Carlino, Sam. On direction from Governor Polis, the Department of Public Safety will soon announce a Statewide Task Force to work with the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority to better understand the underlying causes of increases in Motor Vehicle Theft and to develop a statewide strategy to reduce motor vehicle thefts. On January 29, 1974, just six months after LaGaurdia was hit, Pizzalato was found murdered as well. Federal agents said the heavy sentences levied against the brothers brought to an end a gambling empire which at one time grossed millions of dollars in slot machines, racetrack betting and other illegal operations.. An icon of a desk calendar. Six Crimes that Altered Life in Colorado Forever - Uncover Colorado Okay, lets quickly touch on the Pueblo LCN before we close the episode. Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone talks with a group of people in 1953. So they did all those good things so that the law enforcement would look the other way and everybody would be happy. The first of the trio of brothers whod built the family would pass away in the early 90s when Eugene Checkers Smaldone died of a heart attack at the age of 81 on March 10, 1992. Apparently during the proceedings, both Smaldone brothers attempted to rough up some photographers after entering the Federal Building. This mans name was John Skip LaGuardia. Raffaele Smaldone (the father of the Smaldone brothers) was born in Potenza, Italy in 1882, and at the age of two immigrated with his parents Gaetano and Katrina to the United States. He used to tell Chauncey and Paulie. By the 1990s the Smaldone family as it was constituted in its heyday was nearing the end. Now you would think that the brothers story would end there, but it seems they had a bit of luck on their sides. Everyone knows about Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde and the family from The The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has posted the 2020 crime data for hundreds of statewide law enforcement agencies through the Colorado Crime Stats website. April 28, 2023 Testimony continued Friday in the Letecia Stauch murder trial; she stands accused of killing her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch. Despite the dangers, Clydeever the ambitious and calculating businessmansoon found that the possibilities to make money in selling hooch were incredible and made the decision to start his own business, at first partnering with local hood Roxy Stone. Twenty-eight years after her death, a pair accused of being parties to the brutal killing of young pregnant woman Angela Blackmoore are preparing to stand trial. There are more laws that appear to me that have been broken than just tax evasion. Clyde Smaldone smokes a cigar while shielding his face from photographers in 1951. WebAny person who is a victim of a criminal act or such persons designee, legal guardian, or surviving immediate family members if such person is deceased, shall have the right to be heard when relevant, informed and present at all critical stages of When Barnes hit the starter, a massive black-powder explosion demolished the sedan. One of these men, a former lawyer named Charles S. Vigil, had been appointed as the U.S. District Attorney for Colorado in 1951 by President Harry Truman, who himself of course was famously mobbed up and was an acquaintance of none other than Clyde Smaldone. A family of four who vanished months ago has been located, according to the Newton, Illinois, Police Department. And that brings us back to where we began this story, in 1933, just after the assassination of Denver gang lord, Joe Roma. Eugene Checkers Smaldone would be quoted by police as saying: Maybe I like to go hunting. By the 1970s, the family struggled with independent bookmakers who, at this point in time given that theyre starting to lose ground, no longer recognized the Smaldones as in control of all gambling in Denver. After both the Carlinos and the Dannas were wiped out, Giuseppe Joe Roma had filled the power vacuum and was the dominant mafiosi in most of Colorado from 1931 (after having Sam and Pete Carlino, aka The Al Capone of Southern Colorado whacked in the process) until meeting his own grizzly demise in February of 1933. So on July 26, 1973, LaGuardia was driving home from the Alpine Inn, a hangout for gamblers and other underworld figures at 3551 Tejon Street. The Most Notorious Colorado Mobsters - OnlyInYourState Man on trial for alleged sexual violation of Christchurch bar Mama Despite their denials, Smiling Charlie Stephens, Clyde and Checkers Smaldone as well as another man, would be arrested and charged with conspiracy. Now the last thing Ill say about Clyde is that he was known to have a big heart. Louis F. Smaldone (left), second cousin the the Smaldone brothers, who was arrested as part of their jury tampering case in 1953. Thereafter the deceased and his friends were pushed from the club by one Ricci and one Parlato who was the manager of the club. Angela Blackmoore murder: Pair deny instrumental roles in her The Smaldones were well known for giving back to the community. Police officers and EMS performed life-saving measures, but James Gamino died on the scene. Ultimately the trial would be dismissed after a verdict was unable to be reached, with a new trial being scheduled for September 1953. We welcome comments on how to improve this websites accessibility for users with disabilities and for requests for accommodations to any State of Colorado services. It wouldnt take them long. He was also a liquor store and bar owner. Paulie, in addition to running Gaetanos, would also get into bookmaking, where his reputation was flawless, meaning that when he won he collected, but when he lost he paid pretty quickly. According to sources, Charley didnt have the look of a mobster (he wore large thick glasses), but had a stout build standing just 55 and weighing close to 200lbs, and a long arrest record that included pinches for burglary, grand larceny, and weapons violations and did jail-time on several occasions. Each of the men were sentenced to 180 days in jail. And on October 16, 2006, the final member of the Smaldone organization passed away when Clarence Chauncey Smaldone died in hospice at the age of 82. Depending on who you talk to, they were either modern-day Robin Hoods or shoot-em-up Mafiosi straight out of a gangster flick. From their bar on Tejon Street, the brothers would sell everything from black market liquor to simple daily items like canned goods, sugar, butter, meat, shoes, clothes, etc. If this kind of information came out in the past, writers