July 5, 1962: Frank Paul Zeidler (socialist mayor of Milwaukee from 1948 to 1960) was interviewed at his home by SA Richard Thompson. Zeidler said he was a student of politics and would give his summary of how he saw organized crime in Milwaukee. Frank Balistrieri is the “key” to organized crime and has “important ties” and influence over city government. Balistrieri is “tied in” with city attorney John J. Fleming, and through Fleming he can “control” the city council. The only clean aldermen were Martin E. Schreiber (Ward 7 and council president) and James J. Mortier (Ward 1). “Badly susceptible to control” were aldermen Alfred C. Hass (Ward 3), George W. Wittow (or Whittow, Ward 10), Bernard B. Kroenke (Ward 13), Rod Lanser (Ward 15) and Harold J. Janowski (Ward 11). Zeidler did not know how Balistrieri maintained control, but suspected it was in exchange for entertainment. Not mentioned by Zeidler was Vel R. Phillips (Ward 2), who was friendly with Balistrieri.
Several years ago, Zeidler heard that Hass and Kroenke were at Gallagher’s and Balistrieri picked up the check. Zeidler told police chief Howard Johnson about this, and within an hour of telling Johnson, both aldermen came forth insisting they had paid for their own meals. Zeidler wasn’t sure how the aldermen heard of his phone call to Johnson, but suspected journalist Ketroff of the Milwaukee Sentinel might have been in Johnson’s office when the call came in and ran to tell the aldermen. Jankowski once commented that he didn’t “favor” Balistrieri, but that he entertained very well.
Milton McGuire was an alderman in the downtown ward and always favored Balistrieri. He had recently been appointed deputy city treasurer. Stanley J Witkowski, now dead, was city clerk for many years and was “bosom buddies” with Balistrieri, which helped in licensing matters.
(Around October 12, 1957, the Milwaukee Police Department advised they were not in favor of Frank Balistrieri getting an amusement license for the Villa Venice at 2603 West North. City clerk Stanley Witkowski issued a temporary license anyway. On November 12, 1958, an informant told SA McArdle that Balistrieri’s best political connection is through city clerk Stanley Witkowski. Witkowski gives Balistrieri advance notice of what topics will be taken up at city council meetings, and has an influence on the licensing committee. Allegedly, Witkowski would often be drunk in a Balistrieri tavern and Frank would have a female employee take him home. Nothing improper was implied. On March 18, 1962, an informant said Stanley Witkowski had a $30,000 estate and left $5,000 of that to Frank Balistrieri. George Witkowski, a Milwaukee sheriff, was also believed to be compromised, though I’m unsure what relationship he had to Stanley.)
The new clerk was Ray Markey. Zeidler believed Markey was Italian, though not Sicilian, and might be “scared into going along with the Balistrieri mob.”
Zeidler believed Henry Maier, the current mayor, had aspirations of creating a political machine much like Chicago that would perpetuate itself for years to come. In order to do this, he was “soft” on the criminal element in exchange for votes. (I don’t really know how this works.) Maier had made appointments favorable to labor, which in turn keeps the labor press from speaking unfavorably about the city government. Zeidler said that Maier was not in line with Lucey, head of the state Democratic Party. Lucey believed that Maier was “controlled” by the Balistrieri faction.
Maier appointed to the Police and Fire Commission Ted Kurtz and Peter Palvolich, who were both favorable to Balistrieri. The one person stopping “bad police promotions” was Richard Block. Block had wanted Raymond Dahl promoted to inspector rather than Harry Kuszewski. Zeidler said that there were “allegedly” multiple meetings to get Kuszewski into an inspector position, including a meeting attended by Mayor Maier at Ralph Capone’s house in Mercer, Wisconsin. (I think this sounds absurd, personally.) Balistrieri probably had no influence over Captain George Fuhr, but Fuhr could be influenced by Balistrieri ally Captain George Sprague.
Along with John Fleming, Balistrieri also had influence over Ray Fleming, clerk of courts, who in turn was influential over county politicians. The two Flemings have “some kind of hold” over Captain Steve Dolan.
Zeidler believed Balistrieri had influence over Frank Ranney, and therefore the Teamsters union and the labor press. He further thought Balistrieri had influence over George Haberman, head of the AFL-CIO, and this allowed Balistrieri to keep labor candidates that he preferred in political positions.
He had influence over state government through Wayne Wittow, brother of alderman George Wittow. And also through assemblyman Greco. (This is possibly Joseph A. Greco, son-in-law of Sam Ferrara. Other FBI investigations suggest that Greco was clean.) George Wittow had placed a bid on Hillside Housing Project. For some reason, the Balistrieri crowd did not want him to get it, and through loan shark Harry Kaminsky was able to bribe Wittow to back down with a new car. The project contract instead went to Leonard Steich of Horizon Homes. Wittow was also able to acquire a lot of land in Granville (Brown Deer) on a “soft buy,” which Zeidler suggests came from some improper influence on the county.
Attorney George Bowman was allegedly formerly under the influence of the Balistrieri crowd, but has come around in recent years and has been exposing them. Zeidler did not know why the change of heart. Judge Robert Hanson was “very well informed” on the Milwaukee Mafia because of his time as a district court judge. He allegedly knew the mob’s “pipeline” into the IRS. Hanson was a former law partner of John Fleming and county executive John Doyne. Zeidler said Doyne had once been a defense attorney for Balistrieri but had since “pulled away.” Zeidler believed he had been threatened in some way.
Alderman Allen R. Calhoun (Ward 18), Balistrieri’s closest friend at city hall, was close friends with jeweler Hilmer Christopher and they threw a big party for Inspector Schmidt of the Milwaukee PD. Christopher is also close to George Wittow, and was active in helping people run for office, though was not a politician himself. Alderman Zillman oversaw Jones Island. Eugene Koenen, one of Balistrieri’s attorneys, had a drive-in restaurant on the island, and had also tried to get a piece of the Municipal Pier.
Paul O’Brien, a former writer for the Milwaukee Journal, works for the Balistrieri mob (Zeidler did not specify how, but I believe he was a private investigator). Gilbert Kelly of the Teamsters Union once tried to organize cheese factory workers. At one place, he was told it would never happen because the management was run by the Mafia. Zeidler did not know where, but said Kelly was a good man despite working with Frank Ranney.
Lastly, Zeidler had heard that Balistrieri went to the mayor and asked him to get the city out of the rubbish hauling business. The conversation turned into a shouting match. The mayor said he could not do such a thing, but could present the idea to the city council. Maier allegedly said he could make the argument that the city has had ongoing tensions with the union, and Balistrieri could get the union to cooperate with making that tension known.
George Whittow resigned as alderman in 1966. He is not mentioned elsewhere in my notes.