The Real L.A. Mafia

AD G l e n D o r A | S A n D i m as | l A Verne | Cl A remont | Upl A n D | o n tA r i o | r A n C h o C uca m o n ga HISTorY & MYSTErY Watch out for the Walker House By alta Skinner Foothills Reader Columnist The new year brings us near the first anni- versary of the end of redevelopment agencies in California. Some legislative decisions prove not to be the best for local communities; this might prove to be one of them. No doubt there were cities that abused redevelopment – which allowed local agencies to bond for project work that resulted in local tax revenues. Some of the projects favored insider interests in ways contrary to the intent of law. Those agencies and abuses should have been corrected. Instead, the power to focus on beneficial development was stripped from all cities. It does not appear that the state acted en- PHOTO cAptioN heLVeitcA-NorMAL reGuLAr 8 pt tirely to correct abuses. The state also acted caption is helvetica-Normal regular 9 pt to increase its own funding at the expense of local decision making. Just dissolving the agencies and taking and The real l.a. Mafia redistributing cash assets is consequential, From Corleone to CUCAmonGA but the dissolution of redevelopment agencies puts at risk cultural assets created or By Kent Crowley the foothill communities of preserved through redevelopment. Special to Foothills Reader the San Gabriel Mountains. Warner Bros.’ “Gangster The saga of the Los The Walker House Squad” weaves the tale Angeles Mafia began with of an elite unit of the Los the passage of Prohibition In San Dimas, through the encourage- Angeles Police Department in 1919. ment and support of many citizens, the City tasked to rid the city of Thanks to a loophole, families were allowed to Council in 2000 acted wisely in buying L.A. crime kingpin Mickey Cohen and of imported make wine in their own the historic Walker House, built in 1887 mobsters that original homes. as a railroad hotel. Since then, the city has Gangster Squad member Because Italian families Jack O’Mara described cALiforNiA StAte AchiVeS LoS ANGeLeS citY poLice traditionally distilled their invested in preserving the building and creat- as “hoodlum types from Jack dragna, 1915 Jack dragna own wines, Italian mob- ing new business uses consistent with its Rhode Island … what we sters had a built-in infra- structure to bootleg wines historic character. called ‘dandruff.’ ” Angeles’ own Mafia fam- he was born in Corleone, Yet for all the retellings ily, headed by the mysteri- Italy in 1891. But un- and brandies, while other It is unclear whether the city will be of the squad’s mission to ous Jack Ignatius Dragna. like the movie Corleones, crime organizations were rid the city of mob figures, Dragna avoided violence forced to seek new sources See HoUSE, page 3 one prominent crime or- a true Corleone and kept his focus on of illegal beer or whiskey. ganization continues to fly Dragna is a true son of business, which included See MaFIa, page 3 under history’s radar – Los Hollywood legend in that gambling offshore and in Citrus College Foundation announces major gift Citrus College build successful lives.” Foundation The Mays attended Citrus College during the 1950s and earned reputa- The Citrus College tions as student leaders and Foundation has received high achievers. Bill May, one of the most sizeable who grew up in Pasadena, charitable gifts in Citrus was a gifted athlete and College’s 97-year history participated in student that will further the col- INSIDE government. Betty May, lege’s mission to advance a Monrovia High School its students’ educational WHErE HavE all THE lISTINgS goNE? graduate, was a cheer- goals to completion. A lack of leader and the college’s The undisclosed gift is a inventory is first elected female student bequest from the estate of the biggest body president. Citrus College alumni, Dr. In 1994, the couple es- challenge to Bill May and Betty Holt coNtributed photo tablished the Dr. Bill May sales activity May. Bill May, who died in betty holt May and bill May and the Betty Holt May as we start February 2008, served as scholarships. the New California’s assistant state May 2012. tive director of the Citrus The scholarships are Year. superintendent of public “The Citrus College College Foundation. awarded to Citrus College instruction. community is profoundly “Bill and Betty May’s students who are transfer- Betty May was a long- grateful to the May family lifelong affinity for Citrus By Adriana ring to a four-year college time elementary school for this enduring gift,” said College will allow numer- Donofrio or university and were teacher for the Charter Oak Dr. Geraldine M. Perri, ous students to achieve PagE 4 involved in student life and the Sacramento City superintendent/president of their