Joe Bruno on the Mob – British Police Accused of Corruption

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Well I guess the police departments of New York and Chicago don’t have a monopoly on police corruption.

Former British army intelligence officer Ian Hurst made allegations at the Leveson Inquiry that there is corruption in the Metropolitan Police Force “at the highest levels.”

And that’s not all.

Hurst also claimed that the police corruption goes hand in hand with the corruption of certain British journalists. The journalist that Hurst explicitly mentioned was Andy Coulson, former editor of The News of the World, who has been accused of having his reporters hack into the computer and phone files of prominent people, in addition to the files of newsworthy people. Unfortunately, Hurst was not able to give the exact details of these corruption charges at the Leveson Inquiry due to a “gagging” order from the courts.

Earlier this year, Hurst said in an interview with BBC’s Panorama that one of his own computers was hacked into by Coulson’s underlings. Hurst also said that in April 2009, following the arrest of an man who possessed hacked documents, it was proven that the security of Hurst’s wife had been compromised.

Hurst said at the Leveson Inquiry, “Andy Coulson was the editor of the News of the World and he is (expletive) big pals with a lot of powerful people including police officers. It is there, it is at the highest level and out there with journalists today. There’s copious amounts of knowledge that the police had (concerning the journalists). That is exactly what you are dealing with here ladies and gentlemen – corruption.”

Hurst added in court that it’s time for the Metropolitan police to come clean. He said the Metropolitan police, “Has let society down, and they should be making a full disclosure.”

What’s baffling is why, when Hurst obviously has the goods on some people, police and journalists included, he is not allowed to divulge the exact details at the Leveson Inquiry. I don’t know how the court system works in Great Britain, but in America when someone appears in court to give evidence, they are compelled to tell all they know. I don’t understand how this “gagging order” comes into play, and why it was instituted concerning Hurst in the first place.

In America, when we appear in court to give testimony, or appear before an investigating committee, we promise “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

I guess British law differs from American law in more ways than one.

Someone please enlighten me on this.

You can read the article below at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/11/28/ian-hurst-corruption-metropolitan-police-leveson_n_1115935.html

Ian Hurst Describes ‘Corruption At The Highest Levels’ Of Metropolitan Police At Leveson

Former British army intelligence officer Ian Hurst has made strong allegations against the Metropolitan Police, claiming there is “corruption at the highest levels”.

Giving evidence at the Leveson Inquiry on Monday he said the MPS should provide the probe into press ethics “with all intelligence of police corruption including that at very highest level.

“It is there, it is at the highest level and out there with journalists today,” he said.

The remarkable claims came following a tense session at the London court, in which Hurst was unable to reveal full details of his evidence due to a “gagging” order.

Hurst previously worked in Northern Ireland where he was one of the British army’s contacts for IRA spies.

Earlier this year he gave an interview to BBC’s Panorama into computer hacking and he told the programme he believed one of his computers was hacked by the News of the World.

Hurst says that in April 2009 following the arrest of an unnamed man documents showed that the security of his wife had been compromised.

“There’s copious amount of knowledge that the police had,” Hurst claimed at the inquiry.

He added that the Met “has let society down they should be making a full disclosure”.

He also read out a statement that was made during the filming of a Panorama programme into computer hacking.

“Andy Coulson was the editor [of the News of the World] and he is f*****g big pals with a lot of powerful people including police officers.”

He then added: “That is exactly what you are dealing with here ladies and gentlemen – corruption.”

http://www.josephbrunowriter.com/index.html

Joe Bruno on the Mob – Are New York City DA’s Outside of the Bronx Ignoring Ticket Fixing Scandal?

http://www.josephbrunowriter.com/index.html

This whole sordid affair should tick off anyone who has ever paid a parking ticket in New York City.

According to the article below in the NY Post, the DA’s of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan are turning a blind eye to the Bronx police ticket-fixing scandal because:

A. “Lots of cops serve as key prosecution witnesses, so prosecutors don’t want this probe to put all their criminal cases in jeopardy.”

