 The Equitable Life Assurance Society presents this is your FBI. This is your FBI. The office of broadcast from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Presented transcribed as a public service by the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. Later in the program, we will bring you an important message from Mr. J. Edgar Hoover. On our nation's internal security. A shrewd psychologist who has had contacts with numerous leaders of American business once remarked, success and self-confidence go hand in hand. Men who have a strong conviction that they are going to succeed are the ones that rise to the top in every field. For people of this type, people who have this feeling of certainty about themselves, the Equitable Life Assurance Society has created its famous life insurance plan for men and women on the way up. Do those words describe you? Then you'll be interested in about 14 minutes when I give full details of the Equitable Plan for men and women on the way up. Tonight, the subject of our FBI file, Illegal Gambling. It's title, The Corruptors. Illegal gambling in the United States is big business. One bookmaker recently admitted to a gross take of over $20 million in a single year. And he is merely one of hundreds. With such sums of money at their disposal, sooner or later the men who control the horse rooms, the gambling houses and the numbers racket move in and attempt to control the political machine. Bribes to hire ups tie the hands of every conscientious police officer. To prove, however, that it is by no means impossible to break up such a situation, the following case from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been selected for dramatization. Tonight's FBI file opens in a Midwestern city. On the outskirts of town, an old mansion has been converted into a gambling casino. It is early evening, but already there are tense people huddled around different tables. Some playing roulette, perhaps, shaman d'affaires, birdcage, 21 and other so-called games of chess. A short middle-aged man walks across the deep carpet. He nods to players at several tables as he passes and heads toward a door marked private. Well, well, well. Here we are again. Greetings, Phil. Oh, hello, sir. Yes, sir, the Ice Man comers. Come on, come in and close the door. Okay, pal. Well, you got that folding stuff for me? Betty, where's that envelope? It's right there on your desk. Oh, yeah. Here you are. Just a little more due for the commissioner's garden. Got something else for you. All contributions are gratefully received, you know. One of my customers got this for speeding. Tell the commissioner to fix it. Oh, now, wait a minute, wait a minute. He's running a police department. Said, said. I want it fixed. Okay, okay. Anything else? No. Well, if there is, Phil, just call me. The number is Larsonie 81000. Oh! Yeah, yeah. Well, so long, pal. I'm glad he only comes here once a week. Can the commissioner find anybody better to collect his payoffs? He couldn't find anyone worse. Well, and why does he use him? Because he's just as stupid as his collector. Hey, Phil, we got trouble. What's the matter? It's just got word from the Duke. The heat's on. Huh? We're being slobbed. When aren't you? Around 11 o'clock tonight. Well, I just paid off. Yeah, then you're being crossed. Betty, call police headquarters. Get me the commissioner. Well, he won't be there this late. Then try him at home. I'm paying him to stay open, and if he can't deliver, I'll get City Hall to put up a new front. Meanwhile, at local police headquarters, the head of the detective squad, Lieutenant Frank Nelson, is cleaning his revolver when FBI Special Agent Taylor approaches. I don't shoot, Frank. I'll go quiet. Oh, hello, Jim. Hi. You got a minute? Just about. I wanted to get a little information about one of the men on your squad. Oh, who's that? Joe Carter, chief put in an application for him to attend the next FBI Academy class. Oh, yeah, I knew about that. Maybe I'll go after Joe gets back. To the Academy? Yeah, why not? Well, I don't know. I thought you weren't interested. I said I didn't want to go until I put the skids under Phil Putnam. Oh, I, uh, I drove by Putnam's a little while ago. Plenty of cars in the parking lot. There won't be tomorrow night. Oh, you see this warrant for Putnam? Uh-huh. Well, can you get away with it? Commissioner's to ward out personally. The commissioner? That's right. Well, what happened? I don't know. What did the chief say? He's very happy. He hates those hoodlums as much as I do. When are you calling on Putnam? Tonight at eleven. And I'm going with enough men to take everybody and close the place. Sergeant, you and your men wait right here. When I give the word, we'll all move in together. Why does he sit there? Hmm? Oh, hello, Putnam. How are you tonight, Lieutenant? Couldn't be better. I've got something for you. What's that? A warrant. It's got your name on it, and I've got witnesses that is being served. Now I'm going inside with my men and close this place for