Taking a round to the chest, journalist Herbert Spencer died rather quickly. He found his brother half-dead and leaning over a chair. Hearing the shots, George raced back to the office at 6665 Sunset Blvd. вЂњWhere did that guy go?вЂќ He muttered, fell to the pavement and died. He ran bareheaded, stumbled off the side porch and lurched toward the high grey walls of the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, 50 feet away. Down the side of his white shirt ran a stream of blood. The killer ran from the stuffy little room, dashed out a side door, reached the end of the covered porch and jumped down the steps. Shots rang loud a short while after CrawfordвЂ™s bodyguard, his brother George, stepped away to grab a bite. Whoever pulled the trigger timed their visit right. It was the twentieth of May, 1931, just before dinner. Instead, Good Time Charlie made a play to topple his old crime partners. Had he truly вЂњstepped awayвЂќ and let his former allies enjoy their rackets, Crawford may have lived a good while longer. Buron Fitts cleared Crawford of the charges that a gunman paid him a visit. While making large donations to the church, he simultaneously awaited the sentence heвЂ™d receive for his part in the Julian oil scandal. Oddly enough, Crawford found religion late in his criminal career. The voice of the press would be the beacon of their undoing. At the time of his death, the papers identified him as a financial backer of the вЂњCritic of CriticsвЂќ magazine Spencer served as itвЂ™s Managing Editor. Crawford also owned night spots around the city, including the popular bar, the Maple. On the legal side of the house, he dabbled in real estate and insurance, though he no doubt manipulated these professions to make an easy buck as well. As a leading figure of the Spring Street vice operators known as The Combination, Crawford held ties to the cityвЂ™s gambling, prostitution, and bootlegging rackets. вЂњGood TimeвЂќ Charlie Crawford, one of the most powerful men on the LA underworld scene during the bulk of prohibition, was more politician than bootlegger. Through the throng circulated detectives and officers, many friends of Crawford, for much of his power was said to have rested in police acquaintances. There were city officials, for Crawford was a power in politics. Men of the underworld who recognized Crawford as вЂњthe Gray Wolf,вЂќ rubbed elbows with those who knew the man as a recent brother in the church-a member whose contributions totaled more than $25,000. Crawford, slain in his office along with Herbert Spencer, newspaperman, Wednesday. PaulвЂ™s Presbyterian church today at final rites for Charles H. Los Angeles-More than a thousand persons, representing a cross section of life, gathered at St. The Helena Daily Independent, May 24, 1931 In between the slayings of cosa nostra leaders Joe вЂњthe BossвЂќ Masseria and Salvatore Maranzano during the final moves of the American mafiaвЂ™s Castellemmarese War, a political racketeer out in Los Angeles also met his end. Hopefully the вЂњlittle bookвЂќ will be ready in time for the MobSummit. Crime & Corruption: A Pictorial History combines twelve true crime vignettes IвЂ™ve recently penned with select original press and family photos from my personal collection.

For the occasion of my two upcoming Vegas appearances (I will be lecturing at the Las Vegas Mob Museum as well this September 22 nd), I have compiled a вЂњpicture bookвЂќ for your viewing and reading pleasure. 9 minutes Installment 9: The Killing of Good Time CharlieДЄuthorвЂ™s Note: IвЂ™m looking forward to my panel on early Los Angeles mob activity at the soon coming MobWorld Summit happening this FatherвЂ™s Day Weekend at the Plaza Hotel in the Las Vegas Fremont District.

Charlie murder raft never ending