

Personal life

Polizzi became a naturalized citizen on June 8, 1928. The federal government sued in June 1939 to have his naturalization annulled on the grounds that he had lied about having no previous arrests.[1] The suit was unexpectedly dropped in November.[128] Polizzi sought a federal pardon from President Harry S. Truman in October 1949, but it was denied. He sought a pardon from President Dwight D. Eisenhower in March 1953, but again the pardon was denied.[99] The federal government sought to strip him again of his citizenship in 1952, but a court ruled against the government in December 1953.[129]

Alfred Polizzi married Philomena Valentino,[4] a second cousin of the wife of Anthony Milano.[130] Mobster Peter Licavoli, younger brother of Thomas J. Licavoli, was best man at their wedding.[114][102] The couple had three children: sons Raymond (b. 1932)[131] and Nicholas (b. 1935),[132] and daughter Joanne. [4]

Alfred Polizzi used a number of aliases during his career. "Big Al" was the most common nickname,[4][103][133][134] because at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) in height he was the tallest of all his friends and criminal associates.[19] He was also known as "Albert Allen"[24] and by variations on his own name (e.g., "Al Polizzi").[4]

References

Notes

  1. ^ A sister, Angelina, was born in 1912 and died at the age of one. Another sister, Jenny, was born in 1922 and died at the age of 8 months.
  2. ^ Corn sugar is created by treating corn starch slurry with hydrochloric acid and then heating the mixture under pressure for several minutes. When filtered, clarified, concentrated, and seeded with a few dextrose crystals, the mixture can be poured into shallow pans where it will crystallize. It is generally sold in slabs, as pellets, or in chips.[38]
  3. ^ Most sources say Alfred Polizzi was present for the meeting.[42] Michael Newton says Chuck Polizzi, not Al, was at the meeting.[15]
  4. ^ Polizzi's sudden interest in Yonnie Licavoli was because of the close relationships the Cleveland crime family and the Syndicate had with the Purple Gang. The Purple Gang was an extremely violent Jewish gang in Detroit that engaged in bootlegging, drug running, extortion, hijacking, jewelry store robberies, murder, and other crimes. The Purple Gang brought Yonnie Licavoli, his brother Pete, and his cousin James, to Detroit as gunmen. The Purple Gang had close connections with Moe Dalitz and Chuck Polizzi, as Detroit was one of the main entry points in the United States for illegal liquor.[52]
  5. ^ The other investors consisted of Dalitz, Rothkopf, and Tucker from the Syndicate and John Angersola, Chuck Polizzi, Martin O'Boyle, and Harry Potter from the Sicilian-Italian mafia.[54]
  6. ^ Other organized crime figures who invested in Buckeye Catering were John Angersola, Chuck Polizzi, and Nathan Weisenberg.[7]
  7. ^ Other investors included Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, and Frank Costello (Luciano's lieutenant).[59]
  8. ^ Another early legitimate investment was the incorporation of Garbo Foods Specialty, a luxury food importer and distributor.[64]
  9. ^ Italian and Sicilian mafia in the United States routinely blocked Jewish gangsters from becoming members, although they associated with them and used their services. This began to end after the establishment of The Commission, although some crime families continued to adhere to the old rules barring Jews from becoming "made men".[75]
  10. ^ Messick documents the first trip as occurring in early 1937.[76]
  11. ^ Peerless was one of the largest manufacturers of alcohol illegally imported into the United States during Prohibition.[91]
  12. ^ According to Cleveland Magazine in 1978, Polizzi had earned more than $100 million ($1,505,175,600.7394 in 2021 dollars) from illegal gambling and slot machine activities.[103]
  13. ^ "John King" was an alias of John Angersola.[5]
  14. ^ Thompson-Polizzi also built a $90,000 home for Detroit crime family consigliere Joe Massei in Miami Beach, Florida.[104]
  15. ^ McBride allegedly assisted in the mass escape.[112]
  16. ^ Angelo Lonardo refers to him as "John King" in his testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee in 1987. "John King" was an alias of John Angersola.[5]

Citations

  1. ^ a b "Polizzi Sued By U.S.". The Plain Dealer. June 28, 1939. p. 17.
  2. ^ a b c "Deaths". The Plain Dealer. April 9, 1963. p. 61.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Death Notices". The Plain Dealer. May 24, 1945. p. 17.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Bureau of Narcotics 2007, p. 108.
  5. ^ a b c d Newton 2007, p. 38.
  6. ^ a b Messick 1967, p. 10.
  7. ^ a b c d Kernan, Edward (February 20, 1951). "Al Polizzi Is Unconvincing to Kefauver". The Plain Dealer. pp. 1, 8.
  8. ^ Nelli 1976, pp. 110–111.
  9. ^ a b Messick 1967, p. 11.
  10. ^ a b c "Death Notices". The Plain Dealer. July 12, 1965. p. 43.
  11. ^ "Suspect In Shooting Is Held In St. Louis". The Plain Dealer. September 8, 1948. p. 1.
  12. ^ a b c d "Deaths". The Plain Dealer. August 6, 1957. p. 28.
  13. ^ "Death Notices". The Plain Dealer. September 19, 1979. p. F4.
  14. ^ "Joseph Polizzi, 72, Dies in Miami". The Plain Dealer. July 9, 1965. p. 39.
  15. ^ a b c Newton 2007, p. 52.
  16. ^ a b Fried 1993, p. 107.
  17. ^ Messick 1967, p. 38.
  18. ^ a b c d Newton 2007, p. 40.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i Porrello 1995, p. 85.
  20. ^ Messick 1967, p. 88.
  21. ^ Burbank 2006, p. 88.
  22. ^ a b c Griffin & DeNevi 2002, p. 166.
  23. ^ Messick 1967, p. 85.
  24. ^ a b c d "McBride, On Stand, Admits Dealings With Figures in Senate's Rackets Probe". The Plain Dealer. January 18, 1951. p. 8.
  25. ^ Newton 2007, pp. 38–39.
  26. ^ a b c d Simon, Todd (January 14, 1951). "Smudged Roughnecks Buy Power; How Do They Do It?". The Plain Dealer. p. A32.
  27. ^ "Smash Slots After Bomb Tears House". The Plain Dealer. September 22, 1928. pp. 1, 3.
  28. ^ Messick 1967, pp. 42, 50, 53.
  29. ^ Tenkotte & Claypool 2009, p. 200.
  30. ^ Messick 1967, p. 71.
  31. ^ Porrello 1995, p. 90.