B. “Ticket-fixing goes to the highest ranks of the NYPD. Potential embarrassment stopped other DAs from doing this.”

and

C. “The names of people whose tickets have disappeared would be a veritable Rolodex of New York’s rich and famous. You would basically have a who’s who.”

So what anonymous sources are saying to the New York Post is that if you are someone like Donald Trump, or maybe even someone like Don Imus, Robert DeNiro, etc….if you get a parking ticket, certain police officers, going up to the “highest ranks of the NYPD,” will make sure your parking tickets disappear. And no one will be any the wiser.

But if you are just a Joe Schmoe in NY City, either you pay your parking tickets, or in some cases, the city will tow away your car until you pay those tickets, plus a steep fine.

I know. This happened to be about 20 years ago. I owed about 3 or 4 parking tickets, and when I parked near the now-defunct Downtown Athletic Club at 19 West Street, my car was towed away to a pound in Queens. It cost me over $600 to get my car back (Plus a $30 cab ride to Queens), just because I didn’t pay a few parking tickets, worth maybe $100.

And I’m sure there are tens of thousands of people, who had unpaid parking tickets, suffered the same fate as I did. The city needs revenue and it will get that revenue anyway it can. Unless you’re somebody the powers that be deem as “important.”

Sure, we broke the law not paying our parking tickets. But the law is supposed to be administered equally across all classes of people: The rich and the poor. The famous and the not-so-famous. But according to the indictment of police officers in the Bronx, this is certainly not the case.

I can’t wait to see how the DA’s in Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens and Brooklyn weasel out of this one.

The New York Post article can be seen at:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/das_giant_cop_out_UHuWLDLV6hzVRDMvuWjclL

DAs outside Bronx ‘ignoring’ ticket-fixing scandal

By KIRSTAN CONLEY, JAMIE SCHRAM and CATHY BURKE

Last Updated: 1:35 PM, October 30, 2011

Posted: 1:04 AM, October 30, 2011
More Print

EXCLUSIVE

Their silence is deafening.

The district attorneys in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island are turning a blind eye to potential ticket-fixing scandals in their own back yards — despite referrals from the Bronx DA and NYPD admissions that the practice was citywide, sources told The Post.

The Internal Affairs Bureau has questioned cops about ticket-fixing in all five boroughs, the sources said, but prosecutors either deny ever getting tipped off about any cases or simply dismissed those leads.

“No one else wanted to touch it,” a Bronx law-enforcement source said.

After 16 cops were indicted on a slew of felony charges related to the Bronx ticket-fixing probe, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly admitted that the practice “did spill into all four other counties in the city.”

But none of the DAs showed much interest.

* Law-enforcement sources in Manhattan claim Bronx DA Robert Johnson hasn’t referred any cases and prosecutors aren’t investigating any ticket-fixing.

* In Queens, a source said prosecutors haven’t had any referrals and that the DA’s Office is not looking into ticket-fixing.

* On Staten Island, sources said the DA’s Office has no ongoing ticket-fix probe — nor any plans to launch one.

* And in Brooklyn, sources insisted any cases referred there were looked into but not worth prosecuting.

“Lots of cops serve as key prosecution witnesses, so prosecutors don’t want this probe to put all their criminal cases in jeopardy,” a Democratic insider told The Post.

“But they can’t make it look like they are condoning criminal behavior. They have to walk a very fine line, and it won’t be easy.”

No prosecutor is eager for the high-profile anxiety associated with such a probe, a law-enforcement source added.

“Ticket-fixing goes to the highest ranks of the NYPD,” said the source. “Potential embarrassment stopped other DAs from doing this.”

Another source noted that “the names of people whose tickets have disappeared would be a veritable Rolodex of New York’s rich and famous. You would basically have a who’s who.”

The elected DAs also have to worry about the political fallout of declaring war on the NYPD in cop-friendly boroughs.

