Chief Johnson received an anonymous letter on June 8 that read, “My husband loses most of his money betting on basketball games. Why do you let a bookmaker like Dick Milcarek operate?”
April 13, 1962: Bobby Pick and Richard “Dick the Polack” Milcarek were reported to have returned from Florida. Milcarek was expected to run a book at 1612 North VanBuren for Steve DiSalvo.
May 25, 1962: The FBI followed Richard Milcarek around beginning on this day. They followed him regularly through July, watching him talk on the short wave radio he had in his car. He would hang out at the Cup and Saucer Coffee Shop (7312 West Greenfield). Milcarek was usually alone but sometimes met up with Joseph Alioto and/or Anthony “Sheriff” Cefalu.
Special Agent John Holtzman stopped by Wyngate Tower (3014 West Pierce) on June 4, 1962. He noticed that apartment 414 was listed to Sheriff Cefalu in the building’s directory. Holtzman again stopped by on June 26 and found Richard Milcarek’s 1960 Thunderbird parked nearby. The car had an extra antenna and a shortwave radio.
On the morning of September 5, 1962, Sheriff’s Deputy Edwin Marlowe was at Lloyd’s Restaurant (3514 West National) where around 11:00am he overheard Richard Milcarek receiving the “line” on a baseball game from a pay phone and then calling another local person with the line. From there, Milcarek left and went to Anthony Cefalu’s apartment. Marlowe apparently contacted his boss, Sheriff George Witkowski, because a raid was ordered. Witkowski spoke with Milwaukee police, who tried to discourage Witkowski, explaining they were aware of the gambling and that an ongoing police-FBI investigation was underway. Inspector Raymond Dahl explained that the apartment was part of a “much larger gambling operation in the middle west.” The FBI, according to Dahl, was attempting to find where the gamblers were getting their odds. But Witkowski ordered the raid anyway, and four men were arrested: Anthony Cefalu, Richard Milcarek, Joseph Alioto and Steve DiSalvo. Police confiscated betting sheets, racing forms and two short-wave radio receivers. They found two telephones. During the raid, Deputy Marlowe sat by the phones and answered about 35 calls, giving out odds on horse races and baseball games (numbers he just made up). DiSalvo had actually shown up mid-raid, claiming to be an electrician, but the police knew better.
On the morning of April 26, 1963, FBI agents met with the SAC and it was decide to open a 165 (ITWI) case on “The Office” in order to focus on this gambling location. Because the Office appeared to be a fixed location, and the men attached to it could be added or removed, it made sense to have a file on this place instead of the specific men involved (though they each had a file, too).
September 13, 1963: An informant who was in daily contact with “Sheriff” Cefalu said the Office had been losing money all season, and policee would be doing them a favor by raiding them. How they paid debts was unknown, and it was possible Chicago was covering the difference. The informant said they were able to make some money thanks to fixed horse races.
On March 20, 1964, Judge Coffey closed his John Doe probe after 21 months. The final seven people to be charged were: Clarence Smith (commercial gambling), Martin Azzolina (commercial gambling), Steve Halmo (commercial gambling and false swearing), Morris Fuhrmann (setting up pinball machines for gambling), James Stecher (setting up pinball machines for gambling), John Piscuine (accepting bets), Anthony “Sheriff” Cefalu (accepting bets).
February 1, 1965: Sam Librizzi was booking out of his home and not associating with the Office.
September 23, 1965: An informant said Izzy Tocco quit the Office because it was doing poorly and could not even pay him. Two weeks later, an informant said the Office was doing poorly financing and having trouble paying off Jewish bettors, which was making them upset.
October 19, 1965: An informant told Agent Thompson that Sheriff Cefalu was never known to have a legitimate job in his life, other than when he ran the Colony Bar for a few years. Cefalu met with people at the Highland House, and it was possible Cefalu had gambling money invested in the Highland House, but did not know this.
November 8, 1965: An informant told Thompson and LeGrand that Sam Dentice was engaged to the divorced daughter of baker Peter Sciortino. Sam’s brother Peter Dentice split his time working at Gallagher’s for Balistrieri and LaVeer’s for Carmelo LaVora.
January 31, 1966: An employee of Nelson Brothers Pontiac called the FBI and said other employees of the business were calling in sports bets, sometimes with amounts going up to the thousands of dollars. He said the “runner” was Sam Dentice, who came by each week to collect or pay winnings. Dentice, according to the man, drove a Pontiac.
