The Team Behind Telvi

Into separate Manhattan jails last week went five more hoodlums accused by the FBI of participating in the acid attack on Labor Columnist Victor Riesel (TIME, Aug. 27 et ante). The gang, whose records range from gun-carrying to robbery to narcotics, was headed by Johnny Dio (born Dioguardi), a highly successful career hoodlum. Raised on the lower East Side, Dio at 20 was milking protection money from garment-district truckers, at 23 was sent to Sing Sing by Racket-Busting Tom Dewey, at 26 emerged to try new fields. Last spring District Attorney Frank Hogan charged Dio had been helping Teamster Boss Jimmy Hoffa in an attempt to control Manhattan teamsters.

The Riesel attack, according to FBI agents, had been planned last Easter when Dio called a meeting in a lower Manhattan candy store, announced that he needed someone to toss some acid. Storekeeper Gondolfo Miranti relayed the request to Bakeryman Domenico Bando, who sought out Joseph Carlino. Carlino dredged up Hungry Hoodlum Abraham Telvi to carry out the attack. Telvi was given a bottle of sulphuric acid, stationed on a Manhattan side street and told to await a Mr. Marshall, whose wife wanted him burned because he was unfaithful. Go Between Miranti shadowed Riesel to Lindy's Restaurant, spotted him for Telvi when the columnist strolled out.

For his work, said the FBI, Telvi was paid $500 and hustled out of town; he had burned his own face as well as Riesel's.

When he discovered the identity of Mr. Marshall, Telvi came back and demanded $50,000. He was promised an additional payment, and two weeks later he got it: he was shot in the back of the head and dumped into an East Side gutter.

Despite Dio & Co.'s arrest, there are nagging loose ends: Was the acid bath to silence Riesel, as the Government insisted, or to even a grudge? If the columnist had to be silenced, why wasn't he murdered? And why should Dio, whose name had not appeared in a Riesel column since 1953, be anxious to attack him? Biggest question of all: Did the chain of command really stop at Johnny Dio?

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