Editing Murder, Inc. (section)

==Demise==

In January 1940, professional criminal and police informer Harry Rudolph was held as a material witness in the murder of 19-year-old minor gangster Alex Alpert. Alpert was shot in the back on a street corner in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn on November 25, 1933.<ref name="alpert">[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0911FD3B55117A93C1A91789D85F448485F9 "Reles, Two of Gang, Indicted in Killing as O'Dwyer Acts; Prosecutor Says Case Against Racketeers, Reputed Immune to Conviction, Is 'Air-Tight' Slaying of 1933 Charged Mother of Young Victim Has Made Almost Daily Pleas Since to Get Action"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129132401/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0911FD3B55117A93C1A91789D85F448485F9 |date=2012-01-29 }},''[[The New York Times]]'', February 3, 1940, p.1</ref><ref name="murder1">[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0C13F63C54117A93C2AB1788D85F448485F9 Murder Witness Got Bribe Offer, O'Dwyer Charges; $5,000 Promised If He Would Clear Reles and Goldstein, Prosecutor Declares] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606164157/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0C13F63C54117A93C2AB1788D85F448485F9 |date=2011-06-06 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 20, 1940, p.1</ref> While in custody, Rudolph talked with Brooklyn District Attorney [[William O'Dwyer]]. With Rudolph's testimony, O'Dwyer secured first-degree murder indictments against [[Abe Reles]], [[Martin Goldstein]] and Anthony Maffetore.<ref name="alpert"/><ref name="murder1"/>

After the three were indicted, O'Dwyer learned from Special Prosecutor John Harlan Amen<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.NYCGangland.com|title=NYC Gangland|website=www.nycgangland.com|access-date=27 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310001703/http://www.nycgangland.com/|archive-date=10 March 2012}}</ref> that Rudolph was reportedly offered a $5,000 bribe by another prisoner, on behalf of the syndicate, to "put Reles and Goldstein on the street".<ref name="murder1"/> O'Dwyer stated that when Maffetore learned of the bribe offer to help clear Reles and Goldstein and after several talks with New York City Detective John Osnato, he decided to turn state's evidence.<ref name="murder1"/><ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30714FE3558127A93CAA81788D85F448485F9 Trigger Men Bare 'Contract' Murders for Big Racketeers; Dozen Killings by Brooklyn Gang Solved by Confessions of Pair, O'Dwyer Says 15 Seized in Round-up Penn Case Mistake Laid to Thugs Who Specialized in 'Rubbing Out' Witnesses] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210063936/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30714FE3558127A93CAA81788D85F448485F9 |date=2007-12-10 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 18, 1940, p.1</ref> Detective Osnato talked with Maffetore even though he had worked with Rudolph previously and did not put much credibility in his story since Rudolph was paid for information in other cases that turned out to be false.<ref name="murder2">[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0616F93454107B93C2A81782D85F408485F9 What Makes a Successful Detective; John Osnato, who cracked big cases, used his own formula: stool pigeons and common sense] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210040929/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0616F93454107B93C2A81782D85F408485F9 |date=2007-12-10 }},''[[The New York Times]]'', September 10, 1944, Sunday Magazine, p.SM18</ref>

Eventually, Maffetore decided to cooperate, stating that he was not involved in the Alpert murder, but was the driver in six gangland murders.<ref name="murder2"/> Maffetore then convinced Abraham Levine to talk. Reles was next to cooperate with the District Attorney's office.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/03/24/archives/reles-is-telling-story-of-murders-done-by-his-gang-leader-in-a.html |title=Reles Is Telling Story of Murders Done by His Gang; Leader, in a Surprise Move to Win Leniency, Gives O'Dwyer Facts on Paid Killers; Also Naming 'Employers'; Two More Slayings Are Solved as Drive on Syndicate Takes on Added Momentum |newspaper=The New York Times |date=March 24, 1940 |page=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920205550/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00C12F83D55177A93C6AB1788D85F448485F9 |archive-date=September 20, 2012 }}{{subscription required}}</ref> After Reles agreed to cooperate, numerous first-degree murder indictments were issued in Brooklyn, [[the Bronx]], and in upstate [[Sullivan County, New York|Sullivan County]] (Catskills).<ref>[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB061EF834581B7A93CBA81788D85F448485F9 Murder for $1 Profit Is Charged as Evidence Piles Up Against Gang; Fifteen Killings Checked With Probability That Twice as Many May Be Traced Hollywood 'Bit Man' Held], ''The New York Times'', March 19, 1940, p. 25.{{subscription required}} {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920205824/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB061EF834581B7A93CBA81788D85F448485F9 |date=September 20, 2012 }}</ref> Additional members of the "Combination" then were added to the list of cooperating witnesses, including [[Albert Tannenbaum]], [[Seymour Magoon]], and Sholem Bernstein. Harry Rudolph's testimony was never used in any of the trials, as he died of natural causes in the infirmary at [[Rikers Island]] in June 1940.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1940/06/04/archives/57-murders-laid-to-brooklyn-ring-odwyer-asserts-crimes-are-solved.html 57 Murders Laid to Brooklyn Ring; O'Dwyer Asserts Crimes Are 'Solved,' but Time and Death Bar Many Prosecutions; 10-Year Period Covered; Slaying of Vannie Higgins Is Added to List – Blue Ribbon Jury Plea Is Granted], ''The New York Times'', June 4, 1940.{{subscription required}} {{Cite news |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E11F63A5E10728DDDAD0894DE405B8088F1D3 |title=57 MURDERS LAID TO BROOKLYN RING; O'Dwyer Asserts Crimes Are 'Solved,' but Time and Death Bar Many Prosecutions 10-YEAR PERIOD COVERED Slaying of Vannie Higgins is Added to List--Blue Ribbon Jury Plea is Granted |access-date=May 19, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920205736/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30E11F63A5E10728DDDAD0894DE405B8088F1D3 |archive-date=September 20, 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1940-06-04 }}</ref> Abe Reles fell to his death from a room at the [[Half Moon Hotel]] in [[Coney Island]] on November 12, 1941, even though he was under police guard.<ref name="AO"/><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1941/11/13/archives/abe-reles-killed-trying-to-escape-sheet-rope-fails-after-he-lowers.html Abe Reles Killed Trying to Escape; Sheet Rope Fails After He Lowers Himself From 6th to 5th Floor of Hotel; Motive Puzzles Police; Informer Against Murder Ring Lived in Dread of Bullets of Former Confederates] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927020040/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60917F7355B147B93C1A8178AD95F458485F9 |date=2012-09-27 }}, ''The New York Times'', November 13, 1941. p. 29.{{subscription required}}</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1941/11/14/archives/guards-demoted-in-reles-escape-five-to-get-departmental-trials-on.html Guards Demoted in Reles Escape; Five to Get Departmental Trials on Laxity Charge – Mayor Orders Inquiry] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927020045/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30C14F7385F1A7A93C6A8178AD95F458485F9 |date=2012-09-27 }}, ''The New York Times'', November 14, 1941. p. 1.{{subscription required}}</ref> The official verdict was accidental death.