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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1963)
4 C THURSDAY, MARCH 7. 1963 MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON Federals Raid Capones Again This Time Al's Brother, Ralph (Edilor'i note: Federal agente are raiding the penes again. Thii time they're haunting Ralph (Boillei) Ca pone, almost iorgotlen big brother oi Scariace Al, who owes a whopping tax bill. A veteran Chicago crime re porter who covered the Ca pones since the gang war days oi the roaring 20's tells about the last quarry in the govern ment's three-decade vendetta against the brothers Capone.) By ROBERT T. LOUGHRAN United Press International Chicago - UIPI) - "When it comes to a Capone, we never give up." Elliott Ness didn't say that. The words were spoken only a few years ago by a govern ment prosecutor seeking vic tory in the longest - and one of the strangest - income tax cases on the record books. It is no coincidence that the man on the other side of the fight is named Capone. The government's struggle to lay its hands on Capone's cash has been going on for 31 years and it s not over yet. The government played its latest card In the game last month when federal agents seized 40 cigarette vending machines owned by Ralph (Bottles) Capone of Chicago and Mercer, Wis. . If the name is familiar it's because Bottles is the big brother of the most notorious t gangster the nation has ever known - Scarface Al Capone, king of beer barons, com mander of sub-machine gun assassins, and underworld em peror of Chicago back in the sinful 20's. Owes Back Taxes , The government insists that Bottles owes $223,294 in back taxes and penalties. The tax bill dates to 1926, 1927 and 1928 when Bottles was getting fat In his brother's shadow. Ralph went to Jail for income tax evasion in 1932, just like Al, but still owed $5,662 in back taxes when he got out in 1935. He didn't pay the money then and he hasn I yet ana Bottles' bill with the govern ment has been multiplied by 40 through interest and pen alties in the decades in be-tween. Government prosec u t o r s have come and gone in the musty Chicago Federal build ing. Al Capone Is dead and his mighty lieutenants have died or retired, generally with well-furnished bank accounts. The roaring 20's are fodder for television serials. But the Internal Revenue service can't get out' of its craw the fact that a Capone still owes It money. It can't - and won't - let Botilcs off the hook. If the government can't forget Bottles Capone, it's likely his old mob would like to. fell GANGSTER'S BROTHER-Ralph (Bottles) Capone, big broth er of Chicago prohibition-era crime leader, the late Al Ca pone, Is shown leaving Chicago court. He appeared on charges of Income tax evasion in 1952. (UPI) He was never a popular hoodlum, not even when his hair was black and shiny, his eyes snapped the authority of his dreaded brother, and he was ranked in Chicago as "Public Enemy No. 3. Oldtime gangsters will tell you that was strictly a cour tesy title. Ralph (he got his nickname winning a beer- drinking contest up in Wis consin) may have sat in the councils of the mignty lor a while. But that was because his little brother was a good Italian family man and look ed after his kinfolk. Bottles lacked the criminal genius of brother Alphonse, the financial touch of Jack (Greasy Thumb) Guzick, the brutal but effective executive ability of Frank (The En forcer) Nitli, the brains and class of such as Murray (The Camel) Humphrey and Sam (Golf Bag) Hunt Closest to Al Still, Bottles was probably closest to Al's heart of all the Capone boys. Of the six Capone brothers who came over from Naples around the turn of the century, Al and Ralph were the only ones who amounted to much in their chosen field of endeavor. Frank Capone showed prom ise until he was killed run ning down a Cicero street with a ballot box under his arm in 1924. The other broth ers, for the most part, could not make It in the rackets. Bottles had his moments. There was the time police raiders found him and a few colleagues tidying up an ar senal of rifles, shotguns, auto matic and "Chicago typewrit ers" - the