New England Organized Crime » Historical

The Barker Karpis Gang-Seventy-Seven years Ago in History

fdvent1 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:50:59 +0000

Seventy-seven years ago on January 16, 1935, the Barker Karpis Gang, one of the most notorious gangs of the times met their end. The group was led by Alvin Karpis, Fred and Arthur "Doc" Barker, and a gang of about 25 others. They did not hesitate to kill anyone who got in their way. On December 19, 1931, Karpis and Fred Barker killed Sheriff C. Roy Kelley, who was investigating their robbery of a store in West Plains, Missouri. In 1933, they kidnapped William Hamm, a millionaire Minnesota brewer. His ransom netted them $100,000. Shortly after this, they abducted Minnesota banker Edward Bremer, Jr., whose ransom brought them $200,000. The kidnappings would lead to the gang's end. A myth was started that Ma Barker ruled the gang with an iron fist, but the facts do not seem to support these claims. Karpis later wrote about this subject in his memoirs: "Ma was always somebody in our lives. Love didn't enter into it really. She was somebody we looked after and took with us when we moved city to city, hideout to hideout. It is no insult to Ma's memory that she just didn't have the know-how to direct us on [...] Related posts:

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Bonnie and Clyde’s Guns Going to Auction

fdvent1 — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:01:12 +0000

Two weapons once owned by notorious gangsters Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow are scheduled to go to auction this month. A .45 caliber Thompson sub-machine gun – also known as a Tommy gun – and a 12-gauge Winchester shotgun dating back to 1897 could fetch thousands. They were seized by police after a failed raid on the pair went wrong, leaving two officers dead. During their getaway, the outlaws left behind the two powerful guns in Joplin, Missouri, in April 1933, and policeman involved in the bungled raid recovered both guns. An unnamed officer handed the weapons to a police colleague, and they have remained with the family ever since. The law enforcement officer’s great-grandson Mark Lairmore of Springfield, Missouri, is selling the lot in a bid to share their unique history with the world. Lairmore said: “They were a gift from one policeman to another. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that these guns belonged to Bonnie and Clyde. ‘When they were in Springfield, they kidnapped a police officer and had him in their car.” “They bragged to the officer about having stolen their Tommy gun in Ohio, and the serial number on my gun is the [...] Related posts:

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The Story Of Prohibition On PBS

fdvent1 — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:02:14 +0000

PBS will be airing the three-part series Prohibition on October 2nd, 3rd & 4th at 8 PM. The five-and-a-half-hour documentary film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the entire era it encompassed. Prohibition turned law-abiding citizens into criminals, made a mockery of the justice system, caused illicit drinking to seem glamorous and fun, encouraged neighborhood gangs to become national crime syndicates, permitted government officials to bend and sometimes even break the law, and fostered cynicism and hypocrisy that corroded the social contract all across the country. Watch the full episode. See more Ken Burns. Watch the full episode. See more Ken Burns. Family histories often involve stories from Prohibition. Granddad had a still, or Grandma was a flapper and kept a flask in her garters. Share your family stories of Prohibition: addGooglePlusOne(10054, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/the-story-of-prohibition-on-pbs/"); Related posts: Al Capone and The Untouchables It's said, “History is written by the victors” a quote... PIZZO Carola Mamberto’s doumentary. Here is a great Frontline World, PBS video created by... HBO Boardwalk Empire Debuts Series Trailer and On The Set America in [...] Related posts:

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Bones of Infamous Aussie Bandit Ned Kelly ID’d

fdvent1 — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:15:12 +0000

Scientists have identified the skeletal remains of Australia's infamous 19th century criminal Ned Kelly. But the whereabouts of his skull remain a mystery. Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian outlaw, considered by some merely a cold-blooded killer, while by others a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against oppression by the British ruling class for his defiance of the colonial authorities. Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish father, and as a young man he clashed with the Victoria Police. Following an incident at his home in 1878, police parties searched for him in the bush. After he killed three policemen, the colony proclaimed Kelly and his gang wanted outlaws. A final violent confrontation with police took place at Glenrowan on 28 June 1880. Kelly, dressed in home-made plate metal armour and helmet, was captured and sent to jail. He was hanged for murder at Old Melbourne Gaol in November 1880. His daring and notoriety made him an iconic figure in Australian history, folklore, literature, art and film. addGooglePlusOne(9847, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/bones-of-infamous-aussie-bandit-ned-kelly-idd/"); Related posts: Brian McFadden and Australia’s Most Notorious Gangland Figure John Ibrahim Bizarre rants on Twitter, a booze-fueled incident on an airplane,... Historically Notable Mob Busts [...] Related posts:

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“Goodfellas don’t sue goodfellas, Goodfellas kill goodfellas”

fdvent1 — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 12:22:36 +0000

"Goodfellas don't sue goodfellas, Goodfellas kill goodfellas." Salvatore Profaci One of the more memorable quotes made in recent times uttered by a “Goodfella.” Here is a two part video detailing the history of the circumstances surrounding the statement and the man who made it. addGooglePlusOne(9825, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/goodfellas-dont-sue-goodfellas-goodfellas-kill-goodfellas/"); Related posts: “Goodfellas” Borgese Filming Anti-Mafia Public Service Ad Anthony Borgese, “Sopranos” Larry Boy Barese is facing more than... Rizzuto shooting weakens family’s power: crime experts ctvmontreal.ca Nick Rizzuto Jr.'s assassination will have further repercussions on... Reputed Gambino soldier Joey Boy Orlando convicted for Favor to Goodfellas actor A reputed Gambino soldier was sentenced to 51 months in... Related posts:

