Jack Zuta
Encyclopedia
John U. "Jack" Zuta was an accountant
and political "fixer" for the Chicago Outfit
.
. He immigrated to the United States around 1913. Living in Chicago
, Zuta worked as a junk dealer on the West Side before becoming involved in prostitution
. He eventually operated several brothel
s on west Madison Street
. However he was put out of business by competition from Mike "The Pike" Heitler
and the Guzik Brothers, Harry and Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik
.
during Prohibition
in the mid-1920s. He helped contribute $50,000 of Capone's money to Chicago Mayor William Hale Thompson
's reelection campaign in 1927. However, Zuta defected to George "Bugs" Moran
's North Side Mob during the gang war between Capone and Moran.
In June 1930, Zuta supposedly ordered the death of Chicago Examiner reporter Jake Lingle
after Lingle tried to extort money from Moran's gambling operations. After Lingle's murder (for which Leo Vincent Brothers
was convicted), Zuta was questioned by police. He was released the next day. While being given a police escort the police cruiser was fired on by several unidentified gunmen. The attackers killed two bystanders before being driven off by police. Zuta quickly fled Chicago, moving to Upper Nemahbin Lake, outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, living the last month of his life under the name, "J.H. Goodman." Zuta was killed on August 1, 1930, shot dead by eight men in a roadhouse in Delafield, Wisconsin
.
es. This information lead to the capture of a large whiskey shipment to Moran and to information about police raids on several breweries, as well as detailing Mafia payoffs to state and city officials.
Some of the officials implicated were:
All denied involvement, however, particularly Crowe and Starr, who claimed the money was part of campaign contributions. The name, "Zuta," later became slang for revenge. In 1931, after a $50,000 bounty was placed on him, Capone said, "Nobody's gonna' 'Zuta' me."
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
and political "fixer" for the Chicago Outfit
Chicago Outfit
The Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
.
Early life
Zuta (also spelled as "Zoota") was born on February 18, 1888, to a Polish-Jewish peasant family in Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. He immigrated to the United States around 1913. Living in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Zuta worked as a junk dealer on the West Side before becoming involved in prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. He eventually operated several brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s on west Madison Street
Madison Street (Chicago)
Madison Street is a major east-west street in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to human intervention, the Chicago River emptied into Lake Michigan at the present day intersection of Madison Street and Michigan Avenue....
. However he was put out of business by competition from Mike "The Pike" Heitler
Mike Heitler
Michael "The Pike" Heitler was a Prohibition gangster involved in prostitution for the Chicago Outfit.Heitler began operating brothels in Chicago during the early 1900s based out of west Madison Street...
and the Guzik Brothers, Harry and Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik
Jake Guzik
Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik was the financial and legal advisor, and later political “greaser”, for the Chicago Outfit.-Early life:...
.
Mob Accountant
Zuta began working for Al CaponeAl Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
during Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
in the mid-1920s. He helped contribute $50,000 of Capone's money to Chicago Mayor William Hale Thompson
William Hale Thompson
William Hale Thompson was Mayor of Chicago from 1915 to 1923 and again from 1927 to 1931. Known as "Big Bill", Thompson was the last Republican to serve as Mayor of Chicago, and ranks among the most unethical mayors in American history.Thompson was born in Boston, Massachusetts to William Hale...
's reelection campaign in 1927. However, Zuta defected to George "Bugs" Moran
Bugs Moran
George Clarence Moran , better known by the alias "Bugs" Moran, was a Chicago Prohibition-era gangster born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Moran, of Irish and Polish descent, moved to the north side of Chicago when he was 19, where he became affiliated with several gangs...
's North Side Mob during the gang war between Capone and Moran.
In June 1930, Zuta supposedly ordered the death of Chicago Examiner reporter Jake Lingle
Jake Lingle
Alfred "Jake" Lingle, Jr. was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. He was shot dead gangland-style at the Illinois Central commuter train station underpass , during rush hour on June 9, 1930, as dozens of people watched...
after Lingle tried to extort money from Moran's gambling operations. After Lingle's murder (for which Leo Vincent Brothers
Leo Vincent Brothers
Leo Vincent Brothers a.k.a. "Vincent Bader" was an early 20th-century gangster who gained notoriety throughout the underworld after being convicted of the 1930 murder of Chicago Tribune reporter Jake Lingle....
was convicted), Zuta was questioned by police. He was released the next day. While being given a police escort the police cruiser was fired on by several unidentified gunmen. The attackers killed two bystanders before being driven off by police. Zuta quickly fled Chicago, moving to Upper Nemahbin Lake, outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, living the last month of his life under the name, "J.H. Goodman." Zuta was killed on August 1, 1930, shot dead by eight men in a roadhouse in Delafield, Wisconsin
Delafield, Wisconsin
Delafield is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, along the Bark River, and a suburb of Milwaukee. The population was 6,472 at the 2000 census....
.
Aftermath
Zuta's death however resulted in the uncovering of a large amount of corruption in Illinois. Zuta, a meticulous record keeper, had much information later found in various safe deposit boxSafe deposit box
A safe deposit box or wrongly referred to as a safety deposit box is an individually-secured container, usually held within a larger safe or bank vault. Safe deposit boxes are generally located in banks, post offices or other institutions...
es. This information lead to the capture of a large whiskey shipment to Moran and to information about police raids on several breweries, as well as detailing Mafia payoffs to state and city officials.
Some of the officials implicated were:
- Chicago Alderman Dorsey Crowe
- Board of Education executive Nate DeLue,
- Judge Joseph W. Schulman
- ex-Judge Emanuel Eller
- Chicago Police sergeant Martin C. Mulvihill
- EvanstonEvanston, IllinoisEvanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
Police Chief William O. Freeman - Illinois Senator Harry W. Starr.
All denied involvement, however, particularly Crowe and Starr, who claimed the money was part of campaign contributions. The name, "Zuta," later became slang for revenge. In 1931, after a $50,000 bounty was placed on him, Capone said, "Nobody's gonna' 'Zuta' me."
Further reading
- Kelly, Robert J. Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2000. ISBN 0-313-30653-2
- Sifakis, Carl. The Mafia Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5694-3