  32. ^ Gehrum, Diane (June 14, 2018). . Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  33. ^ Messick 1967, pp. 143–144.
  34. ^ "Three Suits Name Gambling Clubs". The Plain Dealer. May 27, 1939. p. 5; "Move in $750,000 Suit On Gamblers". The Plain Dealer. October 21, 1939. p. 11.
  35. ^ a b Roth 2017, p. 134.
  36. ^ Messick 1967, p. 86.
  37. ^ "Grill Widow in Rum Killing". The Plain Dealer. June 12, 1929. pp. 1, 4.
  38. ^ Hart & Fisher 1971, pp. 391–392.
  39. ^ Kerr 1973, p. 45.
  40. ^ Porrello 1995, p. 93.
  41. ^ Porrello 1995, pp. 95–96.
  42. ^ Messick 1967, p. 40.
  43. ^ a b c Porrello 1995, p. 96.
  44. ^ Schwarz 2010, p. 16.
  45. ^ "Police Will Trail All Sugar Trucks". The Plain Dealer. July 30, 1930. p. 8.
  46. ^ "12 Arrested As Merrick Fights Crime". The Plain Dealer. March 25, 1932. pp. 1, 4.
  47. ^ "Find 'Suspicion' Is Weak Weapon". The Plain Dealer. April 29, 1932. p. 20.
  48. ^ Nelli 1976, p. 171.
  49. ^ Messick 1967, p. 42.
  50. ^ Messick 1967, p. 208.
  51. ^ Capeci 2004, p. 129.
  52. ^ Sifakis 2005, p. 371.
  53. ^ Messick 1967, pp. 89–90.
  54. ^ Messick 1967, p. 89.
  55. ^ a b Messick 1967, pp. 90–91.
  56. ^ "Polizzi Is Not Defendant". The Plain Dealer. September 14, 1938. p. 4; "Harvard Club Rebuff Won't Stop Grand Jury". The Plain Dealer. November 8, 1940. p. 1.
  57. ^ Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951c, p. 749.
  58. ^ Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b, pp. 294, 307.
  59. ^ a b c Burbank 2006, p. 24.
  60. ^ Messick 1967, p. 94.
  61. ^ a b Peterson, Virgil W. (December 1967). "The Silent Syndicate by Hank Messick. Review by: Virgil W. Peterson". Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, and Police Science: 579.
  62. ^ Messick 1967, pp. 113, 127.
  63. ^ a b Messick 1967, pp. 183.
  64. ^ "Ohio Incorporations". The Plain Dealer. February 29, 1940. p. 11.
  65. ^ a b Messick 1967, pp. 183–184.
  66. ^ "Garmone, 62 Is Dead of Heart Attack". The Plain Dealer. February 18, 1966. p. 39.
  67. ^ a b Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988, p. 302.
  68. ^ Schwarz 2010, p. 17.
  69. ^ Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b, p. 41.
  70. ^ Capeci 2004, p. 100.
  71. ^ a b c Griffin & DeNevi 2002, p. 168.
  72. ^ Block 1994, p. 44.
  73. ^ Jacobs, Panarella & Worthington 1996, p. 112.
  74. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Porrello 1995, p. 135.
  75. ^ Casillo 2006, pp. 39–40.
  76. ^ Messick 1967, pp. 155–156.
  77. ^ Messick 1967, p. 199.
  78. ^ a b Todd, Simon (January 18, 1951). "Charges M'Bride Still Runs Wire". The Plain Dealer. pp. 1, 9.
  79. ^ Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988, pp. 102–103.
  80. ^ Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988, pp. 531–532.
  81. ^ Potter, Barker & Meglen 2008, pp. 12–15.
  82. ^ Simon, Todd (January 21, 1951). "Racket Probe Sets Up Drive on 7 Fronts". The Plain Dealer. pp. 1, 12.
  83. ^ a b Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b, p. 353.
  84. ^ Walsh, Denny (May 2, 1969). "Leniency for a Hoodlum, Slush Fund Income". Life. p. 30. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  85. ^ Burnstein 2006, p. 43.
  86. ^ Burnstein, Scott (July 15, 2014). . The Oakland Press. Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
  87. ^ McAuley, Robert J. (May 8, 1978). "A First: Attacking Mafia As An Enterprise". The Plain Dealer. p. 23.
  88. ^ Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988, pp. 87, 98.
  89. ^ "Probe Mystery in Doctor's Murder". The Plain Dealer. June 11, 1936. p. 19.
  90. ^ Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988, pp. 86–87.
  91. ^ a b c d Messick 1967, p. 184.
  92. ^ a b Newton 2007, p. 101.
  93. ^ a b Messick 1967, p. 186.
  94. ^ a b Messick 1967, p. 188.
  95. ^ "Arraigns Three for Whisky Ring". The Plain Dealer. December 23, 1943. p. 3.
  96. ^ a b "Allen and Others Will Plead Today". The Plain Dealer. September 21, 1944. p. 10.
  97. ^ "Tip-Top, Waldorf Brewery Deal On". The Plain Dealer. July 2, 1944. p. A14.
  98. ^ "Ex-City Aid Faces Liquor Sentence". The Plain Dealer. October 20, 1944. p. 5; "Garmone Asks U.S. to End Court Ban". The Plain Dealer. December 5, 1953. p. 5.
  99. ^ a b "Al Polizzi's Plea for Pardons Fails". The Plain Dealer. April 24, 1953. p. 15.
  100. ^ Bureau of Narcotics 2007, p. 306.
  101. ^ a b c d e Messick 1967, p. 175.
  102. ^ a b c "Ironton Man Tells of Guaranteeing Service for Aide of Colony". The Plain Dealer. January 19, 1951. p. 1.
  103. ^ a b Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988, p. 138.
  104. ^ a b c d e Newton 2007, p. 118.
  105. ^ Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b, p. 289.
  106. ^ a b "Smathers' Note Aided Rebozo in Borrowing $100,000 From SBA". The Plain Dealer. October 8, 1971. p. 3.
  107. ^ a b Messick 1967, p. 211.
  108. ^ Messick 1967, pp. 144, 178.
  109. ^ Sonnichsen 1987, pp. 298–299.
  110. ^ Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951a, p. 165.
  111. ^ "Gangland's DeMarco Is Dead At 68". The Plain Dealer. October 27, 1972. p. C6.
  112. ^ a b Messick 1967, p. 174.
  113. ^ Messick 1967, p. 176.
  114. ^ a b Messick 1967, p. 207.
  115. ^ Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b, p. 430.
  116. ^ a b c Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988, p. 87.
  117. ^ Griffin & DeNevi 2002, pp. 287–288.
  118. ^ a b Griffin & DeNevi 2002, p. 288.
  119. ^ Balboni 1999, p. 39.
  120. ^ Griffin & DeNevi 2002, pp. 288–289.
  121. ^ Pomeroy, Lawrence K. (August 11, 1966). "Ex-Clevelanders Testify In Vegas Probe". The Plain Dealer. p. 8.
  122. ^ "Polizzi Libel Suit Names Look; Asks $500,000 Damages". The Plain Dealer. June 29, 1950. p. 3.
  123. ^ a b Messick 1967, p. 257.
  124. ^ Todd, Simon (January 9, 1951). "Probers Open Rackets Quiz Here Jan. 17". The Plain Dealer. pp. 1, 5.
  125. ^ "Senate Warrants Asked for Hiding Cleveland Witnesses". The Plain Dealer. February 9, 1951. p. 8.
  126. ^ "Alfred Polizzi, 75, Building Firm Owner". Miami Herald. May 30, 1975. p. B4.
  127. ^ "Alfred Polizzi Mass Tomorrow". Miami News. May 30, 1975. p. B5.
  128. ^ "Polizzi Charge Dropped". The Plain Dealer. November 21, 1939. p. 4.
  129. ^ "Al Polizzi Wins in Citizenship Fight". The Plain Dealer. December 24, 1953. p. 5.
  130. ^ Messick 1967, p. 87.
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May 06, 2023
alfred, polizzi, born, alfonso, polizzi, italian, pronunciation, alˈfɔnso, poˈlittsi, march, 1900, 1975, sicilian, emigrant, united, states, boss, cleveland, crime, family, cleveland, ohio, from, 1935, 1945, stabilized, cleveland, crime, family, after, period,. Alfred Polizzi born Alfonso Polizzi Italian pronunciation alˈfɔnso poˈlittsi March 15 1900 May 26 1975 was a Sicilian emigrant to the United States who was boss of the Cleveland crime family in Cleveland Ohio from 1935 to 1945 He stabilized the Cleveland crime family after a period of revenge killings and was one of the most influential mobsters in the United States He retired to Florida in 1945 where he was involved in the construction industry He used several aliases including Big Al and Albert Allen Alfred PolizziBornAlfonso Polizzi 1900 03 15 March 15 1900Siculiana Agrigento ItalyDiedMay 26 1975 1975 05 26 aged 75 Denver Colorado U S NationalityItalianOther names Big Al Albert AllenCitizenshipAmericanOccupation s Construction firm owner crime bossPredecessorFrank MilanoSuccessorJohn T ScalishSpousePhilomena ValentinoChildren3AllegianceCleveland crime familyCriminal chargeLiquor law violationsPenaltyTwo year sentence Contents 1 Early life 2 Cleveland crime family 2 1 Mayfield Road Mob and Cleveland Syndicate 2 2 Role in the takeover by Frank Milano 2 3 Career under Milano 3 Boss of the Cleveland crime family 3 1 Becoming boss 3 2 National leadership and power sharing 3 3 Protecting Angelo Lonardo 3 4 Liquor dealing conviction 4 Post conviction career 4 1 Legitimate business activities 4 2 Continuing criminal activity 4 3 1951 Senate testimony 5 Death 6 Personal life 7 References 8 BibliographyEarly life EditAlfonso Polizzi 1 was born in Siculiana Sicily Italy on March 15 1900 to Raimondo 2 3 and Giovannina nee Indelicato Polizzi 2 4 He emigrated from Italy to the United States with his family in 1909 5 6 His father a blacksmith 7 settled the family on Woodland Avenue in one of Cleveland s Italian enclaves 6 He quit school at the age of 14 to sell newspapers on the street for the Cleveland News 5 The News was in a major circulation war with The Plain Dealer and the Cleveland Press The News hired 24 year old Arthur B McBride as its circulation manager and McBride hired young toughs like Polizzi not only to hawk newspapers but to intimidate sellers of other papers 8 In the summer of 1917 Polizzi worked as a lifeguard at Luna Park where he met future mobster Fred Angersola 9 Alfred had three brothers Joseph b 1893 d 1965 3 10 Jasper b 1895 d 1957 3 11 12 and James b 1910 d 1979 3 12 13 and two sisters Carmela or Carmelina b 1892 d 1963 3 12 10 2 and Catherine b 1920 d 3 12 10 a Joseph was also involved in mafia activity although at a low level 14 Alfonso had an adopted brother Charles Chuck Polizzi 15 16 also known as Albert Polizzi 17 Chuck Polizzi was born Leo Berkowitz His parents were Russian Jews who had emigrated to Cleveland but died soon after their son was born 18 19 Historians Michael Newton and Hank Messick say Chuck was unofficially adopted by the Polizzis 18 20 but historian Albert Fried says the adoption was formalized 16 Chuck Polizzi is often mistakenly called Alfred s brother Alfred himself said he felt Chuck to be a cousin 18 Cleveland crime family EditMayfield Road Mob and Cleveland Syndicate Edit In his late teens Polizzi became a member of the Mayfield Road Mob 21 19 an Italian American gang that had formed in Cleveland s Little Italy neighborhood 22 As part of the Mayfield Road Mob Polizzi became a close associate of mobsters Fred Angersola 19 George Angersola John Angersola 4 19 Frank Brancato 19 and Charles Colletti 4 19 Polizzi quickly became gang leader Frank Milano s top lieutenant 19 Polizzi engaged in extortion 23 and robbery bootlegging and other crimes 4 By the time he retired in 1945 he had been arrested seven times four while using the alias Albert Allen 24 He was first arrested in 1920 4 He was convicted of violating the Volstead Act in 1926 he served six months in prison 25 and was fined 1 000 13 527 in 2021 dollars 26 He was arrested again in 1928 when Cleveland police suspected him of bombing the home of Nathan Weisenberg Weisenberg ran a racket that controlled all the legal slot machines in the area forcing customers to lease them at high prices and skimming part of the profits The Mayfield Road Mob attempted to take over the business and Polizzi and Colletti were believed to have placed the explosives at Weisenberg s home in September 1928 19 27 During Prohibition Polizzi sold bootleg alcohol in Detroit Michigan and became a close associate of Detroit mobster Moe Dalitz 18 Dalitz along with Maurice Kleinman Louis Rothkopf Sam Tucker and Thomas Blackjack McGinty was an original member of the Cleveland Syndicate a group of Jewish and Irish mobsters based in Cleveland and Akron who engaged in bootlegging and smuggling 28 29 The Cleveland Syndicate preferred to give a cut of its profits to mobsters in other criminal organizations who then did the actual work of bootlegging or running illegal gambling operations John Angersola and Alfred Polizzi were the two members of the Cleveland crime family to do bootlegging for the Syndicate 30 The Polizzi run bootlegging operation moved large amounts of high quality liquor into northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania generating substantial profits for Polizzi and the others involved 31 The Arrowhead Club or Arrowhead Inn was established near Cincinnati Ohio in 1926 and featured bootleg liquor and illegal gambling 32 A few years later probably no later than 1929 Polizzi became an investor in the Arrowhead Club along