A shorter, earlier version of this story can be found here. They may be merged at some point.
In March 1974, Joseph Basile was at a tanners convention where he attempted to recruit women to work as prostitutes. On March 9, he rented a room at a motel to use as a “command post” for girls to come and drop off the money they earned. There were a total of four prostitutes working for Basile, and they would go between Angelo Fazio’s restaurant at 1601 North Jackson and the motel. Basile, Jack Schlechter and Herbert Holland were to take one-third of the gross, Fazio’s bartender Jimmy Taugher was to take 10% and Fazio opted to take nothing, saying he would make up the difference due to increased business. The women charged $50 and made $1,400 over three
days at the convention.
On November 24, 1974, the funeral of Ralph Capone (brother of Al Capone) was held at Engstrom Funeral Home in Hurley, Wisconsin. John Capone attended, as did Iron County district attorney Alex J. Raineri, Angelo Fazio of Milwaukee was also present. (Within a decade, Raineri would become a judge and then be convicted for involvement in prostitution.)
Sid Caesar opened a three-week run of “The Prisoner of Second Avenue” beginning on January 28, 1975 at the Center Stage Dinner Playhouse. The story was a black comedy from Neil Simon, which coincidentally was also released as a film just as Caesar’s Milwaukee run was ending.
February 6, 1975: At Pipito’s request, Herbert Holland arranged to have a 23-year old woman meet Caesar at the Astor Hotel. The next day, Holland approached Pipito for the money and Pipito said he would have to get it from Frank Balistrieri at the Center Stage. This conversation on the money was overheard by Teddie L. Pecha. A few days later, Pipito gave a check for $150 to Jacob John Schlechter, who turned it over to Holland. (For more on Schlechter, see the episode on the Northbrook Inn fire.)
Later in February 1975, Pipito approached Thomas Garrella and asked for “three broads for a party with Sid Caesar;” in return for this, Pipito said he would speak to “someone” about getting Herbert Holland’s bail lowered. Holland had een arrested February 14 and was in jail on $105,000 bond for two counts of armed robbery for an incident in Greenfield. (Garrella had five criminal convictions and first met Pipito while both were in Waupun prison.) The women chosen agreed to go on the understanding it would help get their boss out.
March 5, Judge Hugh O’Connell wrote a note to Judge Carl Bjork expressing his opinion that Holland’s bail could be lowered. Bjork reduced the bond to $50,000.
On July 19, 1975, the Apollo Weight Lifting club (1915 West Hampton) closed its doors in exchange for a guarantee that prosecutors would stop their case against it, as they believed it was an illegal massage parlor (i.e. brothel). City prosecutor David Felger said he would hold the case open for two years to make sure there were no tricks. Herbert Holland, 31, had been charged with operating a massage parlor without a license. Michelle Payne, 21, was charged with massaging without a permit and allowing her client to be unclothed. Holland was facing fines ranging from
$7,000 to $24,000, making closure the obvious choice. Holland told reporters that he felt he was forced out of business because he simply couldn’t afford to risk the costs of court. He hinted that he might reopen the business outside of city limits. Felger said that might be enough to bring the charges back. “We don’t live in an isolated vacuum,” he commented. “We’re concerned also about the surrounding suburbs.” The newspaper noted that only the city had anti-massage parlor laws. The county and state had no such laws.
Assistant District Attorney Thomas Schneider and a state agent flew to California to speak with Sid Caesar on September 24, 1975 in relation to a John Doe probe conducted by Judge Elliot N. Walstead. Authorities would only say the probe was related to “a convicted felon with ties to organized crime,” but the questioning of Caesar made it obvious the target was Anthony Pipito. Upon his return, Schneider spoke with the FBI and informed them he was trying to ascertain how many people Pipito had set up with local prostitutes.
October 24, 1975: Five men were charged with prostitution offenses for the incidents outlined above: Anthony Pipito, Angelo Fazio, Joseph Basile, James Taugher and Craig Kuper. All were released on a signature bond for $5,000, besides Pipito who was held on $50,000. Additional charges were expected. Fazio, when arrested, had a concealed .38 revolver on him that he was not authorized to carry.
