anaheim-gazette 1952-06-25

Waxey Gordon, Prohibition Baron, Dies at Alcatraz of Heart Attack By ROBERT WELLS SAN FRANCISCO (P)—Waxey Gordon, who rode in armored limousines when making two million dollars a year as underworld boss of New York's prohibition breweries, died at Alcatraz last night—as plain Irving Wexler, a sick old man under one prison sentence and facing another. Gordon, 63, was stricken by a heart attack at the federal prison hospital. He was charged as kingpin of a huge coast-to-coast heroin racket. He was already under a 25-year New York state prison sentence for peddling narcotics. When arrested in August, 1951, he fell to his knees on a New York street, sobbing: "Please kill me—shoot me. I'm an old man—I'll die in prison." He was right. GORDON'S UNDERWORLD career dates back to 1905, when he was arrested as a pickpocket. He rose to power quickly in the hectic 20s—but fell fast in the 30s and 40s. He picked up his nickname—a mangling of his given name and Gordon as a convenient alias—when he left Elmira, N.Y., reformatory after his first arrest. Thereafter he was arrested 20 times, charged with assault, larceny, homicide, receiving stolen goods, income tax evasion, World War II black marketings and way productions. He was reputed to have an arrangement with his principal rival, the infamous Dutch Schultz, whereby the two divided the Greater New York area into separate preserves. IN 1933 TWO of Gordon's lieutenants were cut down by gunfire in the only recorded attempt of gangland to knock off Waxey. Two years later Schultz was mowed down. By that time Gordon's luck had turned. Convicted, like Chicago's Al Capone, of income tax evasion, he was sentenced to 10 years in Leavenworth (Kas.) federal prison just four days before the prohibition law died in 1933. Testimony disclosed his breweries netted him a personal profit of $4,555,537 in 1931 and 1932—while he paid an income tax of $2,616. Released from federal prison in 1940, he signed a pauper's oath. He attempted a comeback in the rackets, but failed. In World War II, he dabbled in He rose to power quickly in the hectic 20s—but fell fast in the 30s and 40s. He picked up his nickname—a mangling of his given name and Gordon as a convenient alias—when he left Elmira, N.Y., re-formatory after his first arrest. Thereafter he was arrested 20 times, charged with assault, larceny, homicide, receiving stolen goods, income tax evasion, World War II black marketing—and finally narcotics law violations. He was convicted 10 times—mostly for minor offenses early in his life. From operating a pool hall on New York's lower east side, he branched out into bootlegging in the early 20s. Soon he controlled the output of several illegal breweries, forcing out other racketeers. He lived in a $6,000-a-year Manhattan apartment, sent his three children to expensive private schools and backed Broadway. James Bleeker Arrives in SF SAN FRANCISO (AP) — The transport Gen. William M. Black is due here Thursday, June 26, with 2930 Army combat rotation troops from Korea. Men from California included M/Sgt. James W. Bleeker, 615 W. Broadway, Anaheim. LONG BEACH, June 25. (AP)—The heavy cruiser USS St. Paul, which lost 30 crewmen in the explosion of a gun turret in Korean waters April 21, is in port for an overhaul. Capt. Frederick C. Stelter said after the ship docked yesterday that the crew of 1250 officers and men will be given leave. WHILE GORDON WAS in Sing Sing, and later, in Attica, N.Y., prison, narcotics agents completed their probe of his activities. On March 7, an indictment in federal court here named him as boss of a huge network of dope distributors and peddlers, receiving heroin from soamen off ships in New York and passing it on at enormous profit. Twenty two others also were charged. He was brought here for trial, held for a time at the county jail, then transferred to Alcatraz because he didn't get along with other prisoners. Of the 23 indicted, 10 have pleaded guilty, two are fugitives and 11—including Gordon—were awaiting trial August 18. Now there are 10. You're always... "IN THE SWIM" with Jantzen DREAMLINER... All nylon, all beautiful, superlatively shirred to nip you in and narrow you down. Beautiful Jantzen fully-lined bra uplifts and accents... elasticized top stays up sans stays. Reverse grain shirring gives you genuine foundation control through the hipline. Jantzen's patented free-riding inner-panty feels wonderful while you swim. Remove the strap for sunnier sunning. Fast-drying all-nylon Taffeta woven with Laton... Large variety of high colors. 32-40 ... 18.95 Many other models starting as low as... 8.95 JANTZEN CLARICE SPORTSWEAR 219 W. Center—Anaheim—Phone 2305 RAND and McNALLY'S Latest ROAD ATLAS. 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