good. Now, wait, Lieutenant. Everything's been fixed. Oh, no, the commissioner signed this himself. Yeah, he told me all about it. When? Ten minutes ago. I don't believe you. Well, you don't have to. I can let you hear it from the commissioner. Where is he? He's on the phone. The dormant's got an extension out here. Come on. I thought you might need this before you'd believe me, so I had him hang on till you got here. You know his voice, don't you? Yes. Well, let's wait, Lieutenant. The phone's in that box. Hello? Yes, commissioner. This is Lieutenant Nelson. That's right, I'm out here. What? But this afternoon you said that... Yes, sir, I heard you. Good night, commissioner. You look disappointed. What do you want me to do? Throw my hat in the air? Well, no, just forget it. We all make mistakes. This was no mistake. All right, come on inside and bring your guys. I'll buy you all a drink. No, thanks. Now, look, you're making this a personal thing. It's not. It's just a part of your job, like having the thing taken care of as a part of mine. Putnam, don't tell me how to do my work. I came out here tonight with a warrant. And, commissioner, I know commissioner. I'm serving it here. All right, Sergeant, get your men. We're moving in. Morning, Jim. Oh, hello, Frank. Hey, what are you doing in uniform? I'm not a detective anymore. What happened? I made a mistake. I arrested Phil Putnam last night. This morning I was demoted and put on a new detail. If people leave their garbage pails uncovered in the street, I'm supposed to give him a ticket. Well, Putnam works fast, doesn't he? Before the ink was dry on the charge book last night, the commissioner had him sprung. I mean, didn't the chief have to OK your demotion? He couldn't do anything, Jim. This is a direct order. If he doesn't obey, he's fired and the next chief breaks me. Frank, I wish I could help you. Well, maybe you can, Jim. How? One of the attendants in Putnam's parking lot was arrested three years ago. He's got a record and he'd have been in big trouble if I hadn't proved he wasn't guilty. Now, I think I can get a statement for you from him. Well, on what? Putnam has slot machines out there. He's got them from Chicago. Now, if you could get proof, couldn't you charge him with violation of the slot machine law? No, Frank. That law was just passed. Doesn't apply to machine-shipped interstate before the passage. So you can't do anything about it? Not unless they break a federal law. I better get used to this uniform. Now, Frank, you know as well as I do, gambling's a local, not a federal problem. In cities where the people don't want to fill Putnam's around, the anti-gambling statutes are enforced. Citizens get the kind of law enforcement that they want. Yeah, that's true. Voters are going to go to the polls again next month. Well, they'll have the chance to get rid of the machine. You think they will, though? No. Some of them don't even care enough to vote. Well, if I can prove there's a tie-up between Putnam and the commissioner, they might care, Jim. They might care enough to go out on election day and blast the machine right out of this city. Take it easy, Willie. That gutter? Uh-huh. You looking for me, Phil? Yeah. Yeah, come in. You want I should stop, Mr. Putnam? No. See, Archie, I've been doing a little digging. On what? On why the commissioner tried to slower us. Was he trying to boost his take? No. No, he wasn't getting it. Hm? The bag man was palming the payoff. Sid Wilcox? Yeah. Yeah. Wasn't the commissioner getting anything? Not the last two trips. Yeah, that old phony. Who tipped you? The commissioner? No. I figured it myself. The commissioner confirmed it. What'd the old bum take? Ten thousand. Hey. Archie, I want you to go looking for him. The chance we might get some of it back. Okay. You know where he hangs out? Guy as loud as him. He shouldn't be hard to find. Hey, take it easy, Willie. That better? Yeah. I'll go looking for him now. Okay. Oh, Arch. Yeah? A piece of information. When you catch up with the guy, commissioner said it's okay to go as far as you want with him. Senator Nelson? He used to be. You don't mind. I'd like to talk to you. Go ahead. I, uh... Well, I know why you were demoted. You ought to. Huh? You're on the inside. I've seen you around City Hall. Your name's Wilcox, isn't it? Yeah, and I need some help. I'm in trouble. Why tell me? We're not on the same team. But you're the only one who can fix this? I'm not in the fixing business. Well, you can't let him kill me. Who wants to? Well? Well, Phil Putnam's got a grudge against me. Putnam's not a killer? Well, it's a man who works for him. Archie Dawson? Yeah, yeah. How much do you owe Putnam? I don't know a minute. Now, look, Mr. Wilcox, you came in that door and asked me for help. I didn't send for you. Now, if you like, you can leave right now. But if you want to stay, you'll have to tell me the truth. Look, I'm trying to tell you the truth. I know Phil Putnam. He's interested in one thing, money. That's why I asked you how much you owed