with other members of the Cleveland crime family and the Syndicate 33 34 Role in the takeover by Frank Milano Edit By the early 1920s the Cleveland mafia or Cleveland crime family had taken over the Mayfield Road Mob and become the dominant criminal organization in Cleveland 22 It was led by boss Joseph Big Joe Lonardo 35 and both Alfred and Chuck Polizzi sometimes acted as bodyguards for Lonardo and his family 36 Lonardo was assassinated in June 1927 by Salvatore Black Sam Todaro and Joseph Big Joe Porrello 22 Todaro was killed by Lonardo family in June 1929 37 Corn sugar b was the key to the manufacture of corn whiskey Corn whiskey was usually made with cornmeal or unground corn mixed with rye as the mash Corn sugar could not only be substituted for grain as the mash ingredient but also permitted faster production of the final liquor 39 Control of the corn sugar industry as well as the distribution of illegal liquor was critical to creating wealth and the Porrellos produced and distributed most of the corn sugar in northeast Ohio Frank Milano wanted the Porrellos business and in early 1930 invited Joseph Porrello and his top lieutenant Sam Tilocco to meet at Milano s Venetian Restaurant as 12601 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Polizzi attended the meeting It quickly became apparent to Porrello that Milano wanted to take over his business not form a partnership Porrello made a counter proposal That he be allowed to join the East End BiPartisan Political Club an organization Milano had founded to put mafia money and organizational muscle behind preferred political candidates Milano refused 40 In late June Porrello established his own political club On July 4 Polizzi telephoned Porrello and arranged a meeting for the following day at the Venetian Restaurant Polizzi greeted Porrello and Tilocco as they arrived shortly before 2 PM on July 5 41 c Also present were Milano and Mayfield Road mobsters John Angersola and Charles Colletti 15 43 The six men played cards and discussed business 43 Gunfire erupted and both Porrello and Tilocco were killed 44 Milano and the Mayfield Road Mob were now in control of the Cleveland crime family 35 Polizzi who fled the scene of the crime 43 was wanted by the police for questioning By the time he turned himself in to the police at the end of July the police declined to interview him The investigation into the Porrello Tilocco murder had turned up no clues and the police had no questions to ask him 45 Cleveland police arrested Milano in March 1932 for being a suspicious person Police officials at the time suspected him of bootlegging and attempting to take over a number of different rackets in the area 46 A court dismissed the charge saying being suspicious is not enough to warrant arrest 47 Career under Milano Edit Along with John Angersola Charles Colletti and Anthony Milano Alfred Polizzi was one of the top leaders of the Cleveland crime family under Milano s rule 48 Police believed he ran more numbers rackets in the area than any other criminal 26 and he became close to Cleveland mobsters John DeMarco and John T Scalish 4 Although the Cleveland crime family had a reputation for using murder as a way of dealing with threats Polizzi came to favor bribery instead 49 He spent many years attempting bribe officials into paroling Toledo Ohio gangster Thomas Yonnie Licavoli 50 who was convicted of murder in 1934 51 d In December 1932 Polizzi and eight others from the Cleveland Syndicate and the Cleveland crime family formed Buckeye Enterprises Company 53 e Buckeye Enterprises invested in a wide range of legal and illegal businesses including the Thomas Club a luxury casino in the Cleveland suburb of Maple Heights 55 56 the Continental Supper Club a casino and restaurant located at 8591 Carnegie Avenue in Cleveland Shaw Clair Catering Superior Catering Eastern Service Company a company which laundered income from Buckeye Enterprises so as not to draw attention from the Internal Revenue Service and Buckeye Catering which acted as a front for a slot machine leasing and profit skimming business 7 55 f Polizzi co owned Tornello Importing Co 57 an olive oil pasta and tomato paste importation business 26 with Frank Milano It was a front for numerous illegal activities and used to launder money 58 With Frank Milano and Moe Dalitz 59 Polizzi was also a partner in the Molaska Corporation 60 Formed in 1933 just 10 days after the end of Prohibition 61 it manufactured dehydrated molasses for use in alcohol manufacturing nationwide 59 g This product was also used in the illegal manufacture of alcohol which was sold tax free and often adulterated 61 Polizzi also invested widely in distilleries 62 These investments were an attempt to go legit invest in legal business enterprises 63 h Among the more important ones was Lubeck Brewing and Distributing of Cleveland which he obtained control of in 1939 26 The following year Polizzi purchased the Sunrise Brewing Company of Cleveland He changed the name to Tip Top Brewing and the purchased an independent beer distributor 63 Polizzi established a fake bank account at the Morris Plan Bank in Cleveland under the name of Fred W Garmone 65 a well known local criminal defense attorney who did extensive work for the Cleveland crime family 66 The money in this account was used to guarantee loans the bank made to retail customers of Tip Top In return the retailers purchased their alcoholic beverage exclusively from Tip Top This created a tied house arrangement in violation of federal law 65 Boss of the Cleveland crime family EditBecoming boss Edit On January 30 1935 Milano fled to Mexico 67 to avoid prosecution for income tax evasion 68 69 As Milano could not run the Cleveland crime family from across the border he stepped down as boss and was succeeded by Alfred Polizzi 70 Although most sources say Polizzi was officially named boss in 1935 67 former Cleveland FBI chief Joe Griffin says power did not transfer until 1942 71 National leadership and power sharing Edit Polizzi gained a seat on the Grand Council of the Sicilian Mafia a group of nine leaders of the Sicilian Mafia in the United States 72 According to future Cleveland crime family underboss Angelo Lonardo Polizzi also had a seat on The Commission a seven member group of American mafia families that handled high level disputes 73 and began to associate with mobsters such as Frank Costello Joe Doto a k a Joe Adonis Lucky Luciano and Joe Profaci 4 It s unclear how much control Polizzi had over the Cleveland mafia Cleveland mafia historian Rick Porrello has written that The Commission made it clear to Polizzi that Syndicate leader Moe Dalitz