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Frank Balistreri and the Milwaukee Mob

Venmo me @ganglandwire

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To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup  click here
Gary talks to Milwaukee author and mob historian Gavin Schmitt about the history of the Milwaukee organized crime family. One of the first things we learn is that Milwaukee rarely enforced the Volstead Act and consequently, the mob was important in smuggling from Canada but inside the city of Milwaukee, it was hard to tell that alcohol was a banned substance. Gavin continues to explain the rise of the Frank Balistreri crime family.

Frank Balistreri became to head of the Milwaukee family and he was instrumental in Midwest organized crime activities. Frank Balistreri and the Teamsters are the most current and important stories we discussed. He was able to help influence the Central State’s Teamster’s Pension Fund to loan money to Allen Glick to buy the Stardust casino. In return, Glick ensured the mob could skim money from the count rooms.

Gavin Schmitt has several books on Milwaukee crime. For your purposes check out The Milwaukee Mafia: Mobsters in the Heartland

Show notes by Gary Jenkins

Venmo me @ganglandwire

Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee”



To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup  click here

To rent Brothers against Brothers, the documentary, click here. 

To rent Gangland Wire, the documentary, click here

To buy my Kindle book, Leaving Vegas: The True Story of How FBI Wiretaps Ended Mob Domination of Las Vegas Casinos.

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