“They don’t want to shoot themselves in the foot,” said a law-enforcement source. “[Bronx DA] Johnson shot himself in the foot. His already-abysmal conviction rate will get even lower.”

Some of the Bronx cases extended far beyond quashing summonses, and included serious felonies such as burglaries and corruption.

In one jaw-dropping case, Bronx cops were caught on wiretap discussing how to protect a Manhattan cop buddy from a DWI charge after he drunkenly left a path of destruction while driving down a Westchester street.

“I can’t say if the investigation will go off in other directions,” Johnson said after the Friday arraignments. “I can only say that whenever we get evidence in another county, it is turned over to that county.’’

Prosecutors also fear the investigation will create credibility issues for ticket-fix officers who testify in trials and before grand juries.

It could also lead to a raft of appeals.

“A big ripple effect is the trust factor — the value of cops’ testimony in grand juries and trial juries,” said a Staten Island source.

The Manhattan and Staten Island DA offices declined to comment. A spokesman for the Brooklyn DA said that office has had no cases related to ticket fixing. There was no immediate comment from Queens.

Additional reporting by Doug Auer and Sally Goldenberg

http://www.josephbrunowriter.com/index.html

Joe Bruno on the Mob – Mayor Fernando Wood and the Police Riots of 1857

In 1857, it was chaotic times in New York City as the city’s two adverse police forces battled over the right to arrest people, and to accept graft from anyone willing and able to pay them.

In 1853, under Democratic Mayor Harper, the first uniformed police force in New York City was created. Their uniform consisted of a blue coat with brass buttons, a blue cap and gray pants. Led by Police Chief George G. Matsell, the police were generally more crooked than the crooks, taking bribes not to arrest people, and sometimes taking bribes to arrest people. The citizens of New York City complained that their police force, called the Municipal Police, was “the worse in the world.”

Fernando Wood was a millionaire in the real estate business by the age of thirty-seven. Buying votes through his wealth, on January 1, 1855, Wood became Mayor of New York City. Wood immediately inserted himself as head of the police graft-gravy-train, charging new police captains $200 a year for a promotion to their $1000-a-year job. Of course, to make up the shortfall, the police captains received $40 a year from each patrolman under their command. The policemen, in turn, shook down honest citizens and protected dishonest citizens, so everyone on the public law enforcement dole was quite happy to keep things just the way they were.

The New York State Legislature would have none of this. In 1857, they passed an act creating a new Metropolitan Police Force, with Fredrick Talmage named as Superintendent of the force. The legislature also ordered Wood to immediately disband his 1100 member Municipal Police Force. Wood refused, saying the creation of the new police force was unconstitutional. Thus the court battle began over which police force would be the one to patrol New York City. The Supreme Court soon voted the creation of the new police force was indeed constitutional. Yet Wood, with the backing of Police Chief Matsell, steadfastly refused to cooperate. 800 men, all aligned with the Democratic Party, stayed with Wood and Matsell. But 300 men, under respected Police Captain George W. Walling, defected and comprised the new Metropolitan Police Force, which was backed by the Republican Party.

On June 16, 1857, the issue came to a head. The street commissioner Joseph Taylor had died, and Wood, for the sum of $50,000, appointed Charles Devlin as the new street commissioner. On the same day, Republican Governor John A. King appointed Daniel Conover to the same position. As Conover entered City Hall to assume his new post, Wood had his Municipal Police throw Conover out of the building. Conover immediately went to a Republican judge, who swore out two warrants for Wood’s arrest; one for assault and one for inciting to riot. Captain Walling strode to City Hall to arrest Wood on the assault charge, but he was met by a contingent of 500 Municipals. He was allowed to enter the building and Wood’s office. But when Captain Walling told Wood he was under arrest for assault, Wood refused to recognize the legality of the arrest warrant.

