AMERICA'S DEALERS IN DEATH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 193, 15 August 1936, Page 4

AMERICA'S DEALERS IN DEATH.

THRIVING BUSINESS IN GANGSTERDOM.

COMMERCIALISED SLAYING OF UNDERWORLD RIVALS — GUARDIANS OF LAW AND ORDER AMONGST RACKETEERS — ORGANISED AND COLD-BLOODED KILLINGS.

It was not so long ago that "Tough Tony," a "chopper" or machine gunner for the Dealers in Death, served a term in the penitentiary for being careless. He felt he had been given the cold shoulder by the mob, and on his release he talked a young lawyer into writing his memoirs for him. The story he was going to tell contained the details set down in £his article.

Tougft Tony never got around to telling his story because lie indiscreetly boasted of his project. As a result he was found in his living room, drilled through with four bullets. With the visitors, disappeared all of his copy and notes. The attorney ghost-writer who witnessed the killing was "unable"' to identify the killers from their rogues' gallery pictures—'that is why he is alive. It took all the oratory lie possessed to prevent his own execution.

Tough Tony called his story "The Big Shots." It was a felicitous title, for figuratively and literally the Dealers in Death are big shots. It is upon them—the executioners of gangdom — that organised racketeering throughout America is founded. Without them it could not even exist. Racketeerdom's Own Police. Those Dealers in Death represent racketeerdom's own police department— the guardians of law and order within the racketeering ranks. They have an annual pay-roll of 5,000.000 dollars: approximately 100.000 dollars is paid each week to their 900 "employees" in every section of the country. They receive a 10 to 25 per cent cut out of the gross earnings of every racket in the Un'ited States —the biggest cut of any individuals in the. rackets. To their organisation may be attributed more than 1100 cold-blooded killings since the repeal of Prohibition, and their strength lies in the fact that they "guarantee" their service. The Dealers in Death are two men who were brought up in the lower part of New York City. They have the appearance of small business men. Both are in their middle thirties, are mar-, ried, and have families which live quietly in suburban homes. They started their business modestly in the days of rum-running, hijacking and

speakeasy feuds. Their stock in trade was an ability to shoot straight and in a hurry and a business motto always to "do a clean job." Which meant that the victim was always dead when they departed from the scene.

Such integrity of purpose gained the attention of those who often needed men to do . a "clean" job. Whereupon the Dealers in Death increased their clientele. They became the favourite executioners employed by men who were either trying to "muscle-in" on a racket or trying to keep' a rival from "muscling in." The money was put on the line and the Dealers in Death contracted to deliver the goods. Because, as the years went on, they never once to live up to a contract, their reputation spread. Tliey had built . a better mousetrap, and racketeers were beating a path to their door.

Contracts Always Kept. Another reason for their success was their ability to evaluate the strength of various racketeering gangs and leaders. They never contracted with a weaker gangster to put a stronger gangster out of the way. In that way they always kept their contracts with the leaders of the profession ironclad. They moved, during Prohibition, from one city to another—to San Francisco, to Chicago, to Boston, to Philadelphia, to St. Louis, to Denver, to Miami, to Pitts-burgh-—always fulfilling their contracts with the routine positiveness of the United States mails. They salted away their fees during those early days and thus, when they were ready to expand, were able po finance themselves.

Their expansion was well planned. Realising that, with the passing of Prohibition, rackets would become varied and that there would be battles for supremacy in each racket, the Dealers in Death set up branch offices in every major city of the country. They picked their own branch managers and assistants, choosing only professional killers, the cream nf the trade in every city. Their branches employed no amateurs, no hoplieade. and no cbp killers. All in their employ were substantial <runnien with a record of successes. The" demanded that encb man practise shooting resularly and always keep in -shap? to pull a job. When thev. werc.n't obeyed there was always one gunman loss on the face of the earth.

To-day, the branch managers take care of everything except the most important contracts. From headquarters the orders are issued either over

the telephone or l>y wire to the branch manager. He is told to get in touch with such and such a party who will explain what is wanted. The pay-off is made in New York, directly to the two chiefs. If they receive a call from Chicago where a racketeer wants a man put out of the way, they go right to work on the job. They do not worry about the money arrangement, for they have a sure-fire means of collecting.

Large Group of Killers. With a large group of killers operating in every major city and strong-arm services being dispensed for every racketeering enterprise, there are bound to be certain casualties among the ranks of the employees. To apply to recognised hospitals or doctors for aid is not safe. Therefore the Dealers in Death have set up their own organisation of doctors and nurses in every large city of the country. Those doctors and nurses are the ones who operate abortion offices. Their offices are marked 011 maps which the hired killers memorise. When they get into trouble they duck into the nearest first-aid centre.

Other refinements of the organisation have been the invention of the concrete bath and the perfection of the lve-vat, as a means of disposal of bodies. In the concrete bath, the body is stuffed into a barrel, then quickhardening wet concrete is poured over it. After it sets the barrel is rolled off a small boat far out at sea or in the middle of a deep river. The lyevat method, which is used when the concrete bath is not feasible, is not so "clean," but very effective. A tank in ail abandoned garage or other building is filled with a strong lye mixture, and the dead body dumped into it. Within a month not a vestige of bone 3, teeth or hair remains. Careful Selection of Cases. The Dealers in Death will never touch a "legit"—a case involving an individual not directly connected with rackets or racketeers. From a short-sighted point of view they are public benefactors, since the men they kill are those who would cost the country millions of dollars during long trials aimed toward sending them to the electric chair. The Dealers in Death do the job without expense to the State and without delay.

As they have perfected their business, year after year, their connections have' become more powerful. Naturally they made their police connections early in the game. Then they went higher— as they earned more and more money. Some years ago, already well established, they boasted that their connections went right into Washington. .

Recently there was reported an epidemic of shakedowns and kidnapping threats in the Hollywood colony of screen stars. When the authorities couldn't seem to do anything about it, the movie people banded together for their own protection, collected a "fund," and the proper contact'was made. The result was in the nature of a miracle. The shakedowns and kidnap threats stopped within 24 hours. Word had gone out on the West Coast that the "clean job" boys were ready to go into action if any more plays were made for, Hollywood' easy shakedown money. That tip-off was followed by four disappearances of the ringleaders. Where local and' Federal officials had failedj action by two little men who are the most powerful and sinister figures in J all racketeerdom was enough to send j the remnants of the mob scurrying for cover.