George Wray Gill, Sr. (1907 - October 4, 1972) was an American lawyer born in Crowley, Louisiana. He graduated Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans in June 1927. He became a prominent attorney in that city as part of the firm Gill, Bernstein, Schreiber and Gill in Room 1707 of the Pere* Marquette Building at 150 Baronne Street. He resided at 996 Robert E. Lee Boulevard.
Gill was primarily a criminal lawyer who handled many high profile cases over the years. His most controversial client was Carlos Marcello (Calogero Minacore) who was reputed to be the organized crime boss of Louisiana and surrounding states. He represented Marcello on many occasions between 1951 and 1972. Gill was himself the target of criminal charges several times.
In December 1961, he began representing a former pilot named David Ferrie in his attempt to be reinstated with Eastern Air Lines after his suspension, related to morals charges. Gill employed Ferrie as an investigator and handyman from March 1962-December 1963. Throughout 1963, Gill represented Ferrie before the Pilots System Board of Adjustment in Ferrie's grievances against the airline. Ferrie was briefly detained in November 1963 over charges made by Jack S. Martin, another Gill associate, that Ferrie had been involved in some way with Lee Harvey Oswald. Three years later, Ferrie became the prime suspect in New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison's investigation of the John F. Kennedy assassination, shortly before he was found dead in his apartment.
Gill continued a relationship with Marcello, who testified on the lawyer's behalf in a civil case in March 1969. Gill represented Marcello in a case involving illegal re-entry in the U.S. after deportation, and surrendered him for a two-year term in 1970 on charges of assaulting a federal agent.
Gill died in New Orleans on October 4, 1972.
(*pronounced locally as "Pierre")
Famous quotes containing the word gill:
“Culture is a sham if it is only a sort of Gothic front put on an iron building—like Tower Bridge—or a classical front put on a steel frame—like the Daily Telegraph building in Fleet Street. Culture, if it is to be a real thing and a holy thing, must be the product of what we actually do for a living—not something added, like sugar on a pill.”
—Eric Gill (1882–1940)