In October of 1953, the Smaldone brothers would surprise everyone (including their co-defendants) by making what would prove the be a fateful decision to plead out to two charges of conspiracy after pleading not guilty earlier in the month. These two young lads were nearly inseparable, with the Villano family living just a few houses down the street from the Smaldone family. The Smaldones would also begin to run nightly dice games, most specifically a game called Barbooth (or Barbuit) across metro Denver or Pueblo. 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. To get an even more in-depth look at this often overlooked time in Colorado history, check out this fascinating episode of Colorado Experience from Rocky Mountain PBS: For even more Colorado crime history, click on The Story Of The Serial Killer Who Terrorized This Colorado Town Is Truly Frightening. Now, I cant quite pinpoint why Im so specifically fascinated by the Smaldone brothers, but as youll see their story is pretty epic, and I think youre going to seesimilar to last episodethat there was just as much going on with organized crime in Colorado as other areas of the country, and it was well covered, but it just never got the publicity nor does it have the prestige of the East Coast mob. He would immigrate to New York City and ring up several arrests in the New York and New Jersey area before moving west and settling in Pueblo, Colorado, though hed become a naturalized citizen in February of 1920 while still residing in New York. Authorities in Colorado on Monday identified the suspect who allegedly killed his wife and two of their children before taking his own life in an apparent triple murder-suicide as 55-year-old Christof M. Kreb. The brothers would go on to be arrested several more times, and I am not going to bore you any more than I already have by going through each and every incident, because its honestly exhausting even to me. Much of that increase is due to a surge in property crimes during the year. Though the Smaldones were allowed to essentially run Denver and had huge sway across the entire state, the real official Mafia was down in Pueblo. Barlock is explaining why Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone was jailed for contempt after he refused to answer questions at investigation into gambling and prostitution in the county. So at this point in time in the 1960s, its a growing area of concern. As a result of this incident, Stephens, Clyde and Checkers each got 7 to 10 years in the state penitentiary for conspiracy to commit murder. Even with the revelation on Clydes part, he wasnt all out right away. Friends would recall him as a terrific tap-dancer in his youth, and he would become a champion gymnast in high school, as well as a scholarship athlete at the University of Colorado, though he would put on the weight that gave him his nickname in later years. Sergio Gamino was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment. 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. And you will see if you look up for example Colorado mob and you get to Wikipedia, youre going to see lists of Boss, Underboss in certain years, and youre going to see the Smaldones and the Pueblo organization merged together when in fact they werent one organization. Now around this same time in 1951, Clyde and Eugene Checkers Smaldone were called before a Denver grand jury investigation on gambling (led by Melville) where as previously mentioned both men plead the Fifth over 100 times, essentially refusing to provide anything but name and address. 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. While he was in power, in line with the truest principles of Omert, his memory would conveniently fail him when asked about his friends. Most of the patrons are local, and many of them knew the Smaldones, says Gaetanos general manager, Don Knowles. The CBI does not offer analysis as to the reasons for changes in the crime rates or any other interpretation of the data; rather, those questions should be directed to individual law enforcement agencies. Rather than continue the life of a hardcore mobster, he preferred to take in the sun outside his cheese store and greet the occasional well wisher. Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone (left) poses with an elderly Clyde Smaldone (center). OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. He was riddled with seven bullets total, with six shots to the head. In the 1950s, hed be identified as one of the top leaders in the Colorado Mafia, and in 1953 hed do 3 years after an income-tax evasion conviction. Most of them couldnt hardly talk English.. His runners would be none other than his sons, Clyde and Checkers. Clyde by that point was entering his teens and Eugene Checkers Smaldone was not far behind during the early days of Prohibition. From Gaetanos, the Smaldones ruled north Denver from the 1930s through the 1970s. They guys built the connections in the 20s and they lasted. However, in 1949 the party more or less came to an end when a new law-and-order justice of the peace, Lowell Griffith, was elected and began applying heat to the operation. