Robofootball: Doublespin

Vincent Verlucci’s reputation was born with the gangland killing of Ray Bernstein and it was only enhanced with his fists and additional murders of rivals who either got in the way or attempted to muscle in on Don Berzzini, the Licavoli’s or Vincent himself. Vincent was sent north with Marcus and Julius Delano in order for things to cool down somewhat. They worked across the St. Clair River between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Canada, either boating, sledding, or driving across the frozen river depending on the time of year, all the while transporting Canadian Club whiskey in cases, jugs, and barrels throughout the remaining years of Prohibition.

Don Berzzini expanded his empire north and had purchased a farm in Lapeer, about 40 miles west of Port Huron. There was one big gambrel or hip roof barn as the locals like to call them with a substantial loft and a rare basement too. Excess whiskey was hidden behind hay bales in the loft as well as on the main floor when the basement was full. Stills were also set up in the basement to produce his own alcohol, and yet, Don Berzzini could not meet the demand in Flint, the tri-cities, and north of there too.

In the meantime, when not acquiring liquor from Canada, Vincent was leading supply convoys from Port Huron the Lapeer to Flint, and then north from there. The Purple Gang was having its own share of troubles, much worse than just a supply problem. In 1929, they expanded into the beginnings of the drug trade and took on the job of providing protection for a rising group of drug dealers; however, the cops, often paid off or sometimes looked the other way to simply save their own skin, took a more active role in fighting drugs. Drugs were unknowns at the time, and believed to cause all sorts of problems either real or imagined. As a consequence, several members of the Purple Gang were arrested for arms violations in support of this new rising class of drug dealers. They were acquitted but infighting within the gang increased, and several members were shot and killed at Detroit’s Collingwood Apartments by members of their own gang in an attempt to go independent. Don Berzzini looked on with amusement during this little civil war within the Purple Gang.

When Prohibition officially ended on December 5, 1933, the Purple Gang was deprived of their main source of illegal activity, and they broke up for good. Don Berzzini was much smarter and had expanded into other traditional mob racketeering endeavors with the insane profits derived from illegal liquor sales. Protection, prostitution, guns, stolen cars, hijacked trucks, loan sharking, high stakes card games like poker, and more gambling, especially running numbers games similar to the modern state lotteries combined with sports betting, allowed him to take over where the Purple Gang left off. Berzzini established a bookie network from south Detroit as Journey would sing, all the way to the Upper Peninsula with the numerous and ever-expanding auto factories in the state as prime real estate for illegal betting.

Don Berzzini’s unique marketing strategy would pay off handsomely for his successors, the Licavoli’s along with Vincent Verlucci. During the Depression years, many of his customers that he provided protection for had trouble playing or remaining in business at all. Rather than beat, injure, or even kill them, Berzzini demanded a small stake, usually a traditional tithe of 10% like a monastic or church organization. At times, he took a larger stake to keep them from going under, and even invested his own illegal earnings back into them. When the smoke cleared from the ravaged economy and happy days were here again, Don Berzzini found himself with an interest in numerous bars, restaurants, fuel stations, butcher shops, funeral parlors, hotels, motels, appliance shops, auto repair garages, machine shops, liquor stores, barber shops, grocery stores, Laundromats, and on, and on.

Instead of relying solely on muscle, he hired lawyers and accountants to keep track, but kept the body guards and tough guys on the payroll just the same, in case some were cooking the books a little too much. In extreme cases, he simply assumed outright control of the business if the owner failed to pay his rightful percentage plus a small stipend over and above.

Don Berzzini had no sons and his name would die with him. He did have 3 daughters. One would marry Thomas Licavoli, another Vincent Verlucci. When Don Berzzini passed away, Tom and his brother Pete assumed control of the Detroit area while Vincent was given more latitude in the northern part of the state. It soon became known as both the Licavoli Gang and the River Gang, and they often used Italian restaurants as their bases of operation.

Over time, the Licavoli influence would weaken in Detroit, especially when the inner city became much more highly populated with blacks or African Americans, who in turn, would eventually dominate the drug and prostitution trade within the city. The Licavoli’s, like Vincent, would hang on to their illegal gambling activities, and especially sports betting as a main source of illegitimate income. In the meantime, much of their stake in general business had become legal due to Don Berzzini’s foresight.

“There’s more violence in one football game than there is in an entire hockey season, and nobody ever talks about that.”

Keith Allen