him. That's the only reason he'd put Dawson on you. I'm willing to help, but on one condition. That you tell me everything. Well, all right. It is money. And how much? Ten thousand bucks. I thought he never gave anybody credit at the club. Yeah, but this isn't the gambling debt. Oh. No, I collected the money for, well, for a friend of mine. A friend at City Hall? Yeah. Why didn't you go see him? Well, I did. I did, and he threw me out. What's his name? What's the name of this friend you collected for? The Commissioner. Say that again? Commissioner Baldwin. Will you put that in writing? Yeah, yeah. Let's see now. A place to tell your story is the Grand Jury. They meet day after tomorrow. Oh, they'll find me before that. I know where you'd be safe, City Jail. I'll arrest you now and have you held until you can go before the Grand Jury. Oh, thanks. Thanks, Lieutenant. I'm not a Lieutenant anymore, Wilcox, but I might be again when you get through talking. Are you so happy, John? Have a seat, Jim. Hey, don't tell me the demotion's off. Lean back and listen to a tale that'll gladden your heart. All right, go ahead. I'm listening. I was right here about two hours ago when a man came in that door and told me that Phil Putnam's muscle man wanted to kill him. You know why? No, Mr. Bones. I don't know why. Because the man who walked in spent the money he got from Mr. Putnam to deliver to the Commissioner. A pay off? Yeah. Man's name is Wilcox, and he's now in City Jail, where he's agreed to stay until Monday morning. And then, I'm going to take him by the hand of the Grand Jury. Congratulations, man. Save that the laughter of the indictment. Okay. All the application the Chief put in for Joe Carter to go to the Academy was accepted. Oh, so what? Now, how about you? Now that I'm getting Putnam out of the way, I'll put in for the next class. Fine. You can buy the office in the morning. I'll give it the application blank. You just have the Chief sign it. Oh, pardon me, Jim. Sure. Nelson speaking. Yes, that's right. What? When? But he said that... Okay, thanks for calling. Cancel the Academy for me, Jim. No, why? That was a City Jail. They just released Sid Wilcox. We will return shortly to tonight's case from the official files of your FBI. Now, for a moment, let's consider an entirely different type of case. The story of a fellow who made his own breaks instead of waiting for them. John Hanover had a very little desk in a very big publishing house. He had his ideas on how the company could make more money. Naturally, nobody ever asked Johnny for his ideas. But Johnny didn't wait for anyone to ask him. He just wrote them up and sent them to the top men. Little by little, those men began realizing they had a real fireball in Johnny. Well, today, Johnny has a bigger desk, haven't you? Yes, sir. My paycheck's bigger, too. Sure it is. And it will get still bigger with the years. A few years back, Johnny's Equitable Society representative pegged Johnny as a fellow who couldn't help but get ahead. He told Johnny about the Equitable Plan for men and women on the way up. A plan that makes sure that while you're climbing the ladder of success, your insurance climbs with you. A plan that saves you from making the mistake of having your insurance lag behind your increased earnings and responsibilities. That's the beauty of this plan. It's flexible. It grows as you grow. It sure does. When I started making more money, those options in my Equitable Plan made it simple for me to move up into a higher insurance bracket. And there's another big advantage in this Equitable Plan. Until your income does go up, the cost of this plan can be kept exceptionally low. Without having your family, sacrifice the insurance protection they need. Before I started making more money, keeping up my Equitable Plan wasn't hard at all. Insurance never became a burden. So many of you have the same stuff that Johnny has. The drive, the initiative, and all the other things that are your guarantee of getting ahead. So why not do what Johnny did? Ask your Equitable Society representative about the Equitable Plan for men and women on the way up. Or send a postcard care of this station to the Equitable Society. That's E-Q-U-I-T-A-B-L-E. The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States. And now back to the FBI file. The Corruptors. While there are no federal anti-gambling statutes under its jurisdiction, your FBI has very firm opinions on the subject. Because it knows that those who engage in gambling and other rackets could not carry on without the important ingredient of political protection. It is an accepted fact in law enforcement circles that no city is corrupt where the police are free to do their job. Where certain criminal elements are not so powerful that they have become a group beyond the law. The situation even in those cities where corruption exists is not hopeless, far from it. An aroused citizenry can take the handcuffs off the wrists of the police and put them where they belong. Only through the work of every