She held her hands to her ears. Stoneking turned onto a side street. In a poorly disguised attempt to gain more power for the Italians, Giordano planned to realign the mob's presence in the Laborers' locals. There was nothing there for him anymore. When that's taken away he's got nothing. Berne as well as Giordano were answerable to Aiuppa and made no important decisions without his approval. In 1979, Spica made a serious error of judgment, a sin of commission rather than omission. By then, Stoneking had achieved a reputation as the "bully of the mob." Worse, he had lost his independence and he could not be his own man. She wanted nothing to more do with him. His cut was worth more than $250,000. It was a clear case of arson, and five people from Marlborough were duly convicted of the crime. His health began deteriorating and it was feared he had cancer. Giordano died a few days later on Aug. 29. The not-so-veiled threats. The report goes on to say that Berne told [Stoneking] that if Chicago wanted to buy property, businesses, get loans or some other such financial transaction it would be done through Rallo Construction Company in St. Louis.. According to an intelligence source, Giordano told an associate, "He's not around anymore. Those considered the most dangerous were taken into custody first. The Detroit Mafia believed that Webbe Sr. had ripped them off in the Aladdin casino deal in Las Vegas and wanted to be repaid through sharing in the ill-gotten gains from the Bahamanian gambling operation, according to the FBI. It was returned stamped, "No Forwarding Address." It was speculated he had been returning from a hit. But I'd never kill somebody for no reason at all. Ellington cocked the .38 and raised it. No one needed him. "Spica comes in. Stoneking's first contract was a mark of his criminal manhood, a reward for his faithful service to the boss. I was to get together with Stoneking on a Thursday afternoon in rural Illinois. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Stoneking had been a top lieutenant of East St. Louis racketeer Art Berne in the 1980s, when he was working undercover for the FBI. There now was no doubt Stoneking had been a traitor of the worst kind. City History. Stoneking was to be the driver and the behemoth Ellington, the shooter. When Stoneking was packed off to prison in 1981, Berne failed to take care of Stoneking's family as promised. Samba Bom Mardi Gras, a Broadway Rave and more. Hampels story sketched a solitary suicide on a lonely stretch of road at a remote location in the desert. Jesse Stoneking, the unnamed informant cited by the FBI in the report, died of a gunshot wound to the head in Arizona in 2003. The meeting apparently did not go well and negotiations were broken off prematurely, with the St. Louisans quickly returning home. The word on the street was that this guy he thought was his friend followed him down there and they were supposed to meet the contact who was going to get rid of the car. No longer was he important. Stoneking became bitterer with each day. By Riverfront Times Staff. Stoneking had placed bets with him, ostensibly from East Side gamblers, but which in fact were random wagers made by FBI agents who rarely lost. So what? Jesse Stoneking died on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. The money was siphoned from the $5 million in annual rent payments made to the St. Louis County Port Authority by the River City Casino, which is owned by Penn National, a Pennsylvania-based gaming corporation. He summoned Berne and Stoneking to a meeting in a restaurant in Fairmont City. He had little control over his destiny and his life seemed without direction. Why kill a guy for stealing? Stoneking was there with Berne and Flynn. But Giordano was adamant. The sin he had just committed was far worse. During Stoneking's undercover work for the FBI from 1982 to 1984, he induced Flynn to admit that he had helped dispose of $1 million in loot from a 1982 downtown jewelry store robbery. Early in November, Prater was instructed to borrow a 1977 Cadillac identical to Spica's from a friendly car salesman who kept no written records of such transactions and bring it to the salvage yard. address in Chester, Ill. the previous year. More importantly, the police and medical examiners reports on the suicide show that Stonekings last act wasnt carried out alone, but in the company of a longtime associate and a law enforcement official. Most Dangerous City (East St. Louis, IL) Public Housing Projects, Documentary Film Arcane Club Films 64K views East Saint Louis Massacre | Living St. Louis Nine PBS 71K views The. In the meantime, he would make his bones by being an aggressive moneymaker. The pudgy Flynn, then a business agent, and Berne lobbied Aiuppa for the lucrative job. It had been a long time coming. The Best Things to Do in St. Louis This Weekend, February 16 to 19. Stoneking was a noted St. Louis-based mobster who also gained fame from his years as a federal informant in the 1980s. We're gonna make some money in that union. He would do it, but he would accept no payment. He died as he sat in his Cadillac the night of Oct. 22, 1978, in a remote area of Jefferson County, south of the St. Louis urban area. Giammanco went into hiding. Drupal theme by ThemeSnap.com, "I never thought anything about cracking a guy. Stoneking also had become close to Giordano, serving at times as his driver and bodyguard. He continued to deny he was a member of the Mafia despite documentation to the contrary. John G. Rallo, also known as Johnny Roller for his long hours spent at the crap tables in Las Vegas, and fellow accomplice Sheila Sweeney were charged one week after Stenger pleaded guilty. