Has Valachi Gone? WALL TOWNSHIP - Army' Authorities Shut Down the the Surprise Sunday Activity
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tamaeratsr* S3. Fair Today g Uml&t, toir te thelS. Tomerrow, cloudy, foltowed by 21,300 rain, Ugh to the low 7ta. Wedne* dty, /air, warmer. See weather, P*ge 2. DIAL 741-0010 VOL. 86, NO. 37 luuel d»liy, Mond.r ihroujh yrUay. teooM Clift Po«t»n ( P«M u Red Buk and it AddllionH itelltQC Omou. RED BANK, N. J., MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1963 7c PER COPY PAGE ONE Fort Mystery: Has Valachi Gone? WALL TOWNSHIP - Army' authorities shut down the the surprise Sunday activity. But Mr. Brown said he was ster high command meeting of 1959 at Apalachin, N. Y. of the field and no one was allowed to move there. Monmouth County Airport here yesterday in a sudden security only "surmising." . - Mr. Brown said the Army moved swiftly, with whatever "I know that a swift Grumman Mohawk two-passenger move giving rise to reports mobster tattle-Ule Joseph Valachi Valachi once was a cellmate of Vito Genovese, convicted action it had in mind, and with no notice to him. job took off and I was told its mission was to drive off a was being flown to a new safety nest. narcotics overlord who lived for many years in Atlantic High- He added: newspaper airplane which had been hovering about. No spokesman from the Army Electronics Command at lands, in the O. S. Penitentiary at Atlanta. "The Army operates the tower at the field and at about "The Mohawk can\e back in a few minutes. But in the Fort Monmouth, where the 60-year-old confessed killer haj In a prison fight, Valachi killed another inmate and drew 11 o'clock it closed the field down. No one could land or meantime, I'm told—and I wasn't there so I can't say for been quartered recently, would confirm whether he had been a life term. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has said takeoff. sure—several helicopters took off. Whether ail of them came removed to another station-. that Valachi subsequently started talking about underworld "Incoming planes were told they couldn't land, and our back, I don't know." Airport owner Edward I. Brown said, "it's probably pos- secrets, actions of the so-called controlling mobster families' part of the field was told to make no takeoffs. Why Valachi was ever assigned to Fort Monmouth for sible" Valachi, was mushroomed out of Monmouth County in "Cosa Nostra," and particularly of the much-publicized gang- "Security armed patrols took control of the military side custody has not yet been explained. The V. S. Attorney General's Office confirmed last week that he was being held at the main post. Security assurances were increased, more to protect Valachi because of reports the underworld wanted him dead—and would pay $100,000 to the killer—than to keep him from escaping. RaritanCenterUnitFailsJayceesTakeOver Staff members for Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy have said Valachi has been speaking freely about Genovese RARITAN TOWNSHIP — After more than two years of turning; the "center" over to the Township Committee for a The community center committee paid $4,500 down, and others in the criminal underworld. effort and about $5,500 is funds spent, the Raritan Community library, but decided against this. money which was raised prior to the purchase. As the weekend started, New Jersey Attorney Gen. Arthur Center, Inc., has "gone broke" and is "out of business," The James O'Meara, Jaycee president, also confirmed the Mr. Benidickson said lie does not consider the operation F. Sills asked for a federal okay to have agents question Va- Register learned yesterday. story. - to date a failure, but a success. "We have accomplished a lachi about the 10-ycar-oia slaying of crime-leader Willie Mor- Shop was closed Friday night when the community lot," he said, "we just ran out of money." , He said that prior to Friday night's meeting, the Jaycees etti and other New Jersey badland tales. center citizens' committee voted to dissolve itself and permit He pointed out that with the help of the Jaycees, the Reports indicated Valachi would be quizzed this week both the local Junior Chamber of Commerce to take over. had already voted to take over the community center and Attempt to get it into actual operation. upper story of the house has been renovated and made into by Mr. Sills' staff and by a Queens County Grand Jury which The committee has been attempting, to' operate * com- a meeting room, and that the building has been used by some Is concerned with a backlog of gangland killings. munity center building — a two-story frame house which it Delinquent mortgage payments on the building