SYNDICATE CITY. The Chicago Crime Cartel and What To Do About It.

Hardback, 1st US edn. Preface by Virgil Peterson. Crime and politics were wedded in unholy matrimony in Chicago as early as 1670. At this time an unregenerate French trader called "The Mole" began the illegal sale of rum to the Indians, under the protective custody of his friend, the Governor of New France. Thus was established a pattern that lasted close to 300-yrs. and made Chicago the victim of the most highly organised and pervasive crime-politics cartel in the world. This book is the story of Chicago crime and the development of the Crime Syndicate, from the days of Mike McDonald through John Torrio and Al Capone. The author examines several significant events in detail: the killing of Dion O'Bannion, Capone's conviction for income tax violation, the war for control of the Unione Siciliano, and the Broune-Bioff shake-down of the movie industry. He goes on to take a cold clear look at the Syndicate activity at the time with a personal visit to "The World's Biggest Floating Crap Game." Illus., Index. 290pp. 8vo. h/back. Vg+ in sl. creased, reinforced pcdw.