March 17, 1967: IRS agents battered down the door of Apartment 305 at 809 North 27th Street after no one answered the door. Inside was Sheriff Cefalu, sports schedules, odds lines, betting slips and other signs of gambling. No money was found. Cefalu, already a convicted gambler, faced new possible charges once evidence was turned over to the US Attorney. “We have other evidence and other information or we would not have gone there today,” said IRS agent Edward Gunther. “He has used apartments in that vicinity over a period of years.”
June 8, 1967: An informant said he was taking his family on a road trip to California to visit Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm, so would not around to inform until mid-July. Based on the context, it seems this person was informing on Dominic Frinzi and Sheriff Cefalu. This informant believed that Balistrieri relied on the cut of gambling money to live on his standards. His legitimate businesses do not make enough for him to live so lavishly.
July 25, 1967: the informant (back from Disneyland) said there’s conflicting reports about “The Office” gambling operation. Some said it was in debt, while others said it was ahead. The only one who would know for sure was Sheriff Cefalu. Other gamblers paying off to Frank Balistrieri included Frank Sansone, Tony Petrolle, Tom Machi, and Steve DiSalvo.
IRS agent Frederick Stieber entered the Cudahy Tower Apartments (925 East Wells) on October 11, 1967 with the intention of searching Sam Dentice regarding gambling in Apartment 52 at 903 E. Kilbourn (Isadore Tocco’s residence, registered under the name George Kender). Stieber first approached Dentice on the street, but Dentice refused to be searched in public. Even inside, Dentice resisted and tried to hide in a phone booth. Stieber pulled him out and then Dentice choked Stieber to get free. Dentice was arrested for assaulting a federal officer and released on $500 bond. $675 was taken from Dentice’s pocket as evidence, and his 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix was impounded. Betting slips and gambling paraphernalia were in the apartment. Two telephones were installed, including one under the name George Kender. His attorney at the initial appearance was Joseph Balistrieri. Dentice had not claimed employment in years – his last alleged job was as “owner” of Continental Music, a Balistrieri enterprise at 2559 North Downer.
October 17, 1967: An informant was in Joseph Balistrieri’s law office, apparently as a social visit. While there, a call came in and after the call, it was explained to the informant it was a woman who saw Dentice get arrested. She was going to testify Dentice was being manhandled, so his “assault” on an agent was merely self defense. The informant expressed to Balistrieri that either way, Dentice was a “damn fool” because assaulting an officer is so much worse than a gambling charge.
On November 30, 1967, an informant told the FBI that with all of Frank Balistrieri’s gambling operations, he was probably clearing $5,000 each week.
On April 19, 1968, an informant said “the office” gambling operation was being run by Sheriff Cefalu, but they did not know the location of the office or which phones were being used.
June 26, 1968: IRS agent Frederick Stieber testified Sam Dentice choked him in the Cudahy Tower Apartments lobby the prior October. Agent Kermit Duehring said when he approached Dentice with a warrant, Dentice “refused to believe I was a federal officer and had a legitimate warrant” and “used some very bad language.” Defense attorney Joseph Balistrieri said the affadavit that led to the search warrant was insufficient for probable cause. Without a search warrant, there would have been no resisting arrest or assault. Judge Reynolds said he would think on it.
July 3, 1968: The FBI interviewed Frank Daddabbo at his apartment (2815 South 14th Street #3). He said his employment was manager of the apartment he lived in, as well as part-time bartender and also working in the cigarette vending business. He declined to say the places he bartended or what cigarette route he had. Daddabbo specifically denied knowing about “The Office” or that he worked as a “runner” for Frank Balistrieri. Agents noticed he had a diamond ring on his left pinky finger. They also noticed a beat-up Oldsmobile registered to Daddabbo with multiple dents and a cracked window. An arrest record check showed only traffic violations. A check with the credit bureau showed previous employment at AMC as a welder, and two years with Balistrieri Brothers. (A month later, Daddabbo had switched out his 1960 Oldsmobile for a 1962 Cadillac.)
September 18, 1968: Through physical surveillance of Steve DiSalvo, the FBI found “The Office” at 431-437 North 27th Street, Apartment 220. The next day, the FBI made a check at “The Office” (2726 West Clybourn) in the morning, around 9:45am. They saw Frank Daddabbo and Sam Dentice on the property. When checking back in the afternoon around 5:30pm, they saw gamblers Sam Dentice and Sheriff Cefalu. New AR files were opened on Daddabbo and Cefalu on October 3.
September 22, 1968: Frank Daddabbo and Sam Dentice attended a Packers game at Milwaukee County Stadium. The Vikings beat the Packers 26-13. (It was a shitty season for the Packers.)
