nized the extent of his connections and what this might mean to Youngstown. The then chief of police, Edward Allen, wrote immediately to Detroit to tell them that he was down there, and that he was coming in to distribute this machine that was being blockaded in the Youngs Mr. KAPLAN. Yes. Mr. KENNEDY. He went up and he was able to settle the one in Detroit, and then he came down into Ohio where there was another blockade? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes. Mr. KENNEDY. With the same company? Mr. KAPLAN. The same company, the same machines. Mr. KENNEDY. Did they call on Mr. Cammarata again? Mr. KENNEDY. What happened on that? Mr. KAPLAN. Mr. Cammarata broke the blockade. The background of it was this: They appointed an operator in that area who was supposed to both sell and/or operate the Seeburg machines against the opposition of the local operators who did not want to buy the new machines. In order to protect themselves against the then subsidized operator, Seeburg, they had an association and formed an alliance with what was then or what they established to be a branch of Mr. Presser's union out of Cleveland. This was at the time that Mr. Blumetti shortly made his appearance. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Presser is head of the Ohio Conference of Teamsters? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes, sir. At that time he was also head of this particular local. Mr. KENNEDY. He has appeared before the committee, Mr. Chairman. He declined to answer questions. Mr. Blumetti is now head of the Youngstown local which deals in jukeboxes? Mr. KAPLAN. It is a branch of the Cleveland local. But I think it would be interesting to note that at that time it was an Electrical Workers local, affiliated with the IBEW, and it was at that time that they took their members, en masse, over to the Teamsters. Anyway, the person that was in trying to place the Seeburg machines tried to get into the union after it became known that the union was going to picket his locations that didn't have a union service stamp on it, and he was refused admittance to the union. He complained to the police. He was also subjected to a considerable amount of harassment and violence, stench bombs, window breaking and other such. Additionally, the Seeburg distributors' representative in that area was informed by the police that they were dealing with a man of Cammarata's character when they first brought him in. Nonetheless, they went forward. Mr. KENNEDY. Cammarata was brought in to help this man who was having all these difficulties? Mr. KAPLAN. That is right. But he had these difficulties over a long period of time, and he then indicated to the distributor, who 36751-59-pt. 46-2 was headquartered in Cleveland, that he was going to pull out and he would no longer take all this punishment. They reassured him and said, "No, stay on. We are going to bring in Frank Cammarata and your troubles will be over." He didn't stay on anyhow. He wanted no more part of this. Mr. KENNEDY. What was his name, this man in Youngstown? Would you rather not give his name? Mr. KAPLAN. We would rather not give his name, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Let's see if I can get it straight. Was this individual in Youngstown who had the distribution of the Seeburg machines having difficulty trying to get into the local of the Teamsters Union? Mr. KAPLAN. No. At that time it was the IBEW. Mr. KENNEDY. Ultimately the Teamsters? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes. Mr. KENNEDY. He was having difficulty getting into the union. They wouldn't allow him in the union and they were harassing him by throwing stench bombs and by picketing his stops; is that right? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes; that is right. Mr. KENNEDY. So he indicated to the distributor that he was going to get out, that he couldn't take it any longer? Mr. KAPLAN. Right. Mr. KENNEDY. They told him that they would bring in Mr. Frank Cammarata to help and assist him in trying to end the violence? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. That is the place where you are at the present time? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Then did Mr. Cammarata come in? Mr. KAPLAN. Mr. Cammarata came in through the medium of a relative, Emmanuel Amato, who became the operator of these machines. Mr. KENNEDY. Emmanuel D. Amato then took over the distribution of the Seeburg machine in this area? Mr. KAPLAN. That is right, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. He took over from the man who had been harassed, who then left, and this relative of Frank Cammarata then took it over? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes. Mr. KENNEDY. Was there any difficulty after that? Mr. KAPLAN. They put 16 machines on location immediately. Mr. KENNEDY. So there was no difficulty? Mr. KAPLAN. No, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Is that correct, Mr. Cammarata? Mr. CAMMARATA. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate myself, on the ground of the fifth amendment. Mr. KENNEDY. How was it that you were able to stop the violence and the difficulties that the IBEW at that time was causing in the distribution of the Seeburg machines? Mr. CAMMARATA. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate myself. Mr. KENNEDY. Do you receive a percentage of the income from those machines at the present time? Mr. CAMMARATA. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate myself. Mr. KENNEDY. You set up gambling establishments in the Youngstown area, and you received income from those. Do you also receive income from these machines, the jukebox and other coin-operated machines in the Youngstown area? Mr. CAMMARATA. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate myself, on the ground of the fifth amendment. Mr. KAPLAN. I only want to point out that along with some of the relationships we have established on Mr. Cammarata with the Detroit group, that one of the reasons he is so close to Mr. Angelo Meli, who has frequently been alleged to be in control of the vending machine and jukebox situation in the Detroit and surrounding areas through his nephew, William Bufalino, stems from the fact that Frank Cammarata and Mr. Meli are very close from their early infancy. They were born in the same town in Sicily. This has been a longstanding affiliation. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. James Hoffa also gets involved in this, does he not, Mr. Kaplan? That is, as far as his relationship with Mr. Cammarata is concerned? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes, sir. Mr. KENNEDY. Do you know Mr. Hoffa, Mr. Cammarata? Mr. KENNEDY. On what ground? Mr. CAMMARATA. On the ground it might incriminate myself under the fifth amendment. Mr. KENNEDY. According to testimony, first by Mr. Robert Scott before the committee, and then confirmed by Mr. Hoffa himself on page 978, he interceded or attempted to intercede with the Governor of Michigan to obtain a pardon for you after you went back to Michigan State Penitentiary in 1953. Is that correct? Mr. CAMMARATA. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate myself under the fifth amendment. Mr. KENNEDY. Could you tell us why Mr. Hoffa would intercede on your behalf up there? Would you tell us that? Mr. CAMMARATA. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate myself. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Hoffa stated before this committee that he asked Mr. Scott, who was then secretary of the Michigan Federation of Labor, to go see the Governor and try to obtain a pardon for you. Could you tell us why he would do that in view of your background? Mr. CAMMARATA. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate myself under the fifth amendment. Mr. KENNEDY. You have been in touch, Mr. Cammarata, with most of the most notorious gangsters in the United States, in Miami, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York, have you not? Mr. CAMMARATA. I refuse to answer on the ground it might incriminate myself under the fifth amendment. Mr. KENNEDY. Do you have some of his other associates listed, Mr. Kaplan? Mr. KAPLAN. We run a whole gamut of the notorious hoodlums in the areas, the Bommaritos, the Licavolis, the Faharh gang, which has alleged control of gambling, vice, and illicit operations in Mahoning County. Mr. KENNEDY. That is Mike Faharh? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes. There are frequent allegations that Mr. Cammarata's role is to represent the more ranking echelon which is headquartered in Detroit and to represent their interests down there in the Faharh gang in their control and operation of these various activities. Mr. Cammarata has also been associated with a man called "Fats" Aiello, who went into the cigarette vending business just prior to this time, and was also able to do an extensive job of putting out his cigarette vending machines notwithstanding the difficulty a more reputable operator would have had against the same combination of local people, and this because of his obvious rank and connection. The CHAIRMAN. Is there anything further? Mr. KAPLAN. I might also point out that we interviewed Mr. Cammarata in prison in Jackson, and at that time he did speak with one of our investigators and denied even knowing any of these people. He did not refuse to talk to us at that time. He merely said he never met these people and didn't know anything about them, and didn't know what the whole thing was about. Mr. KENNEDY. But we have been able to confirm that these facts are correct, and we will have the testimony on them? Mr. KAPLAN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. The Chair has before him the original subpena served on the witness, Mr. Cammarata. It was served on the 24th day of November 1958. I have previously ordered that the subpena be printed in the record. Let the Chair ascertain something. As I understand, this witness is supposed to be deported sometime next week? Mr. KENNEDY. He is leaving voluntarily with the understanding that if he didn't leave voluntarily, the immigration authorities would be taking action against him to deport him. So he has agreed to leave the country: He was given the date to leave by December 1, but the immigration authorities allowed him to extend his stay in this country in order to make his appearance before the committee. We didn't want to request a further stay to have him appear in January when we expect to go into this matter in more detail. He is going to be leaving the country the beginning of next week. The CHAIRMAN. The Chair will place the witness under recognizance to reappear before this committee not later than January 7, 1959, conditioned by the fact that if you are out of the country by that time, if you have deported yourself, you will not have to appear here at that time in response to this direction and order of the committee. If you are not out of the country by January 7, 1959, you are ordered and directed to report back to this committee in room 101 of the Senate Office Building, of this building, at 10 a.m. on that date. You will remain under the jurisdiction of the committee subject to these orders until such time as you deport yourself from this country, or until that date, whichever is earlier. If you have not left the country by that time, you will report back to this committee on that date. |