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Cosa Nostra And The Mexican Mafia

fdvent1 — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:41:54 +0000

Virginia Hill, a woman sent to Mexico by the Cosa Nostra, infiltrated the highest levels of the Mexican government in the post-war period and turned that country into a large-scale supplier of drugs to the United States, journalist and writer Juan Alberto Cedillo told Efe. “Mexico became one of the main suppliers of drugs in the 1940s for the consumers of its powerful neighbor to the north and this beautiful woman was the key piece in this adventure,” Cedillo said during a discussion of his new book, “La Cosa Nostra en Mexico (1938-1950),” published by Grijalbo Mondadori. Hill, who was the girlfriend of mobsters Joe Epstein, Frank Nitti, Charles Fischetti, Frank Costello and Joe Adonis, was sent to Mexico by the Cosa Nostra, the most powerful of the Italian-American organized crime groups operating in the United States, to obtain protection for its drug business, Cedillo said. “Mexico became the main source of drugs (during World War II) due to the fact that the Italian-American mob stopped getting narcotics from Turkey, Yugoslavia and some parts of the Middle East due to the conflict in Europe,” Cedillo said. Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, an envoy of Charlie “Lucky” Luciano and Meyer Lansky, who ran [...] Related posts:

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Al Capone Takes Unusual Route to Alcatraz

fdvent1 — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:10:27 +0000

The six-car train with barred windows was dubbed the “Forty Thieves Special” as it rolled across the land carrying 40 of the country’s most notorious convicts to the new federal prison in the middle of San Francisco Bay. Among the 40 inmates from the Atlanta Penitentiary being moved to Alcatraz were Al Capone, former kingpin of Chicago gangland, and George “Machine Gun” Kelly, bootlegger and armed robber. Federal authorities had discovered an escape plot at the Georgia prison and took unusual precautions along the route to foil any plans to free the prisoners. No advance notice was given to anyone as to the route of the train. All arrangements were made from one division to another as the train proceeded. The train didn’t stop at Los Angeles, but passed through the city until it came to a halt a few miles up the line to change engines. A squad of federal agents armed with machine guns rushed to meet it, thwarting attempts by unofficial visitors to approach the train. The train reached Martinez at 5:45 a.m. on Aug. 22, 1934, three and a half days after it left Atlanta. “News of its arrival immediately set federal and local authorities on [...] Related posts:

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Mob Talk-Nicky Scarfo Goes Down: A Blast From The Past

fdvent1 — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 12:14:52 +0000

The feds indicted Philadelphia mob boss Nicky Scarfo twenty-four years ago. Dave Schratwieser from WTXF and George Anastasia from the Inquirer walk us down memory lane. addGooglePlusOne(6403, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/mob-talk-nicky-scarfo-goes-down-a-blast-from-the-past/"); Related posts: Feds Arrest Nicky Scarfo Jr. Along With 13 Others Nicky Scarfo Jr. was arrested Tuesday morning at his home... Scarfo Jr.: I Can’t Afford Lawyer Nicky Scarfo Jr., the son of jailed former boss Nicky... Scarfo Jr. Argues He’s Being Held Unfairly Nicodemo “Junior” Scarfo, son of imprisoned former Philadelphia-south Jersey mob... Related posts:

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Mob Experience Wipes Away the Blood,Highlights the Puppies

fdvent1 — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:26:37 +0000

Call me a not-so-wise guy, but I went to the Tropicana recently to get the Las Vegas Mob Experience. It wasn’t the real mob experience, of course. But who wants to pay good money to take a bullet behind the ear or play squat-and-rot in a prison cell? This Mob Experience was touted as a much more entertaining place where the ghosts of Vegas past circulate freely, and some mugs get “made” while others get “whacked.” Although its grand opening is set for tonight, short-pockets guy that I am, I bought the “preview special” ticket at $29.95 and toured the place ahead of the crowd. After peeling off a few simoleons — they take simoleons and major credit cards — I noticed that for only $999.95 I could receive the “Godfather” package, which would give me VIP entry for life, other perquisites and an annual reception with mob family members, characters and celebrities. “I ought to be able to get someone hit for that price,” I thought. My eyes nearly popped out like a guy with his head in a vise, but I suppose mob families have to earn a living too. It’s cute stuff, the Mob Experience. There’s good-looking [...] Related posts:

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Historically Notable Mob Busts

fdvent1 — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:19:05 +0000

In light of Thursday's record bust of 127 mobsters involving seven Northeast Mafia families, ABC News has put up a rogues gallery of fourteen infamous gangsters from the past including the politically-connected Frank Costello,the heroin trafficking Vito Genovese, and the murderous Albert Anastasia. Great reading for those with an interest in history. addGooglePlusOne(5301, "http://newenglandorganizedcrime.com/historically-notable-mob-busts/"); Related posts: A Goodfella Talks About the Massive Mob Arrests Video CNN speaks with former Lucchese associate Henry Hill about... Mob Museum Unveils Barber Chair From 1957 Murder Mob Museum officials unveiled another artifact from organized crime’s bloody... Vito Genovese Nemesis Dies John "Ray" Enright, the federal narcotics agent who arrested Vito... Related posts:

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