was the real authority in Cleveland 74 i Dalitz and Polizzi also stayed in routine touch with Frank Milano in Mexico occasionally traveling to see and consult with him 74 j Polizzi partnered with Dalitz in various illegal enterprises while head of the Cleveland crime family which allegedly made both men wealthy 74 Nevertheless at one point U S Senate investigators characterized Polizzi as one of the most influential members of the American mafia 4 In addition to his partnerships with Moe Dalitz Polizzi continued to engage in a wide range of lucrative criminal activities on his own 74 Mobster James Ragen and U S Senate investigators believed that Polizzi controlled the wire service in Cleveland bringing him extensive income from betting shops and parlors 77 78 During Polizzi s tenure as boss in Cleveland he relinquished control of mafia activities in Youngstown Ohio to another family It is unclear whether he did so on his own initiative or at the request of another crime family 79 The Cleveland crime family continued to receive 25 percent of the profits from the Youngstown rackets primarily gambling and vending machines which averaged about 5 000 to 6 000 75 259 to 90 311 in 2021 dollars a month in the 1970s 80 Polizzi was also an investor in the Beverly Hills Country Club of Newport Kentucky The casino established in 1937 was one of the most lucrative gambling establishments in the region and heavily patronized by organized crime leaders 81 Polizzi received a portion of the profits and continued to do so long after he had retired 82 In 1938 former Detroit gangster James T Licavoli Yonnie Licavoli s cousin asked Polizzi for permission to operate in Cleveland The Licavolis had left Detroit for Toledo in 1931 83 84 but returned to Detroit about 1933 or 1934 83 The establishment of the Detroit crime family in 1931 under William Black Bill Tocco 85 86 left the Licavolis with no room to operate Polizzi gave Licavoli permission to resettle in Cleveland and begin criminal activities 87 Protecting Angelo Lonardo Edit Lonardo says he sought permission from boss Frank Milano to kill Giuseppe Dr Joe Romano whom Lonardo believed to be involved in the murder of his father Joseph Big Joe Lonardo Milano approved the assassination which occurred on June 10 1936 88 89 The revenge killing of a crime family boss required approval by The Commission approval that had not been sought To protect Lonardo who was not then a made man and member of any mafia from assassination Alfred Polizzi was forced to defend the killing before a meeting of the Commission Lonardo was permitted to live only because Polizzi successfully argued that as a civilian he did not yet know the rules of the mafia 90 Liquor dealing conviction Edit In 1943 Polizzi got involved in an illegal liquor sales operation that later led to a conviction under federal law At the time the state of Ohio had a monopoly on the sale of liquor which sold it to dealers and retailers at a set price Liquor was scarce due to World War II so the state permitted liquor to be purchased from out of state manufacturers The state required that out of state suppliers be registered and taxes paid on the alcohol 91 k Polizzi purchased 1 501 cases of liquor from Peerless and sold it to tavern owners at a price 9 00 141 in 2021 dollars above the legal price Of this markup 5 00 78 in 2021 dollars went to Peerless and 4 00 63 in 2021 dollars to Polizzi 91 The venture proved so profitable that Polizzi made a new deal with Peerless Peerless agreed to register the Ohio Department of Liquor as an importer of out of state liquor and as a liquor retailer 92 Out of state liquor manufacturers often found themselves with excess stock they could not sell or for which they lacked bottles Peerless obtained this excess stock and brought it to Ohio 93 Polizzi illegally sold the liquor and kicked back 1 00 16 in 2021 dollars for every case of liquor imported 91 The scheme worked so long as the state of Ohio and the federal government believed the imported liquor remained in warehouses and was not sold For this Peerless and Polizzi needed warehouse receipts Through a series of middlemen Polizzi purchased legitimate warehouse receipts for use by his liquor distributors 93 The scheme made an extremely large amount of money 94 The scheme fell apart when Polizzi s warehousemen failed to produce the proper receipts for federal inspectors 94 Polizzi and three others were arrested in late December 1943 on 28 counts of federal liquor and tax law violations 95 96 Deciding to get out of the brewery business Polizzi sold Tip Top Brewing in July 1944 for 1 million 15 659 615 38462 in 2021 dollars 97 Polizzi reached a plea bargain with federal prosecutors about September 20 1944 96 under which he agreed to plead guilty to a single count of selling liquor without a federal wholesale liquor dealer s license Polizzi was sentenced to two years in jail and required to pay a 5 000 fine 100 000 in 2021 dollars 98 99 Polizzi was released in prison in late 1945 having served a total of two years 71 92 and moved to Coral Gables Florida He retired as boss of the Cleveland crime family 74 and was succeeded by John T Scalish 100 71 Post conviction career EditLegitimate business activities Edit By his own account Polizzi moved to Florida with 300 000 to 500 000 4 700 000 to 7 800 000 in 2021 dollars in profits from past criminal and legitimate activities 101 Media reports in 1951 said the amount was closer to 300 000 102 although mafia historian Rick Porrello puts the amount at 400 000 6 020 702 40296 in 2021 dollars 74 l George and John Angersola settled near Coral Gables as well 74 Polizzi loaned them a large amount of money and went into business with them The three established the Polkin Company an amalgam King the Angersola alias and Polizzi 101 to build homes and hotels 74 m In 1947 Polizzi went into business with Forrest Thompson 104 About six months earlier Cleveland mafioso Vincent Doc Mangine introduced the two 105 Assisted by attorney Nick Mangine Vincent s brother 104 they formed Thompson Polizzi Construction 4 in Coral Gables 106 By this time Arthur McBride was also involved in real estate development in southern Florida 9 Partnering with McBride Thompson Polizzi Construction built extensively in and around Coral Gables 101 74 The company built two luxury movie theaters an A amp P supermarket and other structures which are now landmarks in the city 104 n He built a shopping center for Charles Bebe Rebozo a confidante of President Richard Nixon in 1967 106 Polizzi and McBride often co invested as individuals in construction projects which made substantial profits 104 Their first