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Deputy Sprong and I then checked on the driver with deputy, arrival of the third officer in his report. So what? 'Well, as far as I'm concerned, f--- the rank and file'. This reporter in the mid-1970s was on the same flight from Chicago to St. Louis with Leisure. Once he's on his own, he ain't got no protection. He always had taken care of his people. Also available from Amazon, With the purpose of writing about true crime in an authoritative, fact-based manner, veteran journalists J. J. Maloney and J. Patrick OConnor launched Crime Magazine in November of 1998. Ray ain't got me with my arm around him. He also gave Berne a five-carat diamond to hold in safe-keeping for him. Paulie Leisure. Stoneking recalled, "It was like a parade in front of my house, people driving by and gawking. By Ryan Krull. Leisure was one of those to whom Spica bragged about his intent to kill Flynn. I said no. In April 1986, he pleaded guilty in U. S. District Court and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. (LogOut/ They provided the gangsters with facades of legitimacy and income in the form of salaries they could report. Like Stoneking, the FBI initially suspected Beck may have been involved in St. Louis gang war in the early1980s. Shortly after Stoneking drove away from the house, a Missouri State Highway Patrol car approached from the rear, its red and blue lights flashing and the siren wailing. She was an avid practitioner of astrology and she had prepared a chart for him. He handed him an envelope, instructing him not to open it until that night. He merely had changed loyalties. Kowalski didn't want the man dead, just beaten badly with a few broken bones. "We're snitches. Jesse Stoneking, the unnamed informant cited by the FBI in the report, died of a gunshot wound to the head in Arizona in 2003. It just was a question of when, how and by whom. The city is brimming with free, world-class attractions and boasts an arts-and-culture scene that's second to none. Stoneking knew they weren't burglars. And Tony G. says, 'Whatta you mean, you don't like that'? Stoneking ignored him. On numerous occasions, he called Spica to arrange meetings. Unlike his uncle, he commanded little respect. You can believe it.". She was acquitted, but Spica was convicted a year later and sentenced to life imprisonment. After he was paroled in 1973, Spica appeared to live a quiet, repentant life. Berne pleaded guilty of extortion and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. Stoneking was livid. Late that night, Stoneking and Stram went to the man's house trailer. When he returned, he told Stoneking that Aiuppa agreed with him that if he were jailed Stoneking would be boss. By cracking people." Leisure immediately recognized some interesting possibilities. Stoneking pulled off a scam shortly before Christmas, 1983. He traded one diamond for a new Cadillac Eldorado. Aiuppa was convinced that Trupiano a braggart had leaked the story. He carried her to her bedroom and gently placed her on her bed. Stoneking slammed on the brakes and Hickey's car sped ahead of them. Each time he was turned down when Aiuppa deferred to Michaels. Berne reacted predictably. 7. John G. Rallo, also known as Johnny Roller for his long hours spent at the crap tables in Las Vegas, and fellow accomplice Sheila Sweeney were charged one week after Stenger pleaded guilty. The tow truck driver advised the deputy that the SUV and the vehicle driven by Stoneking had flat tires from hitting rocks on the highway. "The day I'm a square-john is the day I'll die. Berne scolded. Paul J. They told him there was no place in their town for a hoodlum. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, f--- the rank-and-file." Who needs you?" Ash, who lives in East St. Louis, Illinois, frequently walks through parts of t. It's not the white brutality against Black people that sets the incident apart - official. Stoneking moved to a small town in southern Illinois, even closer to the East Side. Case Closed: Crime scene photo of the interior of the 1995 Ford Crown Victoria occupied by Jesse Stoneking on Jan. 19, 2003. Stoneking didn't have much time to consider his dilemma. He was paroled, but was returned to prison after he threatened those who had testified against him. A labor racketeer who saw the outline of the recorder under Stoneking's stocking accepted the explanation that it was a leg weight. Sonny Spica. Hickey signaled to turn right onto an exit ramp. St. Louis boasts an arts scene that's second to none. Only the agents and Stram, whom he trusted implicitly, knew where he was. Spica was wedged between two inexorable forces of death. 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