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Title
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Michael Angelo Spero Mug Shot
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Description
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Side and front view mug shot of Michael Angelo Spero taken by the Kansas City Police Department and kept by the Kansas City Star in their mafia and mob activity research files. Spero's name, identification details, and details of his criminal record are written on the reverse side of the image: Michael Angelo Spero; KC 92-558; WM; DOB 8/15/38; 5' 11"; 155 lbs.; Hair - Black; Eyes - Brown; Residence - 517 Holmes 2nd Fl. Rear Apt; Employment - Gus' Pharmacy (changed to Midtown Pharmacy), 39th & Paseo; & truck driver; FBI No. 156 768 C; 19 previous arrests, 1955-64; Convicted TFIS, Burg. 2nd degree, receiving stolen property.
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Date
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1964~
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Object Type
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Photograph
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Title
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John Anthony Costanza Mug Shot
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Description
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Side and front view mug shot of John Anthony Costanza taken by the Kansas City Police Department and kept by the Kansas City Star in their mafia and mob activity research files. Costanza's name and details of his criminal record are written on the reverse side of the image: Bufile 92-6071; KC 92-553; WM; DOB 1/28/40, Kansas City, Mo.; 6'; 175 lbs.; Hair - Black; Eyes - Brown; Residence - 328 Olive, Kansas City, Mo.; Employment - 11 Oak Park, 1027 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.; FBI No. 147 209 C; Arrested 19 times by local auth. for traffic vio, larceny interstate ship., inv. burg., inv. bootlegging; Sentenced 2 yrs. 6 mos. Fed. Reformatory on TFIS 3/16/56.
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Date
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1956~
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Object Type
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Photograph
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Title
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John Carl Caldrone Mug Shot
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Description
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Side and front view mug shot of John Carl Caldrone taken by the Kansas City Police Department and kept by the Kansas City Star in their mafia and mob activity research files. Caldrone's name, identification details, and details of his criminal record are written on the reverse side of the image: Bufile 92-7519; KC 92-303; WM; DOB 8/9/28, Kansas City, Mo.; 6' 4"; 200 lbs.; Hair - Brown; Eyes - Blue; Residence - 4904 Norwood, Kansas City, Mo.; Employment - 11 Oak Park, 1027 Oak St., Kansas City, Mo.; FBI No. 4 632 504; Arrested 53 times.; Convicted: Burglary, 2 yrs. Reformatory, 11/21/46; Burglary, 4 yrs. MSP, 3/8/54; Burglary, 3 yrs. MSP, 2/26/60.
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Date
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1960~
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Object Type
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Photograph
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Title
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SC205 Organized Crime Files Finding Aid
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Description
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This collection contains files relating to organized crime in Kansas City from the 1930s to the 1970s. Contents include records from the Kansas City Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, reporter’s notes, newspaper clippings, and photographs of local mafia members.
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Date
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1934~/1972~
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Object Type
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Finding Aid
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Title
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SC205 Organized Crime Files - Series 3: Hoods Who Spotlight on Organized Crime in the Kansas City Area
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Description
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Booklet intended to inform the public of the dangers of organized crime in Kansas City. The book contains: a summary of successful prosecution of syndicate members or associates from January 1, 1961 to present (April 1970); the Kefauver Senate Committee underworld charts for Kansas City organized crime activities, Exhibits 1 and 1A; a list of members and associates of the syndicate; the danger signs for the community; and a list of syndicate business connections.
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Date
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1970-04
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Object Type
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Archival Material
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Title
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SC205 Organized Crime Files - Series 1: Mugshots
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Description
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This series contains miscellaneous Kansas City Police Department mug shots from various dates showing individuals suspected of having ties to organized crime, mafia, and mob activity in Kansas City. Some include a physical description and record of previous arrests on the back side of the photograph. Please note that the individuals in these mug shots do not have a corresponding police file in this collection. Mug shots of those listed in Series 2 and 3 were kept with their corresponding file. This series is arranged alphabetically by surname.
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Date
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1934~/1972~
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Object Type
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Archival Material
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Title
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SC205 Organized Crime Files - Series 2: Kansas City Gangsters -Italian
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Description
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This series contains files on criminals of Italian descent suspected of having ties to organized crime, mafia, and mob activity in Kansas City. Items include: mug shots, photographs, KCPD and FBI records, short biographies, and newspaper clippings. While most of the documents are undated, many contain arrest records from the 1930s until the year 1950. This series is arranged alphabetically by surname.
