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Then in 1951, the Smaldones would draw the attention of two crusading law-and-order attorneys whod just been elevated to key positions in the Colorado law enforcement space. There were also other Italian groups including the emergence of Giuseppe Joe Roma beginning in the mid-20s, as well as Irish contingents butting heads and shooting it out as well. Informants would claim they never put in any money, but would instead muscle in and make themselves partners in the businesses. So at this point in time in the 1960s, its a growing area of concern. I spent my money and I asked him to pay me the money I spent. This is why I referred to him as a Frank Costello-esque figure earlier on in the episode. Denver, ColoradoThe gambling Smaldone brothers Eugene and Clyde were each sentenced to 60 years in federal prison Monday by U.S. Judge Willis W. Ritter. But his low profile would change as in 1957, Colletti attended the ill fated Apalachin Conference in upstate New York and was one of the men that was arrested in the subsequent raid, outing him nationally as a mobster. Oversight members have been combing through tips known as SARs - Suspicious Activity Reports - following a subpoena of the Treasury Department to look into business dealings of the president and his family members mainly his son Hunter Biden. Theres almost no way to have existed in this organization without getting your hands dirty, and as we stated in Part One, its pretty clear that Roma engineered the assassination of the Carlinos before he himself was killed. WebThe most accurate, comprehensive, neighborhood-specific crime, demographic, housing, school performance, and real estate trend and forecast analytics available today, with A daytime burglary of a student flat netted a thief a collection of Nike Air Jordan trainers but he wasnt expecting a last-minute buzzer beater. Three fellow defendants of the Smaldones drew lighter sentences. This happens roughly 10 months after the Roma assassination. Reddit places it high on their list of the worst cities in the state of Colorado because of this startling statistic that was reported by local authorities. They took an office in Denver at 34th and Pecos and began selling whiskey, both making their own as well as importing and selling other brands. In the end, the Stephens-Barnes affair would end in an assassination attempt that would get the Smaldone brothers embroiled in some serious legal trouble. He denied on a 2018 gun application that he used drugs, which was untrue: lying on the paperwork is an offense. Checkers Smaldones time at the top would not go without bloodshed, and its around this time the Smaldone family will run into another legal problem, this time in relation to Eugenes son. Eventually theyd become so busy that theyd bring their younger brother Anthony in on the business as well. Five Texas relatives were shot dead over noise row with gunman WebCrime news from 9 News KUSA in Denver, Colorado. Again, not a good look. First and foremost, I want to make it clear that the Smaldones, while gangsters for sure, were not Mafia nor was their family an official Cosa Nostra family. They werent afraid to push a button on anyone who got out of line. Smaldone family members in 1963. And if you want to get technical, and if you want to get to a legal term, that's called being a foreign agent. Again, this is not a good look with a witness telling the public that youre threatening to blow up a building if things dont go your way. Paul "The Harp" Enrichi (left) and Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone (right) sit quietly in district court in 1953 after pleading innocent to charges stemming from a gambling raid. Please submit suggestions via this form. An Theres no doubt that the stories about their generosity are true. In early 1952, and its just going to keep building from here, Vigil would keep up the pressure when two law enforcement officials (so this is indirectly hitting at the Smaldones) were indicted for lying about payoffs they received to ignore gambling in their respective counties. In addition to their gambling empire, the Smaldones were wise enough to take advantage of the opportunities created by economic conditions stemming from World War II and moved the family into selling rationed goods on the black market. Most predicted that the men, especially Checkers, would likely die behind bars. Some of the highlights from this years Colorado Crime Stats report include: Colorado reported 30,942 incidents of Motor Vehicle Theft in 2020, reflecting a 38.6% increase compared to 2019 numbers. Other accounts have speculated that there actually may have even been a confrontation in which LaGuardia slapped Smaldone, a big mistake. Its easier to take them down from a law enforcement perspective when theyre divided. Despite their denials, Smiling Charlie Stephens, Clyde and Checkers Smaldone as well as another man, would be arrested and charged with conspiracy. Published: 16:01 BST, 26 April 2023 | Updated: 16:01 BST, 26 April 2023, Donald Trump on Tuesday claimed investigations into the 'Biden crime family' were 'Watergate times 10,' after the Republican chair of the Oversight Committee, said up to 12 members of the Bidens were involved in 'influence peddling.' Thats not to say that the two groups came into conflict. After this final resolution of the case, the pair would do their second stints at USP Leavenworth. Colorado police solve four homicide cold cases with DNA from In fact, the beginning of their era would start