Jurisdictional disputes in the motion-picture Industry : hearings before a special subcommittee of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Eightieth Congress, first-session, pursuant to H. Res. 111 (1948)

MOTION-PICTURE JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES 2023 ment was requested for them, were Johnny Grafelli and Frank Nitti. I know considerable about these characters. 1 do not intend to go into it extensively because I realize that we want to get away from here. But a man b}^ the name of Joe Park, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, called me in my office and said, "You will be interested to know that an indictment has been requested or issued against the following people." He named over a lot of so-called hoodlums. Among them were Frank Xitti and John Rosselli. I told him at the time the only two I knew were Rosselli and Nitti and I considered Rosselli a minor figure in the underworld, but that Nitti, I could not believe that they had issued an indictment for Nitti and that I didn't believe they would ever bring Nitti to testify ; that they either would not find him or they would kill him because Nitti, as I knew, was a liaison member who contacted the big-shot producers, who had too much money to let him testify. About 5 hours later Joe Park called me and said. "You must have been looking in a crystal ball because Frank Nitti has just shot himself twice through the head ; committed suicide." You can check this conversation with Joe Park, who is the labor editor of the Los Angeles Times. I think it is important that I bring these things out because I want to show that although we are accused of following the Communist Party line, we certainly are not doing it. But I am now accusing the lATSE of following the same line laid down by Browne and Bioff and the producers in 1935, and it hasn't changed. I was talking to Eddie Mannix one day — and as you know I like Eddie Mannix. He was telling me he was innocent of all this manipulation going on between the producers and the lATSE gangsters, that he did not know anything about this money being passed around and that he fought his heart out trying to do a job for his people. T called him lip on one thing. I said, "Eddie, you know I like you, you are a likable guy. I know you would cut my throat from ear to ear but I like you." Secretly the reason I like him is because when he makes a deal with you you don't have to sign it, he is honest. But I said, "You know, I'm probably going to have to send you to jail sometime, and I want you to know when I send you to jail it's not because I have any personal dislike for you but it's because if you were my father, my brother, or my son I'd have to do the same thing." Now I said, "Eddie, you know you're still paying off." He said, "Oh, no, I am not." I said, "All right, I'll just show you." The central labor council, who I think I have told you before was corru]5t under the leadership of J. W. Buzzell, entered into the splitting up of these locals of the lATSE and one man was so dumb they could not take care of him. That was Harry Sheerman, who acted as president of tlie central labor council. Yon put him to work as inspector of police. Now the police on this lot don't like the pny : they don't trust him. He didn't do anything, but he collects a check and he is still collecting his check and I don't think lie comes in except on pay days, hut he comes in for that check ever.v pay day. Now. don't tell me that's not a pay-off, Eddie, you know its a pay-off.