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Introduction

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.

The Beginning of a Legacy

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 “Chancey” 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

 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.