Charles Gargotta
Encyclopedia
Charles Gargotta, also known as "Mad Dog", (1900–1950) was a Kansas City, Missouri
gangster who became a top enforcer for the Kansas City crime family
.
Born in Kansas City, Gargotta joined the criminal organization of boss John Lazia
as a young man. Gargotta and his close associate, Charles Binaggio
built a gambling ring that grossed as much as $34,500,000 a year on dice
and card games, numbers racket, and bookmaking. Gargotta was arrested more than 40 times over a 30-year period for murder, illegal gambling, liquor law violations, carrying a concealed weapon, robbery
, auto theft, extortion
, attempted burglary
, and vagrancy. However, due to Gargotta's political influence, all of these charges were eventually dropped.
In 1933, Lazia's control over organized crime in Kansas City was challenged by Joe Lusco and Ferris Anthon, two other Kansas City mobsters. Lazia tasked Gargotta and several other mob associates to kill Anthon. On August 12, 1933, the gunmen shot Anthon as he was entering his apartment building in Kansas City. However, county sheriff Tom Bash and a deputy came upon the scene, and opened fire. Two of Lazia's men were killed and one escaped. During the firefight, Gargotta leaped from the car, emptied a Colt .45 automatic at Bash, and then surrendered, yelling, "Don’t shoot me – Don’t shoot me!"
In 1935, Gargotta was indicted for the 1933 attempted murder of Bash. However, Gargotta had strong allies in the law enforcement and legal community. The court granted 29 continuance
s before the case finally came to trial. Kansas City police officers switched the evidence tags on several guns recovered at the scene so as to shed doubt on the question of who held the murder weapon. Testimony of sheriff Bash and a ballistics
expert placed the murder weapon securely in Gargotta's hands, but the jury had been bribed. Gargotta was acquitted of the homicide charge and convicted of the illegal possession of a gun, sentenced to a minimum term, and released promptly. Eventually, over the protest of the police department, the Governor of Missouri pardoned Gargotta. The police officer who changed the evidence tags was eventually convicted of perjury
and sent to jail.
On April 5, 1950, Binaggio and Gargotta drove to the Jackson County, Missouri
Democratic Club in Kansas City to meet a trusted associate. A taxi driver later discovered the bodies in the club, each with four bullet wounds to the head. Gargotta was sprawled on the floor near the door, under a large portrait of then-president Harry S. Truman
. In February 1950, Gargotta had testified before a federal grand jury
in Kansas City about his criminal activities. Underworld outrage over Gargotta's testimony may have led to his assassination. Another theory is that the Mafia Commission
in New York ordered Binaggio's murder because he had failed to keep promises to the Commission. The two murders were never solved.
However, the high profile murders of Gargotta and Binaggio, along with their subversion of the criminal justice system, created public pressure on President Harry Truman to support a congressional investigation into organized crime. This resulted in the famous Kefauver Commission hearings in the U.S. Senate, named after Senator Estes Kefauver
. During these hearings, Kefauver made the following observation about Gargotta:
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
gangster who became a top enforcer for the Kansas City crime family
Kansas City crime family
The Kansas City crime family, also known as the Civella crime family, is a Mafia family based in Kansas City, Missouri.-Early history:...
.
Born in Kansas City, Gargotta joined the criminal organization of boss John Lazia
John Lazia
John Lazia, also known as "Brother John" , was an American organized crime figure in Kansas City, Missouri, during the prohibition period in the United States.-Early years:...
as a young man. Gargotta and his close associate, Charles Binaggio
Charles Binaggio
Charles Binaggio was a Missouri gangster who became the boss of the Kansas City crime family and concocted a bold plan to control the police forces in Kansas City, Missouri and St...
built a gambling ring that grossed as much as $34,500,000 a year on dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
and card games, numbers racket, and bookmaking. Gargotta was arrested more than 40 times over a 30-year period for murder, illegal gambling, liquor law violations, carrying a concealed weapon, robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, auto theft, extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
, attempted burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
, and vagrancy. However, due to Gargotta's political influence, all of these charges were eventually dropped.
In 1933, Lazia's control over organized crime in Kansas City was challenged by Joe Lusco and Ferris Anthon, two other Kansas City mobsters. Lazia tasked Gargotta and several other mob associates to kill Anthon. On August 12, 1933, the gunmen shot Anthon as he was entering his apartment building in Kansas City. However, county sheriff Tom Bash and a deputy came upon the scene, and opened fire. Two of Lazia's men were killed and one escaped. During the firefight, Gargotta leaped from the car, emptied a Colt .45 automatic at Bash, and then surrendered, yelling, "Don’t shoot me – Don’t shoot me!"
In 1935, Gargotta was indicted for the 1933 attempted murder of Bash. However, Gargotta had strong allies in the law enforcement and legal community. The court granted 29 continuance
Continuance
In American procedural law, a continuance is the postponement of a hearing, trial, or other scheduled court proceeding at the request of either or both parties in the dispute, or by the judge sua sponte. In response to delays in bringing cases to trial, some states have adopted "fast-track" rules...
s before the case finally came to trial. Kansas City police officers switched the evidence tags on several guns recovered at the scene so as to shed doubt on the question of who held the murder weapon. Testimony of sheriff Bash and a ballistics
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
expert placed the murder weapon securely in Gargotta's hands, but the jury had been bribed. Gargotta was acquitted of the homicide charge and convicted of the illegal possession of a gun, sentenced to a minimum term, and released promptly. Eventually, over the protest of the police department, the Governor of Missouri pardoned Gargotta. The police officer who changed the evidence tags was eventually convicted of perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
and sent to jail.
On April 5, 1950, Binaggio and Gargotta drove to the Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. With a population of 674,158 in the 2010 census, Jackson County is the second most populous of Missouri's counties, after St. Louis County. Kansas City, the state's most populous city and focus city of the Kansas City Metropolitan...
Democratic Club in Kansas City to meet a trusted associate. A taxi driver later discovered the bodies in the club, each with four bullet wounds to the head. Gargotta was sprawled on the floor near the door, under a large portrait of then-president Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
. In February 1950, Gargotta had testified before a federal grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
in Kansas City about his criminal activities. Underworld outrage over Gargotta's testimony may have led to his assassination. Another theory is that the Mafia Commission
The Commission (mafia)
The Commission is the governing body of the American Mafia. Formed in 1931, the Commission replaced the "Boss of all Bosses" title, with a ruling committee, consisting of the New York Five Families bosses and the boss of the Chicago Outfit...
in New York ordered Binaggio's murder because he had failed to keep promises to the Commission. The two murders were never solved.
However, the high profile murders of Gargotta and Binaggio, along with their subversion of the criminal justice system, created public pressure on President Harry Truman to support a congressional investigation into organized crime. This resulted in the famous Kefauver Commission hearings in the U.S. Senate, named after Senator Estes Kefauver
Estes Kefauver
Carey Estes Kefauver July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S...
. During these hearings, Kefauver made the following observation about Gargotta:
- "If ever a human being deserved the title of ‘Mad Dog’ it was Gargotta."