business transaction together occurred in 1948 when they formed H amp I Holdings a real estate development company Both men turned over property to the company as their initial investment 24 About 1949 or 1950 Polizzi and McBride purchased a former golf course in Coral Gables and built homes there 24 The deal was worth at least 102 000 1 148 804 97925 in 2021 dollars 78 Polizzi was also involved in Arizona real estate On August 8 1947 members of the Cleveland crime family and the Cleveland Syndicate formed Tucson Motels 107 Polizzi had become interested in Arizona during his 1937 and subsequent visits and Moe Dalitz had a large ranch there which he used for hunting 108 Alfred Polizzi put in 35 000 424 746 6468 in 2021 dollars into Tucson Motels making him the biggest investor Chuck Polizzi Dalitz Kleinman Rothkopf and Tucker each put up 14 000 424 746 6468 in 2021 dollars 107 Tucson Motels constructed several luxury hotels in the area which were used by visiting mobsters Arizona quickly became heavily infiltrated by organized crime 109 When Cleveland mobster Thomas J McGinty settled in Palm Beach Florida in the early 1950s Polizzi staked him the cash he needed to form his own real estate company 74 McGinty was one of a large group of gangsters who rapidly built up Palm Beach 101 and ending up owning extensive real estate north and south of the city as well 110 Continuing criminal activity Edit While in prison awaiting trial Polizzi was involved in helping a number of gangsters to flee Cleveland In 1943 George Angersola John Angersola Shondor Birns Angelo Lonardo Chuck Polizzi Milton Rockman Scalish s brother in law Angelo Sciria and 17 other Cleveland area mobsters were indicted for running numbers rackets 101 111 Although the indictments were a secret most of these individuals fled Cleveland secretly aboard Arthur McBride s yacht the Wood Duck and relocated to Florida 112 o On June 3 1944 Polizzi purchased the Wood Duck for 5 000 100 000 in 2021 dollars 113 In 1946 Polizzi helped James Licavoli win parole 114 115 When Wilbur Clark built the Desert Inn casino in Las Vegas Nevada in 1947 he sought and received capital from a group of mobsters that included Moe Dalitz Maurice Kleinman Thomas J McGinty Louis Rothkopf and Sammy Tucker 116 Polizzi and the Cleveland crime family were asked to also provide capital Polizzi turned down the deal afraid that gambling licenses wouldn t be issued and the family would lose their investment 117 A few years later this group sold a piece of their investment to John Angersola p Frank Milano and Alfred Polizzi 116 Polizzi agreed to prevent other organized crime figures from interfering with the casino and in return became a silent partner in the casino 116 118 Profits skimmed from the casino continued to flow to the Polizzi and the Cleveland crime family until Howard Hughes purchased the Desert Inn in 1967 118 119 Polizzi continued to receive part of the skim even in retirement about 1 000 to 2 000 8 352 to 16 704 in 2021 dollars a month 120 U S Senate investigators and former mafia members said Polizzi also invested secretly in the Stardust Resort and Casino He shared in the 50 000 400 000 in 2021 dollars a month cut with John Angersola and John T Scalish a practice that continued into the mid 1960s 121 Polizzi was also suspected of running several illegal gambling rackets and assisting traffickers in illegal narcotics while living in Florida 4 He openly associated with organized crime figures such as Tony Accardo Anthony Little Augie Pisano Carfano Charles Fischetti Rocco Fischetti Vincent Mangano Joe Massei and Harry Nig Rosen 102 Polizzi himself strenuously denied that he was engaged in anything illegal After Look magazine ran an article on organized crime which mentioned Polizzi he sued the magazine for libel in June 1950 and demanded 500 000 5 631 396 95712 in 2021 dollars in damages 122 1951 Senate testimony Edit The United States Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce held hearings in Cleveland Ohio in January 1951 Among area organized crime figures testifying where Alvin Giesey Thomas J McGinty Arthur McBride and Anthony Milano 123 Alfred Polizzi also testified 123 after being subpoenaed by the committee 124 Polizzi s initial testimony before the committee was so vague and lacking in details that the committee threatened to pursue perjury and contempt of Congress charges against him Polizzi voluntarily agreed to testify again 125 In testimony before the committee on February 19 1951 Polizzi admitted to bootlegging during Prohibition and to having had a substantial ownership interest in Buckeye Catering which at one time controlled 25 percent of the illegal slot machine business in northeast Ohio He denied having had any involvement in casinos and claimed to have left organized crime in 1938 Polizzi also told the committee that he had invested his earnings in real estate development which included the Sands Hotel in Miami Beach Florida He said he had earned about 130 000 1 357 166 66667 in 2021 dollars over the past six years 7 Death EditAlfred Polizzi died on May 26 1975 in Denver Colorado while attending his granddaughter s college graduation 126 His funeral was held at St Augustine Catholic Church in Coral Gables 127 and he was buried at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Doral Florida Personal life EditPolizzi became a naturalized citizen on June 8 1928 The federal government sued in June 1939 to have his naturalization annulled on the grounds that he had lied about having no previous arrests 1 The suit was unexpectedly dropped in November 128 Polizzi sought a federal pardon from President Harry S Truman in October 1949 but it was denied He sought a pardon from President Dwight D Eisenhower in March 1953 but again the pardon was denied 99 The federal government sought to strip him again of his citizenship in 1952 but a court ruled against the government in December 1953 129 Alfred Polizzi married Philomena Valentino 4 a second cousin of the wife of Anthony Milano 130 Mobster Peter Licavoli younger brother of Thomas J Licavoli was best man at their wedding 114 102 The couple had three children sons Raymond b 1932 131 and Nicholas b 1935 132 and daughter Joanne 4 Alfred Polizzi used a number of aliases during his career Big Al was the most common nickname 4 103 133 134 because at 5 feet 10 inches 1 78 m in height he was the tallest of all his friends and criminal associates 19 He was also known as Albert Allen 24 and by variations on his own name e g Al Polizzi 4 References EditNotes A sister Angelina was born in 1912 and died at the age of one Another sister Jenny was born in 1922 and died