Extortion Conviction
On December 30, 1943 Ricca and his associates were convicted of extortion and sentenced to ten years each in federal prison. Ricca began his sentence at the federal penitentiary in Atlanta, but was soon lobbying to a transfer to Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. The Atlanta warden, reportedly prejudiced against Italians, had severely beaten Outfit mobster Phil D'Andrea, making Ricca and the others fearful for their lives. After a series of contacts, St. Louis, Missouri lawyer Paul Dillon allegedly offered the head of the federal parole board payment to approve a transfer to Leavenworth for the Outfit mobster.
In May, 1945, against the recommendations of both wardens, Ricca and the other mobsters were moved to Leavenworth. During this period, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) accepted a cash settlement from Ricca for back taxes. On August 13, 1947, after a one week deliberation, the parole board released Ricca and his co-defendants from prison on parole. However, as a condition of his parole, Ricca could have no contact with mobsters. Accardo replaced Ricca as boss. It was generally acknowledged, though, that Accardo shared power with Ricca, who stayed in the background as a senior consultant. No major transactions, and certainly no hits, took place without Ricca's knowledge.
Read more about this topic: Paul Ricca
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