Final Confession (29 page)

omas pens, theft of,
85
–
89
,
92

organized crime.
See
Cosa Nostra, La; Mafia

Paris, Chester (defense attorney),
188
–
89

Parker House Hotel heist,
3
–
11
,
60
,
73
,
112

parking meters, robbery of,
48
,
89
,
109
; Cresta's underworld reputation and,
33
,
34
; Kennedy inauguration (1961) and,
27
–
32
; planning for,
38

parole,
28

Patriarca, Raymond,
42
,
63
,
201
,
218
; Billy “Bad” Cresta and,
132
; in prison,
228
; as successor to Phil Buccola,
19

pens, theft of,
85
–
89
,
92

Persico, Carmine “The Snake,”
136
,
229

Peterson, J. (police officer),
149

picks (lock pickers),
29

police,
7
,
36
,
58
,
109
; baffled by Cresta's methods,
xi
,
96
–
97
,
196
–
98
; Brink's job (1968) and,
180
–
81
,
187
–
89
; in Chicago,
202
,
203
,
207
; diamond merchants and,
112
–
15
; informants among,
145
–
46
; Kay Jewelers heist and,
139
–
40
,
145
,
152
–
53
; organized crime unit,
175
,
191
; paid off,
41

prison,
21
–
22
,
42
.
See also
Norfolk

Prison; Walpole Prison prostitutes,
76

publicity,
73
–
74
,
115
–
16
,
201

Rasmussen, Robert,
162
,
223

Red Sox baseball team,
42
,
43
,
44
,
62
; Impossible Dream year (1967),
129
–
30

Reddy, Michael,
138
,
140
,
147
,
150
,
151
,
154

Rideout, Percy,
54
–
59
,
61
,
73

Robichaud, John,
21

Roukous, Stephen: abortive Brink's attempt and,
169
,
170
,
174
; Brink's armored car heist (1968) and,
176
,
178
,
179
,
180
; given up by Red Kelley,
193
; in Walpole Prison,
194
,
219

Roy, Judge James C.,
193
–
94
,
209
–
10
,
220
,
221

safe cracking,
56
–
57

Sagansky, Doc,
43

Schultz, Dutch,
18

Sezinsky, Edward (eyewitness),
122
–
23

Skelly armored cars,
99
–
104
,
192

Skelly Detective Agency,
50

slang,
28
,
29
,
41
,
42

Sobil, Julius (defense attorney),
159

South Boston (Southie),
xiii
,
13
,
86
,
107

Spillane, Detective Patrick,
187

stamp collections,
54
,
55
,
57
–
58

Sullivan, James (assistant D.A.),
210
,
218
–
20
,
222

Tilley, Ben,
51
,
69
,
193
,
229
; Cresta's settling of scores with,
213
–
17
; highwaymen robberies and,
97
–
98
,
110
; Kay Jewelers heist and,
141
,
143
–
44
,
145
,
158
,
159
,
160
; manhunt for Cresta and,
203
; media attention and,
73
; parking-meter scam and,
31
–
32
,
34
,
35
; Rideout case and,
59
–
60
,
61
; Tony and,
105
–
7
; VA Hospital job and,
200

“Tilley factor,”
61

Tony (crime partner of Cresta),
101
,
102
–
3
,
211
; armored car robbery and,
49
–
51
,
65
–
71
,
161
–
89
; bank robbery and,
44
–
45
; car theft and,
39
–
40
; characteristics,
37
; in court,
151
; danger from Angiulo,
105
–
8
; at farmhouse,
110
; first meeting with Cresta,
36
; given up by Red Kelley,
193
; highwaymen robberies and,
118
; jewelry theft and,
92
–
98
,
113
–
14
,
138
–
45
,
144
–
60
; in Kansas City,
74
–
81
; meeting with Red Kelley,
162
–
69
; in New York,
83
–
88
; Parker House Hotel heist and,
4
–
9
; Rideout robbery and,
53
–
62
; sentencing of,
193
; VA Hospital job and,
126
,
127
; in Walpole Prison,
201
,
213
,
217
–
18
,
219

Tropicana Hotel (Kansas City),
75
,
76

uniforms: alarm mechanic,
138
; armored car guards,
101
,
103
; hotel maintenance workers,
78
–
79
; industrial cleaning men,
44
–
45
; made to order,
39
; painters,
55
–
56
; parking meter attendant,
38
–
39
; security guard,
100

VA Hospital robbery,
121
–
27
,
200

vaults,
89
,
109

violence,
121
–
27

Waggenheim, Phil,
23

Wallace, Frankie,
18
–
19

Walpole Prison,
63
,
147
,
151
; Cresta in,
21
–
22
,
224
,
225
; Cresta's acquaintances and friends from,
137
,
162
; Diaferio and Roukous sentenced to,
194
; informants and,
41
; slang in,
28
; Tony and Angelo in,
193
,
201
,
217
–
18
,
219

Walsh, Barney,
19

Walsh, Detective Ed,
187

wealthy people, robbery of,
53
–
59

weather conditions,
24
–
25
; Brink's armored car heist (1968) and,
173
,
174
,
176
,
178
; Quincy armored car heist and,
48
,
49
,
51

Whitfield, Joseph,
50

Winter, Howie, xv,
200
–
201

Winter Hill Gang,
201

wise guys, xvi,
73
,
74
,
105
,
130
; Cresta's differences from,
37
–
38
; murder of,
162
,
194
–
95
; muscling in on others' score,
139
.
See also
Cosa Nostra, La; Mafia

Zito, Joey Paul (Cresta alias),
77
,
201
,
202
,
204
,
207
,
210

Zito, Molly (second wife),
203
,
207
,
208
,
212

I want to thank especially my wife and best friend, Laurie Wallace, who always believed in me when others didn't. Without Laurie's support and encouragement, this book would never have been written. I also want to thank Brendan and Cullen McGoff for their love, support, and friendship and for keeping me grounded.

Thanks as well to Joe Timilty, who got me started and showed me the way, and to my friends at Northeastern University Press, Bill Frohlich, Jill Bahcall, Ann Twombly, and Sarah Rowley. Many thanks to an expert editor, Diana Donovan, who taught me a great deal about writing, and to Gil Geis, who also helped to shape the book. Thanks to Coley, Helen, Eddie Wallace, and Jack Geary, who never lost their faith in me. Thanks also to Dennis Lehane, Robert Parker, Gerry O'Neil, and Robin Moore, four great writers who wrote such nice things about our book. Thanks to my other family, the Flynns, and to the Greeleys, the Grahams, and the O'Keefes. Thanks to Dan Horgan, who gave me the opportunity to write. Thanks to my good friend Steve Sweeney. Thanks to Sheriff Richard Rouse, Councilor Mickey Roache, and Bill Ferney. And a very special thanks to all my friends in South Boston.

BRIAN P. WALLACE

Special thanks to my mother, Mary Crowley. Thanks to Bobby Cresta, Zack Piscitello, Joe “Pint” Panetta, Mary Mills, Mary Toland, Paul Gagliardi, Bobby, Simone, John Blute, Eddie Correia, the Crowley family, and the O'Connor family.

BILL CROWLEY