at the age of 8 months Corn sugar is created by treating corn starch slurry with hydrochloric acid and then heating the mixture under pressure for several minutes When filtered clarified concentrated and seeded with a few dextrose crystals the mixture can be poured into shallow pans where it will crystallize It is generally sold in slabs as pellets or in chips 38 Most sources say Alfred Polizzi was present for the meeting 42 Michael Newton says Chuck Polizzi not Al was at the meeting 15 Polizzi s sudden interest in Yonnie Licavoli was because of the close relationships the Cleveland crime family and the Syndicate had with the Purple Gang The Purple Gang was an extremely violent Jewish gang in Detroit that engaged in bootlegging drug running extortion hijacking jewelry store robberies murder and other crimes The Purple Gang brought Yonnie Licavoli his brother Pete and his cousin James to Detroit as gunmen The Purple Gang had close connections with Moe Dalitz and Chuck Polizzi as Detroit was one of the main entry points in the United States for illegal liquor 52 The other investors consisted of Dalitz Rothkopf and Tucker from the Syndicate and John Angersola Chuck Polizzi Martin O Boyle and Harry Potter from the Sicilian Italian mafia 54 Other organized crime figures who invested in Buckeye Catering were John Angersola Chuck Polizzi and Nathan Weisenberg 7 Other investors included Meyer Lansky Lucky Luciano and Frank Costello Luciano s lieutenant 59 Another early legitimate investment was the incorporation of Garbo Foods Specialty a luxury food importer and distributor 64 Italian and Sicilian mafia in the United States routinely blocked Jewish gangsters from becoming members although they associated with them and used their services This began to end after the establishment of The Commission although some crime families continued to adhere to the old rules barring Jews from becoming made men 75 Messick documents the first trip as occurring in early 1937 76 Peerless was one of the largest manufacturers of alcohol illegally imported into the United States during Prohibition 91 According to Cleveland Magazine in 1978 Polizzi had earned more than 100 million 1 505 175 600 7394 in 2021 dollars from illegal gambling and slot machine activities 103 John King was an alias of John Angersola 5 Thompson Polizzi also built a 90 000 home for Detroit crime family consigliere Joe Massei in Miami Beach Florida 104 McBride allegedly assisted in the mass escape 112 Angelo Lonardo refers to him as John King in his testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee in 1987 John King was an alias of John Angersola 5 Citations a b Polizzi Sued By U S The Plain Dealer June 28 1939 p 17 a b c Deaths The Plain Dealer April 9 1963 p 61 a b c d e f Death Notices The Plain Dealer May 24 1945 p 17 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Bureau of Narcotics 2007 p 108 a b c d Newton 2007 p 38 a b Messick 1967 p 10 a b c d Kernan Edward February 20 1951 Al Polizzi Is Unconvincing to Kefauver The Plain Dealer pp 1 8 Nelli 1976 pp 110 111 a b Messick 1967 p 11 a b c Death Notices The Plain Dealer July 12 1965 p 43 Suspect In Shooting Is Held In St Louis The Plain Dealer September 8 1948 p 1 a b c d Deaths The Plain Dealer August 6 1957 p 28 Death Notices The Plain Dealer September 19 1979 p F4 Joseph Polizzi 72 Dies in Miami The Plain Dealer July 9 1965 p 39 a b c Newton 2007 p 52 a b Fried 1993 p 107 Messick 1967 p 38 a b c d Newton 2007 p 40 a b c d e f g h i Porrello 1995 p 85 Messick 1967 p 88 Burbank 2006 p 88 a b c Griffin amp DeNevi 2002 p 166 Messick 1967 p 85 a b c d McBride On Stand Admits Dealings With Figures in Senate s Rackets Probe The Plain Dealer January 18 1951 p 8 Newton 2007 pp 38 39 a b c d Simon Todd January 14 1951 Smudged Roughnecks Buy Power How Do They Do It The Plain Dealer p A32 Smash Slots After Bomb Tears House The Plain Dealer September 22 1928 pp 1 3 Messick 1967 pp 42 50 53 Tenkotte amp Claypool 2009 p 200 Messick 1967 p 71 Porrello 1995 p 90 Gehrum Diane June 14 2018 The first organized gaming in Cincinnati was The Arrowhead Inn Cincinnati Enquirer Archived from the original on July 31 2018 Retrieved July 30 2018 Messick 1967 pp 143 144 Three Suits Name Gambling Clubs The Plain Dealer May 27 1939 p 5 Move in 750 000 Suit On Gamblers The Plain Dealer October 21 1939 p 11 a b Roth 2017 p 134 Messick 1967 p 86 Grill Widow in Rum Killing The Plain Dealer June 12 1929 pp 1 4 Hart amp Fisher 1971 pp 391 392 Kerr 1973 p 45 Porrello 1995 p 93 Porrello 1995 pp 95 96 Messick 1967 p 40 a b c Porrello 1995 p 96 Schwarz 2010 p 16 Police Will Trail All Sugar Trucks The Plain Dealer July 30 1930 p 8 12 Arrested As Merrick Fights Crime The Plain Dealer March 25 1932 pp 1 4 Find Suspicion Is Weak Weapon The Plain Dealer April 29 1932 p 20 Nelli 1976 p 171 Messick 1967 p 42 Messick 1967 p 208 Capeci 2004 p 129 Sifakis 2005 p 371 Messick 1967 pp 89 90 Messick 1967 p 89 a b Messick 1967 pp 90 91 Polizzi Is Not Defendant The Plain Dealer September 14 1938 p 4 Harvard Club Rebuff Won t Stop Grand Jury The Plain Dealer November 8 1940 p 1 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951c p 749 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b pp 294 307 a b c Burbank 2006 p 24 Messick 1967 p 94 a b Peterson Virgil W December 1967 The Silent Syndicate by Hank Messick Review by Virgil W Peterson Journal of Criminal Law Criminology and Police Science 579 Messick 1967 pp 113 127 a b Messick 1967 pp 183 Ohio Incorporations The Plain Dealer February 29 1940 p 11 a b Messick 1967 pp 183 184 Garmone 62 Is Dead of Heart Attack The Plain Dealer February 18 1966 p 39 a b Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988 p 302 Schwarz 2010 p 17 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b p 41 Capeci 2004 p 100 a b c Griffin amp DeNevi 2002 p 168 Block 1994 p 44 Jacobs Panarella amp Worthington 1996 p 112 a b c d e f g h i j Porrello 1995 p 135 Casillo 2006 pp 39 40 Messick 1967 pp 155 156 Messick 1967 p 199 a b Todd Simon January 18 1951 Charges M Bride Still Runs Wire The Plain Dealer pp 1 9 Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988 pp 102 103 Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988 pp 531 532 Potter Barker amp Meglen 2008 pp 12 15 Simon Todd January 21 1951 Racket Probe Sets Up Drive on 7 Fronts The Plain Dealer pp 1 12 a b Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b p 353 Walsh Denny May 2 1969 Leniency for a Hoodlum Slush Fund Income Life p 30 Retrieved July 30 2018 Burnstein 2006 p 43 Burnstein Scott July 15 2014 Suspected longtime Detroit mob boss Black Jack Tocco dies at 87 The Oakland Press