affectionate phrase of the day for Thompson sub machincguns. Bottles' explan ation: "I collect guns - I'm a Civil War fan." Another night more raiders invaded Big Jim Colosimo's restaurant and found three pistols and three bottles of booze Hashed under a table. Ralph Capone happened to be sitting at the table. Funny, I never even seen them," he said. Ness Raids Club One of his unhappier eve nings was when Elliott Ness raided Bottles' Cotton club on the West Side. Capone and the club manager were lock ed up when a glass of liquid evidence was knocked from the hand of one of "The Un touchables." But Bottles got out. In deference to their leader, the mob allotted Bottles one of the juicier rackets - sup plying setups and towels for Capone speakeasies. Even that didn't last when Ralph Seattle Choir Slates Concert The 50-voico Seatlle Pacific college a cappella choir will present a concert of sacred music at the Community Bible church, 580 F st., Central Point, at 8 p.m. Monday, March 18. Choir selections will in clude "This Glad Day" by William Byrd, the motet "O Saviour Throw the Heavens Wide" by Johannes Brahms, "Surely He Ilalh Borne Our Sorrows" by Vlltoriii, and the cantata "Vision of Peace" by Jcnn Bcrgcr. The choir also will sing songs by contemporary com posers, famous hymns of the church, and spirituals. The group has been directed tor the past five years by Pro fessor Philip J. Muck, a grad uate of the Eastman school of music. In lis 27 concert sea sons the choir has gained a wide reputation for the spirit, precision, and artistry of its performances. The current tour will include 13 concerts in Oregon and California. Two Mcdford-area students are members of the choir. They arc Alvln Kroon of Cen tral Point and Alger Marsh of Medford. WILL APPEAR IN VALLEY - Two Medford arca students will appear with the Seattle Pacific college a cupclla choir In Central Point March 18. Shown above are Alvin Kroon, loft, and Alger Marsh as they rehearse with their director. Professor Philip J. Mack. Kroon is the son of the Rev. and Mrs. Paul Otto Kroon of Central Point and Marsh is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Les ter A. Marsh, of Medford. I ($st5BjsewpaMai mmt fc4.4 Vi ' ' " ' ' ' , t i vyJJii y - t - - - --im Di 1 ?U ill it " ' ? '' v 7 1 L-sJ J I X got out of prison. His brother was a broken man, dying an Ignominous death of paresis. There was no room, and no need, In the board room of the mob for the other Capone, The mob can't forget a Ca pone, however. Bottles had a few more years as a big shot and then showed up as the "manager" of a hunting and fishing lodge near Mercer, Wis. It was a good place for the Chicago crime lords to go when they wanted to get away from it all. Didn't Go Hungry est for bottles in a cigarette vending concession in Chi cago's West Side suburbs. Al's big brother didn't go hungry. Bottles is pushing 70 now, though, and it's likely the sleek new leaders of the Chi- There was also a tidy inter- cago crime syndicate would just as soon he got lose His hair has a tendency to crawl over his collar - a cheap col lar at that - and he's taken to wearing a gray western style hat. Instead of silk foot wear he wears white socks, probably to ease his swollen ankles. It doesn't look good. He claims he's broke and a federal district judge has officially declared him a bank rupt. But the treasury men don't' really believe it. They con tinued with plans this week to keep' on raiding Bottles' vending machines wherever they can find them. And they persisted in looking else where for the Capone bank roll. "I'll tell you how it is with these hoodlums," an investi gator said. "1 they make $500 they bury $250 of it. Th money's there somewhere." (TdDIMKYf STOIME Tosroirrow - 122 E. MAIN Next to Brainerd's S:3 O.am To the first 50 LADIES Friday & Saturday Morning ... Your choice of any item in the store ABSOLUTELY FREE ME COFFEE & DOIIUTS Free During Our Grand Opening on Friday. & Saturday from 9:30 thru 11:30. IP AS LONG AS THEY LAST! Pocket Nail Clippers Freel on Friday morning and FREE! on Saturday morning a pocket nail file complete with case. 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