Juvenile Sam Librizzi, 14, was arrested on December 8, 1934 for gambling, but was released by Lieutenant H. Dox. Librizzi was arrested September 13, 1935 for throwing stones at an automobile. Librizzi was arrested on December 13, 1937 for sneaking into a theater and was sent to the Detention Home. Librizzi was arrested for suspicion of larceny on February 11, 1938 but was released the next day by Sergeant Louis Dieden.
A cab driver was robbed on December 12, 1939. Suspected of being the robbers were Sam Librizzi, John Vitrano and Richard Farino. The three men were released by Captain Adolph Kraemer when a positive identification could not be made. (Vitrano was later arrested for armed robbery in 1956. A man named Richard Farino witnessed his wife being kidnapped in 1931, but I’m unsure if this was the same man.)
Sam Librizzi was arrested for suspicion of burglary and rape on August 25, 1942 but was released by Captain Adolph Kraemer.
Sam Librizzi (808 East Brady Street) was arrested February 5, 1954 for being at an obscene stag party. His bail was set at $150. The party took place at the Hayloft Tavern (9355 North Port Washington Road), and resulted in the arrest of 247 people — the largest vice raid in Milwaukee’s history. Exactly what occurred there in unclear (probably just screening 16mm porn), but Librizzi was the only Mafia-connected patron to my knowledge.
On Tuesday, December 28, 1954, officers arrested Cono “The Weasel” Librizzi, 39, for obtaining $24.50 worth of concrete under false pretenses. His brother Sam, 35, and mother Josephine, 62, were arrested for disorderly conduct and obstructing justice for trying to stop officers from arresting Cono. The extended Librizzi family, including Sam and Cono, shared a residence at 808 Brady Street. Cono had a long history of being involved with a burglary ring (the same one as Louis Fazio) and acting as a pimp for an underage girl, among other crimes.
Sam Librizzi was arrested May 8, 1956 for selling fake soap, but was released.
On June 17, 1961 Sam Cefalu applied for a liquor license for Sammy’s 808 Club at 808 East Center. Cefalu had previously operated Sammy’s Place at 1758 North Water. The previous licensee for 808 Center was Stanley A. Ziol, 51, who lived at 810 East Center and apparently was a legitimate businessman. (Sam’s wife Rosalyn worked for the U.S. Postal Service.) Cefalu had served probation 1945 for assault and battery, and in 1958 was operating a bookie joint near the corner of 11th and Juneau with a very select clientele. The Cefalu family in general was law-abiding, with Sam being the black sheep – though he was really only drawn to bookmaking, not the rough stuff.
On August 30, 1961, an informant told the FBI Sam Librizzi and Sam Cefalu were handling football and basketball pools from a “headquarters” at 2752 North Holton. The same informant reported on September 16 no football or basketball pools had been run by Librizzi or Cefalu in the past week due to too much “heat” from federal authorities. More tickets were expected to come up from Chicago on September 19, but there was no guarantee anyone would handle them. On September 24, the informant said no football or basketball was being handled, but horse races were booked.
On September 29, the informant said that football tickets were picked up from a printing firm in the Great Lakes Building in Chicago on September 26 and were sold through the 808 Club and from Cefalu’s house. On October 3, the informant said Cefalu and Librizzi had taken in $2,000 from tickets on September 30, and he expected them to send a runner to Chicago to pick up tickets for the following weekend. On October 7, the informant said the tickets were moved to the homes of two Cefalu brothers (presumably in order to throw off the authorities).
An informant told the FBI on October 10, 1961 that Sam Cefalu and Sam Librizzi had stopped selling football tickets because they were visited by a sergeant from the Milwaukee Vice Squad and told that “heat” was on from federal authorities. The informant believed the men would likely pick up the tickets anyway and allow someone else to handle them. He thought they might get handed out that evening at Trio’s Pizzeria or the French Quarter tavern, both in the 1000 block of East Brady Street. (Surveillance that evening from 10:00pm to 2:10am by Special Agent Richard Thompson saw no such activity at either location. A white over black Rambler station wagon did leave Trio’s at 2:18am, with a license plate tracing to a man in Kenosha. It was seen heading south on Milwaukee Street.)
On October 12, an informant told the FBI that Trio’s and the French Quarter did receive their football tickets around 2:00am on October 11 as planned. He further said that the owners were told not to accept any tickets by the Vice Squad, as the FBI was in the vicinity surveilling them.
