Show Cities Ask Federal Help in Fighting Wide Nation Gambling-Crime Gambling Octopus A wide nation-wide project to expose and crack down on the big time gambling bosses of the nation who are allegedly the masterminds of underworld activity vice and crime has been set in moti motion m. m Just where this movement started It is a bit difficult to say Perhaps it began with the study made by the California California Cali Cali- alifornia ali ali- fornia commission appointed to study the whole problem of organized crime That commission reported last spring that the thc great and dangerous criminals of today are the heads of wide nation-wide crime syndicates s who live peacefully and luxuriantly enjoying a full sense of security and with complete confidence that they will not be disturbed in their criminal activities Some time later the American Municipal Municipal Municipal Mu Mu- association entered the picture Under the leadership of the associations association's associations association's associations association's tion's president Mayor deLesseps S. S Morrison of New Orleans Orlean the association has asked for federal aid in fighting a lIa tightly knit wide nation-wide network of crime Morrison claims this is so powerful that it threatens to take over the governments of several of the nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's key cities According to A M A information says Morrison there are two major criminal syndicates both rooted in the profitable gambling racket One syndicate says the A M A controls controls controls con con- the slot machines of the nation mid and andis midis d dis is h headed by Frank Costello who says Morrison is one of the most dangerous influences in America today and probably probably probably ably one of the 10 most powerful men in the country The other syndicate is the wire racing-wire service allied with the bookie business all over the nation This syndicate the A M A contends is controlled controlled controlled con con- trolled by the old Capone gang The municipal association does docs not deny local responsibility for enforcement of the laws against gambling and crime but it does insist the problem is no longer simply a local one Local officials are arc seriously handicapped in combating this menace they say by the fact that the supply lines communications and general general general gen gen- eral operations cut across municipal county state and even national lines Latest move is a senate judiciary committee decision to conduct an investigation investigation investigation gation of the thc wide nation-wide ramifications of organized gambling gamblin prostitution narcotics narcotics narcotics nar nar- rackets swindling extortion and murder Apparently if that investigation should prove the existence of a gre great gret t organized gambling crime gambling crime octopus congress congress con con- gress would be he asked to pass pass le legislation authorizing federal action against this menace If such a law is passed Attorney General McGrath has promised that the department of justice and the federal bureau bureau bureau bu bu- reau of investigation would speedily cripple the power of these great gam gam- criminal bling-criminal syndicates The significant point about this whole matter is the key role of gambling It is estimated that the annual take of gambling in iii this country is That is mighty big business It Itis Itis Itis is tempting to criminals racketeers and shady operators It can and does finance all kinds of vice and crime It corrupts politicians and law enforcement officers It buys its way into city halls and county court houses and state capitols yes capitols yes and into the national capitol itself If we are going to make gambling illegal and thereby put this profitable business into the hands of the underworld underworld underworld under under- world just as we put the liquor business into their hands under prohibition we must accompany our legal attack on gambling with a vigorous and persistent enforcement attack on both national and local levels If we want to really chop down the tree of crime and vice and racketeering which flourishes all too luxuriantly in this country we must cut cutoff cutoff cutoff off the roots which feed on the fat profits of organized gambling |