The following is a copy of an FBI document that mentions Scaramuzzo & Sons gun shop in Chicago.Louis Scaramuzzo reportedly made 2 unmarked Thompsons for Al Capone in the 1920's,at least according to an apocryphal article I ran into on the 'net.I'm sure some of you Chicago guys have heard of them;there apparently is still a Scaramuzzo selling guns in Arizona.
I learned about all of this while looking at the Heiser holster depicted below."SCARAMUZZO & SONS CHICAGO,ILL" is stamped on the back.This holster,probably dating to the 1940's,was made for a S&W .357 Magnum.Chalked on the belt loop is "MAG 5 1/2".I know,that doesn't make a lot of sense (although that barrel length was probably furnished on a Registered Magnum or 2) but it is not the only Heiser I own that is marked like that.It does fit my model 27 with a 5" barrel with a little room to spare.
Enjoy the photos & the report.
Regards,
turnerriver
SWCA # 1426
NRA Endowment Life member

Document # 124-10077-10025 Is a 6 page document from SAC, Chicago to Director dated 11/25/63.
Administrative -CG[ ]-PC advised SA John R. Bassett on 11/24/63 that he had been a close friend of subject Ruby for many years in Chicago. This informant advised that "Sparky" was hot tempered on occasions but was generally of a good disposition. He stated that Ruby was an excellent fist fighter. According to this informant, Ruby, in the mid 1940's operated a "book" over a restaurant located east of Kedzie Avenue on the north side of Roosevelt Road in Chicago. Subject was a close friend of one Abe Zuckerman, also known as "Zuckie". In the middle 1940's according to the informant, Zuckerman was shot and the informant believed that this occurred because Zuckerman did not cut Leonard Patrick, one of Chicago's top hoodlums in on the profits of his book. Shortly after this shooting, Patrick told the subject to leave town, accusing him of operating a book without Patrick's sanction. Patrick warned the subject that if he did not leave Chicago, he would "get what Zuckie got". The subject left Chicago at this time for Dallas, Texas where he ran a club owned by his sister. Informant advised that he has not been in touch with the subject in recent years and was completely at a loss to understand the subject's action in shooting Oswald.

PCI Frank DiLeonardo advised SA John W. Roberts jr., on 11/24/63 that Jack Ruby had, at one time, been close to Ross Prio, Chicago top hoodlum. This informant further advised that Ruby had been a close friend of one Joe Scaramuzzo who owns a gun shop on Halsted Street near Taylor Street in Chicago.

The Chicago division records contain no information concerning Abe Zuckerman, also known as "Zuckie". The same records reflect that Joseph Scaramuzzo is the owner of Scaramuzzo and Sons gunshop, 801 S. Halsted St. Chicago, Illinois. It should be noted that three of the four guns used by members of the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico in the shooting at the House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. on March 1, 1954 were purchased by one William Galetty, Gary, Indiana from Scaramuzzo and Sons, 801 S. Halsted St. Chicago.

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turnerriver

Pretty cool

Of course it is well known that Jack Ruby ran a strip club and that his associates were not exactly choir boys.

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You're shy a few manners.

Interesting slice of history - and very nice old Heiser. Thanks,

Jerry

Thanks John. I never knew of Ruby's Chicago tie before. His club was well known here in Dallas and I will admit to having dropped by there on occasion.

(just another little tidbit to tie into the Mafioso conspiracy theory I guess)

Bob

Fascinating, John. Thanks for passing this on to us.

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John

Thanks for the information. Love to see good classic leather.
Jim

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Gun Safety is no accident.

Bob, I'm shocked!!! Just what were those girls wearing?

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Dick Burg

Dick,

The only one that I recall at all was Candy Barr. She usually dressed in a cowboy hat, pasties, panties, cowboy boots and a pair of pearl handled revolvers on her hips (Wow! I just realized that that pearl W&K that I just picked up WAS Candy's...my story and I'm sticking with it.)

She actually was quite a gal. I first saw her when she performed at a stag party for my college club down in Waco...the heart of the Bible Belt. Later, she was busted in Dallas and got 15 years big time for having less than an ounce of grass in her bra.

Gov. John Connally released her and she retired to my hometown of Brownwood in central Tex. My best friend from high school has a lake house on Lake Brownwood and there is a plaque on his guest cottage that states that "Candy Barr slept here". I have no reason to doubt it from the stories around town.

Candy Barr - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bob

[SIZE="2"][/SIZE]

Interesting post. I know of the "Scaramuzzo," you speak of in Arizona. He is a retired police officer and travels Phoenix area guns shows & sells mostly old/obsolete gun parts. He is a well noted gun collector (I think mostly U.S. Military dating back to the war of 1812). I do know he never met his grandfather and he is a very nice guy and dedicated public servant. (Still serves as a Paramedic as his post retirement p/t job). Great source for old gun parts and memorabilia ! Has a nice S&W collection as well. P.S. This appears to be a great website ! Looking forward to being a member ! MR

According to some quick research I did in my first edition 'The Gun that Made the Twenties Roar', Capone's first three Thompson's were sold to him on Feb 10 1926 by a gun dealer named Alex Korecek in an effort not to be left behind in the new Thompson arms race.
It seems the Saltis-McErlane gang fired the first volleys in the Thompson wars on Sep 25 1925 by attempting to gun down one Spike O'donnell, whom they missed. Then they fired up Spikes car on Oct 16th. They finally scored big time Feb 9th 1926 by murdering 2 men at Costello's Saloon at 4127 S. Halstead street.
(Note that this is the same street that Scarmuzzi and Sons' shop was on)
On Feb 10th Capone acquirred the three Thompsons from Korecek. These 3 Thompsons were used in the first sensational 'machine gun massacre' of Chicago, during a black limo drive by at Madigan and Wendells' Saloon 3 men were shot dead, one of which happened to be one William McKinnen, Assistant States Attorney for Illinois! It was never determined what he was doing hanging with known bootleggers. The cops figured out it was Capones gang that had pulled this off and Marcellius Thompson (John T's son) traced one of the guns (dropped at the scene) to Koreceks gun shop.
Korecek was arrested, beaten by the Chicago PD, but wouldn't divulge much about his 'customers' at first, eventually he did admit that Capone himself was one of the buyers. He promptly then begged to be kept in jail, figuring his life wasn't worth a plugged nickle.
Mysteriously on May 1 a writ of habeous corpus was filed on Korecek's behalf, when he was asked by reporters 'Who his mysterious friend was?' he replyed: "I don't know, but I know he isn't any friend of mine!",

Thompsons are one of my big interests, I could find no mention of Scarmuzzi's shop being involved, but one never knows. That period of history has such a pull, and to have a holster associated with it would be a prize in my book!
RD

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Got a Phd from Hard Knocks U

...NEVER ceases to amaze me, the things you can learn here. Nice addition Old Days 1931 and welcome aboard.

bob....is the club still there?

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

C'mon, this was Chicago during prohibition. He was collecting "contributions" for his next campaign.

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You're shy a few manners.

Kenny,

The club is long gone. If I remember correctly, it was the Carousel Lounge. It was right in the heart of downtown Dallas and that part of town is completely changed. I can't be sure but I think the Federal Court House is now in about that same area.

Bob

very interesting...thanks bob!

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO