On this day, Nov. 13, 1957, a New York state trooper stumbled upon a historic national convention of gangsters at the home of Joseph (Joe the Barber) Barbara in upstate Apalachin, N.Y.
Sgt. Edgar Croswell was called to a motel to take a report for a bad check when he overheard Barbara’s eldest son reserve rooms for “soft-drink people.” Croswell became suspicious. The sergeant checked with a butcher, who said the Barbaras had ordered 200 pounds of meat delivered to their mansion.
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The next day Croswell, another trooper and two federal agents drove to the house, where 40 luxury cars with license plates from around the country were parked. The cars were registered to known criminals.
Dozens of gangsters panicked and fled into the woods but 58 men were detained, including Vito Genovese, who was competing for the position of boss of bosses, and Mafiosi from Canada and Italy.
The Apalachin Summit proved for the first time that an organized crime syndicate did exist.
— Scott McCabe