total more local groups for meetings. He said the center has sponsored But if the star witness has been shifted to a new environ- purchased less than a year ago — but without success. than $500, Mr, Benidickson reported. a rifle team which is still active. ment, new schedules will have to be made. Most of the time since the purchase was made, the house Mr. O'Meara said the Jaycees will make good on these A good deal of old furniture, a television set, pin ball (See VALACHI, Page 3) has been locked. Although some alterations have been made, payments immediately, and will formulate plans for fund-rais- machine, sewing machine and other items have been donated the building is still in a state of disrepair, with holes in the ing events and a program for the center. by individuals and business firms, he noted. The West Keans- walls and windows out, and the grounds littered with trash Mr. Benidickson said the community center corporation burg Water Company ran a water line onto the property at and debris. '•':.•. will be legally dissolved, and that the Jaycees will incorporate no charge, he noted, which would have cost about $1,000. Robert Benidickson, president of the community center the center again. Also a Jaycee, Mr. Benidickson will be a But Mr. Benidickson conceded that there has been no committee, refused, initially to confirm the story yesterday, member of the Jaycee committee which reorganizes the center. regular, organized program at the center for young people, but after The Register obtained the facte from other sources, The community center house and 4.3 acres of land which the committee's main goal. he finally conceded; Uiat the committee had decided to dis- surrounds It was purchased for $19,500. " Mr. Benidickson said Asked whether he thought it was a good idea to have pin solve and turn the center over to (he Jaycees. mortgage payments are $79 a month, on a 20-year mortgage. ball machines in the building, he replied, "I know some people He said the committee had debated the possibility of The building is located on Middle Rd., near the high school. (See CENTER, Page 3) 1/- Meredith 's Ole Miss Graduation Peaceful By SAUL PETT estimated cost of the army A matronly white woman, the procession, there was this who wore a white dress and OXFORD, MISS. (AF)-The troops and U.S. marshals it fanning herself with the com- conversation between the two perky white hat, said only, "I white' people stared, stiffly took to get and keep Meredith mencement program, was over- white women: got a special feeling." ahead, without expression. at Ole Miss. heard whispering to a friend: "Well, I'm glad he's gone." There were those in the audi- The few Negroes in the audi- II Marehalls There "Oh, look, he's going to "There'll be others.' • ence who said the Methodist ence watched somberly from The scene yesterday bore no shake his hand!" "Well, let's hope it'll all be minister,, the Rev. William Ar- small, self-conscious islands. resemblance to the night he She said it with apparent quieter." thur Pennington of Oxford, dis- Except for a few stolen entered last Sept. 30 in an ex- dismay and fear. But the hand Both women spoke with an played courage in his choice of glances, neither group seemed plosion of violence and death. was shook, by university Chan- air of sad resignation. invocation. to look at the other. : Few people at the graduation cellor John Davis Williams, and And what were the Negroes "We acknowledge before Together, under the tall oaks, were aware of the remaining Meredith walked down with his thinking? . thee," he said, "that we live In they sat in awkward silence IS marshalls standing incon- diploma. Mrs. Meredith, the wife of a difficult time when . men and watched what neither had spicuously on the fringes of the Perhaps the conversation over- the first Negro graduate, said do not love one another." He ever seen before. • . crowd. heard, between two other white she was "happy, proud and sought divine help to "bring James Howard Meredith, a In a shaded glen, just a women was more character- relieved." unity out of discord, trust out slight man of 30, became the short distance from the scene istic. This occurred as Mere- Moses Meredith, a tall, sol- of suspicion." first. Negro to graduate from of last year's riot, abouf 2,500 dith and the 379 other gradu- emn man whose father was a Main Speaker the University of Mississippi in whites and 40 of Meredith's ates marched out in their caps slave, said of his son's grad- The main speaker was Presi- Its .115-year, history. family and friends looked bn and gowns, inevitably to an uation, "I'm proud just to see dent John Anderson Hunter of Without incident, he received quietly.