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. As mentioned, the Smaldones would be in and out of court, cited for contempt, but would skate free of any charges related to the Walkie Talkie homicide. Each of the men were sentenced to 180 days in jail. Student's Nike Air Jordan shoes stolen in burglary leads to slam In August of 1962, Eugenes son, who was also named Eugene, was arrested and charged with Interstate Transportation in aid of racketeering in connection with his bookmaking activities. She added that a previous job where she 'made 150' had 'lasted me half a year barely.' They returned to the Roma home after word got around that Mrs. Roma had found her husbands body at 1:45 p.m. and then voluntarily went to police headquarters. A gun like this can only be used to kill someone.. While testifying for Mazza during this trial, Clyde Smaldoneclearly agitated (and youre going to see that both Clyde and Checkers did not like photographers)snapped on a Denver Post photographer taking pictures outside the courtroom, snarling the following: The next time you shoot my picture, Im going to punch you in the nose.. He had the closest ties to the feared Mafia bosses to the south in Pueblo. Violent crime, which counts homicides, aggravated assaults, sex assaults and robberies, is up 17 percent between 2019 and 2021. Blanda and Smaldone were so close in fact, that Blanda was the godfather to Smaldones son. But I wanted every one of my listeners to see that with many in the life, everything isnt black and white, good guys and bad guys, cowboys and indians. The three men would serve their time at FMC Fort Worth (the medical center) prison in Texas. 2020 Statewide Crime Statistics Available | Colorado Bureau of That did not seem to be the case with the Smaldone family. Its between the mid-to-late 1940s that between what they were doing in gambling as well as their black market operation that the Smaldone empire reached its zenith going into the early 1950s. On January 29, 1974, just six months after LaGaurdia was hit, Pizzalato was found murdered as well. So Id say they were more of the Al Capone variety of mob meaning there were no inductions, no official titles, etc. 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. An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Smaldone family members in 1963. He says, Al says to give it to you for $35 a case. But you wont find them there anymore; the three brothers passed away over the last two decades, and the family sold Gaetanos six years ago. They did do some bad things. 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. How, this to me sounds like a major reach when you have to go that far back. Photo Credit: Smaldone: The Untold Story of an American Crime Family. An icon of a paper envelope. Five Texas relatives were shot dead over noise row with gunman Of course that made it pretty easy for customers to trust him. Spinuzzi would ultimately be found Not Guilty due to insufficient evidence and would skate free of any prison time. To keep up the pressure, in February of 1953, Clyde, Eugene, and 29 associates would be hauled into court over an allegedly fixed dice game at a pool hall on 7057 Federal Blvd. 2020 Statewide Crime Statistics Available, Biometric Identification and Records Unit, Biometric Identification and Records Unit FAQs, Resources for Non-Criminal Justice Agencies, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR) and Colorado Crime Statistics, Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) Reciprocity, Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) Information, LEA Disposition of Firearms/Evidence Returns, Sex Offender Registration Training - Law Enforcement, CBI honors Columbine anniversary with donation drive, Body of missing Archuleta County man found, CBI helps to capture No. His hands and feet were secured with wire and a rope holding sixty pounds of railroad iron to his body and a large rock lashed to his midsection. A copy of the front page of the menu at Gaetano's Restaurant in the late 1940's and 1950's. He denied on a 2018 gun application that he used drugs, which was untrue: lying on the paperwork is an offense. He was said to have bore a striking resemblance to a young Dean Martin. By Clydes account in later years, the Smaldones had successfully placed as many as 585 slot machines in drugstores, bars, and clubs all over the state of Colorado (which were made legal by purchasing a $100 federal tax stamp)so a nice little loophole. If youre familiar with the Sopranos, think of Jackie Aprile Jr. playing the gangster. Caroline, 35, turned her nose up at the offer to her father's frustration, who forwarded the email to Hunter. The History Press. Denver organized crime ring "The Family" stole vehicles and Spinuzzi was born in 1907 in Napoleonville, Assumption Parish, Louisiana. The family lived in a small house at 3427 Osage Street in Denver, Colorado. Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone talks with a group of people in 1953. It was at this point when someone lying in wait stepped out from behind bushes and shot him directly in the face with a blast from a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun. ABC11 Neighborhood Safety and Crime Tracker If anyone has information about this incident, they are encouraged to contact the Clinton Police Department at 910-592-3105. In 1956, at age 32, Chauncey would be arrested for the first time on a gambling charge when he and seven others were busted at a house on 3357 Navajo Street for running an illegal barbooth game. Clarence was sentenced to 90 days while Clydes charges were dismissed. In later years, Clyde and Checkers were less involved in the familys rackets, and youngest brother Clarence, known as Chauncey, took over. This happens roughly 10 months after the Roma assassination. Man on trial for alleged sexual violation of Christchurch bar Mama He sentenced both Clyde and Checkers Smaldone to an astonishing 60 years in prison in 1953. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! If thats not showing toughness, heart, and courage, I dont know what does. The diminutive 52 mobster known as Little Caesar was found slumped dead in a chair in his front parlor of his home on 3504 Vallejo Street in North Denver by his wife, Nettie, riddled with seven bullets (including six shots to the head). As a matter of fact, I tend to think of Clyde as someone similar to a Frank Costello type within the Colorado underworld. Crime in Colorado - Wikipedia Trump calls the Bidens a 'crime family' that is 'Watergate times 10 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). It looks like, if there wasn't legitimate business dealing in any of these LLCs, it was influence peddling. 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.' Theyre going to kill me., (Kennedy offered Roberts protection, which he declined), By God, within twenty-four hours they found this guys body. In fact, after the murder of Joe Roma in 1933, the Smaldones and the Pueblo LCN worked close together and relatively harmoniously until the group in Pueblo became defunct in the 1970s. A bondsman signs bail bond for Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone in 1960. 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. Chauncey, as his friends and family called him, was born on February 8, 1924, and was the youngest of the eleven children born to Raffaele and Mamie Smaldone. Clyde and Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone in court in 1953. Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone (left) poses with Clyde Smaldone (center). On January 29, 1974, just six months after LaGaurdia was hit, Pizzalato was found murdered as well. 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. He would go to trial in 1962. A small-time gambler of modest means, Roberts had registered several arrests for gambling as well as extortion. On January 7, 1998, the original leader and family patriarch Clyde Smaldone, the man who had his first brush with the law in 1920, whod become friends with presidents and mobsters, and whod spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawyers as well as charitable endeavors, passed away at the age of 91. For three years, the residents of Central City and the Smaldones operated harmoniously. Angela Blackmoore murder: Pair deny instrumental roles in her As with every other murder where the Smaldones were suspected, the two hits would never be solved. I found legitimate businesses that were paying the LLCs that were then turning around and laundering the money back to the Bidens,' Comer said.Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12014459/Trump-calls-Bidens-crime-family-Watergate-times-10.html?ito=msngallery, 'But I haven't found any legitimate business dealings on the Biden end. He was present at the Mob Summit in Apalachin in 1957. 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. Love Colorado? However, the brothers success was a double-edged sword and the empire theyd built would begin to unravel very soon after this. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? That statement would prove to be prophetic in later years when most states began to legalize many forms of gambling. This would prove to be the organizations number one ongoing source of income. This all stemmed from an issue in which a man named Joseph Nucci, was shot and wounded (although not fatally). 5. which did cause that person, a member of that persons immediate family, or someone with whom that person was having or previously had a continuing relationship to suffer serious emotional distress. In the Summer months of 1947 through 1949, he and his brothers would open and run the Monte Carlo casino which offered craps, roulette, and slot machines among other games to local tourists eager to spend a buck. Smaldones bond would be set at $500,000 while Salardinos was set at $300,000. Now its important that you know the players as the men who came next had ties into both groups at times during the 1920s and 1930s. Clyde Smaldone (bottom left), "Checkers" Smaldone (top left), Joe Veccharelli, and an unidentified man celebrate the end of Prohibition after the passing of the 21st Amendment. 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. As the story goes, Checkers faced down a prisoner who during the breakout had pointed a gun directly in his face uttering the words, Take that thing outta my face, and then locking himself in a room and (of course) played checkers with the two kids in turn until the danger was over. By this point in time, the brothers had their falling out, and the 40 year partnership was more or less over. 'I cannot survive [o]n this,' Caroline wrote to Joe Biden's brother Jim. Joseph "Scotty" Spinuzzi, Boss of the Pueblo LCN family from around 1972 until his death in 1975, in his younger days. However, the Colorado Crime Stats website is the best location to review crime data in its entirety. 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. He stated that Robert Shanks had established an alibi placing him in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, at the time the murder was committed, but that he had been charged as an accessory after the fact., On August 16, 1963, Eugene Checkers Smaldone, Clyde George Smaldone, Michael Anthony Tomeo and Joseph Salardino were picked up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for questioning in the Robbins murder case., Captain John Hindes of the Denver Police Department stated that all of these suspects refused to answer any questions concerning the murder.. Leave | Department of Labor & Employment - Colorado
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