1674-4 Estes Kefauver Behind The Front Page
C:). •
ccf.-. Katzentine Led
0 Fight On Mobs:
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By JOHN PENNEKA_MP
THERE WAS A $TRONG cops and robbers complex
in AA"'rankllatzentine; rmer mayor of Miami Beach,
who died Sunday:-',-.0', •
It always was applied in the direction of law enforce-
ment.
And, to it can be attributed the breaking up of the
one-time stranglehold of organized vice here as well as
the reduction in multiple gem thefts from wealthy visitors
to his community.
In the 1940s a block of 23rd were afraid to risk their necks,
St. in Miami Beach became As the names of those as.
the daily and nightly gather- sociated in the venture came tri
ing place for hoodlums,whose light they received some
names were household words threats, but these were genet
because of their e, a.. ally ignored.So were the smear
association with z^ `' campaigns directed against the
top level crimes members.
. ::
in New York, • There developed the strong-
Chicago,Detroit,- est kind of pressure from a
on the West as' substantial segment of the
Coast and else-, ' Ui.business community who believ.
where. � �- ed_that the area's future de-
At least one ' pended upon what became
had a "legiti- known as the"liberal policy."
mate" office in It meant winking official
the same Miami t_ eyes at law violations. Some
building in Pennekamp public officials had been elected
which Katzentine conducted his on that platform, making
law practice. He dealt in charg• things easy for the mobsters.
ed water. "If people can't enjoy gam-
A bookmaking syndicate bang and other vice here they
ruled Miami Beach,with strong won't come," was the effect of
city hall controls, and the Cos- the argument.
tello-Erickson- forces muscled * * *
in through a chisel in the hands . ADDITION to those who
off a former Capone henchman. honestly believed that, there
Others, with long records of were many others doing a lu-
arrests and some imprison- crative, legitimate business
mate were taking over lesser with the criminal element(sell.
mate South Florida businesses ing them real estate, supplying
and using pressure tactics in
expanding them. their yachts, etc.) who yielded
* * * to their pressure to get the
KATZENTINE called a Katzentine group to "call off
meeting of represedtatives of the dogs."
the newspapers and radio sta. The radio programs used to
tions — there were no televi- open with the rattle of ma-
sfon outlets—in his offices to chine guns and the sing of bul-
see home material which Dan lets. i'
Sullivan, ex-FBI agent now the Horrible to bring that into
the
director of the Greater Miami home,",-laid the hoodlums
Crime Commission, had assem• whq were making their living
bled. with th kind of "persuasion."
His book showed pictures of * * *
the "residents," their homes N, hawever, the protec-
here, their yachts and busi- t$dn under which racketeers
nesses and their criminal rec., and their joints were operating
ords. - fell away;police began to make
The group agreed to finance arrests.
a further exploration an to Major crimes elsewhere in
stand as a unit in bringitig the the United States were linked
situation to public attepfion. with the men who were here,
From Washingto came a using their presence as their
special representa ' e of the alibi when questioned.
attorney general. o tense had Katzentine and Senator Es- -
the situation b me that he ter Kefauver were long time
moved his f y into hiding friends, dating back to his at-
, before coming o Miami. tendance at Vanderbilt Univer.
* * * sity.
WHEN S LLIVAN had ex- The combination, togetherpanded his;J'ecord it was decid- with the national attention
ed to draatize its contents which the united attack on
in a series of radio programs entrenchment had attracted,
and newpaper exposes under brought the Kefauver Commit-
, ' the gen al title; "Crime: The tee here in the early days of
t Sinister plot." its investigations. The Dade
Each week a fresh crook was County Bar Association inter-
exposed -on 13 radio stations ested itself and evolved the
x and in the newspapers. present Crime Commission.
Sullivan,Katzentine and oth- Organized crime ran for cov-
er station employees had to act er, and the atmosphere of
the parts for radio; regular ac- Greater Miami "breathed
tors refused employment, they fresher."