Part 30 (1/2)
Chapter 20: Coverup: ”A Decenter, Kinder Man I Never Knew”.
294 Murder weapon: Police were able to trace the weapon's early history. On June 1, 1928 a Joseph Novotny of St. Paul, Minnesota purchased the gun at auction. On June 15 he sold it to an unknown man. At some point it found its way into-and out of-NYPD detective bureau hands. For the record, its barrel number was #359,946.
294-95 ”Rothstein ... smuggling ring.”: NY World, 17 November 1928, p. 2; NY Times, 18 November 1928, p. 24; NY Sun, 19 November 1928, p. 14; NY Sun, 24 November 1928, p. 6; Katcher, p. 335. One arresting officer was Gene Tunney's brother, Detective Tom Tunney. Isaiah Leebove represented Luciano and Uffner, State Senator Elmer F. Quinn represented Walsh.
Decades later, Luciano denied any knowledge of what really happened. ”All I knew about it,” he told an interviewer in the early 1960s, ”was that he welshed on a bet. That was the rumor. Of course, the cops called me in and they grilled me, but I never knew who done it.”
Luciano added, ”I did lots of favors for Rothstein, too. I used to back him in poker games. We both made money. But he could spend it so fast just livin' that it even made my head spin, and I was a pretty good spender myself. All he hadda do was ask me for the dough he owed; I'd've sent it right over.” (Gosch and Hammer, p. 41) 295 Charges dismissed: NY Sun, 23 November 1928, p. 22.
295 ”It's Raymond's . . . to believe.”: NY Times, 18 November 1928, p. 24; Albany Times-Union, 12 November 1928, pp. 1, 2; Albany Times-Union, 17 November 1928, pp. 1, 10; Albany Times-Union, 13 November 1928, pp. 1, 2; NY Daily Mirror, 29 November 1928, p. 4; Kobler (Capone), pp. 243-44. Dog racing remained illegal nationwide until 1931, when Florida became the first state to legalize the sport. Mobsters operated most of the first legal tracks. Fixing dog races was considerably more common-and easier-than fixing horse racing.
295 Detroit, Corbo, Diamond: NY Sun, 23 November 1928, p. 22; NY Sun, 26 November 1928, p. 2.
295-96Overcoat: Whelan Report, p. 7; NY World, 11 November 1928, p. 2; Albany Times-Union, 19 November 1928, p. 2; NY Sun, 1 December 1928, p. 2. The Whelan Report indicated police found ”a key to Room 349 in the pocket of said coat.” They also discovered several handkerchiefs initialed ”G. McM” in the room and ”a s.h.i.+rt size 16.”
297 ”The only ... been secured.” Whelan Report, p. 8.
297 New friends: NY Sun, 19 November 1928, p. 14; NY Sun, 20 November 1928, p. 23; NY Sun, 21 November 1928, p. 6; NY Sun, 27 November 1928, p. 2; NY Sun, 29 November 1928, p. 29; NY Eve. Post, 20 November 1928, pp. 1, 7; NY Times, 20 November 1928, pp. 1, 24; NY Daily Mirror, 29 November 1928, pp. 3-4.
297 ”Sat.u.r.day night ... quite silly.”: NY Daily Mirror, 29 November 1928, pp. 3-4.
297 ”Every one ... look different.” : NY Times, 20 November 1928, pp. 1, 24; NY Sun, 20 November 1928, pp. 1, 23; NY Eve Post, 20 November 1928, pp. 1, 7.
298 Room 349 unguarded, McMa.n.u.s apartment: Whelan Report, p. 11. By not searching McMa.n.u.s' apartment, police not only missed valuable clues (espe- ciall badly needed photos of the fugitive), they potentially avoided finding the fugitive there.
298 Will terms: NY Daily Mirror, 14 November 1928, p. 28; NY Daily News, 11 November 1928, pp. 2, 3; NY Daily News, 17 November 1928, p. 3; NY Daily News, 18 November 1928, p. 3.
299 Search for a.s.sets: NY Daily News, 17 November 1928, pp. 3, 5; NY Daily News, 18 November 1928, p. 3.
299 21 separate proxies: NY World, 28 November 1928, p. 2.
299 Debts: ibid. p. 1; NY Sun, 10 November 1928, p. 3.
299-00 ”The irony ... his heirs.”: NY World, 10 November 1928, p. 2.
300 Politicians: NY Post, 23 November 1928, p. 8; NY Sun, 27 November 1928, p. 2; NY Sun, 7 December 1928, p. 1; NY Daily Mirror, 29 November 1929, p. 4; NY Red Book, 1929 edition, pp. 42, 43; Betts, p. 88.
300 McMa.n.u.s, Hines: Valentine, p. 106. McMa.n.u.s wasn't the only gambler utilizing Tammany clubhouses. Johnny Baker operated out of Chief Clerk of the City Court Harry C. Perry's club at Fourth and Bowery; Baldy Froelich and Gus Mayo held forth at Sheriff Thomas M. Farley's 369 East 62nd Street clubhouse.
