Al CApone

“Bare Capone Liquor Traffic Here!”

“Alcohol to Chicago via Local Route”

“Davenport Clearing Point for Peru Ring Hooch”

“Information linking up the operations of a huge $75,000,000 a year Chicago liquor ring, headed by “Scarface Al” Capone and his aides, with Rockford, Davenport Peru and Waukegan was revealed today following the indictment by a federal grand jury in Chicago of ten members of the alleged liquor ring of LaSalle and Peru, Ill.”

“…From Davenport the liquor was re-routed to Chicago by way Rockford and Waukegan, LaRue stated. It then went to Capone warehouses where it was transformed into “Genuine Canadian liquor” and dumped on the Chicago and northern Illinois market at exhorbitant prices.”

“The men indicted are charged with possession of liquor from Jan. 1, 1927 – Jan. 9, 1929, and with conspiracy to violate the national prohibition act.”

” The indictment recites that the two men were operating two stills, one at 1501 Water St., Peru, and in a warehouse at 1507 Water st.. The stills were said to have made more than 110,000 gallons of alcohol a year.”

“Those indicted are: Frank Urbanowski, Ugo Ferroni, Candino Picili, James T. Green, of Davenport, Iowa, Guilo Bollili, A.J. Commins, Louis and Gaegano Orlandini, Lino Togfini and James Collins of Davenport, IA.”

“LaRue expressed satisfaction over the indictments today and said this was merely the first step in closing up the gigantic bootleg industry he had discovered. He said that LaSalle county officials had shown themselves exceedingly lax in attempting to enforce the prohibition law and had evidently been allowing stills to operate within a stone’s throw of law enforcement headquarters without attempting to arrest the violators.”

Source: Rockford Daily Republic February 1, 1929