individual who cares about living in a crime-free community can that happy circumstance be brought about. But the fact that it can be done should be incentive enough. The people is not an abstract phrase. It means you, each of you, assume your responsibility as a citizen. Helping to rid your city of a corrupt political machine is your job. Help yourself and the nation by doing that job. By starting to do it right now. Tonight's FBI file continues later that day. Outside the back door of Phil Putnam's office at the gambling casino. Oh, now, cut it out. Now, will you cut? Go on, let go of me, will you? Oh, dumb me up, will you? Need some help, aren't you? With him? Come on, get moving. No, no, I won't. Sid, you can walk into Phil's office or get carried in. Now, what'll it be? All right, all right. I'll walk. You go back out front, Willie. Okay. Go ahead. Phil! In here. Pretty quick. Will you ask this big Saint Bernard to leave me alone? He says he ain't got any of the dough left. No, and I haven't. I bet it on the wrong horses and I blew the works. Well, there's something more important than the money right now. Why did you go to the cops? Who? Me? Why, Phil? You know I wouldn't do a thing like that. Well, how come you were in jail? I was arrested for stealing a car. The chargebook said you were being held as a material witness for the grand jury. And there's only one story you know that they'd be interested in. Well, what's that? They'd like to know about me paying off the commissioner and you're just a little man who could tell them. Who? Me? Me talk? Yeah, you talk. Maybe you think this is a peanut stand I've got here? Well, it's not. This is big business. I do over 100,000 a week. That's why I got you out of jail. If you ever started talking to that grand jury, I'd be closed the next day. Oh, look, Phil, now look. You got me all wrong. Archie, take him over to my place on the lake. Huh? What for? Well, we got a story about you and the commissioner to plant and if you're here, you just might not tell it right. You want me to drive him out? Yeah. Yeah, take Willie. He can stay and keep Sid company. Well, I'm not going. You're going. And you're staying out there till we decide what else to do with you. No, no. I'm not leaving here. Oh, do we have to go through that again? Hey, now let go, will ya? Go on, get your big paws off of me. So long, Sid. So long. Have a nice trip. Hello, Jim. What are you doing over here? Well, I'm trying to get some information from the court records. How about you? Well, lining up the docket of witnesses is a grand jury you'll hear on Monday. I want to be one of them. Well, Wilcox, go on, Frank. What have you got? Enough, I think. After you left my office, I went to the city jail. Sid Wilcox refused to be released when they told him the charge against him was dropped. Well, then how'd he get out? A couple of the commissioner's men put him out. The commissioner seems to have a pretty nice network. And when he got in front of the jail, who do you suppose is waiting for him? Archie Dawson. Right. Forced him into a car and they drove away. Out to the casino, I guess. I'll find out. As soon as I'm through here, I'm paying another call on Putnam. Archie, you better get out front. What's the matter, buddy? Well, that cop's trying to get in. He's giving the doorman trouble. Okay. I'll take care of it. Oh, it's too late. Here he comes. Get back in the office and tell Phil. Okay. Dawson. I want to see you. What for? I've got evidence you were outside the jail when Sid Wilcox was released. And you forced him into a car. Are you kidding? I've got witnesses who saw you. Look, I ain't seen Wilcox in a week. I don't know where he is, and if I did, I wouldn't care. You're lying. Now, wait a minute. What's going on here? He says I met Sid Wilcox and shoved him in a car when the bump got out of jail. Now, Nelson, you ought to be more careful about accusing people, especially after the jam you just got into. Jam? Yeah. Don't tell me you haven't heard about it yet. What are you talking about? Wilcox told her you threatened to beat him up unless he'd lie and invent a story about collecting payoffs from me for the commissioner so that you did it just to get a promotion. That's ridiculous. Well, all I know is the commissioner isn't pressing charges against me. Or against me. I'd let you make a bet on that. But in this club, we've got a rule. The house never bets on sure things. I just got your message. You didn't have to rush. I'm not leaving. Why, what happened? I'm under suspension. The commissioner preferred departmental charges against me. For what? He claims he's got a statement from Wilcox saying I threatened to beat him unless he testified falsely that he was collecting bribe money from Putnam for the commissioner. Have you seen this statement? Nobody has. It's been no sign of Wilcox, either. Look, the reason I sent for you, Jim, is I think you can help me. You know how I feel, Frank, if there's anything I can do when you just say so. Yeah, there is something. All right, what