with a relative thud as for the first time in their lives they would spend significant time behind bars. Hed share the following about how that relationship got off the ground in an interview that was later recorded in the book that Ill be citing many times in this episode, Smaldone: The Untold Story of An American Crime Family: I went up to Chicago and got talking about getting the stuff up in Canada. In both cases, the Smaldones (as they would throughout their lives) would deny any involvement, and as youll see during the rest of this video, I think there is a fine line between things that they actually did versus overzealous prosecution and sentences handed out by a government that had it in for them. The operation included the Smaldones, their enforcer Paul Enrici, and also included members of the Pueblo LCN including Blackie Mazza. The dominant players were the Carlino brothers, but they had many rivals and went to war with their own kin in the Danna family for almost the entire decade. Whether thats the case or not, Pizzalatas time was numbered as well. Apparently during the proceedings, both Smaldone brothers attempted to rough up some photographers after entering the Federal Building. As a result of this information making its way out, the authorities were able to conduct successful raids on the club leading the the arrest of Clarence Smaldone, Villano, and Salardino. From their bar on Tejon Street, the brothers would sell everything from black market liquor to simple daily items like canned goods, sugar, butter, meat, shoes, clothes, etc. And though they werent true Cosa Nostra, the Smaldones by that time certainly qualified as a mob-style enterprise. We covered several major events including: Today were going to dig into the era of the Smaldone brothers. Some of the people associated with them died violently.. Denver organized crime ring "The Family" stole vehicles and Using vile language, he ordered decedents friends from the premises and threatened to blow their brains out. The deceaseds friends left and Spinuzzi then proceeded toward the decedent, exchanged words with him, held a pistol about two feet from his head and then hit and viciously kicked him. From the time Gaetanos opened in Denvers Little Italy neighborhood in 1947, everyone knew it as the mobs hangout. As a result, and to keep their parents out of jail, Clyde and Checkers struck a deal with the authorities, pleading guilty to violation of federal liquor laws in exchange for their parents release from further prosecution. The brothers would receive a new trial. In their own way, they were gentlemen.. Clyde would be paroled from Caon City on December 24, 1942 after serving four years and five months when he received a pardon from his good friend, influential Governor Ralph Carr. But as an Italian family, it was only natural to rely on your sons, and the money to be made was significant even with the obvious risks involved. The issue was with Chaunceys ex-wife Pauline. These two young lads were nearly inseparable, with the Villano family living just a few houses down the street from the Smaldone family. Joe Bonanno, Boss of the Bonnano Crime Family in New York City. Sergio Gamino was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment. This event as we mentioned would leave a huge power vacuum in the Colorado underworld, and the Smaldones would be the ones who would eventually fill it. At this trial, Clyde and Eugene plead guilty to lesser tampering charges and on August 20, 1955 were re-sentenced to just 12 years in prison and a $10,000 fine (so still a lot of time but not as bad as the 60-year sentence theyd been stuck with). A young Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone, who was first arrested at the tender age of 15. According to a report in the Fort Collins Coloradoan: The Smaldones, Spinelli and Brindisi told Clark they visited Roma from 10 a.m. until afternoon Saturday in an effort to borrow money. Spinuzzi was very close with Eugine Checkers Smaldone, and the two would reportedly attend various gambling events together (along with Charley Blanda) to make shylock loans to participants whod been on the losing end. The sentences that ultimately would be handed out for the jury tampering and conspiracy, quite honestly in my very novice legal opinion, were quite simply nothing less than shocking. Spinuzzi was considered a handsome man, approximately five-foot-eight-inches tall with dark, curly hair, dark brown eyes. He is buried in Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery in Jefferson County, Colorado. The venue was ultimately closed in 1936 after receiving complaints from local religious leaders about the gambling. 'After years of pursuing political dirt against the Biden family, today's statement by Chairman Comer once again proves that he has failed to uncover evidence of any wrongdoing by President Biden,' said a spokesperson for Oversight Democrats. Sam Shanks, an associate of both the Smaldone family as well as the St. Louis Cosa Nostra family, and suspect in the murder of Robin "Walkie Talkie" Roberts. By this point, they simply wanted to be left alone. You could find family According to reports, he pulled into his driveway, exited his vehicle, and began walking up the driveway to his house. But everything they were doing pretty much put things in a position where there was no way they would come off well in this trial. He was riddled with seven bullets total, with six shots to the head. First, go get Colorados Carlino Brothers: A Bootlegging Empire by Sam Carlino, who