colorado crime family

On the afternoon of February 18, 1933, Roma would be found slumped dead in a chair in his front parlor of his home on 3404 Vallejo Street in North Denver by his wife, Nettie. 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. 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. Checkers rang up his first arrest at the age of fifteen in 1925 when he was caught stealing automobile accessories. Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone (middle) walking the streets of Denver in 1973. Chauncey would go on to serve in the army during World War II, serving time in the South Pacific theater. If you consider the fact that in the 60s you had the Kennedy administration, you eventually had Joe Valachi, more visibility, the FBI beginning to take Cosa Nostra and the mobs more seriously, it was a good time to cut your losses and get out. 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 Possible Penalties for a Conviction of the Colorado Crime of Stalking 18-3-602 are Serious. An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Clydes alcoholism along with the fact that many in the family werent ready to believe that their hey-dey had indeed passed essentially led to a changing of the guard as he became more distant from the Smaldone organization and his opinions tended to be listened to less often. And so, its around this time in the 20s and early 30s that the Smaldone brothers began regularly showing up in police blotter, racking up many arrests between them. 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. While costs are disproportionately felt by victims, this implies an average cost per Coloradan of $4,762 per year. The judge in the case, Judge J. He would be buried at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Jefferson County, Colorado. Some of the people associated with them died violently.. WebUnder Colorado CRS 18-4-202, a person commits first-degree burglary by knowingly entering someone elses property with the intent to commit a crime, and committing an assault on someone or having explosives or a deadly weapon. By the 1990s the Smaldone family as it was constituted in its heyday was nearing the end. The Lutz family was found alive and well in Arizona. I done nine and a half years of my life for him. WebThis article describes crime in the U.S. state of Colorado. Of course, the obvious point here is that family members of mob figures are typically considered off-limits, making this shooting a major breach of typical protocol. And there are a lot more Bidens involved than just the president's son and his brother.' Just as Clyde had predicted, when the state of Colorado approved state-supervised gambling, the revenue poured in. For someone trying to rise in the underworld, these are not the things you want to be known for, and by themselves could lead a person into big trouble with the mob. By this time, it was regularly noted by the FBI that the semi-retired Clyde and Checkers were feuding, which certainly didnt help the family operations in their efforts to present a united front to combat the increased law enforcement scrutiny that they were facing. In January of 1943 (just three weeks after Clyde), Eugene Checkers Smaldone was paroled and immediately jumped in with his brother to help run and expand their gambling empire. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. 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.' Yes. An icon of a paper envelope. 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.. Informant related that undoubtedly these men intended to kill West but the latter jumped out of the automobile as it was proceeding through downtown Denver streets, started screaming, and raised such a commotion that his assailants fled the scene. A spokesperson for Comer told DailyMail.com that the panel is not yet providing the names of additional family members who may have benefitted from the deals. 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. [The Pueblo mobs] was always arguing and fighting amongst themselves about the business, and they werent capable of handling business, to tell you the truth. In 1927, Clyde and his confederates were arrested for possession of several gallons of liquor as well as hijacking 96 pints of whiskey from a competitors truck. She added that a previous job where she 'made 150' had 'lasted me half a year barely.' Colorado Crime According to an interview Clyde would give in later years, he and his friends would undercut other bootleggers by finding out where they hid their booze, stealing it, and selling it for a lower price. You see, as the trial was going on, there were also rumors based on testimony coming out of a federal grand jury that members of the organization had attempted to bribe jurors in Checkers first tax-evasion trial to which the accused would plead innocent. Ralph A. Smaldone, Pauline Smaldone, and Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone some time in the 1940's. By the time he got to the mid-1930s, he was in his late 20s (so still pretty young). 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. Like most other mobsters of their era, they did what they had to do early on to survive and prosper, and grew their empire in the American way, just not on the right side of the law. Eugene Checkers Smaldone would be quoted by police as saying: Maybe I like to go hunting. This is kind of the peak. The funeral, in which the Smaldones contributed two of the most massive floral arrangements at Romas funeral, was attended by over 2,000 people. In addition to running the Tejon Bar and Cafe, Clyde Smaldone began to enterprise, getting into lucrative slot-machines, beginning to dive full-force into sports parlay betting cards (which were coming into fashion around that time), and they would also partake in more traditional mob rackets including bookmarking and loan sharking. 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. A small-time gambler of modest means, Roberts had registered several arrests for gambling as well as extortion. Despite the dangers, Clydeever the ambitious and calculating businessmansoon found that the possibilities to make money in selling hooch were incredible and made the decision to start his own business, at first partnering with local hood Roxy Stone. Ultimately the trial would be dismissed after a verdict was unable to be reached, with a new trial being scheduled for September 1953. Additionally, the issue of the Smaldones relationships with local politicians and police, especially in Central City were called into question. Eventually theyd become so busy that theyd bring their younger brother Anthony in on the business as well. Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone shakes finger at photographer in early 1980s. In Part One of this two-part series on the Colorado Mafia, we laid out how the organization that would later become known as the Smaldone Crime Family, which ran organized crime in Denver and much of Colorado during the 20th century, came to be. Do not sell or share my personal information. 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. Joseph Civello 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. In 1920, at the tender age of 13, Clyde would be arrested on a burglary charge for stealing a pair of pants from a local hardware store. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Twenty-eight years after her death, a pair accused of being parties to the brutal killing of young pregnant woman Angela Blackmoore are preparing to stand trial. Colorado Crime Statistics Police observed that the body, left in the fetal position, showed signs of strangulation as well as a gunshot wound to the face. 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. WebThe family is still active in the international drug trade and white collar crimes that include loan-sharking and extortion, and in the early 21st century at least four bosses of the Bonanno family were convicted of crimes, including racketeering and Trump calls the Bidens a 'crime family' that is 'Watergate times 10 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. The bullet traveled in an upward direction from its entrance in the deceaseds hand to its final resting place in his brain.. And if you want to get technical, and if you want to get to a legal term, that's called being a foreign agent. He was rumored to be a confidential informant. Carlino, Sam. Sitting left front person unknown, back left to right: Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone, Pauline Smaldone, Corrine Smaldone Villano, Ange Smaldone Capra and Bert Capra. 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. Spinuzzi was born in 1907 in Napoleonville, Assumption Parish, Louisiana. 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. Most predicted that the men, especially Checkers, would likely die behind bars. 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. Enter the youngest brother, Clarence Chauncey Smaldone. Once in Pueblo, Coletti would immediately become a part of the underworld due to his familial relationship with the infamous Carlino brothers (he was their cousin) who controlled much of Colorado at the time. These two young lads were nearly inseparable, with the Villano family living just a few houses down the street from the Smaldone family. Pete Carlino (left) and Sam Carlino (right). 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. They would be charged with vagrancy. An elderly Clyde and Mildred Smaldone pose with their sons Gene (top left) and Chuck (top right). 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. This was kind of a petty move, but if you were looking to get under their skin, thats a good way to do it. 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. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, According to Clyde, he and his brother Eugene would hang out by the railroad hurling rocks at the steam-locomotive crews that drove by, and when the crews responded by throwing chunks of coal, the boys would carry them home to help heat the house. Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Most of them couldnt hardly talk English.. Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone (left) tending the bar at Gaetanos sometime in the late 1940's or early 1950's. With Clyde and Checkers away, the family needed someone to step up in order for them to maintain their grip over Denvers underworld. The operation included the Smaldones, their enforcer Paul Enrici, and also included members of the Pueblo LCN including Blackie Mazza. The population of Denver between around 1940 was approximately 322,000 according to census records (up from ~288,000 in 1930), whereas the population of Pueblo was a meer 52,000 people (up from 50,000 in 1930). Spinuzzi was considered a handsome man, approximately five-foot-eight-inches tall with dark, curly hair, dark brown eyes. As was expected in those days of first-born sons, Clyde would labor with his father in the fruit and vegetable business. And though he wouldnt do any time as a result, the Apalachin arrest would be the one to raise his profile so much so that in a Life Magazine article in 1967 he was named as the boss of Colorado. In fact, based on my research, I actually believed this number to be most likely understated. A man named Ralph Pizzalato, a close friend of LaGaurdias who was allegedly present during the altercation with Checkers Smaldone that resulted in the death contract on his pal, was actually rumored to have been the shooter in this case. And so iIt wasnt long after the war before both Chauncey and Paulie joined Clyde and Checkers Smaldone in the family business so to speak, getting deep into gambling and sports parlay cards. Thank you! Pictured: Joe Biden with Jill and the president of South Korea,Yoon Suk-yeol, and his wife Kim Keon-hee on Tuesday.Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12014459/Trump-calls-Bidens-crime-family-Watergate-times-10.html?ito=msngallery, Democrats on the committee are again denouncing the moves by the opposing party, claiming that they are only conducting these investigations to gain 'political dirt' on the Bidens. 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. It was just a fact of life at the time. Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) and Colorado Crime Statistics Crime in Colorado - Colorado Crime Map | SpotCrime 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. Photo Credit: Smaldone: The Untold Story of an American Crime Family. Blanda and Smaldone were so close in fact, that Blanda was the godfather to Smaldones son. He would say the following in an interview later in his life: We went to jail, that beloved brother of mine, Checkers. This actually surprised me in my research as I went into these episodes thinking they were LCN, so its just the latest example of me believing one thing and my research uncovering another. 'I cannot survive [o]n this,' Caroline wrote to Joe Biden's brother Jim. Other accounts have speculated that there actually may have even been a confrontation in which LaGuardia slapped Smaldone, a big mistake. From the time Gaetanos opened in Denvers Little Italy neighborhood in 1947, everyone knew it as the mobs hangout. Due to the fact that the city was small, with little taxable income to maintain infrastructure, by the time the Smaldones came to town, the place was in relative shamblesdespite the Summer booms in tourism. Glendale Glendale held onto its title of most dangerous place in Colorado for another year. Man on trial for alleged sexual violation of Christchurch bar Mama 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). 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. Denver organized crime ring "The Family" stole vehicles and 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. Clyde Smaldone walks through Denver courthouse in 1953. An elderly Clyde and Mildred Smaldone have dinner at Gaetano's. He first came to national prominence when mentioned as a mob figure in the Kefauver Hearings in the early 1950s. 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. 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. Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone looking cool as a ice during a jury probe in 1963. This mans name was John Skip LaGuardia. At that time, Walkie Talkie had been developing quite a bad reputation for himself. Drinking turned to fist-fighting amongst each other. The relationship was based on friendships, and the Smaldones needed someone to handle the operations in Southern Colorado, so they turned to their trusted friends in Pueblo. 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. Denver, CO 41 Denver, CO Memorial fund to assist family of woman killed by rock thrown into her vehicle; Hed really be kind of in and out from this point without really doing too much major time during the 60s and the 70s.

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