Captain Walling grabbed Wood’s arm to lead him out of the building, but he was immediately swarmed by twenty Municipals and thrown out of City Hall himself. Captain Walling repeatedly tried to go back up the steps of City Hall, but he was beaten back every time.

Suddenly, a contingent of 100 Metropolitan Police, wearing their new uniforms of frock coats and plug hats, arrived to serve the second arrest warrant on Wood. Instead of wearing the gold badges of the Municipals, the Mets wore copper badges, which gave birth to the term “coppers,” then “cops.” The Metropolitan Police were described by essayist G.T. Strong as, “a miscellaneous assortment of suckers, soaplocks, Irishmen and Plug-Uglies (an Irish Street Gang).”

Thus began a horrendous half-hour battle between the two New York City Police Departments. The Mets were vastly outnumber by the Municipals, and when the fight was over, some Mets were lucky enough to be able to flee unharmed. Still, 53 Mets were injured, 12 were hurt seriously and one was crippled for life.

While the fighting was intensifying, Captain Walling rushed over the office of Sheriff J.J.V. Westervelt, and implored the sheriff to arrest Mayor Wood. After consulting with a state attorney, Captain Walling, Sheriff Westervelt, and the state attorney marched to City Hall and pushed their way into Wood’s office. When the three men informed Wood he was indeed under arrest, he shouted at them, “I will never let you arrest me!”

At the same time, a beaten contingent of Mets spotted the Seventh Regiment of the National Guard boarding a boat for Boston. The Mets convinced the National Guard that they were needed to police a state matter. Recognizing the severity of the situation, Major General Charles Sandford marched his men to City Hall. As his troops stood guard, Sandford strode up the steps of City Hall and into Wood’s office, where he announced to Wood that he was under arrest. Wood looked out the window and spotted the National Guard. Realizing his men were no match for the military troops, Wood finally submitted to the arrest.

Yet, this was only the beginning of a long strife. For the rest of the summer, the two police forces constantly conflicted. When a Met cop arrested a crook, a Municipal would step in and set the man free. And visa versa. On numerous occasions, contingents of policemen would raid the other’s station house and free all the prisoners. In the meantime, the criminals of New York City were having a fine time indeed. While the two police forces battled each other all hours of the day and night, honest citizens were robbed while they walked the streets. Murders were committed with impunity. And still, all the two police forces were interested in was fighting each other.

This total indifference by the two New York City police departments led to a two-day riot on July 4th and 5th, of 1857, when the Bowery Boys and the Dead Rabbits street gangs squared off with fists, knives, stones and pistols. As many as 1000 gang members were involved. Hundreds were injured and several gang members killed. The riots also led to the indiscriminate looting of stores, in the Five Points and Bowery areas, and as far north as 14th Street.

Finally, in the fall of 1857, the Court of Appeals upheld the Supreme Court’s ruling that the Metropolitan Police was the only legitimate police force in town. The Municipals were disbanded, and although Mayor Wood had been arrested, he was released on bond and never tried.

The Mets, who were injured in the June 16th fight, sued Mayor Wood for personal damages. They were awarded $250 apiece by the courts, but Mayor Wood refused to pay a single dime. Finally, the city of New York was forced to pay the damages from the city treasury, including the injured Mets’ legal costs.

Wood was defeated in the 1858 Mayoral race by Daniel F. Tiemann. Yet, in 1862, the rotten Wood was somehow re-elected mayor of New York City until 1862. After the Civil Ward started, Wood floated a trail balloon, whereby New York City would secede itself from the state of New York, which was run by Republicans, and become a free city. Wood’s proposal was shot down, and New York Tribune’s Horace Greeley, wrote in an editorial, “Fernando Wood evidently wants to be a traitor. It is lack of courage only that makes him content with being a blackguard.”

In 1867, Wood found his true calling, in the United States House of Representatives, where he served, not too admirably, until his death on February 14, 1881.

