From Guzik's Protege To Syndicate Fixer
Under Guzik's guidance, Alex became experienced in securing Syndicate protection through bribery of city officials. By the mid-1940s, Alex was the main liaison between the Chicago Outfit and city hall officials. He granted control of the Loop's illegal gambling and prostitution operations, including a lucrative call girl operation out of prominent downtown hotels (of which many call girls were paid up to $500 to $1,000) Alex's operations brought in an estimated $1 million a month for the Syndicate.
Described as "one of the wiliest and slickest crooks" within the Chicago Outfit, Alex would decline to answer questions under the Fifth Amendment over 39 times during his appearance before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the U.S. Senate Committee on Government Operations. During the 1960s, Alex would come under suspicion during his annual ski trips to Switzerland as the US government accused Alex of depositing Outfit money in unnumbered Swiss bank accounts. As a result of the US governments protest (although Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen and Congressman William L. Dawson opposed government action, calling to allow Alex to continue his "sporting trips"), Swiss officials banned Alex from entering Switzerland for 10 years.
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