The Bismarck Tribune, 15 September 1928, page 2: "Philadelphia Grapples With Gangster Rule"

Page 2 of the Bismarck Tribune, 15 September 1928. The feature is headed “Philadelphia Grapples With Gangster Rule,” with decks “Quaker City in Death Fight With Underworld’s Organization,” “20 Brutal Murders,” and “Max ‘Boo Boo’ Hoff Is the Man Officials Blame for Outrages.” A note says it is “the ninth of James P. Kirby’s series of articles” on the spread of racketeering.

The writer calls Capone “the friend and adviser of Max ‘Boo Boo’ Hoff, the prize fight promoter who is the overlord of Philadelphia’s underworld,” and says that “Capone has visited Hoff on numerous occasions, it has been developed by District Attorney Monaghan.” The feature describes “the Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company, the holding company organized by Hoff and his partners, Charles Schwartz and Samuel Lazar,” whose records were held in the district attorney’s office.

This is a feature writer’s account relaying the prosecutor’s claims during a grand jury inquiry. The descriptions of Hoff and of the Capone visits are allegations. This archive has found no charge or conviction of Hoff in a federal record.