Record
Hearing
1950-09-28
U.S. Senate Special Committee to Investigate Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, via Internet Archive
Kefauver Part 4: testimony of Claude A. Follmer, narcotics agent, on an alleged Kansas City 'Mafia society' (28 September 1950)
A Treasury narcotics agent says at p. 91 that John Lazia 'was the leader or czar of the underworld for a number of years prior to his assassination,' and at p. 92 lists unsolved murders 'attributed to the Mafia by persons engaged in law-enforcement work.' Pp. 81-100.
- Date
- 1950-09-28
- Kind
- hearing
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-12
- Rights
- A hearing print of the United States Senate, published by the Government Printing Office. A work of the United States Congress, public domain under 17 U.S.C. § 105. The Internet Archive item marks it not in copyright.
Claude A. Follmer, narcotics agent of the Treasury Department at Kansas City, testified on 28 September 1950 (pp. 81-100 of Part 4; pp. 91-92 were read closely). Asked who John Lazia was, he answered: “John Lazia was the leader or czar of the underworld for a number of years prior to his assassination,” and that Lazia “was associated very closely with the people who were alleged members.” In answer to counsel he said Lazia was killed in 1934. At p. 92 he listed unsolved murders “attributed to the Mafia by persons engaged in law-enforcement work.” He said two people are named as head of the alleged group, Balestrere or DiGiovanni, “from the persons I have talked with.”
The testimony is about alleged membership and is attributed to informants and law-enforcement belief. It is not stated here as fact. Pages 81-90 and 93-100 were not read in detail.