Archived from the original on July 31 2018 Retrieved July 30 2018 McAuley Robert J May 8 1978 A First Attacking Mafia As An Enterprise The Plain Dealer p 23 Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988 pp 87 98 Probe Mystery in Doctor s Murder The Plain Dealer June 11 1936 p 19 Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988 pp 86 87 a b c d Messick 1967 p 184 a b Newton 2007 p 101 a b Messick 1967 p 186 a b Messick 1967 p 188 Arraigns Three for Whisky Ring The Plain Dealer December 23 1943 p 3 a b Allen and Others Will Plead Today The Plain Dealer September 21 1944 p 10 Tip Top Waldorf Brewery Deal On The Plain Dealer July 2 1944 p A14 Ex City Aid Faces Liquor Sentence The Plain Dealer October 20 1944 p 5 Garmone Asks U S to End Court Ban The Plain Dealer December 5 1953 p 5 a b Al Polizzi s Plea for Pardons Fails The Plain Dealer April 24 1953 p 15 Bureau of Narcotics 2007 p 306 a b c d e Messick 1967 p 175 a b c Ironton Man Tells of Guaranteeing Service for Aide of Colony The Plain Dealer January 19 1951 p 1 a b Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988 p 138 a b c d e Newton 2007 p 118 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b p 289 a b Smathers Note Aided Rebozo in Borrowing 100 000 From SBA The Plain Dealer October 8 1971 p 3 a b Messick 1967 p 211 Messick 1967 pp 144 178 Sonnichsen 1987 pp 298 299 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951a p 165 Gangland s DeMarco Is Dead At 68 The Plain Dealer October 27 1972 p C6 a b Messick 1967 p 174 Messick 1967 p 176 a b Messick 1967 p 207 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951b p 430 a b c Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988 p 87 Griffin amp DeNevi 2002 pp 287 288 a b Griffin amp DeNevi 2002 p 288 Balboni 1999 p 39 Griffin amp DeNevi 2002 pp 288 289 Pomeroy Lawrence K August 11 1966 Ex Clevelanders Testify In Vegas Probe The Plain Dealer p 8 Polizzi Libel Suit Names Look Asks 500 000 Damages The Plain Dealer June 29 1950 p 3 a b Messick 1967 p 257 Todd Simon January 9 1951 Probers Open Rackets Quiz Here Jan 17 The Plain Dealer pp 1 5 Senate Warrants Asked for Hiding Cleveland Witnesses The Plain Dealer February 9 1951 p 8 Alfred Polizzi 75 Building Firm Owner Miami Herald May 30 1975 p B4 Alfred Polizzi Mass Tomorrow Miami News May 30 1975 p B5 Polizzi Charge Dropped The Plain Dealer November 21 1939 p 4 Al Polizzi Wins in Citizenship Fight The Plain Dealer December 24 1953 p 5 Messick 1967 p 87 Raymond A POLIZZI Palm Beach Post September 1 2015 Retrieved July 30 2018 Marquis Who s Who 1981 p 528 Messick 1967 pp 11 86 Nelli 1976 p 178 Bibliography EditBalboni Alan 1999 Moe Dalitz Controversial Founding Father of Modern Las Vegas In Davies Richard O ed The Maverick Spirit Building the New Nevada Reno Nev University of Nevada Press ISBN 9780874173277 Block Alan A 1994 Organized Crime History and Historiography In Kelly Robert J Chin Ko Lin Schatzberg Rufus eds Handbook of Organized Crime in the United States Westport Conn Greenwood Press ISBN 9780313283666 Bureau of Narcotics 2007 Mafia The Government s Secret File on Organized Crime New York HarperCollins ISBN 9780061363856 Burbank Jeff 2006 Las Vegas Babylon True Tales of Glitter Glamour and Greed London Robson Books ISBN 9781861059666 Burnstein Scott M 2006 Motor City Mafia A Century of Organized Crime in Detroit Charleston S C Arcadia Publishing ISBN 9780738540849 Capeci Jerry 2004 The Complete Idiot s Guide to the Mafia Indianapolis Alpha Books ISBN 9781592573059 Casillo Robert 2006 Gangster Priest The Italian American Cinema of Martin Scorsese Toronto University of Toronto Press ISBN 9780802094032 Fried Albert 1993 The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Gangster in America New York Columbia University Press ISBN 9780231096829 Griffin Joe DeNevi Don 2002 Mob Nemesis How the FBI Crippled Organized Crime Amherst N Y Prometheus Books ISBN 9781573929196 Hart F Leslie Fisher Harry Johnstone 1971 Modern Food Analysis Berlin Springer Verlag ISBN 9783540051268 Jacobs James B Panarella Christopher Worthington Jay 1996 Busting the Mob United States New York New York University Press ISBN 9780814742303 Kerr Kathel Austin 1973 The Politics of Moral Behavior Reading Mass Addison Wesley Marquis Who s Who 1981 Who s Who in Finance and Industry Volume 22 Chicago Marquis Who s Who Messick Hank 1967 The Silent Syndicate New York Macmillan Nelli Humbert S 1976 The Business of Crime Italians and Syndicate Crime in the United States Chicago University of Chicago Press ISBN 9780226571324 Newton Michael 2007 Mr Mob The Life and Crimes of Moe Dalitz Jefferson N C McFarland amp Co ISBN 9780786435166 Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations 1988 25 Years After Valachi Committee on Government Operations United States Senate 100th Cong 2d sess S HRG 100 906 Washington D C U S Government Printing Office hdl 2027 mdp 39015028778994 Porrello Rick 1995 The Rise and Fall of the Cleveland Mafia Corn Sugar and Blood New York Barricade Books ISBN 9781569800584 Potter Gary W Barker Thomas Meglen Jenna 2008 Wicked Newport Kentucky s Sin City Charleston S C History Press ISBN 9781596295490 Roth Mitchel P 2017 Global Organized Crime A 21st Century Approach New York Routledge ISBN 9781138639478 Schwarz Ted 2010 Shocking Stories of the Cleveland Mob Charleston S C History Press ISBN 9781596299184 Sifakis Carl 2005 The Mafia Encyclopedia New York Checkmark Books ISBN 9780816056958 Sonnichsen C L 1987 Tucson the Life and Times of an American City Norman Okla University of Oklahoma Press ISBN 9780806120423 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951 Investigation of Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce Part 1 United States Senate 81st Cong 2d sess Washington D C U S Government Printing Office hdl 2027 uc1 b643193 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951 Investigation of Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce Part 6 United States Senate 82d Cong 1st sess Washington D C U S Government Printing Office hdl 2027 uc1 b643196 Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce 1951 Investigation of Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce Part 7 United States Senate 81st Cong 2d sess Washington D C U S Government Printing Office hdl 2027 uiug 30112004468697 Tenkotte Paul A Claypool James C 2009 The Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky Lexington Ky University Press of Kentucky ISBN 9780813125657 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alfred Polizzi amp oldid 1152708330, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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