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The sky was the limit, as the Mafia indulged in running alcohol, extortion, protection rackets, adn skimming from Las Vegas casinos. The Cream City had its crooked lawyers, corrupt cops, and even a mayor on the take. There was the blood of those who dared to stand in the syndicate's way, who were found dead in ditches or as victims of car bombs. While now considered extinct, the Milwaukee Family was once a dominant force in the Midwest.
This book delves into four interconnected murders, each of them unsolved, in which the common denominator is the underground world of sex trafficking. Using police and FBI records never before made public, underworld links are made between numerous vice centers in the Midwest. What does a small mining town in upper Michigan have to do with organized crime in Peoria, Illinois? More than you might think! Within these pages, meet corrupt night club owners, dancers who moonlight as callgirls, interstate burglary rings, Milwaukee Mafia members, bank robbers and more. All part of one giant web, they come together in a story that has remained largely untold--until now.
Explorer Jean Nicolet traveled down the Fox River in 1634 and explored an area of three waterfalls. Settlers arrived and began trading at this natural way station in 1760, establishing what became Kaukauna--one of the oldest settlements in the state. In fact, the first land deed ever recorded in Wisconsin happened here. The first state road followed in the 1820s, connecting Kaukauna with Green Bay, and people trickled in to work at the sawmills. Locks and dams were built to harness the river, and the paper mills were not far behind. It was then that Kaukauna was nicknamed the "Lion on the Fox," and the boom of a great city began. It is a thriving community today that maintains a small-town feel. Thilmany Pulp and Paper has been the leading employer in the area for more than a century. At the heart of the city remains the Fox River, dividing north and south, and Kaukauna remains the "Lion on the Fox."
The Midwest's two most powerful gangs are fighting over territory and no one is safe. An upright citizen kidnapped in public and dumped in a shallow grave. A police chief's wife arrested for murder. A mobster kidnapped and threatened by the FBI. And an ongoing corruption probe looking at everyone from the lowest bookie all the way up to judges and prosecutors. What is going on in small town America? Follow the exploits of the police, FBI and Bobby Kennedy himself as they try to put together the pieces and catch the bad guys... If they can.
Karl Freund is the most important film pioneer you've never heard of. From the silent film era to the rise of the American sitcom, Freund was there at every turn. Countless camera techniques can be traced back to his "unchained camera." His lighting setup for filming I Love Lucy live remains standard to this day. He was the man behind the lens for many influential and award-winning films, from Metropolis to The Good Earth to Key Largo. This biography is the first book-length look at one of the world's greatest cameramen. It details the events of his early life, his entrance into the world of film, his work in both Germany and America, and his legacy, while also putting his life and films into the historical context of the 20th century. The author gives particular attention to Freund's role in the early horror films Der Golem, Dracula, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mummy, and Mad Love.
Milwaukee is best known for its beer—and rightfully so. But in the days of Prohibition, the big alcohol suppliers were not Miller, Blatz, Schlitz, and Pabst. The Mafia had control, and it made its money by running alcohol as far away as Canada and Indiana, as well as with counterfeiting, the numbers racket, and two of the biggest heists in American history. From then on, the sky was the limit, as the Mafia indulged in extortion, protection rackets, and skimming from Las Vegas casinos. The Cream City had its crooked lawyers, corrupt cops, and even a mayor on the take. There was the blood of those who dared to stand in the syndicate’s way, who were found dead in ditches or as victims of car bombs. The members of the Mafia included doctors, real estate men, restaurateurs, tavern owners, funeral directors, union presidents, and the most famous Milwaukee gangster of all, Frank Balistrieri. While now considered extinct, the Milwaukee Family was once a dominant force in the Midwest.
Neenah rests in the heart of the Fox Valley, positioned between Appleton and Oshkosh. The city sits at the junction of Lake Winnebago and the Fox River, which has always been central to its draw for both recreation and business. Flour and paper milling utilized the river's powerful flow and brought Neenah's biggest booms. The successes of paper mills such as Neenah Paper, which opened in 1866, and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, which opened in 1872, led to the natural development of the "Paper City" nickname. Today, industry continues to flourish in Neenah. The region has become a hub for several major corporations with broad, international reach, yet lifelong residents remain the true comm...
Karl Freund is the most important film pioneer you've never heard of. From the silent film era to the rise of the American sitcom, Freund was there at every turn. Countless camera techniques can be traced back to his "unchained camera." His lighting setup for filming I Love Lucy live remains standard to this day. He was the man behind the lens for many influential and award-winning films, from Metropolis to The Good Earth to Key Largo. This biography is the first book-length look at one of the world's greatest cameramen. It details the events of his early life, his entrance into the world of film, his work in both Germany and America, and his legacy, while also putting his life and films into the historical context of the 20th century. The author gives particular attention to Freund's role in the early horror films Der Golem, Dracula, Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mummy, and Mad Love.
In Wisconsin history, no single group has been on the land longer than the Menominee Indians. While other tribes were pushed west by the Europeans and Americans, the Menominee stayed firm and held on to their ancestral homeland. Though their territory has been greatly diminished, there is something to be said about raising a family in the same place as your parents and their parents, going back thousands of years. Their interaction with the white man dates back to the days of explorer Jean Nicolet in 1634. Since then, they have been both allies and foes of the Europeans. Tribal leaders distinguished themselves in trade and war, with cities named in their honor: Oshkosh, Keshena, and Tomah. Many other Wisconsin cities have names derived from the Menominee language. The 20th century brought new challenges, but after some setbacks, the tribe forged ahead. Today, it is one of the most prominent tribes in the state, if not the nation, thanks to leaders like Ada Deer and Sylvia Wilber.
From 1922 to 1931, Pete and Sam Carlino controlled the flow of Prohibition alcohol from southern Colorado to Denver before their empire suffered a gruesome, bloody demise. The brothers battled their own kin in the Danna family to secure southern Colorado's bootleg liquor territory. Dozens perished in their rise to power. Eventually, mafia boss Nicola Gentile intervened to settle a dispute involving the brothers' associates. Pete Carlino's grandson, author Sam Carlino, uncovers intimate photos and new revelations, including confirmation that Pete Carlino met with Salvatore Maranzano in New York and that the death of both men on September 10, 1931, may not have been a coincidence.