would be getting Pulitzer prizes when Pulitzer prizes meant something. Clyde Smaldone, cigar in mouth, standing on a Denver sidewalk in front of cars sometime in 1940s. He wont pay me the money he owes me. The remains of the vehicle of Leo Barnes, allegedly targeted for assassination by Clyde Smaldone, Checkers Smaldone, and Smiling Charlie Stephens. John J. Kincilja Jr., who was a Pueblo police officer from 1960 to 1997, would say the following about Spinuzzi: [Scotty] was plain old mafioso. Five victims Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25,her eight-year-old son Daniel Enrique Laso, Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21, Julisa Molina Rivera, 31, and Josu He would immigrate to New York City and ring up several arrests in the New York and New Jersey area before moving west and settling in Pueblo, Colorado, though hed become a naturalized citizen in February of 1920 while still residing in New York. Of course hindsight is 20:20, but I bet he really wished hed just paid his tax given all the trouble it caused. To keep up the pressure, in February of 1953, Clyde, Eugene, and 29 associates would be hauled into court over an allegedly fixed dice game at a pool hall on 7057 Federal Blvd. In 1956, at age 32, Chauncey would be arrested for the first time on a gambling charge when he and seven others were busted at a house on 3357 Navajo Street for running an illegal barbooth game. Eugene Smaldone would plead guilty and would do a year in prison as a result. But Checkers wasnt all intimidation; with a few drinks under his belt, those at the bar would hear him launch into an impromptu one-man opera performance. list may not reflect recent changes. With Checkers and Clyde gone, it was Chauncey and Paulie who ran the familys operations, and it was generally understood in the Denver underworld that they were in charge, and they did their best to hold things together for the family until the older brothers got out of prison. 'Read the full story: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12014459/Trump-calls-Bidens-crime-family-Watergate-times-10.html?ito=msngallery, Hunter Biden's lawyers have meetings this week with the Department of Justice, but it is unclear what steps might be taken against the president's son. Clyde looked every bit the part of an Italian-American mob boss, of average height and above-average weight, dressed immaculately in expensive suits and the look punctuated by an ever-present cigar. Clyde Smaldone and his defense attorney shake hands with jurors in courtroom celebration which followed the acquittal verdict in 1953. For inquiries, email me at:[emailprotected], 2023 The Members Only Podcast. Charley Blanda was born in Ames, Iowa in 1899, but at some point would move to Colorado where he would reside permanently. Eugene "Checkers" Smaldone (right) and Clarence "Chauncey" Smaldone walking on a Denver sidewalk in 1982. Similar to other mobs around the country, gambling presented itself as a major potential source of revenue, and the brothers would jump in head first. So not only did Denver have the largest population in the state, it was growing at a faster rate. Additional arrests for bootlegging, reckless driving, more burglaries, impersonation of police officers, receiving stolen goods, hijacking, and brawling would follow. And there are a lot more Bidens involved than just the president's son and his brother.' Joseph James Scotty Spinuzzi is the last of the Pueblo mobsters that Ill cover, and in my opinion the biggest gangster of the bunch in terms of his reputation. At the time, Smiling Charlie Stephens was running a popular restaurant and casino with a local gambler named Leo Barnes. Some of the highlights from this years Colorado Crime Stats report include: Colorado reported 30,942 incidents of Motor Vehicle Theft in 2020, reflecting a 38.6% increase compared to 2019 numbers. Calogero "Charles" Blanda (left), Boss of the Pueblo LCN Family, from 1931-1953 being led from a courtroom in the early 1950's with another Pueblo LCN member, Tom "Whiskers" Incerto (right, hat covering face). The History Press. The judge in the case, Judge J. The issue was with Chaunceys ex-wife Pauline. As a result, Checkers second trial was immediately postponed and Clyde Smaldone, as well as associates of the family (and actual blood family members) cousin Louis Smaldone, uncle Fiore Fat Smaldone, as well as associates Michael and Jerry Benallo Jr., and William Willie Calvaresi were all arrested on charges of conspiracy related to the testimony coming out of the grand jury. As a class 2 misdemeanor, resisting arrest carries up to 120 days of county jail time and/or up to $750. Hopefully that will be of interest to viewers since other families arent talked about nearly as often. Back In The Day, This Quiet Colorado Town Was A Mafia Mecca As I mentioned in the first episode of this series, nobody really knows for sure except those involved who killed Roma, but it certainly looked very suspicious from a law enforcement perspective to be seen at the victims house less than two hours before he was shot and killed. None of his friends dared call him that. Now as I covered at length in Part One, bootlegging would become a critical driving force in the development and advancement of the Mafia across the country. Colorado Crime My hope is to cover most of the history behind this family which ran most of the rackets in and around Denver, Colorado throughout the 1930s through the 1980s. of Justice Coletti would open a club, called Club Melody, in the 1940s, but outside his mob rackets he would become most known as a prominent member of the cheese industry, and was partners in the Colorado Cheese Company with none other than Joe Bonnano, whod taken up residence in nearby Arizona in the 1940s. No pun intended, but this bust would give authorities all the ammo that they would need to convict Checkers Smaldone, Chauncey Smaldone, as well as Paulie Villano on charges of loan-sharking, income-tax evasion, as well as firearms violations. Unfortunately for Clyde, that very same day hed also be sentenced to 4 to 6 years for his part in (of all things) a $450 robbery of a cigarette, candy, and popcorn truck in Caon City, Colorado. So if you remember, the brothers Clyde and Eugene would be released from Leavenworth and would return home to Denver in 1934, but by that point things had changed. They would scout their rivals to find out where they kept their liquor, and when the opportunity was right theyd swoop in. Clyde Smaldone was said to have related the following about Blanda: Charley Blanda was kind of the big guy in Pueblo..