Year later, statesman and author John Bigelow, who knew Wood well, said that Wood was, “The most corrupt man who ever sat in the mayor’s chair (of New York City).”

http://www.amazon.com/Mobsters-Gangs-Crooks-Creeps-ebook/dp/B0058J44QO/ref=zg_bs_11010_1

Joe Bruno on the Mob — The Murder of Herman Rosenthal

It was common knowledge, the policeman of the early 20^th Century was “on the take” more often than not. Yet no cop was more ostensibly crooked than Police Lieutenant Charles Becker, head of the “Strong Arm Squad” in New York City in the early 1900’s. While Becker and his crew were supposed to be ridding the city of vices, such as gambling and prostitution, he was, in fact, making deals with the proprietors of such illegal establishments, where he’d receive substantial amounts of cash from them, and in return, he would turn a blind eye to their activities. It was reported, that even though Becker ‘s annual salary was only $2,250, he had amassed a fortune of over $100,000.

Herman “Beansy” Rosenthal was a small-time crook of very little distinction, and even less pull on the streets. Every time Rosenthal opened a gambling house, it was closed down in a matter of weeks. Finally, Rosenthal found the place of his dreams on West 45^th Street near Broadway. But this time, Rosenthal finally saw the light, and he took in as a partner, none other than Police Lieutenant Charles Becker. This arrangement went quite well for awhile, but New York Mayor William Jay Gaynor began hearing rumors that maybe Becker was not quite doing his job in a proper manner. Mayor Gaynor started putting the screws to Becker, so Becker decided he had to make a big splash, therefore displaying his proper allegiance to the law. Becker knew no one would care less what happened to the un-connected Rosenthal, so he raided Rosenthal’s gambling den, which was part Becker’s, and even arrested Rosenthal’s nephew to boot.

Rosenthal told Becker this was not the correct way for a “partner” to be acting. Becker said not to worry; that it was all a show for the Mayor. Becker promised that Rosenthal’s nephew would soon be released, and that the joint would be back in working order in no time. Yet District Attorney Charles Whitman felt different. He immediately indicted Rosenthal, Rosenthal’s nephew and several employees of Rosenthal’s gambling den. Rosenthal saw right through the double-cross. He ran straight to Whitman and spilled the beans about his connections to Becker. At first, Whitman turned a deaf ear to Rosenthal, so Rosenthal repeated his story to Herbert Bayard Swope, a crime reporter for “The New York World.” Swope wrote several articles parroting what Rosenthal had said about the actions of the New York City police department, which forced Whitman to finally take strong action.

On July 16, 1912, Rosenthal was scheduled to testify before a grand jury. Becker knew he was in dire danger of going to jail for a long time, so he contacted Big Jack Zelig, whom the police considered “The Most Dangerous Man in New York City,” to take care of the Rosenthal situation. The price was $1000, and Zelig sub-contracted out the work to four of his best men; Harry “Gyp the Blood” Horowitz, Frank “Whitey Lewis” Muller, Lewis “Lefty” Rosenberg and Frank “Dago Frank” Ciroficci.

At 2 am on the morning he was set to testify, Rosenthal had just finished eating in the dining room of the Hotel Metropole on West 43^rd Street. As he stepped outside into the warm night air, the four gunmen shot Rosenthal dead with lead, then escaped in a getaway car. Within an hour, Swopes woke Becker from a deep sleep, and Becker immediately launched an investigation into Rosenthal’s murder. The first one arrested was Zelig, and he spilled the beans immediately, implicating Becker. The four gunmen went into hiding, but were captured a few weeks later.

On July 29, 1912, based on Zelig’s testimony, Becker was arrested for murder of Herman  Rosenthal. But even from jail, Becker had long tentacles. His next move was to make sure Zelig didn’t testify against him in court. On October 5, 1912, the day before he was set to tattle on Becker officially, Zelig, now to Becker, “The Most Dangerous Rat in New York City,” was shot dead on a street car by “Red Phil” Davidson.

