Events & Discoveries

Scotti cited a round-robin meeting at Carbo's Florida hideaway and Norris' Coral Gables home to discuss terms for a proposed rematch between Carmen Basilio and Ray Robinson. The participants: Basilio, his co-manager, John De John, Carbo and Norris.

"Such was the influence of the defendant," Scotti continued, "that even after he had been arraigned...he met with James D. Norris. On Oct. 1, 1959 Carbo was observed riding in a white Cadillac, bearing Florida license plates, in front of the air terminal in Newark. Also seen at the time and in the same vicinity was James D. Norris riding in a blue Cadillac, bearing Illinois license plates. Frank Carbo was seen leaving the white car and entering the blue Cadillac with Norris in it. This took place at about 1 p.m. Carbo left the blue car at about 4:25 p.m. Carbo and Norris had conferred for over three hours. While we do not know what these two discussed, this lengthy meeting certainly removes any doubt if there should be any, as to the extent of Carbo's influence among those connected with the professional sport of boxing, including, particularly, James D. Norris."

The shocking thing about Carbo's domination of professional boxing in the United States is not only that he succeeded in capturing a great sport for his own ends and for so many years. It is also that he found so many confederates, humble and high, who were willing to play along with Frankie for the kind of underworld "order," backed by muscle, that Frankie represented—and for their own shares of the payola.

Thanks to the efforts of New York's District Attorney Frank Hogan and his assistants, Frankie is now to depart behind bars for a sobering period of time—as far as Frankie is concerned. Next job is to rout his old payola pals out of the business, and to make sure that Frankie does not have a brand-new underworld "order" man as his successor.

Oh, Shoot!

While hunters clad in red get shot,
Here is a hunter who does not.
He saves himself, year after year,
By masquerading as a deer.
—RICHARD ARMOUR