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12 Frankie Yale
- Indiana University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
The Capone crime syndicate was not built on robbery. Strictly speaking Capone was not a gangster, rather he was a racketeer. This definition may seem like splitting hairs, but as a matter of fact theentireCaponeenterprisewasbasedonillegitimatebusiness,andnot the cruder forms of crime. So when the word came to him that George Goetz, one of his most trusted lieutenants, had participated in the Toledo holdup, he sent for him at once. And for the second time he sent for Gus. UnderworldChicagolandlookedwise.Morethanonethoughtitwas curtains for the pair of them, for Capone would not stand for any crime business that would involve his intricate syndicate. Goetz felt that the summons was his death sentence. “Don’t be a fool,” Gus told him. “Capone is square with his men. You tell him you’re sorry, and that you won’t do it again, and if you mean it he’ll know it.” So Gus let George Goetz make his apologies to Capone, and when Goetz was finished Gus said simply: “And that goes for me too.” When the interview was terminated Capone called Gus back into the room, and for a second time took his hand. “You’re a smart lad,” he said to Gus. “You’ve got too many brains to be in the kind of rackets you’ve been in. Now I’m putting you on my payrollfor$200aweek.Fromnowonyou’remyman,andyou’requitting that other stuff. You stick with me and I’ll stick with you, and everything will be okay.” 12 Fr ankie Yale 71 72 al capone and his american boys “Ray Nugent and Bob Carey are good boys and they’ll do whatever I tell ’em,” Gus replied. “I’ve no faith in them for they haven’t any brains, but if it’ll do you any good, and if they’ll keep their noses clean, I’ll have them put on the payroll too,” Capone conceded. In the meantime the Toledo investigation had extended into Chicago , and on Capone’s advice Gus took a cottage in Calumet City, and took Goetz, Nugent and Carey with him. Mrs. Goetz and I took furnished rooms in Hammond, Indiana, where the boys often visited us. WhenthepoliceappearedtohavegivenuptheToledoinvestigation, Gus and I moved to Riverside, near Cicero. Shortly after that Gus told me he had received orders from the Capone syndicate to take “Lefty Louie” Campagna and George Goetz to New York “on a job.” “I can’t tell you what it’s about, and don’t expect to hear from me until I get back,” Gus said. “Capone has given strict orders that no one of us communicate with Chicago. What I mean is, we’re on our own.” It was Lefty Louie, held highest in Al Capone’s esteem, who violated the order. He started telephoning his girl long distance, and at his example, Goetz telephoned his wife. Often Lefty’s girl would telephone me saying, “Come over tonight, Georgette, Louis is calling me and you can say hello to the boys.” One morning while Mrs. Goetz and I were together, Lefty’s girl called and told us the boys would be home soon. When I asked her how she knew, her only answer was: “Read the papers.” Mrs. Goetz went out for the paper, and it was headlined with the murder of Frankie Yale, properly spelled “Uale,” a former Chicago crime king. The Yale killing took place on July 1, 1928, in New York City. [Yale, or Uale, from an original spelling of Ioele, lived in Brooklyn but visited Chicago. Georgette makes no mention of Burke, although he was later suspected of this crime.] “If she knows what she’s talking about it’s because Lefty told her,” I informed Mrs. Goetz, “and if she’s right the boys will be home soon.” And three days later they did come back. Late on the evening they arrived I was sitting on the porch when Bob Carey drove up. Gus took him into the front room but I could hear every word they said. [44.200.193.174] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 13:47 GMT) Frankie Yale 73 “That fellow Louie burns me up,” Gus told Carey. “The damn fool telephonedhisgirlfromhismother’shomeinNewYork.Telephonecalls are easy to trace, and already the girls know as much about the deal as we do.” AfterCareyleftItoldGusIhadoverheardhim.Ihadtakenmyusual cry out on the porch, and was curious to know how the Yale killing was accomplished. “You didn’t know him,” I said. “How did you locate him?” “Well,” Gus...