Even without Zelig, the case against Becker and the four killers was just too strong. All five were tried, convicted and sentenced to die in the electric chair at Sing Sing prison. The four gunmen were put to death on April 13, 1914, but Becker would not give up without a fight. His last chance at saving his life was an appeal of clemency to the new Governor, who just happened to be the same Charles Whitman, who had arrested Becker and prosecuted his case. Whitman refused to commute his sentence and Becker was electrocuted in July of 1915.

Becker tried to have the last word from his grave, when he ordered his wife to attach a silver plate to his coffin that said: “Charles Becker. Murdered July 13, 1915. By Governor Whitman.”

Before Becker’s body was lowered into the ground, the silver plate was removed by the state police.

http://www.amazon.com/Mobsters-Gangs-Crooks-Creeps-ebook/dp/B0058J44QO/ref=zg_bs_11010_1

Joe Bruno on the Mob — Al Capone

http://www.amazon.com/Mobsters-Gangs-Crooks-Creeps-ebook/dp/B0058J44QO/ref=zg_bs_11010_1

Most people associate Al Capone with Chicago, but in truth, Al Capone was born and bred, and got his start in the mob in the borough of Brooklyn, New York.

Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born the fourth of nine children on January 17, 1899 in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. He stood in school until the 6^th grade, when in a fit of rage, he beat up one of his teachers. A resulting trip to the principals office caused Capone he get beat up himself and he left school for good.

Capone hooked up with a street gang called “The James Street Gang,” which was an offshoot of the powerful Five Points Gang in lower Manhattan. “The James Street Gang” was run by the tough and ruthless Johnny Torrio, who became the teenage Capone’s mentor for years to come. Torrio, along with his partner Frankie Yale, hired Capone to be their chief bouncer at their bar/brothel in Brooklyn. It was there that Capone got his nickname “Scarface,” after his cheek was slashed by a hoodlum named Frank Galluccio, in a bar fight over a girl. Capone later told the press he had gotten his scar fighting for the “Lost Battalion” in France during World War I, but the truth was, Capone never served a day in the service.

By 1919, Torrio had moved to Chicago to run the rackets of Big Jim Colosimo and Capone was suspected of a few murders in Brooklyn. So to avoid the heat, Capone headed west to Chicago to aid Torrio in his takeover of the town. The first order of business was to take out Colosimo, who was a hindrance to Torrio and Capone getting into the illegal booze business. Brooklyn friend Frankie Yale took care of Colosimo, permanently.

Irish mobster Dion O’Banion, the head of Chicago’s “North Side Gang,” stood in their way, as the Torrio/Capone duo attempted to organize Chicago into separate, but equal fiefdoms, each with protection and exclusivity in their own territories. Enter again Frankie Yale and O’Banion was shot to death in his florist shop in November 1924. After Torrio was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt by O’Banion’s successor Hymie Weiss, Torrio went into retirement at the age of 43, willing all his rackets to the 26-year-old Al Capone.

Capone took Chicago by the throat, and he had over 1000 experienced gunman under his control. Even the Chicago police seemed to turn a blank eye to Capone’s murderous escapades. Capone once boasted, “I own Chicago and I own the police.” Add aldermen, mayors, legislators, governors newspapermen and congressmen to the list of people on Capone’s payroll. Capone limited his business endeavors to things that were popular with the people; booze, gambling and prostitution. Capone boasted to his adoring press, “I’m just an honest businessman who’s giving the public what they want.” Capone was so popular with the people, he was even cheered at baseball games.

Capone’s downfall started when he orchestrated the insidious “Valentine’s Day Massacre,” on February 14, 1929. While Capone was sunbathing in Miami, his shooters line up seven men against a garage wall in Chicago, and machine-gunned them to death, missing his intended target and owner of the garage, George “Bugs” Moran.