On October 31, 1975, Anthony Pipito, 38, was bound over for trial for soliciting prostitutes for comedian Sid Caesar by Judge Patrick J. Madden. During a break in the hearing, Pipito told reporters, “They’re letting five people go to get me.” Indeed, Caesar, another man and three prostitutes were granted immunity to testify against Pipito. A 23-year old prostitute said she met Pipito and Caesar at the Astor Hotel on February 6, where Caesar “was mumbling his words.” She stayed roughly an hour and performed a sexual act. A 22-year prostityte testified that she and another woman met Caesar at a hotel room later in February and both performed a sex act. (The women were granted immunity and their names were not publicly disclosed.) Pipito was also bound over on a charge of extortion after Thomas Garrella testified that Pipito had threatened him not to tell what he knew about Pipito, the prostitutes and the pimp, Herbert Holland. Pipito was working as a set designer at the Centre Stage Dinner Playhouse, where Caesar was performing “Prisoner of Second Avenue”.
A preliminary hearing on November 5, 1975 saw two of the four charges against Anthony Pipito dropped. The next day he was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and had his bail set at $40,000. His trial was scheduled for January 7 by Judge Victor Manian. Pipito protested his high bond, saying, “I made all my court appointments and arraignments.” I’m trying to “better myself; I’m not going out and sticking up anyone.”
While in the underground parking lot of MacArthur Square near the Safety Building, Pipito got into an exchange with prosecutor Thomas Schneider. Schneider did not want to lower Pipito’s bail, and the prisoner blurted out, “I could give you the guys who killed Fazio and Pogrob.” He further said, “Hey, Schneider, what are you trying to do to me, you little punk?” Schneider allegedly replied, “Justice.” Pipito shot back, “I’m going to beat these raps and throw a drink in your face. You just wait till I get out.”
December 9, 1975: Pipito had petitioned the federal court to force the state court to lower his bail. Federal judge John Reyolds said Judge Victor Manian was within his rights to set bail as he saw fit. Reynolds added, “Havin examined the materials available to Manian at the time bail was set, including Pipito’s rather considerable previous criminal record, it does not appear that such discretion has been abused.”
December 15, 1975: Pipito’s defense attorney, Robert Sosnay, filed a motion to delay a hearing scheduled to see if Pipito had violated his parole – he had been paroled in October 1974 on charges of armed robbery. Sosnay argued the hearing should be after the prostitution trial, otherwise Pipito might be returned to Waupun and then found innocent. Sosnay further said it could be “six months or longer” before the parole board got around to letting him back out. Judge William Moser rejected that and said the hearing could happen.
January 5, 1976: Craig Kuper, 23, was to go on trial for his role in securing women for Caesar. He pleaded guilty and was given one year probation.
January 7, 1976: The trial of Pipito began, with Thomas Schneider as prosecutor and Robet Sosnay for defense. A jury pool of 20 was reduced to 12 (8 men, 4 women) – all but one said they knew who Sid Caesar was. Before opening remarks, Sosnay requested that references to the Mafia and Frank Balistrieri be banned from the court. Schneider said Balistrieri’s name was going to come up because of he managed the Center Stage. Judge Victor Manian said he could not prevent Balistrieri from coming up.
January 8, 1976: Sid Caesar testified and confirmed that he had sexual relations with three women who were introduced to him by Tony Pipito. He added that Pipito had also supplied him with marijuana. Caesar said he paid one of the women $220; he was asked if he argued over the price, and Caesar said, “You don’t fight with a girl.” The money was later returned to him by Pipito. Caesar’s testimony was favorable to Pipito; he said that Pipito drive him from the Center Stage to the Astor Hotel each night, and it was Caesar who asked if Pipito “knew any girls in town” and asked again another time, as “I was getting a little lonely.” (Not favorable in the sense that Pipito wasn’t involved, but in the sense that he was not the instigator of the arrangement.)
January 9, 1976: Herbert Holland testified that Pipito called him and said “he needed a girl to have sexual intercourse with Sid Caesar.” When Holland asked for money, Pipito said “he had to get it from Frank Balistrieri.” A few days later, Holland was paid $150.
