NO ASPIRANTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 284, 26 July 1932, Page 3

NO ASPIRANTS

YACANT THRONE OF AL CAPONE STILL REMAINS UNFILLED. CLEANING UP CICERO. There is a vacant throne in Chicago and no candidates for the kingdom. A1 Capone was the uncrowned nionarch of the city's gangland, and he has fallen. Nobody seems to want to talce his plaoe. A muscular, quiek-witted young gangster named Murray Humphreys is nominal head of the Capone syndicate. He began directing operations when Capone was arrested. But he has never assumed the power which was his master's. In fact, he wants : to step out from under. At least five other gunmen are "in line" for the leadership. None want it. *Each believes that with Capone in prison the gang's defences have broken down. There is Frank Nitti, "the Enforceer," just back from serving 18 months for, of all things, income tax evasion. Dapper, diminutive, and shrawd, Nitti has announced that he has "learned his lesson." "I'm out of the gang," he says. On the north side is'Ted Newberry, aged about 25, a seasoned lieutenant in the Capone organisation. But he is worried about his own income tax. Johnny Patton, aged 40, the "boy mayor" of Burnham — a cluster of road houses where A1 Capone established his first vice resorts — is another elig-. ible. Then comes Frankie Rio, the bodyguard who served a year with Capone in the Philadelphia prison for carrying a concealed revolver. Rio, too, is dodging responsibility. Marty Guilfoyle, the "arbitrator" from Klondyke, O'Donnell's territory on the west side, has been mentioned for the throne. But he prefers easy chairs. Spike O'Donnell and Joe Saltis are practically out of the gang picture, having "retired" some months ago. "Bugs" Moran has been too big an enemy of the Capone crowd to be acceptable. Now that Capone is out of the way for seven years, the authorities are trying to "clean-up" Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, where Capone seeured control and established his vice houses. But an unusual obstacle has arisen to this praiseworthy plan. Recently a Democratic administration was elected to succeed the Republicans who had held office since Cicero was named "A1 Capone's home town." But only three of the six town board members are Democrats. A quorum of four members is necessary for business. So the three Republicans have refused to go to any meetings. Hence no ofiieial town business has yet been done. Reform projects for revising the government of Cicero have been held up, waiting approval by the board. But j until the Republicans decide to aban- I don political tactics and attend meet- ' ings, nothing can be done.