The FBI watched 431-437 North 27th Street on September 24, 1968 between 10:40am and 3:40pm. They saw Sheriff Cefalu wandering on the second floor in the hallway and in apartment 220. At 12:08pm, Sam Dentice was seen walking from “the office” on Clybourn over to North 27th. At 4:38pm, both Dentice and Cefalu walked back to “the office”.
Sam Dentice was seen walking outside “the office” on the afternoon of September 26, 1968 and had 35mm photos taken. The next day at 3:40pm, Anthony Cefalu was seen walking around there.
The apartment manager spoke to the FBI on September 27, 1968 and told them Apartment 220 was originally rented by a woman for a six month period, and now the apartment lease continues on a month to month basis. Since signing the papers, the woman has not been seen again and instead cash is slid under his door (#101) the first of each month by an unknown person. The man (after viewing photographs) said he saw Dentice and Cefalu there during the day, but the apartment was vacant at night. The air conditioner was run at all times, but the only thing in the apartment was a television and a transistor radio.
October 1, 1968: Steve DiSalvo, under constant tail from Milwaukee police, drove to Gary, Indiana and then to western Illinois before police lost him. The trip was to mess with them and waste time.
On October 1, 1968, the FBI followed Sam Dentice, starting at 8:30am around 1611 North Jackson. Around 8:50am, he was at Sciortino’s Bakery (1101 East Brady) and picked up a panel truck to make deliveries with. The truck was registered to Arthur Sundberg. He made deliveries to the A&P Tea Company (808 East Ogden) and the John Ernst Cafe (600 East Ogden) before they stopped following him. Checking back at 2:24pm, they found Dentice at the North 27th Street apartment.
The FBI surveilled around “the office” on October 7, 1968 and saw Anthony Cefalu get dropped off there by a Checker Cab around 10:40am. Frank Daddabbo was also seen.
October 18, 1968: An informant said Joey Balistrieri (Peter’s son) was running gambling and keeping track of the line at Gallagher’s. He may have been calling in bets to the Office. Collections and payoffs took place on Mondays, at either Pitch’s Lounge or the Belmont Hotel coffee shop. The Scene was seeing fewer “Negroes” and more hippies, which Frank Balistrieri was not happy about.
The FBI spoke with the apartment manager again on November 6. The man turned over the envelope the rent had been paid in, so the agents could check for prints. He had recently been in the apartment to fix the refrigerator and did not see anything of interest other than a short list of phone numbers that was left out. He was of the opinion they were only a small operation and catered to a very limited clientele. The envelope was processed and a print from Sam Dentice was found.
A former bookie spoke with the FBI on December 4, 1968 and said the Office had lost $10,000 in the last two weeks. He knew this because Sam Dentice had called him and asked if he was still booking and could take some layoff action. The man informed Dentice he was no longer booking.
On December 15, 1968, the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 28-27 at Wrigley Field. The game was so close that it left many Milwaukee bookmakers scrambling for money.
An informant told the FBI on January 16, 1969 that Sheriff Cefalu was in the hospital for an unknown reason. Once he was out, Cefalu was expected to vacation in Houston. At this time, betting at “the office” was low because they weren’t active during basketball season. Things would pick up again in the spring with baseball and horse racing. (FBI memos noted it was very common for bookies to vacation January, February and March as this was “off season.”)
March 26, 1969: An informant said he had been to the Harness Races in Chicago with Sam Dentice. While there, Dentice said (redacted) had been put in charge of the books at the Office while Sheriff Cefalu had been ill, and they was “juggling” the books. While the amount Dentice was aware of was small ($96), he indicated that if Steve DiSalvo found out there would be serious consequences.
After a year and a half, Sam Dentice had his day in court and was found guilty of assaulting a federal officer on April 2, 1969. Judge John W. Reynolds put him on two years probation.
Sheriff Cefalu had a fatal heart attack on April 13, 1969. His wake was attended by Steve DiSalvo, Frank Stelloh, Frank Sansone, Joe Pisciune, Sam Cefalu, Sam Librizzi, Sam Dentice, Isadore Tocco, Fred Aveni, Paul Bogosian, Sid Brodson, Angelo DiGiorgio, and Tony Petrolle.
On April 25, 1969, a $17,144 tax lien was filed against Sam Dentice, with the government claiming that Dentice had not filed taxes on $170,000 of gross gambling receipts.
The Office was shut down May 20, 1969 and telephones were removed from the apartment. According to one informant, Sam Dentice and Frank Daddabbo could not be trusted with money. An informant told the FBI on May 28 that following the death of Sheriff Cefalu, Sam Dentice took up full-time employment with Sciortino’s Bakery. He was no longer involved in gambling.