300 ”A man ... he wanted.”: Connable and Silberfarb, p. 289.
301 ”Of the ... clubhouse.”: NY Amsterdam News, 4 June 1938, p. 14.
301 ”Vote every star”: Thomson and Raymond, p. 127.
301 Hines' mobster ties: ibid2-33.
302 Marinelli: ibid. pp. 59, 127-58; NY Times, 26 March 1957, pp. 1, 38; Katcher, pp. 257-59, 264; Weiss, pp. 62-33; Werner, pp. 558-63. Rothstein had significant business dealings with both Hines and Marinelli, issuing numerous liability and property damage policies for Marinelli's trucking business, plus a $40,000 life insurance policy on Marinelli.
303 ”Get in.”: Katcher, p. 329. From Gang Rule in New York: ”Years later Jimmy Hines confided to J. Richard [”Dixie”] Davis, [Dutch] Schultz's mouthpiece, that he had done everything in his power to save McMa.n.u.s. He undoubtedly had.” (Thomson and Raymond, p. 72) 303 ”He said ... Arnold Rothstein.”: NY Sun, 6 December 1928, p. 2; Thomson and Raymond, p. 71. Shalleck possessed an interesting legal lineage. His career began in Bill Fallon's office. Maurice Cantor's began in Shalleck's. (NY Eve. Post, 28 November 1928, p. 6; Thomson and Raymond, p. 138) 304 ”arrest a man.”: Whelan Report, pp. 14-5; NY Times, 4 December 1929, p. 24; NY Sun, 29 December 1928, p. 1; Lardner and Reppetto, p. 213. Cordes also went to school with Essenheim.
304 ”h.e.l.lo, George.” . . . ... hair cut and shave.”: NY Sun, 3 December 1928, p. 1.
304-05 ”With his . . for him.”: ibid. 4 December 1928, p. 20.
305 ”A decenter, kinder ...” ... ”... him anywhere.”: Katcher, pp. 4-5.
305 ”I'm afraid ... to a 'squealer.' ”: NY Daily Mirror, 29 November 1928, p. 3.
305-06 ”Circ.u.mstantial evidence ... sound one.”: NY Sun, 1 December 1928, p. 1.
306 ”And McMa.n.u.s, ... nothing happened.”: NY Daily Mirror, 1 December 1928, p. 3.
306 Indictments, Farry: Taking the almost unprecedented step of releasing a firstdegree murder suspect on bail was Supreme Court Justice Aaron J. Levy, a key player in the Rosenthal murder case. William McLaughlin, a former police inspector who had once supervised McMa.n.u.s' father, supplied McMa.n.u.s' bail. (Thomson and Raymond, p. 71; NY Eve. Post, 5 December 1929, p. 21) All other material witnesses had been released months before Farry-Red Martin Bowe, Sidney Stajer, and Nate Raymond, for example, on $10,000 bail.
307 Keating- Macrery: Thomson and Raymond, pp. 197-98.
307 ”Mr. Unger ...” ... ”... is important.”: NY Graphic, 22 November 1928, p. 4.
307 Burkan: NY Times, 7 June 1936, Sect. II, p. 9. In 1920 Burkan represented John Slavin against John McGraw in the Lambs Club a.s.sault case.
308 Trial schedule: NY Herald-Tribune, 6 December 1929, pp. 1, 6.
308 Election returns: Walsh, p. 204; Fowler (Beau James), pp. 256-57.
308 Murray: NY Times, 15 October 1967, p. 85. Thomson and Raymond, p. 233. Murray briefly represented Little Augie Orgen in the July 1926 murder of garment worker Samuel Landman.
308 Failure to connect the dots: NY Sun, 25 November 1929, p. 24.
308 Murder weapon: NY Sun, 20 November 1929, p. 1.; NY Sun, 21 November 1929, p. 2.
309 ”show that ... Arnold Rothstein.” NY Eve. Post, 21 November 1929, p. 2.
309 ”Murray: ”Was the ...” ... ”... a smile.”: ibid. pp. 1, 2; NY Sun, 22 November 1929, p. 2; Stowers, pp. 24-25, 31-32. While in police custody, Thompson hinted that he'd been in Room 349, but sensed trouble and left just minutes before Rothstein arrived. He never testified to this effect.
309 Marguerite Hubbell: NY Sun, 22 November 1929, pp. 1-2; NY Times, 29 November 1929, p. 1.
310 Marian Putnam: NY Sun, 22 November 1929, pp. 1, 2; NY Sun, 30 November 1929, p. 3; NY Eve. Post, 30 November 1929, p. 2; NY Eve. Post, 1 December 1929, p. 2; NY Times, 30 November 1929, pp. 1, 14. George McMa.n.u.s's brother Charles was among those investigating Mrs. Putnam. As the trial began, he was in Asheville on the case.
310 Orringer: NY Eve. Post, 4 December 1929, p. 8; NY Sun, 3 December 1929, p. 2; Stowers, pp. 28-31.