is it? I told you about the ex-con who works in the parking lot at Putnam. Yeah. I will not see Putnam tonight. Got nothing but denials from him and Archie Dawson. Well, that figures. When I left, though, this attendant told me Dawson and a mug named Willie Green took Wilcox away earlier tonight. You overheard Wilcox protesting that he didn't want to go. Oh? They forced him into a car and drove him across the 7th Street Bridge. Well, that means they had to cross a state line. Nobody saw the attendant talk to me, Jim. He'll testify whenever you want him to. Good. I'll go to work right away, Frank. See if I can get warrants on all of them. Good afternoon, gentlemen. Where's Willie? Oh, my custodian. He's upstairs. And he lets you run loose down here? He trusts me, Archie. He knows that I've come to love this place. In fact, I was about to write a testimonial. Get put away by Putnam, every prisoner a king. How do you like that, boys, huh? Very funny. Yeah. Want to get out of here, Wilcox? Well, that's up to you and the commissioner, isn't it? He thinks it's okay if you've got the story right. The one about the cop? Uh-huh. I can sing it, tell it, or play it on a comb. We'll just tell it. Okay. How's this? Lieutenant Nelson caught me booking a horse bet and he arrested me. When we got to the station house, he said he'd beat me up if I didn't say I was collecting money from you to give to the commissioner. So, gentlemen, what could I do? Faced with the threat of violence on one side, sheer disgrace in the other, what could I do? Hold it, hold it, kid, will ya? Just stay with the facts. But, Phil, a little emotional appeal is always... He just wants you to tell the story. Okay, very well, next time I will. Let's get back to town. You mean me too? Yeah, yeah, you're gonna tell that story to the grand jury. I suppose we all go back together. Who are you? He's an FBI man. How did he get in here? Willie's not very exclusive, not very conscious either. Willie's in the closet. I came out here looking for Sid Wilcox. Who tipped you? I found out about this place from the county real estate records. Now, as I said before, let's all go back to town to get it. Phil Putnam, Archie Dawson and Willie Green were all convicted in federal court on a charge of kidnapping and sentenced to serve 10 years each. Commissioner Baldwin was prosecuted locally and his convictions served to help break up the criminally controlled political machine. And now, ladies and gentlemen, here is a vital message on our nation's internal security from J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Hoover's message is, and I quote, Every loyal American citizen has been assigned a definite responsibility to preserve the internal security of the United States. The forces which are at work in our society to undercut America's defense effort and contaminate the reservoirs from which we draw our strength must be uncovered and turned back. All loyal citizens and patriotic organizations have a hand in this job. They have been called on by the President of the United States to report promptly all information concerning espionage, sabotage and subversive activities to the FBI. If each of us is alert to the particular duty assigned him, we may approach the problem with national unity and full confidence of success. Now one last suggestion about the equitable plan for men and women on the way up. Remember, it's made for the man who knows that the day is not too far away when he'll tell his wife, Look K, $25 more in my pay envelope. Some promotion. Are you pretty sure that it can happen to you, that it will happen to you? Then don't wait another day. Ask your Equitable Society representative to work out your own personal plan for a man on the way up. Or send a postcard care of this station to the Equitable Life Assurance Society. The incidents used in tonight's Equitable Life Assurance Society's broadcast are adapted from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, all names used are fictitious and any similarity they're of to the names of places or persons living or dead is accidental. Tonight, the music was composed and conducted by Frederick Steiner. The author was Jerry D. Lewis. Your narrator was William Woodson and Special Agent Taylor was played by Stacy Harris. Others in the cast were Alice Backers, Walter Catlett, Whit Conner, JC Flippen, Tony Hughes and Sheldon Leonard. This is your FBI is a Jerry Divine production. This is Larry Keating speaking for the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and the Equitable Society's representative in your community. And inviting you to tune in again next week at the same time, when the Equitable Life Assurance Society will bring you another thrilling transcribe story from the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Straw Hat Shakedown on This Is Your FBI. Stay tuned for the adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. There's fun for the whole family when Ozzie and Harriet come your way next. This program came to you from Hollywood.