January 12, 1976: Thomas Garrella testified concerning Pipito, “I was scared and I still am.” Garrella said that just before indictments came down, Pipito spoke to him at Sally’s Steak House. “I was to tell Herb Holland, Craif Kuper and the girls not to testify against him or else he was going to kill them… I asked him if he meant me. He said yes.” Garrella claimed he stayed home all weekend because he was afraid of running into Pipito. One of the women involved was with Garrella at the time and testified, “Pipito was glaring at me. It was like he had daggers in his eyes. He scared me.”
January 13, 1976: The defense had two surprise witnesses – Patricia K. Slutske and Roberta Pipito, Tony’s ex-wife. Both testified that on February 6 after the Center Stage wrapped up for the day they met with Pipito at Libby’s Lounge and stayed there until 2:00am. The women were confident on the date because Roberta had received a divorce from another ehusband that morning and they were celebrating.
In closing arguments, defense attorney Robert Sosnay described Pipito as simple a “nursemaid” to Caesar, and asked, “Why is Anthony Pipito being singled out?” Indeed, none of the women or Caesar were charged for the crime. Prosecutor Thomas Schneider said, “The defendant did everything but turn back the covers on the bed and tuck them in.”
January 14, 1976: Pipito found guilty by jury for soliciting a prostitute. They found him not guilty of threatening a witness. The newspaper speculated that the jury accepted defense’s argument that if the threat was so serious, Garrella would have reported it sooner and Pipito would have been arrested faster – not an entire month later. The next day, Pipito was sentenced to three years in Waupun by Judge Manian. The judge said, “The testimony revealed that there is an undercurrent subculture in Milwaukee which operates outside of the law and of which the defendant had intimate knowledge… I think the verdict reflects the feeling of the citizens of Milwaukee that prostitution is not to be tolerated in this community.”
January 15, 1976: Judge Thaddeus Pruss bound over for trial James Taugher and Joseph Basile, but dismissed soliciting charges against Angelo Fazio. All three were related to the tanners convention in March 1974. Prosecutor Thomas Schneider felt Fazio’s charges were dismissed because the judge, an elderly man, became confused and did not hear all the evidence. Joseph Balistrieri, defense for Joseph Basile, was confrontational with the testifying prostitutes, threatening to “go toe to toe” with a 20-year old he thought was being a smartass, and accusing a 25-year old of making faces at him. He then called her a “pig.” Balistrieri also corrected their grammar. Although the judge did not co ahead with Fazio’s charges, he did comment, “If he tolerates shady people in his place, the Common Council should take his license away.” Schneider said he would reinstate charges against Fazio, and add a charge of carrying a concealed weapon.
January 19, 1976: Judge Frederick Kessler was upset when he heard the allegation that O’Connell was influenced to lower bail for Holland. He wanted an investigation. “I believe that to allow those charges to go unanswered, if they are not true, those types of rumors would tend to destroy the confidence that this community has in the integrity of its court system. If they would be true, and God help us that they are not true, I would think those matters ought to be vigorously pursued. And it would, I think, be a tragedy of mammoth proportions if those types of charges would have any basis.” DA Michael McCann said he was aware of the allegation, and had investigated it as best he could, but “The information remains unsubstantiated in material ways.” Those who would be able to confirm it were not cooperating. Asked by the press for comment, O’Connell said, “This is ancient history. The situation remains unchanged. Any allegations like that are unfounded and false.”
Angelo Fazio, 62, was convicted of soliciting prostitutes at his Landmark Restaurant (1601 North Jackson) on August 19, 1977. He was sentenced to three years probation, fined $1,000, and banned from operating a restaurant or tavern by Judge Victor Manian. Police officers Robert Kliesmet and Jerome Dudzik had written letters on Fazio’s behalf. Other letters came from lawyers, a judge, nuns, waitresses and businessmen. Defense attorney Henry Piano said these people “think it’s a damn shame that he’s suffered such tremendous political pressure for a stiff sentence.” Piano argued that Fazio was raising two step-children and was not in great health. Prosecutor Richard Trujillo countered that one of the prostitutes that Fazio had working in his restaurant was only 17 years old. Piano said that the prostitutes were working for “thugs and hoodlums” and that Fazio was not receiving money from them, although he did know they were there.