is in fact the grandson of the infamous Pete Carlino and great nephew of Sam Carlino who helped build the Carlino bootlegging empire and who was in fact murdered in 1933. And the Smaldones would certainly experience the peril of their chosen profession as well. In 1974, hed get a 1-year sentence for gambling, and that same year the federal government would contend that he, along with Joe Bonnano, were conspiring to take over all of organized crime in Colorado. This restaurant would go on to become an institution in Denver, and it would become the primary base of operations for the Smaldone organization. It dont bother me one way or another. While this is going on, the primary source of their income, that being bootlegging went belly-up as growing public sentiments against Prohibition finally led the government to pass repeals of the Volstead Act in 1933, making alcohol production essentially legal again. An elderly Clyde and Mildred Smaldone have dinner at Gaetano's. They used to send food and coal to a woman whose husband had left her with small children. stuff.co.nz Later in life, when interviewed by his family, he would only offer the following: It was a long time ago, yes. Blanda and Smaldone were so close in fact, that Blanda was the godfather to Smaldones son. This was kind of a petty move, but if you were looking to get under their skin, thats a good way to do it. Spinuzzi arose from the body of the deceased with a gun in his hand, put the gun in his belt and walked away. They would get their first victory in 1951 when Smaldone associates Frank Blackie Mazza and Paul Enrichi were convicted of evasion of state income taxes. Colorado Bureau of Investigation So ultimately, Eugenes simple issue with back-taxes of $5,000, would turn itself into first the ridiculous sentence of 60 years, but finally the 12 years and a $10,000 sentence. He got to be low-key [later in life], but this guy used to get in fights, hed pistol-whip people.. In concert with local government officials however, the Smaldones struck a deal to provide the financing for a new water system, restore a number of houses, and provided the backing for a lunch program for town schoolchildren in exchange for the ability to operate their gambling operation without interference from law enforcement. If this is indeed true, it would certainly fit with the mob tradition of ordering a friend to kill a friend. Because everything at that time was rationed and difficult to come by, you could make a killing on the black market, and many mobsters did. The boys, especially Clyde, had a naturally entrepreneurial spirit and didnt mind taking risks from time to time. During the Smaldone era, Checkers was the one brother most closely aligned to the Pueblo LCN and the brother who over time had the tightest connections in general to the Mafia. WebPages in category "Gangs in Colorado" The following 13 pages are in this category, out of 13 total. Their figure indicated about 2 murders per year, which just seems so unrealistically low in comparison to the level of conflict and competition between the various groups in Denver and Pueblo at the time. Everybody would make money. The Colorado Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR) is a statewide, cooperative statistical effort of county, THATS THE TRICKY THING about figuring out the Smaldones. It had just 15 property crimes and 2 violent crimes over the course of year. I done nine and a half years of my life for him. The Smaldones were in partnership with Stephens, overseeing the gambling on the casino side. Like a good-cop, bad-cop routine, Checkers was the Smaldone with the tough-guy reputation. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12014459/Trump-calls-Bidens-crime-family-Watergate-times-10.html?ito=msngallery, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12014459/Trump-calls-Bidens-crime-family-Watergate-times-10.html?ito=msngallery. There are more laws that appear to me that have been broken than just tax evasion. It wouldnt take them long. However, when it went to trial, the evidence against Shanks was pretty shaky and he was ultimately acquitted in 1964. 'I cannot survive [o]n this,' Caroline wrote to Joe Biden's brother Jim. Earlier bosses Blanda and Coletti reputedly found it difficult to keep Scotty under control and felt he brought unwanted publicity to the Colorado organization. In November of 1952, in a somewhat calculated move to irritate Clyde and Checkers, Vigil would force the Smaldone brothers to pay their $1,000 fines dating all the way back to their 1933 bootlegging convictions (almost a full 20 years later). Photo taken at Gaetanos restaurant sometime in the 1950s. Now, based on information from police sources shared with writers at the Denver Post, it was insinuated that the two murders were connected with both the attempt on the life of Pauline Smaldone, as well as the attempt by the pair to muscle in on Denver bookmaking and gambling rackets. Now unfortunately during the trial in which both he [Walkie Talkie] and Eugene Smaldone were co-defendants, his fate would be sealed when Denver Detective Duane Red Borden, an organized-crime investigator whod essentially dogged the Smaldones for years, took the stand to testify and was forced to reveal and confirm that Roberts was in fact his informant. And according to autopsy reports (this is where it gets truly heinous), Cohen was alive (though he may not have been conscious) when he was put into the lake. You could find family patriarch Clyde Smaldone Gaetano is the Italian equivalent of Clyde seated at the bar, always at his spot furthest from the door. or debate this issue live on our message boards. In April of 1970, Checkers Smaldone and Joe The Ram Salardino would be arrested and indicted by a grand jury and charged with assault to murder, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy. The Colorado Crime of Stalking 18 The family lived in a small house at 3427 Osage Street in Denver, Colorado. As previously mentioned, Coletti took over as Boss of the Pueblo family in 1953 after previous boss Charlie Blanda was sent to prison and later retired from organized crime. of Justice Their hope was that the jury would be fair minded, but the reality was that the government wanted to hammer the brothers. Sam Carlino (second from left) stands next to a man believed to be Ralph Smaldone around 1931. Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone (left) poses with an elderly Clyde Smaldone (center). This would be gambling money, this would be loan money, and hed set them down on the table and in different piles, and there was always a big wad, sometimes four, five, six, seven thousand dollars, maybe more.. This is bad. Vincenzo "Black Jim" or "James" Coletti, Boss of the Pueblo LCN family from around 1953 until around 1972. Theyre going to kill me., (Kennedy offered Roberts protection, which he declined), By God, within twenty-four hours they found this guys body. But by this point, as Clyde had predicted in the early 1960s, law enforcement would launch a full-court press to take the family down. Smaldone, Denver's Mob Family - Colorado Life Magazine Capitalizing on the opportunity, Raffaele Ralph Smaldone would begin selling moonshine to speakeasies in Denver. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the trio (Checkers, Chauncey, and Paulie Villano) would continue to rack up dozens of gambling arrests, and the heat from law enforcement would stay pretty much with them through the remainder of their lives. Man, 25, critically ill in hospital after serious assault on Elgin High In the mindset of all of this activity and success, Clyde had managed to steward the Tejon Bar and Cafe through rough times and by 1947 it was thriving. If youre familiar with the Sopranos, think of Jackie Aprile Jr. playing the gangster. At the time, an economic boom had hit Colorado, which meant that there were plenty of jobs available for Italians if they were willing to accept the risk of taking on backbreaking and relatively dangerous jobs working on the railroads or in the mines. He would be buried at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Jefferson County, Colorado. His passion for history, his interest in the mob, and his need to be creative and produce content led him to create this podcast where he provides his listeners with deeply-researched content on the plots, sub-plots, and real facts behind the American Cosa Nostra. Advertisement. They know what you guys are doing. They wouldnt listen to Dad, partly because he was drinking and partly because they didnt want to. The 2021 costs will grow, as the violent crime rate is on pace to be the highest since 1994, a 10% annual increase. By the time it was all said and done, his criminal record would stretch over seven decades, and though hed be a suspect in several murders, he was never actually convicted of killing anyone. Anyhow, there are other brothers who well cover in a bit, but lets go ahead and jump back into the timeline. Blackmoore, 21, was bludgeoned and stabbed 39 times not long after a pizza was delivered to her home on the evening of August 17, 1995. Angela Blackmoore murder: Pair deny instrumental roles in her It was no different in Colorado, and in fact Colorado even got a head start. Man on trial for alleged sexual violation of Christchurch bar Mama In January of 1966, Chauncey was again arrested as one of 20-28 people brought it and charged with gambling, along with cousin Paul Villano and associate Joseph The Ram Salardino. In fact, many of the relationships built by key players in cities across the U.S. during the bootlegging years certainly played a significant part why Cosa Nostra and the national crime syndicate was able to function so successfully and so broadly later on. Foster Symes (pronounced Simms) would say the following: My only regret in this case is that the owners of the still didnt kill you all off. One of the Smaldone brothers associates, a young man named John Pacello was killed in the gunfight, and all of the men had deep associations with Joe Roma. The charge, placed under the drivers side, drove him through the cars roof, tore away part of his left buttocks, and broke his pelvis.. Youd think thatd be the most notorious incident of Spinnizis mob career, but it certainly wasnt. She added that a previous job where she 'made 150' had 'lasted me half a year barely.' William Calvaresi, Dupont tavern operator and Jerry Benallo, Jr., were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment each, and Michael Bonnalo of Wheat Ridge to 10 years. Calogero "Charles" Blanda (left), Boss of the Pueblo LCN Family, from 1931-1953 being led from a courtroom in the early 1950's with another Pueblo LCN member, Tom "Whiskers" Incerto (right, hat covering face). Fiore "Fats" Smaldone and Louis A. Smaldone, family members who were tried with the Smaldone brothers in their 1953 jury tampering trial. Clyde looked every bit the part of an Italian-American mob boss, of average height and above-average weight, dressed immaculately in expensive suits and the look punctuated by an ever-present cigar. They said, Hell, we get a lot of stuff out of there too. It wasnt long before the duo was making good money, so much so that they were able to help their parents out even more by buying toys for their siblings, clothes for their mother and father, and even helping to fix up the family house. Now, there were certainly other members, but I wont bore you by going through every single one. Jerry Benallo (left) and William Cavalresi (right), Smaldone Family members who were tried with the Smaldone brothers in their 1953 jury tampering trial. In the early 1950s, the Smaldone brothers would begin to increasingly draw the ire of authorities, and it would eventually lead to the slow downfall of their organization. Comer (pictured) claims the DOJ is in a 'pickle' over 'what do you do with this many family members of the president? Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by email. Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone talks with a group of people in 1953. It would start off, in my opinion from a legal perspective, pretty innocuously and would go in a direction that they did not expect. So on July 26, 1973, LaGuardia was driving home from the Alpine Inn, a hangout for gamblers and other underworld figures at 3551 Tejon Street. A Informant stated a few days after this incident Colosacco went to talk things over with the Smaldones in their office at Gaetanos Restaurant and there Clyde and Eugene Smaldone told him if he and his partner desired to continue their gambling activities at Priolas farm, it would be necessary henceforth to pay to Smaldones 50% of the gambling proceeds. View gallery. Raffaele Smaldone (the father of the Smaldone brothers) was born in Potenza, Italy in 1882, and at the age of two immigrated with his parents Gaetano and Katrina to the United States. In addition to my other sources, I leveraged these books heavily and they are both pretty good reads about a family that is largely unknown to many around the country. Armed police are searching a street in West Auckland after reports of gunshots on Monday afternoon, after a house and car appeared to have been shot at. 4. Paul "Fat Paulie" Villano leaving Federal Court in 1983. Famous Murders and Serial Killers in Colorado History. The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Colorado For 2022 1. Angela Blackmoore murder: Pair deny instrumental roles in her After the war, he returned to Denver and moved with his wife and 2 children into an apartment directly above Gaetanos, beginning work first at a filling station that he and Paulie Villano owned at West 46th Avenue and Pecos Street. Statistics. Clyde Smaldone relaxes and smokes a cigar in his home in the early 1960s. And the other man was former lawyer Max Melville, who was serving as Colorados deputy attorney general at the time. Jacob Stoops is the host of The Members Only Podcast, and he's a history buff and mob historian. Spinuzzi would become involved in a vending-machine business and would also own a bar (Turks Tavern) with his brother, Tony Turk Spinuzzi. These 8 Weird Places In Colorado Are As Strange As It Gets, Spend The Night In This Incredible Colorado Home For An Unforgettable Adventure, Enjoy The Freshest Oysters And Scallops At This One-Of-A-Kind Seafood Restaurant In Colorado, Grab Some Homecooked Food And Rent A Kayak At This Awesome Spot In Colorado, This House In Colorado Has A Dark And Evil History That Will Never Be Forgotten, Here Are 7 Mobsters From Colorado That Committed Unspeakable Acts, Here Is The Most Insane, Unforgettable Colorado Bank Robbery, The Oldest Restaurant In Colorado Has A Truly Incredible History, The Story Of The Serial Killer Who Terrorized This Colorado Town Is Truly Frightening. As a result, the Smaldones would eventually pull their operations out of Central City. Pete Carlino (left) and Giuseppe "Joe" Roma shake hands outside a Denver Police Station answering reporters' questions after Roma posted Carlino's $5,000 bond in June of 1931. Photo Credit: Smaldone: The Untold Story of an American Crime Family. Additionally, Clyde would also get a charge of making false statements to federal agents about the number of slot machines he owned, while Checkers Smaldone (and this would end up being the big one) would be indicted on charges of failure to pay $5,000 in incomes tax in 1946 (which would be the charge that would come back to bite both brothers in the ass). Everyone knows about Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde and the family from The Now before we go further with the chronology of events, lets take a quick step back so we can provide you with a brief synopsis of who the brothers were, so that you better understand the relationship between them and the other factions. And with Chaunceys death, the Smaldone Crime Family, which had reached the pinnacle in the Colorado underworld in the late 1940s and early 1950s, essentially came to a quiet and fairly unspectacular end. Back In The Day, This Quiet Colorado Town Was A Mafia Mecca Remember, I mentioned that there was certainly a rift, and that rift proved to be the lucky thing that helped the brothers get a second trial. A bondsman signs bail bond for Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone in 1960. Photo Credit: Smaldone: The Untold Story of an American Crime Family. Andrea Blanco and Rachel Sharp report Standing are Eugene Smaldone (far left) and Clyde Smaldone (center. Cracks at Dept. John J. Kincilja Jr., who was a Pueblo police officer from 1960 to 1997, would say the following about Spinuzzi: [Scotty] was plain old mafioso.