“…pleaded not guilty…”

Brooklyn Eagle, April 12, 1940, p.3

New York Sun, April 12, 1940, p.1

New York Times, April 12, 1940, p.20

Large quantities of books and office records of various garment manufacturing companies were seized yesterday by thirty detectives working under District Attorney William O’Dwyer of Kings County and were brought to the prosecutor’s offices for examination in connection with the activities of the Brooklyn murder syndicate. It was learned that the survey is aimed at finding a motive for certain unsolved killings and to determine whether any of the companies had been compelled to give money to the gangsters. An alleged “contact man” for Louis (Lepke) Buchalter, industrial racketeer, and a wealthy Brooklyn dress manufacturer were held recently in $100,000 bail each as material witnesses in the murder ring inquiry.

Abe (Kid Twist) Reles, Brooklyn gang chieftain, and his henchmen, Anthony (the Duke) Maffetore and Abraham (Pretty) Levene, testified before a grand jury yesterday in the murder of Irving (Puggy) Feinstein, allegedly killed and burned by the murder gang.

It was learned that Mr. O’Dwyer feels that if Reles’s story is corroborated it will require about two years to complete the prosecutions that will result. Reles is reported to object to being called a “squealer” and insists that he was “just a step ahead of the others.”

Angelo (Julie) Catalano was held in $100,000 bail as an eyewitness to the murder of George Rudnick, for which three leaders of the murder ring are under indictment. New York Times, April 12, 1940, p.20