the second to last words

Introduction

“A lot of what they did in 30 ‘s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70s and 80s is legal today.”

A solid piece of bulletproof glass is over one inch think, but just like any other piece of glass it is transparent. Behind the glass is anyone or anything worthy of protection, perhaps, the President of the United States of America, a teller at the Bank of America or a restaurant. Wait, a restaurant? Why would a restaurant need bulletproof glass? The purpose of this specific piece of bulletproof glass was to protect the Smaldone Italian Crime family. Located at 38^th Avenue and Tejone Street in Denver, Colorado. Gaetano’s Italian restaurant has had a bulletproof front door since 1947. (The Restaurant has since been take over in the mid 90s by the Wynkoop family of restaurants and has no connection to the mafia) The only reminisces left of the Smaldone legacy are the little news clip it’s of past Denver Post articles on “the family”, the bullet proof front door and the great Italian food. The slogan was and still continues to be “ Italian to Die For.”  Which is fitting for a place known for its boot legging, illegal gambling and loan sharking. The only reason this restaurant survived it’s owners being put in jail, cars driving through the front door, and changes of ownership, is the great Italian food. This story is not about Italian food, a restaurant takeover or a piece of glass - it is about an impenetrable fortress, sheltering some of the most notorious mobsters Denver has ever known.

Greed, jealousy, drugs, family destroyed itself from the inside out

The Beginning of a Legacy

“You know they chased Ralph out of New Orleans.”

Ralph Smaldone was a first generation Italian Immigrant born in Potenza, Italy in 1882. Little Ralph and his family left Italy for the United States when he was only a couple years old. Buffalo, New York was the first taste Ralph and his family got of America. The first taste was sour as it was for most immigrants. The Smaldones left Buffalo, to the west following most of America at the time. Mamie Smaldone was born in America after her mother emigrated from Italy. First residing in New York then slowly finding her way to Colorado. Ralph and Mamie Smaldone got married in the  1910s something (still trying to find date) They had many children boys named Ralph Jr., Eugene, Clyde, Clarence, Andrew and girls named Genevieve, Corinne, and Angie. Also they had a pair of identical twins die at birth. Italians love having a big family and love making money.

Making money was not easy at first for Ralph. He did what he could to keep his large family happy, which was make money. He did various jobs even around Denver from picking crops, railroading, and finally owning a small café. Just like all the people that start en empire- it takes hard work. This employment did not last long because the family caught its big break, which of coarse was the illegal bootlegging of liquor. Colorado made alcohol illegal in 1916, 4 years before the rest of the United States of America. For most people the band was unnecessary and painful, but for the Smaldones it was necessary and profitable. Ralph saw this opportunity and enlisted the help of his two best soldiers: Clyde and Eugene “Checkers”. Clyde being the oldest took the position as the leader of the two and from there the business soared. For the first couple of years the boys worked as peddlers for their father, running liquor back, fourth and around Denver. It did not take long for Clyde and “Checkers” to start expanding beyond their father’s control. Taking the Denver bound business and making it prevalent in most of all of the deep back alleys in mid-west cities. They did this by fist stealing insane amounts of alcohol, then selling it back to the same customers of the joint they just stole from for less then they were paying in the first place. This business tactic shut down most of the competition made them a lot of money but most of all a lot of enemies. Joe Roma took the boys under his wing. At the Time Mr. Roma was the head of the mafia at Colorado and without him Clyde and checkers might be dead. Roma saw Clyde’s business smarts and he gave Clyde and Cheekers jobs. Soon the boys quickly made it to Romas right had man.

Being the leader and smart businessman that he is Clyde saw that his crew needed help for protection and help to expand. Guess who he called up? Al Capone. Lets just say, beside law enforcement, there were very few problems after that. With the help of the Capone Mafia the boys didn’t even need to make/steal liquor anymore. Moonshine was brought across the boarder from Canada and Mexico, using bribed guards and fake bottles. Canada had the biggest supply and the easiest ways into America. Mexico had the finest America bourbon but was the biggest hassle to get back into the United States. Liquor was also brought to Ottumwa, Iowa, and the boys helped produce, supposedly, the best illegal moonshine in the country. The Smaldone boys Clyde, “Checkers”, and now the youngest brother Clarence “Chauncey” were making a lot of money for their family, until the end. This lucrative business all came to an end in December 1933 with the end of prohibition. 

