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"Charles Binaggio and his underboss, Charles Gargotta, rose through poverty in Missouri to eventually lead the Kansas City mob. In the 1930s and 40s, their control extended from local police and businessmen all the way to the White House. The two men died together in an unsolved 1950 double murder in downtown Kansas City. This work offers a unique take on the stories of the two Charlies, with first-hand accounts from those who worked for the gangsters as well as those who felt their wrath. In addition to their violence and corruption, it also reveals the two mobsters' private lives with their wives and children, and describes their inner political connections both within Kansas City and inside Harry S. Truman's administration."-Provided by publisher"--
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Preface: My Take on the Two Charlies
Introduction
Chapter One. Murder
Chapter Two. Coming to America
Chapter Three. Rising Stars
Chapter Four. "Mad Dog"
Chapter Five. Family Life
Chapter Six. The Five Iron Men
Chapter Seven. Businesses
Chapter Eight. Iowa Connections
Chapter Nine. The Democrat Machine
Chapter Ten. Harry Truman and the Kansas City Mob
Chapter Eleven. The 1949 Grand Juries
Chapter Twelve. Party Fight
Chapter Thirteen. The Interview
Chapter Fourteen. Two Sides of LIFE
Chapter Fifteen. Collared by Collier's
Chapter Sixteen. Binaggio's Past, Present, and Future Plans Posted
Chapter Seventeen. Kefauver
Chapter Eighteen. J. Edgar Hoover
Chapter Nineteen. Death and Taxes
Chapter Twenty. The Mob Doctor, the Sarnos, and Blanche
Chapter Twenty-One. One Week Late
Chapter Twenty-Two. Through Rose-Colored Glasses
Chapter Twenty-Three. Who Dunnit?
Epilogue
Chapter Notes
Sources
Index
About the author
Larry J. Hausner is a retired businessman living in North Tustin, California. He is the author of eight fiction and two non-fiction books.
Summary
Charles Binaggio and his underboss, Charles Gargotta, rose through poverty in Missouri to eventually lead the Kansas City mob. In the 1930s and 40s, their control extended from local police and businessmen all the way to the White House. This work offers a unique take on the stories of the two Charlies.
