James S. Duardi and the Oklahoma Connection part 2

In this podcast, learn how a mob hit gone wrong can be ignored by a Federal judge because of a disagreement with the Strike Force. The U.S. Strike Force was formed to cut though jurisdictional boundaries and eliminate inter agency rivalries. In major American cities with La Cosa Nostra families, the Department of Justice created a separate division titled the Strike Force. Each city had an Assistant U.S. Attorney to lead the Strike Force. Several other attorneys were hired to prosecute Strike Force cases. Each Federal agency like the F.B.I., A.T.F. , D.E.A., Agriculture Dept, I.R.S. and ImmigrationBill Ouseley assigned agents to the strike force. They were to select high value targets like Nick Civella, Cork Civella, Tuffy DeLuna or Jimmy Duardi and later drug kingpins were added to the targets.

Bill Ouseley explains the result of the Oklahoma case and how the Strike Force works.

Gangland Wire

6 thoughts on “James S. Duardi and the Oklahoma Connection part 2”

  1. During this whole “Mr. Yuk” club saga, I was in junior high and high school in Grove. I remember all this. My father had just gotten out of the DA’s office as assistant DA before Frank Grayson took over. We lived next door to Jess Roberts on the lake. I remember Jess and another man I didn’t know coming over late one night and accusing my dad of knowing Jess would be shot. Dad denied it saying, “That’s a f___ing lie.” I was scared, to say the least. I remember Les Ferris at our house, as well as George Husong. I played drums in a band on occasion at Jack King’s Showboat club. I remember dad saying he had to testify before a grand jury. I remember my dad in the evenings saying he was going to go get cigarettes, and he would then go to the Yuk Club, coming in sometime before daylight. One morning one of my dad’s sport jackets had been hung over the ceramic owls at our neighborhood’s entry gate, and the jacket was shot full of holes. Another time, my dad’s car was dragged out of the lake at a road close to our house. My dad told me people were waiting on him with guns at our road, so he had to go straight ahead at a high rate of speed and drive his car into the lake, swimming out of the sinking car, and walking the lake shore home to our house. I remember all that. Wild times in Grove, Oklahome in the ’70’s. Damn!!!

    1. Thank you for you input. That was a wild time down there. I know an IRS agent and KCPD detective were down there poking around and they had a car load of guys from the Mr. Yuk club chase them. they got out onto a highway and lost them. Jimmy Duradi died a couple of years ago. Did Cliff Bishop come in the Mr. Yuk a lot? Did they have a high stakes card game going? I know Duradi wanted to “open up” the county to liquor and gambling, how did you see that work?

      1. I don’t know if Cliff Bishop went in the Yuk a lot. I don’t remember my father mentioning his name. I was in junior high and high school during that time (I graduated high school in 1976), so I didn’t go in the Yuk. My friends and I would find places on the lake to party, because we couldn’t get in the Yuk. I don’t know about the high stakes gambling, but I do recall my father talking about the gambling and the prostitution. The Yuk had a single trailer (not a double-wide) set up right behind the club for the prostitution activity.

    2. One other thing, what part did George Husong and Les Ferris play? Another side story is Frank Grayson realized a=some heat was coming down from the feds, so he made an appointment with the agents working the case and came to Kansas City to offer his help in “cleaning out” the county. A friend of mine was in that interview and he said it was very obvious he was trying to cover himself.

      1. I didn’t realize George Husong was Frank Grayson’s “investigator” until I listened to your podcast. As far as I knew, my dad and George were just friends; drinking buddies. For some reason, I’m remembering that George Husong had a used car lot. My experience with Les Ferris was limited. I remember Les was at our house a couple of times, and I remember my dad introducing me to Les Ferris. My impression of Les was that he was a tall, young, good looking man…an impressive and imposing specimen. Someone to take seriously…plus, he was the only FBI agent I had ever been introduced to, and I was impressed. I’m thinking Les was at our house around the time my dad had to give testimony to the grand jury during the whole Yuk Club / Jess Roberts investigation. My father served as assistant district attorney in Delaware County (home of Grove and the Yuk) on and off for years. He’d be DA, then he’d practice privately in Grove, then back to DA, etc. I don’t really remember if dad got out of the DA’s office so Frank Grayson could take it over or what. I just know we moved to Grove in 1969 so dad could take the assistant DA position.

        1. Annette Elizabeth Barnes

          I know who you are J.S. I used to work for your Dad at this time in Grove from 1973 to 1974. I remember when all of this happened and i was being taped at the office by the FBI. It was a surreal experience as it was also during the time of the Watergate hearings when it was revealed that Nixon was taping everyone in the White House. All of those incidents that you detail I remember hearing about but had actually never seen in print. I left working for him in May 1974 when I returned to England. I am now back living in Sacramento, CA. It sure was a very interesting time.

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