Murder, Inc. investigation records
Collection REC0030 - RG 085. Kings County District Attorney
Abstract
Murder, Inc. was a profit-making enterprise, with the main sources of income being gambling, loansharking, and racketeering. Despite the name, the members of Murder, Inc. were not a gang of hired assassins. They used murder as a means of silencing or intimidating rivals, opponents, and potential witnesses. The Murder, Inc. papers (inclusive dates: 1929-1966, bulk dates: 1940-1951) include case files relating to the investigation and prosecution of the Murder, Inc. crime ring by the Kings County District Attorney's office, District Attorney's subject files for cases investigated as part of Murder, Inc. but which, for unknown reasons, never came to trial, and index card collections, which include but are not limited to a substantial number of telephone wiretap transcripts, and they also provide references to testimony and criminal affiliations for an enormous number of persons associated in some way with the Murder, Inc. investigation.
Extent
25.75 cubic feet (17 half cubic foot boxes, 5 oversized boxes, 1 suitcase)
Dates
1929-1966, bulk 1940-1951
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Portions of this collection are restricted under United States privacy laws. Advance notice is required for using original material. Please contact us to arrange access.
Additional Description
Physical Location
Materials are stored onsite at 31 Chambers Street in Manahttan.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Murder Inc. investigation records were created and managed by the Kings County District Attorney. In 1975, this office transferred the records to the the Municipal Archives and Research Center, a predecessor to the New York City Municipal Archives, and were accessioned as ACC-1975-015.
Alternate Forms Available
This collection has been microfilmed. Microfilm is available on-site or via interlibrary loan. Due to the fragility of the materials, we request that researchers use these surrogate copies when available. Please contact us to arrange access.
Processing Information
This collection was partially processed by Jim McGrath in 2006. He also created an accompanying finding aid. The collection was microfilmed in 2008.
In 2023, the collection was revised by Cristina Stubbe. The revisions included processing the subject files series in the collection, confirming the extent, and creating the EAD3 finding aid and resource record.
In 2023, the collection was revised by Cristina Stubbe. The revisions included processing the subject files series in the collection, confirming the extent, and creating the EAD3 finding aid and resource record.
Scope and Content Note
The Murder, Inc. papers (inclusive dates: 1929-1966, bulk dates: 1940-1951) are divided into three series. The first contains case files relating to the investigation and prosecution of the Murder, Inc. crime ring by the Kings County District Attorney’s office. These are further subdivided by trial or investigation. The second series consists of District Attorney’s subject files for cases investigated as part of Murder, Inc. but which, for unknown reasons, never came to trial. The last series encompasses a number of index card collections, the largest of which indexes a substantial number of telephone wiretap transcripts and also provides references to testimony and criminal affiliations for an enormous number of persons associated in some way with the Murder, Inc. investigation.
The case files which have survived intact generally consist of materials generated by the initial police investigation (which may precede the trial by years, in some cases), notes taken by the district attorneys, correspondence, pleadings (documents filed with the court), witness statements and interviews, evidence, and trial transcripts. Only a few cases will have all these materials; most contain only a partial record.
These papers have suffered from intensive use by both the district attorney’s office and researchers over the years. As a result the files are frequently in worn or bad condition, and may be incomplete. Not all of the volumes of trial transcripts known to have existed are still present in the collection. And since many of these documents were originally printed on war-grade, onionskin paper, they have deteriorated badly over time. While much of the collection remains perfectly legible, researchers should be aware that not all documents will be in a usable condition.
In a few instances, artifacts or especially fragile items have been removed from the collection for special preservation measures. Separation sheets will indicate where these items belong in the collection.
The case files which have survived intact generally consist of materials generated by the initial police investigation (which may precede the trial by years, in some cases), notes taken by the district attorneys, correspondence, pleadings (documents filed with the court), witness statements and interviews, evidence, and trial transcripts. Only a few cases will have all these materials; most contain only a partial record.
These papers have suffered from intensive use by both the district attorney’s office and researchers over the years. As a result the files are frequently in worn or bad condition, and may be incomplete. Not all of the volumes of trial transcripts known to have existed are still present in the collection. And since many of these documents were originally printed on war-grade, onionskin paper, they have deteriorated badly over time. While much of the collection remains perfectly legible, researchers should be aware that not all documents will be in a usable condition.
In a few instances, artifacts or especially fragile items have been removed from the collection for special preservation measures. Separation sheets will indicate where these items belong in the collection.
Biographical/Historical Information
Murder Inc.