The Year 1933

“To protect their mom and dad from bootleggin’ they made a deal. The police didn’t care because they were having trouble with the boys anyway. “

 The end of Prohibition was not the only unpleasant thing to happen in 1933 for the Smaldone family. In early 1933, just a little before prohibition was over, Ralph and Mamie were being charged with illegal bootlegging of liquor. Ralph was selling it out of there home, which was also a restaurant at the time, called the Tejone Café.  “Checkers”, Clyde and “Chauncey” were particularly involved in the bootlegging; they were among the most notorious bootleggers of the time, along with Al Capone. The boys knew it was their time and that they were going to make it, all they needed was the restaurant and their parents. Clyde and the other boys fought for their parents. Claiming that their parents were just immigrants, oblivious to American law. When this was not working the boys claimed that it was just police retaliation for the things that Clyde and company were doing. Clyde and Checkers bravely stepped up to the plate to served the 3-year sentence for their parents.

While this was going on, the plot to kill Joe Roma was being set in motion. Joe Roma was the big boss in a figurative sense. Joe was a little less then 5’1 and way less then 200 pounds. His small stature was nothing next to his huge attitude and big business since. Roma was not a very liked man because of his smallness but he rose to the top anyway. This rise was contributed to the many deaths and arrests because of prohibition between 1920-1930. Roma was one of the most powerful bosses because of his whole control of the liquor sales in Colorado and his connection to Al Capone. Romas right hand man was Clyde Smaladone. Clyde was thought even to be the brain behind the bootlegging operation. This is why some were suspecting that Clyde was the one to murder Joe Roma. On February 18,1933 Joe Roma’s house was broken into by two men and his head was almost blown clean off with 6, .45. And .38 caliber bullets. No one took the blame for the murder and the killers were never found. The truth is that, there were too many suspects. Could it be bootleggers from the south wanting control back, or was it someone close to Joe trying to take over the business for good? A lot of fingers were pointed at Clyde and Checkers Smaldone. At Joe’s funeral the Smaldone boys showed up and brought the two biggest flower arrangements at the funeral. The grief was evident, their innocents questioned but one thing was for sure; The Smaldones were now the most powerful crime family in Denver.

The Restaurant

“Late 40s early 50s Gaetano’s was doing real well good food, good drinks and entertainment one of the best places in north Denver.”

After Clyde and Checkers’ served the prison sentence in Leavenworth, Kansas they knew they needed a front to run a successful gambling business. The family already had a small café but the cops had already busted the illegal gambling out of the basement, in 1933.  In 1947 Eugene, Clyde and Clarence moved the old café onto the corner of 38^th and Tejone, then renamed it Gaetano’s (Italian for Clyde). The old café was famous for its great Italian food so it was easy to get customers to Gaetano’s. During the late 40’s and 50’s the restaurant thrived. Prohibition was over so Gaetano’s bar was a hot spot for great food, great drinks and great entertainment. Barbooth was being played in the basement and loans were getting taken. Business was booming for the restaurant and so was the illegal business within its walls.

Everything was fine and dandy until 1953. In 1948 Checkers won a car in a crap game but failed to file the correct taxes on the car. Checkers was on trail in 1953 for income tax evasion, he was facing 3 years in prison. Checkers did not want to go back in jail so he asked his brother Clyde for help.  Clyde decided to bribe a juror. He got caught and the brothers were sentenced to 88 years in Leavenworth, Kansas. The two owners of Gaetano’s restaurant were going to be sent to jail for what seemed to be the rest of their natural lives and then maybe a few decades when they are dead.  Then because of their extreme sentence the state of Colorado took the restaurant’s liquor license away. There was no more liquor, no more gambling and no more fun. Gaetano’s had to sell food, not dice rolls, loans and liquor. 