An informant told the FBI on December 11, 1961 that Sam Librizzi and Sam Cefalu had gone broke operating their gambling of basketball, football and horse races again. They asked (redacted) to contact Felix Alderisio. Alderisio was able to get them $3,000 to stay in business, and the pair went to Chicago the morning of December 11 as they needed the funding badly.
An informant told the FBI on December 14 that besides the 808 Club, Sam Librizzi operating a booking operation from the back room of Badger Home Insulation Company (814 East Center).
An informant told the FBI on February 12, 1962 that an East Side Italian man was handling the basketball pool formerly run by Sam Librizzi and Sam Cefalu, as they considered it too hot. This man was receiving his tickets from the printing firm in the Great Lakes Building in Chicago.
A member of the Milwaukee Vice Squad called Sam Librizzi at his tavern and Sam Cefalu at home around 5:00pm on March 5, 1962 to warn them of a raid and advised them to clean up their gambling materials. A few things were missed and the Vice Squad found them and brought both men to the police station. While there, a sergeant allegedly “bawled both of them out” for not having cleaned better. Apparently no charges were brought.
A federal grand jury investigating gambling in Milwaukee commenced March 6.
District Attorney Hugh O’Connell called Special Agent in Charge Joseph L. Kissiah on March 7, 1962 and informed him that he had gambling items from raids that may be of interest to the Bureau. He further advised that a grand jury would be investigating gambling and that both Sam Librizzi and Sam Cefalu were subpoenaed. Salvatore Cefalu and Sam Librizzi were subpoenaed and testified before the federal grand jury on March 8.
The FBI was provided with the Librizzi and Cefalu betting books from the past week on March 10, 1962. A captain from the Vice Squad was there when the books were handed over, and he said he was unable to decipher them.
A bettor met with August Palmisano on March 18, 1962 at the coffee shop/bar in Milshore Bowling Alleys on West Capitol. Palmisano was collecting money for the bets that a man named Eisler lost. The man said he could not pay, and Palmisano suggested that the man’s mother had money. The man told Palmisano to leave his mother out of it. Palmisano then said, “You have friends in the police department. We have friends, too. I am not threatening you, but someone else could take care of you.” Palmisano then met up with Sam Librizzi at the other end of the bar, and they drove off in Librizzi’s Pontiac.
On March 20, 1962, August Palmisano pulled a co-worker at American Motors aside and said, “Sammy wants you to pay off.” The co-worker owed $621, a debt he could not afford to pay.
Special Agent Richard Thompson came to American Motors on the evening of March 21, 1962 to interview August Palmisano. Palmisano did not want to answer questions about how long he had been booking. He was then warned that the Bureau had received complaints of him threatening people who could not pay gambling debts, and since those people were now under federal subpoena, any further threat would be obstruction of justice. Thompson also talked to another employment and was given two college basketball schedules printed by the Angel-Kaplan Sports News Service.
Around 9:00pm, Thursday, March 22, 1962 the IRS arrested tavern operator Sam Cefalu; bartender Sam Librizzi; and American Motors employee August Palmisano. Cefalu was picked up at his tavern (Sammy’s 808 Club) at 808 East Center Street, and Librizzi was picked up from his residence in the rear of the tavern. Palmisano was at work. The law required gamblers to register and pay a tax, which these three had not done and were charged with engaging in the business of accepting wagers without having paid tax. On the raid were four deputy marshals, six tax agents, US Attorney James Brennan, and Brennan’s assistant William Mulligan. The arrested men asked for attorney Dominic Frinzi, but he was out of town and attorney Norman Schatz appeared in his place. U.S. Commissioner John McBride set bail at $5,000 each. Schatz asked to have bail lowered, pointing out “the charge these men are facing doesn’t even carry a prison sentence, but merely calls for a fine.” Schatz was told by Brennan that “several of our citizens who gambled with them have been threatened.” Albert Steinlieb of the Bal-Fran Bonding Company paid their bail.