All of a sudden Capone was no longer the populist of the people. Even the jaded citizens of Chicago were aghast and the savagery of these murders, and while the government had no proof of Capone’s involvement in the “Valentine’s Day Massacre,” they plotted to put him in jail, anyway they could. Capone was hit with 11 counts of income tax evasion, and in 1931, he was tried, convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison. In 1934, Capone was transferred to Alcatraz, a maximum security prison called “The Rock.” There the effects of syphilis, he had acquired in his brothel days in Brooklyn, took control of his mind. He was diagnosed with dementia, and when he was released in November, 1939, Capone was a broken man, given to outburst of rage, over anything, from the government, to Communists, to his old foe “Bugs” Moran. Capone spent his last years flowing in and out of lucidity, and on January, 21, 1947, he died of a heart attack at his home in Miami Beach, Florida.

http://www.amazon.com/Mobsters-Gangs-Crooks-Creeps-ebook/dp/B0058J44QO/ref=zg_bs_11010_1

Joe Bruno on the Mob — Big Tim Sullivan

“Big Tim” Sullivan was a Tammany Hall hack, who gave real meaning to the term “crooked politician.”

Sullivan was born in 1863 at 25 Baxter Street, one of the worse slums buildings in New York City. The squaller was so intense at 25 Baxter Street, in 1866 a New York Times article called it one of the “filthiest tenements in the city.”

Sullivan’s parents had just immigrated from County Kerry, Ireland, and with them being so poor, he was trust out in the streets at the age of eight to shine shoes and sell newspapers. Being the enterprising lad that he was, Sullivan soon saved up enough cash to start his own newspaper delivery business. He employed dozens of poor kids from the neighborhood to do his deliveries, and soon Sullivan was the owner of four local bars, the first of which he opened on Christie Street, just east of the Bowery. One of Sullivan’s bar customers was Thomas “Fatty” Walsh, a notorious ward leader in Tammany Hall. Sullivan fell under Walsh’s political wing, and in 1894, Sullivan was elected to the Third District’s State Assembly.

In a few short years, Sullivan became a big cog in Tammany Hall’s corrupt wheel and soon he was appointed District Leader of the entire Lower East Side. That was like giving the key to the candy store to an especially bad kid. Sullivan bridged the gap between public service and the common street thuggery, by recruiting infamous gang leaders like Paul Kelly and Monk Eastman to do his dirty work, which included “voter influence” at election sites, which basically meant their gangs beat up voters who didn’t exactly see things Sullivan’s way.

In return for using his influence to keep gangsters out of jail, Sullivan got a piece of all the illegal activities in the Lower East Side, including prostitution, gambling, loan sharking and extortion. To keep things looking on the up-and-up, Sullivan also entrenched himself in many legal endeavors, including becoming partners in the MGM and Loews cinema operations.

Sullivan did introduce a couple of key pieces of legislation, like one in 1896 that made boxing legal, only to see it made illegal again in 1900, because of several deaths in the ring. Sullivan also passed the dubious “Sullivan Act” in 1911, which made it illegal to carry guns, unless you could afford a hefty registration fee. Needless to say, Sullivan’s murderous cronies made so much illegal dough, they all were able to cough up the cash needed to carry guns legally, in order to enforce their illegal activities.

In 1911, Sullivan’s evil ways finally caught up with him. He contracted syphilis, probably in one of the many prostitution houses he had a piece of, and he suddenly became paranoid and delusional. He was judged mentally incompetent and removed from his senate seat. In 1912, his family placed him in a mental institution, which only made his condition worse.

In 1913, while the guards were playing cards, Sullivan escaped from the sanitarium. This was a fatal mistake. Less than a day later, his body was found near the railroad tracks in Pelham Parkway. For some reason, his body was not claimed, so the city declared him a vagrant, to be shamefully interred in Potter’s Field. A police officer at the morgue finally recognized his body and Big Tim was given a proper send-off, with 25,000 people attending his funeral ceremony at Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral on north Mulberry Street near Houston Street.

http://www.amazon.com/Mobsters-Gangs-Crooks-Creeps-ebook/dp/B0058J44QO/ref=zg_bs_11010_1