The Rebuild

“The food, the pizza, the pasta! It was good and it did actually pretty well it was a family run restaurant the brothers, sisters, mother and daughters in laws helped out.”

 Gaetano’s had two things going for it, delicious food and a determined family. There was no doubt that the restaurant would struggle but it was the only thing the family had left. The food business was taken over by the cousins, wives, and daughters in law, children and mother of Clyde and Checkers Smaldone. They also helped out in the  “other” business but younger brothers Anthony, Chauncey and Cousin Paulie Villano were slowly keeping it in cheek. Although they were not doing anything big they still were starting to get their noses dirty. Gaetano’s started to thrive again the food was too good to pass up and regulars kept coming back. In 1961 Gaetano’s got its liquor license back and things were looking up. The young boys who took over the business were becoming tougher and more experienced.

The shock of everyone’s lives that was involved with the Smaldones came in 1962. The Supreme Court ruled that he Smaldones sentenced was unjustly convicted and the 9 years they spent in jail was enough. Clyde and Checkers Smaldone were released from prison. The family’s lives have taken a sharp turn again but this time is was positive. A person, present the day Clyde and Checkers came out of jail, recalled this.

“ When word got out in Denver that Clyde and checkers were being released from Leavenworth in 1962 many rushed to Gaetano’s restaurant to pay the debt that they owed the boys before they went to prison. They never thought the boys would get out until they overturned it. No one wanted any trouble. I remember the line was out the door and almost around the block. They all had envelopes in their hands almost too eager to give their money away. ”

            Things changed while Clyde and Checkers were in prison. Fist of all Clyde was getting old. He never returned to prison after 1962, he just stayed in the background. 40 years of bootlegging, gunfights, accused murders, and jail time was enough for Clyde. Checkers was now the head of the family. Second, Anthony, Chauncey and Paulie  Valliano wanted more responsibility because of what they had done while the brothers were in prison. Finally, while they were in prison their reign was put on hold. Other young Italians believed it was their turn to run things in Denver.

Past the Prime

“The F.B.I broke in one night while the restaurant was closed and bugged the downstairs office.”

It was the right time to be a Smaldone in the 1960’s, Gaetano’s had its liquor license back, Ralph and checkers were out of jail, and pro sports were becoming extremely popular in the United States. The Denver pro sports obsession was backed by the Smaldone bookies. Las Vegas was drawing most of the dice rollers and card players across the country to the casinos. With the banishing of the liquor license in 1953 the basement of Gaetano’s was just turned into an office, loan station and bet talking room. But with all this good news it was obvious that the family was past its prime.

            The fall of the family started with checkers son, Eugene. Checkers loved his son dearly and never really wanted him to come into the family business. Eugene was brought into the business when his dad was brought to prison in 1953. He first started in the restaurant but eventually he got involved with the bookmaking. He was in charge of collecting some of the debts that were supposed to be paid while Clyde and Checkers were in jail. When the boys did get out of jail they could never find the money that was owed to them. Eugene said he didn’t take it and the men paying off his debt said that he did just that. Eugene was stealing money from the family to buy, use and sell narcotics especially cocaine. Eugene was finally banished from the family in 1972 when he was caught coming back from Peru with 6 pounds of cocaine.

            Checkers was getting old and the falling out with his son was getting to him.  Chauncey and cousin Paulie Villanno started taking control of the loan sharking and bookmaking. These were some of the most profitable times for the family but it was also a time where jail was frequent. In the 1970s and 1980s the business was taking in one million to one and a half million a week. This type of money was not being taken to lightly.

The Fbi shows up busts the family with a bug.

Also have to tie in family ties with casino in vagas said to have owned all the booke making at the billagio. Do I have to tie this in or is it off topic?

Are there storys or sections of the paper I can do without?

Are any boring?

Still have to tie in meaning… Help on that

I still have a bunch of quotes from my book would that help?

I still don’t know how to end it…..