The Outfit

by Russo, Gus

  Graphic artist and friend Steve Parke of What? Design in Baltimore unselfishly provided his expertise in executing the photo spread and other visual elements of the book, and I am forever indebted. Steve was assisted in the photo spread typesetting by colleague Susan Mangan, who answered the call on short notice. Royston Webb shared his doctoral dissertation on Murray Humphreys with me, and I am most grateful for his brilliant untangling of the FBI’s massive file on the Outfit’s grand strategist. Royston also introduced me to Welsh television producer Don Llewellyn, who graciously provided his photographic collection. In Oklahoma, Humphreys’ nephew Ernie Brendle not only provided photos and documents from Curly’s personal papers, but opened doors to other Humphreys relatives, including Curly’s only surviving descendant, grandson George Brady.

  A number of federal employees were tireless in their efforts to help me gain access to government documents, many previously unreleased. Among those who assisted me were Linda Kloss in the FBI’s FOIA Office; Fred Romanski at the National Archives Civil Records Branch; Thomas Mclntyre, chief of the Department of Justice FOIA office, Criminal Division; Katherine Day and Natasha Taylor at the Bureau of Prisons FOIA Office; and, as always, Steve Tilley at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, who quickly responded to my many requests for documents from the organized crime files in the JFK Collection.

  I was fortunate to become the first journalist to gain access to the eighty-seven cubic feet of records compiled by the staff of the Kefauver Committee. The process was expedited initially by Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which oversees the records. Committee general counsel Joanie Wales coordinated the release with Michael L. Gillette, director of the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives. From there, archivist Kristen Wilhelm quickly processed the files I requested. In the National Archives research room, Bill Davis helped with Kefauver Finding Aids. Nancy Velez, head of Photographic Unit of the Library of Congress, toiled diligently to deliver photos on a tight schedule.

  Thanks go to Jim Agnew in Chicago who early on loaned me his copy of Virgil Peterson’s Barbarians in Our Midst, and also alerted me to the writings of John Bartlow Martin and others. Jim’s periodical The Real Crime Book Digest was an important journal of crime and corruption, and it’s termination was a great loss. In addition to being interview subjects, Bob McDonnell and Antoinette Giancana have become friends who always happily responded to my late-night phone queries (and sent jars of delicious spaghetti sauce). Also in Chicago, chief investigator Wayne Johnson, director Jeanette Callaway, and assistant Lee Lyons of the Chicago Crime Commission, all provided material from their voluminous files. Detective Charles Schauer (ret.), of Accardo’s River Forest precinct, kindly provided photographs from his personal files. The staff of the Harold Washington Library in Chicago assisted me with their fragile microfilm, thus allowing me to copy hundreds of ancient newspaper articles from the collection. John Binder gave me access to his massive FBI file on Murray Humphreys, and Leith Rohr and Keshia Whitehead at the Chicago Historical Society helped with photo searches. Carolyn Berry retrieved court filings at the Cook County Criminal Court in the Daley Center. Local crime historian Bill Helmer put me in touch with other Outfit photo collectors.

  In Nevada, the following individuals provided insight and documentation: Chris Driggs at the Nevada State Archives in Carson City; Eric Moody of the Nevada Historical Society in Reno; Joanie Jacka at the Nevada Gaming Commission; and David Millman at the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society in Las Vegas. Additionally, authors Roger Morris and Sally Denton pointed me in research directions regarding Las Vegas, while T. R. Fogli, Nancy Greene, and Bethel Van Tassel helped with the Cal-Neva specifically.

  In New York, Mark Obenhaus and the gang at Lancer (especially Ed Gray, Richard Robbins, Linda Patterson, Kristina Wallison, Trina Quagliaroli, and Eric Davies) were great working partners in the initial ABC News project that amplified my interest in the ways of the Outfit. Also in New York, Lois Swaney shared her prohibition research with me.

  In Washington, D.C, colleagues Mark Allen, Ray Farkas, Dan Moldea, Laurence Leamer, W. Scott Malone, Sy Hersh, and Ira Silverman all shared their work and advice. As with my first book, Julie Ziegler’s work as researcher extraordinaire was invaluable.

  In California, my work was supported wholeheartedly by pals such as Steve Molton and Pamela Galvin-Molton, Bill Gable, Jon Karas and Irene Webb at Infinity Management, Lynn Hendee at Chartoff Prods, and Hil Anderson of UPI. Former U.S. State attorney David Nissen graciously provided photos from his prosecution of Johnny Rosselli, and Los Angeles investigative reporter Dave Robb contributed his papparazzi style picture of the notoriously camera-shy Sidney Korshak.

  At Baltimore’s treasured Enoch Pratt Central Library, Joe Arcieri, Nancy Yoh, Harriet Jenkins, and Doug Adolphsen all retrieved hard-to-locate books and Congressional reports from the distant past. Assistance and support in varied forms came from other friends and relatives such as Jay Greer, Kevin Perkins, Al Miller, Tony Russo, Bob Russo, Steve and Janet Nugent, Carol Banks, Dutch Snedeker, Cinda Elser, Toni and Phil Sommo, Anotol Polillo, and Irish colleagues Anthony and Robbyn Swan Summers. Trusty companions Scout and Mrs. Teasdale were extremely tolerant of my absences.

  A special thanks to friend and colleague Kristina Rebelo Anderson, who recommended me to her (and now my) literary agent, Noah Luke-man. Noah, now affiliated with AMG/Renaissance, proved a strong advocate in placing the book quickly and negotiating my contract with Bloomsbury USA. At Bloomsbury, Chief Editor Karen Rinaldi and her associates Susan Burns, Andrea Lynch, and Panio Gianopoulos all gave me the perfect mix of encouragement, expertise, and critique. Bloomsbury’s support is best exemplified by their willingness to accept a manuscript that was one-third larger than contracted for, a rarity in today’s publishing marketplace. There is no substitute for the enthusiastic support of one’s publisher, and I was fortunate to receive it.

  The assistance provided by all these friends and associates in no way implies their agreement with any of my conclusions. However, any errors herein are most certainly theirs (NOT!).

  A NOTE ON THE AUTHOR

  Gus Russo is the author of Live by the Sword: The Secret War Against Castro and the Death of JFK, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1998. He is an investigative reporter who has worked for various major television networks, including PBS’ Frontline series.

  A NOTE ON THE TYPE

  The text of this book is set in Linotype Sabon, named after the type founder, Jacques Sabon. It was designed by Jan Tschichold and jointly developed by Linotype, Monotype and Stempel, in response to a need for a typeface to be available in identical form for mechanical hot metal composition and hand composition using foundry type.

  Tschichold based his design for Sabon roman on a fount engraved by Garamond, and Sabon italic on a fount by Granjon. It was first used in 1966 and has proved an enduring modern classic.