The name "Murder, Inc." was an invention of the press; the gang members themselves called the organization "the Combination," because the larger criminal network had been formed from a number of smaller gangs. Abe Reles, the informant whose testimony was largely responsible for the downfall of Murder, Inc., was a member of a criminal group originating in Brownsville; next door in Ocean Hill, the local gang included Harry Maione, Frank Abbandando, and Vito Gurino. Over time these two groups fused under the leadership of Albert Anastasia, the waterfront boss in Manhattan, and then joined forces with Louis Buchalter’s racket, which controlled the Manhattan garment industry and was influential in the trucking unions as well.
Investigators finally broke the ring in 1940, when they arrested Abe Reles for the murder of Alexander Alpert. Reles, evidently miffed by some perceived slight from the gang, volunteered to become a state’s witness against virtually anyone he could incriminate. Almost all of the major murder files in the collection contain a statement from Reles, which for most cases would have been the starting point for the investigation. In time, other gangsters began to talk as well, including triggerman Allie Tannenbaum, Joe Liberto, and Angelo Catalano. The Kings County District Attorney kept the witnesses under twenty-four hour police guard at the Half Moon Hotel in Coney Island. Despite these precautions, in November 1941 Reles fell to his death from the sixth floor window of the hotel. Though the scene appeared to indicate that Reles had been attempting to escape from the locked-down sixth floor to the unsecured fifth, suspicions were immediately raised that Reles had been “helped” out the window in order to prevent his testimony against Albert Anastasia, the waterfront boss who allegedly gave the okay on every murder the gang committed.
Reles' death was investigated repeatedly, first in 1941, then again in 1945, and finally for a third time in 1951. The "People v. John Doe" investigation is by far the largest in the Murder, Inc. collection. While the initial investigation was limited to establishing the cause of Reles’ fall, subsequent investigations had other agendas. In 1945, new Republican District Attorney George Beldock began a grand jury investigation into the actions of his Democratic predecessor in office, William O’Dwyer, to determine whether O'Dwyer was involved in criminal activity or had improperly allowed certain cases to sit untried. As part of the larger examination of the District Attorney’s office, Reles’ death was once again scrutinized, this time for evidence of dereliction of duty. In 1951, as Cold War paranoia elevated the threat of organized crime to national significance, District Attorney Miles McDonald began a grand jury investigation of Albert Anastasia, at that time still running the gangs on the waterfront. McDonald focused on the death of Reles as possible evidence of a cover-up.
Since many, if not most, of the papers produced during the 1941 and 1945 investigations were incorporated into the 1951 material, all three investigations have been arranged under the heading "People v. John Doe." Many of the documents from the earlier grand juries are stamped as exhibits for the 1951 grand jury. Researchers interested in the subject are cautioned to date documents carefully, since it is not always clear when certain materials were produced.
By and large, the Murder, Inc. trials represented a success for the District Attorney's office. A substantial number of criminals, among them Louis Buchalter, Emmanuel Weiss, Louis Capone, Frank Abbandando, Harry Maione, Martin Goldstein, and Harry Strauss, were convicted of murder and executed. The criminal presence preying on organized labor in New York, however, was not eliminated.
District Attorney
Pursuant to Article 13, section 13 of the New York State Constitution, District Attorneys are elected constitutional officers. Section 927 of the County Law imposes upon District Attorneys the duty to protect the public by investigating and prosecuting criminal conduct in the counties in which they hold office.
Prior to 1847, District Attorneys were appointed by the governor. Presently, District Attorneys are elected every four years by the constituents of their respective counties. In the five counties of New York City, the function of the District Attorney is to enforce criminal law. The District Attorney institutes and conducts criminal prosecutions; the office, however, has no civil jurisdiction whatsoever.
Until the court system in New York City was reorganized in 1962 the Kings County District Attorney would first institute a prosecution before the nearest magistrate who would hold the accused for trial in Criminal Court, if the offense was a misdemeanor. The District Attorney was also empowered to bring a case directly to the grand jury, if the offense was a felony. If, on hearing the evidence, the grand jury does not find an indictment against the accused, the District Attorney may, with the consent of a Supreme Court justice, present the case to a different grand jury; but a District Attorney has no legal power to force or prevent action on the part of the grand jury.