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Date
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1934/1964
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Object Type
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Archival Material
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Title
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SC205 Organized Crime Files - Series 4: Unione Sicilione
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Description
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This series contains photographs, miscellaneous documents,and newspaper clippings pertaining to the Sicilian-American criminal brotherhood known as the Unione Sicilione, or Unione Siciliana, and individuals suspected of having ties to organized crime, mafia, and mob activity in Kansas City.
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Date
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1950/1961
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Object Type
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Archival Material
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Title
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SC205 Organized Crime Files - Series 5: Records and General Data
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Description
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This series contains miscellaneous police records, newspaper clippings, Kansas City Star staff correspondence, and information on various mafia members, including Charles Gargotta and several others listed in Series 2, all suspected of having ties to organized crime, mafia, and mob activity in Kansas City. Loose mug shots were removed and interfiled with Series1-3.
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Date
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1947/1959
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Object Type
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Archival Material
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Title
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Future: The Newsweekly for Today
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Description
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Issue of the anti-corruption, Kansas City-based newspaper, Future: The Newsweekly for Today. The front page includes an article, continued on page 8, about the crime rate for auto theft and parts stripping in Kansas City compared to Saint Louis and description of its inaccurate measurements by the Kansas City Police Department not accepted by the FBI, with photo of a stripped car and a portrait of J. Edgar Hoover. Other featured articles include: “One Year Ago This Week” (p. 2), with descriptions of incidents in Kansas City on March 12-13, 1934, involving the blockage of registered voters from the polls and bringing in of paid voters by the Pendergast machine for "[t]wo bits a vote," and mention of mistreated and beaten Fusion voters Mrs Mary Brown (1208 East 14th Street), Miss Bessie Morgan (3030 McGee Street), and Tommy Jackson (a black man) and police officer Tom Farley and "Eddie Collins, Pendergast precinct captain"; “Is Your Insurance Costing Too Much?” (p. 3), an article and portrait of Cliff Jones, "Chairman of the Committee Against Fake Claim Racket" in an article about fraudulent insurance claims in Kansas City; and “May We Present Otto P. Higgins” (p. 5), photo and biographical article about Otto Higgins, the 45-year-old director of the police department (replacing Eugene Reppert) and former "police reporter of the Kansas City Star," with description of his life and career as a native of Illinois coming to Kansas City before World War I and becoming a lawyer; also included in the newspaper are advertisements for local businesses and articles on fashion, finance, cooking, music, art, letters to the editor, and national and international news.
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Date
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1935-03-08
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Object Type
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Newspaper
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Title
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Future: The Newsweekly for Today
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Description
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Issue of the anti-corruption, Kansas City-based newspaper, Future: The Newsweekly for Today. The front page includes an article, continued on page 8, with a photo and description of Kansas City FBI agent Lieutenant William Gordon, "commended by J. Edgar Hoover," in an article about the crime-fighting operations of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and its relation to Kansas City crime. Sheriff Bash, Chief Coffey, Director Reppert, Chief of Detectives Thomas Higgins, and Lieutenant George Rayen are also discussed. Other featured articles include: “Journey to the K.C. Market” (pp. 2 & 6), about visiting the City Market, where the vendors are described as local farmers or Greek importers and noting the bad car and trolley traffic; “Nicking Street Car Riders’ Nickels” (p. 3), photo and biographical article about Brigadier-General E. M. Stayton, "Kansas City street railway commissioner," resident of Independence, and former teacher in Independence starting in 1907. Description of his "farcical" role in actual city government and high salary coming from the Pendergast machine; “Sock! Splat!” (p. 3), about boxing competitions at International Arena, at 15th & Troost, attended by “the henchmen of Boss Cash Welch”; “The King’s Men” (p. 4), arguing that there is no hope for clean government from local and state leadership, but expressing hope for better leadership from Senators Bennett Clark and Harry Truman and encouraging readers “to work, day and night, … to vote against the existing regime”; and “May We Present Thomas Leslie Johnson” (p. 5), photo and biographical article about Thomas Leslie Johnson, or Thomas Johnson, "insurance executive, churchman, Y. M. C. A. leader and all around efficient citizen of this community," growing up in Kansas City; also included in the newspaper are advertisements for local businesses and articles on sports, fashion, finance, cooking, music, letters to the editor, and national and international news.
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Date
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1935-02-08
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Object Type
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Newspaper