On Saturday, March 24, 1962, US Marshal James H. Dillon criticized the use of armed IRS agents in the gambling raid two days prior. He ordered that in the future, only trained men should have firearms when accompanying his four permanent deputies. He also asked that there be no more appointments of temporary deputy marshals; the tax agents in the raid were deputized by Robert Flaig, Dillon’s assistant, on the orders of James Brennan (who was not armed). Dillon had been out of town, attending a federal marshals conference in Chillicothe, Ohio. He said, “There was no need to deputize anyone. We can conduct those raids ourselves. We don’t need to use anyone who isn’t completely familiar with firearms. We have a lot of people who like to play cops and robbers, you know.” Paul T. Rheaume, head of the intelligence division of the IRS, admitted his men had not been armed since November 1960, but assured the press that they were legally allowed to have guns and were required to take an annual test. “They have the privilege to go down to the range whenever they want to. I did myself two weeks ago,” said Rheaume. Brennan told the press that Dillon was worried because he was responsible for raids, but had nothing to fear from the IRS and their guns. “They had them snapped in their holsters so tight they could not have gotten them out in five minutes,” Brennan said.
On Wednesday, March 28, 1962, Judge Kenneth P. Grubb lowered the bail for Sam Cefalu, Sam Librizzi and August Palmisano from $5000 to $1000 on a motion from Attorney Dominic Frinzi. Frinzi argued that a man recently convicted under the anti-Communist Smith Act was released on $5000 bond pending appeal, which would therefore making the same bond for misdemeanor gambling the “excessive bail” barred by the Eighth Amendment. Frinzi further chastised the arrests, pointing out, “Eleven people arrested these three people on a misdemeanor. I would have willingly helped save taxes by producing these men. And 9:00 at night was no time to make such an arrest. If you wanted evidence, it would be better to make such an arrest between 11 and 12 when gambling activities are at their height.” (Horse books close at noon.) Grubb asked Frinzi, “Were these violent characters? Are you sure there wasn’t a Dillinger in the group?” Frinzi said he had grown up with the men and they had lived their entire lives in Milwaukee, not presenting a flight risk.
Various gamblers held a meeting at Maniaci’s tavern on North Avenue on March 29, 1962 to discuss what they would do about the new rule saying they had to pay 33% of their earnings to the syndicate. No decision was reached, but they feared if they refused that one of them — most likely Frank Sansone — would get killed.
On March 30, 1962, a federal grand jury (in session since March 6) indicted Cefalu, Librizzi and Palmisano for the same charge as earlier in the month: failure to pay a gambling tax. This was following the testimony of five witnesses: Sam Schmerling of Kenosha; Theodore Azzarella, 57, 509 West Keefe Avenue; Allis-Chalmers timekeeper Eugene Bristow, 33, 2571 South Superior Street; Helen Kotecki, 1831 North Cambridge Avenue; and an unnamed FBI agent.
Librizzi, Cefalu and Palmisano pleaded not guilty on October 8, 1962. After denying motions for dismissal, Judge F. Ryan Duffy set a trial date of February 15.
On Wednesday, April 24, 1963, Northway Tavern bartender Otto Ocepek, 49, was granted immunity by Judge Robert E. Tehan (granting a motion by prosecutor Philip Padden) to testify about his gambling dealings with Cefalu, Librizzi and Palmisano. Ocepek said that Palmisano had given him the phone number to place bets, Cefalu took the bets from his phone at his tavern, and Librizzi made the payoffs.
On Tuesday, December 10, 1963, Federal Judge Robert Tehan sentenced six gamblers for failing to purchase a $50 gambling tax stamp. They were William F. “Buddy” Werner, William “Red” Becker, William W. Goldmann, Salvatore Cefalu, Sam Librizzi and August Palmisano. Each was given a fine between $1000 and $3000, with Werner receiving the harshest penalty: a fine and a year of probation. Werner, although not Mafia-connected, was well-known in Milwaukee as both a gambler and a former high school basketball star. When he died seven years later from cancer, the local press mourned his passing. Becker’s home at 3949 North 15th Street was Werner’s base of operations. Sentences had not yet been handed down to two other gamblers, Raymond C. Hobert and Raymond L. Mirr. Mirr was accused of running a bookmaking operation out of his business, the Supreme Dental Laboratory. Mirr will come up again in a future story.
The wake for Salvatore Anthony Librizzi, 50, was on July 10, 1970 at the Guardalabene and Amato funeral home. He was the operator of Libby’s Cocktail Lounge and Libby’s South. The newspaper said he had the nickname “The Book” and was among the first ever to be arrested for federal gambling violations. Those present included Steve DiSalvo, Frank Balistrieri, Thomas Machi, August Palmisano, Sam Cefalu, Frank Sansone, Walter Brocca, Joseph Enea, and Peter Balistrieri.