educational goals, school districts; she died in Citrus College and execu- establish their careers, and See CITrUS, page 3 AD yards in today’s Upland, MaFIa Rancho Cucamonga and When giving is better than receiving from page 1 Fontana. The owner of the win- By gregory Bradbard When Mafia members ery was underboss Joseph President & CEO Inland Empire United Way descended on the foothill “Joe Dip” Dippolito, who communities to purchase oversaw his gambling It was 7 a.m. on a Satur- grapes to ship back east, empire at a small Ontario day morning this past Oc- they ended up rescu- Market called Charley’s tober. Although they had ing many small family Liquors in Ontario, and just finished a demand- ects like these would not vineyards, wineries and who lived in a quiet ing week, employees of be possible without local wine stores that populated Upland neighborhood and San Dimas business people who are Route 66 from San Ber- gave generously to the based ADP committed to investing in nardino to Los Angeles. local Catholic church. weren’t our community. And it’s Dragna came to Los An- According to Mafia sleeping in. an investment that pays geles where he ascended turncoat Jimmy “The Instead, they big dividends. Businesses to Mafia leadership after Weasel” Fratianno’s “The were de- succeed when a commu- the death of original L.A. Last Mafioso,” these BRADBARd scending on nity is safe, nurturing for Godfather Joe ‘Iron Man’ vineyards served as a the campus youth, and producing an Ardizzone, who disap- “massive gangster grave- of Garey High School in educated workforce. And peared while visiting a yard” in which offending Pomona to help complete research demonstrates that cousin in Rancho Cu- mobsters were executed camonga in 1931. and dumped in shallow a school makeover project. both consumers and em- coNtributed PHOTO By the end of the day, 263 ployees value companies Dragna realized the graves. employees had painted that support a community Adp employees volunteering for united Way’s Garey area’s unique geography When the book was murals, planted gardens, cause. high School makeover project on Make A difference day and history precluded a published in 1981, real 2012. added park benches and But more importantly, traditional crime syn- Mafiosi and San Ber- completely transformed philanthropy is a powerful large and small can help Inland Empire United dicate, so Los Angeles nardino County Sheriffs the campus. tool for improving condi- make that connection for Way and many other became an “open city” to who knew the winery The project was part of tions in our region. With their employees, improv- organizations have a prevent bloody turf wars. hooted in derision at what United Way’s efforts to one in five children living ing both our community multitude of opportunities they regarded as Frati- help local youth succeed in poverty and some of the and their bottom-line. And for involvement. To learn Strictly business anno’s brazen attempt at in school and reach future worst health and educa- giving back isn’t one size more, visit www.ieuw.org/ Gambling – particu- fabricating a bestseller. self-sufficiency. The goal tional outcomes in our fits all. challenge-for-children. larly in the form of a wire While the L.A. Mafia was creating a campus state, the Inland Empire For ADP, it is a part of But watch out, once you service transmitting generated less excitement for Pomona students that clearly needs the assis- their culture year-round. begin, you just might start instant horse race results than other crime syndi- would foster school pride tance of local businesses They recruit volunteers, giving up your leisurely – became the bread and cates, it helped lay the and a commitment to their and their employees. run food drives for hungry Saturday mornings, too. butter of the L.A. Mafia, foundation for a Mafia education. And thanks to I believe that people children, sponsor fund- And if you do, I bet you’ll and Mafia business was of businessmen instead ADP and many others, want to make a difference, raising events and invite experience that giving re- undertaken in a Rancho of thugs. In fact, when that goal was achieved. but they often don’t know employees to donate ally is better than receiv- Cucamonga winery an- Dragna died in 1956, he The reality is that proj- where to start. Employers financially. ing. choring acres of vine- was replaced by a lawyer. AD AD yards in today’s Upland, alma mater. Rancho Cucamonga and CITrUS from page 1 “I was struck by not Hospital and educators partner for learning Fontana. only what a loving couple The owner of the win- or other extracurricular the Mays were, but how SAN DIMAS — Health The luncheon was the Encouraging grads ery was underboss Joseph activities at the college.

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