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Hillman was one of the first labor leaders to use the goon as part of his enforcement machinery. In 1931 a garment manufacturer in Brooklyn named Guido Fererri got into a bitter quarrel with Hillman's Amalgamated and was threatened by one of its officials. A few days later Fererri was found shot to death on the street. A notorious character named Louis Buckhalter, known as Lepke, was a goon for a labor union and Lepke was suspected of this crime. Some time later a Brooklyn jury found this same Lepke guilty of murder in the first degree for killing Joseph Rosen in a Brooklyn candy store on November 30, 1936. He was sentenced to be electrocuted but Lepke was in Federal custody at the Leavenworth Penitentiary serving a term of 14 years as the mastermind behind a $10 million [[narcotic]]s ring and another term of 30 years for labor racketeering, both of which would keep him in Leavenworth until 1980. Governor [[Thomas Dewey]] of New York requested extradition of Lepke in order to execute him for the Rosen murder. He requested extradition four times, but each time [[Franklin Roosevelt]]’s Attorney General Francis Biddle refused.

Hillman was one of the first labor leaders to use the goon as part of his enforcement machinery. In 1931 a garment manufacturer in Brooklyn named Guido Fererri got into a bitter quarrel with Hillman's Amalgamated and was threatened by one of its officials. A few days later Fererri was found shot to death on the street. A notorious character named Louis Buckhalter, known as Lepke, was a goon for a labor union and Lepke was suspected of this crime. Some time later a Brooklyn jury found this same Lepke guilty of murder in the first degree for killing Joseph Rosen in a Brooklyn candy store on November 30, 1936. He was sentenced to be electrocuted but Lepke was in Federal custody at the Leavenworth Penitentiary serving a term of 14 years as the mastermind behind a $10 million [[narcotic]]s ring and another term of 30 years for labor racketeering, both of which would keep him in Leavenworth until 1980. Governor [[Thomas Dewey]] of New York requested extradition of Lepke in order to execute him for the Rosen murder. He requested extradition four times, but each time [[Franklin Roosevelt]]’s Attorney General Francis Biddle refused.

On the night Fererri was killed, Lepke was seen by a policeman on the streets in that neighborhood in Brooklyn. He told Lepke: "You're too close to where a murder has been committed, so you better come with me." The officer took Lepke to the police station. Lepke telephoned from the station to Sidney Hillman, who shortly after arrived at the station house with [[Fiorello LaGuardia]], his lawyer. According to the [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning journalist Westbrook Pegler, Hillman paid Lepke paid $350 a week to terrorize workers and entrepreneurs for his union. <ref>[http://aboutmafia.nm.ru/341.html About the Mafia] (in Russain).</ref> Nothing more was ever heard of this nor was anyone indicted for the Fererri murder.

On the night Fererri was killed, Lepke was seen by a policeman on the streets in that neighborhood in Brooklyn. He told Lepke: "You're too close to where a murder has been committed, so you better come with me." The officer took Lepke to the police station. Lepke telephoned from the station to Sidney Hillman, who shortly after arrived at the station house with [[Fiorello LaGuardia]], his lawyer. According to the [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning journalist Westbrook Pegler, Hillman paid Lepke paid $350 a week to terrorize workers and entrepreneurs for his union. <ref>[http://aboutmafia.nm.ru/341.html About the Mafia] (in Russian).</ref> Nothing more was ever heard of this nor was anyone indicted for the Fererri murder.

In December, 1941 while Lepke was in Leavenworth and Governor Dewey was trying to extradite him, William O'Dwyer was the district attorney of Brooklyn investigating the murder ring of which Lepke headed. His chief investigator was a captain of the Police Department and the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported O'Dwyer was investigating the Fererri case and the investigation involved a high-ranking New York political leader and a labor leader of national reputation and had to do with Lepke's activities as a goon for a labor union. O'Dwyer denounced LaGuardia for trying to scuttle the investigation.

In December, 1941 while Lepke was in Leavenworth and Governor Dewey was trying to extradite him, William O'Dwyer was the district attorney of Brooklyn investigating the murder ring of which Lepke headed. His chief investigator was a captain of the Police Department and the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported O'Dwyer was investigating the Fererri case and the investigation involved a high-ranking New York political leader and a labor leader of national reputation and had to do with Lepke's activities as a goon for a labor union. O'Dwyer denounced LaGuardia for trying to scuttle the investigation.