The name "Murder, Inc." was an invention of the press; the gang members themselves called the organization "the Combination," because the larger criminal network had been formed from a number of smaller gangs. Abe Reles, the informant whose testimony was largely responsible for the downfall of Murder, Inc., was a member of a criminal group originating in Brownsville; next door in Ocean Hill, the local gang included Harry Maione, Frank Abbandando, and Vito Gurino. Over time these two groups fused under the leadership of Albert Anastasia, the waterfront boss in Manhattan, and then joined forces with Louis Buchalter’s racket, which controlled the Manhattan garment industry and was influential in the trucking unions as well.
Investigators finally broke the ring in 1940, when they arrested Abe Reles for the murder of Alexander Alpert. Reles, evidently miffed by some perceived slight from the gang, volunteered to become a state’s witness against virtually anyone he could incriminate. Almost all of the major murder files in the collection contain a statement from Reles, which for most cases would have been the starting point for the investigation. In time, other gangsters began to talk as well, including triggerman Allie Tannenbaum, Joe Liberto, and Angelo Catalano. The Kings County District Attorney kept the witnesses under twenty-four hour police guard at the Half Moon Hotel in Coney Island. Despite these precautions, in November 1941 Reles fell to his death from the sixth floor window of the hotel. Though the scene appeared to indicate that Reles had been attempting to escape from the locked-down sixth floor to the unsecured fifth, suspicions were immediately raised that Reles had been “helped” out the window in order to prevent his testimony against Albert Anastasia, the waterfront boss who allegedly gave the okay on every murder the gang committed.
Reles' death was investigated repeatedly, first in 1941, then again in 1945, and finally for a third time in 1951. The "People v. John Doe" investigation is by far the largest in the Murder, Inc. collection. While the initial investigation was limited to establishing the cause of Reles’ fall, subsequent investigations had other agendas. In 1945, new Republican District Attorney George Beldock began a grand jury investigation into the actions of his Democratic predecessor in office, William O’Dwyer, to determine whether O'Dwyer was involved in criminal activity or had improperly allowed certain cases to sit untried. As part of the larger examination of the District Attorney’s office, Reles’ death was once again scrutinized, this time for evidence of dereliction of duty. In 1951, as Cold War paranoia elevated the threat of organized crime to national significance, District Attorney Miles McDonald began a grand jury investigation of Albert Anastasia, at that time still running the gangs on the waterfront. McDonald focused on the death of Reles as possible evidence of a cover-up.
Since many, if not most, of the papers produced during the 1941 and 1945 investigations were incorporated into the 1951 material, all three investigations have been arranged under the heading "People v. John Doe." Many of the documents from the earlier grand juries are stamped as exhibits for the 1951 grand jury. Researchers interested in the subject are cautioned to date documents carefully, since it is not always clear when certain materials were produced.
By and large, the Murder, Inc. trials represented a success for the District Attorney's office. A substantial number of criminals, among them Louis Buchalter, Emmanuel Weiss, Louis Capone, Frank Abbandando, Harry Maione, Martin Goldstein, and Harry Strauss, were convicted of murder and executed. The criminal presence preying on organized labor in New York, however, was not eliminated.
Pursuant to Article 13, section 13 of the New York State Constitution, District Attorneys are elected constitutional officers. Section 927 of the County Law imposes upon District Attorneys the duty to protect the public by investigating and prosecuting criminal conduct in the counties in which they hold office.
Prior to 1847, District Attorneys were appointed by the governor. Presently, District Attorneys are elected every four years by the constituents of their respective counties. In the five counties of New York City, the function of the District Attorney is to enforce criminal law. The District Attorney institutes and conducts criminal prosecutions; the office, however, has no civil jurisdiction whatsoever.
Until the court system in New York City was reorganized in 1962 the Kings County District Attorney would first institute a prosecution before the nearest magistrate who would hold the accused for trial in Criminal Court, if the offense was a misdemeanor. The District Attorney was also empowered to bring a case directly to the grand jury, if the offense was a felony. If, on hearing the evidence, the grand jury does not find an indictment against the accused, the District Attorney may, with the consent of a Supreme Court justice, present the case to a different grand jury; but a District Attorney has no legal power to force or prevent action on the part of the grand jury.
Arrangement
The records are divided into three series:
Series Outline
- District Attorney’s case files, 1929-1966
- District Attorney’s subject files, 1934-1959
- Index cards, circa 1929-1966
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title
- Guide to the Murder, Inc. investigation records, 1929-1966, bulk 1940-1951
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jim McGrath
- Date
- 2006
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
-
Revision Statements
- 2023: Revision of original finding aid, remediation of inventory, and EAD encoding by staff archivist Cristina Stubbe.
Subjects