This is a possible title for my upcoming documentary about the Kansas City mob war of the 1970s. This is the story of the ruling Civella brothers, Nick and Cork Civella and the upstart young Turks, Nick Spero and his brothers, Mike, Joe and Carl Spero. A quick overview if you don’t remember the multi-episode […]
Last Brother Standing Read More »
For our media on Monday, the Kansas City Mob is the subject of your interview of a retired Kansas City Star reporter who covered the Kansas City Mob extensively in their 1970s heyday. Harry Jones developed sources deep within the mob and federal and state law enforcement. He even shared one professional informant used by
Harry Jones Kansas City Mob Reporter Read More »
On June 26, 1975, Carl “Cork” Civella, brother to KC Mob boss Nick Civella, and Carl “Tuffy” DeLuna were at thier favorite table inside the Villa Capri bar when they discussed Las Vegas casino problems in very cryptic terms. What they did not know is the FBI had a hidden microphone picking up every word.
Civella and the Villa Capri microphone Read More »
Bill Norton covered the Kansas City mob boss Nick Civella and the crime beat for the Kansas City Star newspaper from his first day as a reporter. In the 1970s, the KC Police Department furnished a bare bones office with one desk and a telephone for the crime reporter. Bill did not report to the
Nick Civella – A Reporter’s View Read More »
I was invited to do a Facebook Live interview with KC Star reporter, Ian Cummings. This is called the Beer Hour and we met at the craft beer joint called the Kansas City Bier Company. I talk about my career in the KCPD Intelligence Unit working with the FBI to investigate the “River Quay Mob War”
Gary Jenkins Talks Mafia Read More »
Morris A. Shenker was a St. Louis lawyer who represented Midwest mob figures in the 1950s and became a lawyer for Jimmy Hoffa and the $700 million Central States Teamster’s pension fund. He encouraged the pension fund to invest in Las Vegas casinos. During the 1970s, Shenker borrowed several million personally and bought the Dunes
Jimmy Hoffa and Morris Shenker Read More »
In this third and final interview, we learn that the mob did not give nicknames to anyone except the people they believed were helping them in their skimming efforts so it is a bit suspicious when the mobsters called Harry Reid, Clean Face. A good example was a State Gaming Agent named Bybee, when they
Harry Reid is Clean Face part 3 Read More »
In this second part of the Bill Ouseley interview, we learn more about the inner workings of Las Vegas casinos and Las Vegas politicians and why they were suspicious of Clean Face Harry Reid. Don’t forget to listen to Aaron on the Big Dumb Fun Show, live on Monday nights. To go to the store click
Harry Reid is Clean Face Part 2 Read More »
In the first of a three part interview with retired F.B.I. agent William Ouseley, we discuss the lessons learned from the Las Vegas wiretaps that exposed the Kansas City, Chicago, Milwaukee and Cleveland mob’s skimming from the Stardust and the Tropicana. In those intercepts, agents learned that a man named Joe Agosto had been able
Harry Reid is Clean Face Part 1 Read More »
In Part 2, Frank goes into more depth about his work with the Hole in the Wall Gang. Spilotro obtained inside information that the owners of Bertha’s jewelry story in Las Vegas kept as much as a million dollars in jewelry and cash inside the safe. They planned to commit this burglary on the long
Frank Cullotta and Tony Spilotro Part 2 Read More »
