Grand Jury Clears Number Suspects

Camden Courier-Post – August 5, 1935

Pair Suspected by Police as Having Succeeded Klosterman Brothers

Two men alleged by city and county authorities to have succeeded the Klosterman brothers in controlling the Camden numbers racket last Spring, were exonerated by the Camden county grand jury.

Those whose cases were “no billed” are Chester “Gassy” Szalinski, 30, of 1188 Chestnut Street, and Joseph Putek, 29, of 2955 Tuckahoe Road.

At the same time, the grand jury in its report to the County Clerk Charles S. Wise, failed to find an indictment against Robert Bloodworth, another suspect arrested in connection with the operation of lotteries in Camden.

After the trial of the Klosterman brothers, Fred and Joe, both of whom were convicted last spring of number charges, Szalinski was named by Police Chief Arthur Colsey as the “Sixty-ninth Street mobster who had taken over the Klosterman numbers play.” Every policeman in Camden was ordered to arrest Szalinski on sight.

The suspected numbers operator was arrested and later released in $1500 bail to await the action of the grand jury.

Putek was arrested last April after police had engaged in a sensational chase of 15 blocks after a suspected numbers pickup automobile at which they fired a number of shots, pone of which struck a bystander.

Police allege Putek joined Szalinski in control of the Klosterman numbers game. Arrests of both men climaxed orders to county police authorities by Supreme Court Justice Frank T. Lloyd and Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando to clean up the number racket in this area.

“No bills” were returned by the grand jury for Harry Hartman and John Burke charged with attempts and breaking and entry; J.G. Flynn, accused of being a fugitive from justice from Philadelphia; Ralph Latshaw, Anna Green, and Theodore Jones, statutory charges.

Hartman and Burke were held for the grand jury last month on charges they attempted to enter the saloon of Mrs. Mamie Piraine, Republican county committeewoman from the Eighth Ward, at 1944 Broadway.