“Rockford’s growingly powerful bootleg ring openly snarled at the law for the first time last night when gunmen, with sawed off shot guns, attempted the life of David L. Dotz, 23 years old, special liquor investigator, and his brother, Alex, 18 years old, at the corner of Fifth Street and Sixth Avenue.” That was the headline of the September 23, 1926 Rockford Morning Star front page headline. To be sure, Rockford had so many bootlegging arrests since the beginning of Prohibition it was a daunting task to keep track of them all. Early on, the clear leaders in this business were the Italians who by the fall of 1926 for the most part, had fallen in line under Tony Musso, Vincenzo Troia and others.
David Dotz, 22 years old and his brother Alex, 18, were employed as “liquor spotters” with the State’s Attorneys office and were gathering up much information on the bootleggers in Rockford and their customers, so much so that they had been threatened numerous times.
Just before 7 p.m. that night the Dotz brothers had left their home at 905 6th Avenue and were just entering their car parked out front when a high-powered blue touring car, with its side curtains drawn containing three to four men pulled in front of the Dotz’ car. Shotguns slugs poured forth, raking the car before roaring south down Fifth Street, turning west on Eighth Avenue and getting lost in the heavy traffic on Kishwaukee Street.
Authorities say the wooden post in the middle of the Dotz’ windshield combined with the high aim of the suspects, probably saved both men. Alex, the younger brother was the most seriously wounded. A slug entered his right shoulder and another ripped across his right temple and scalp. David, the driver, got a bad gash over the right eye from flying glass and it was thought he may lose sight in that eye. Two guns, one a sawed-off shotgun and the other a heavy U.S. Army Winchester pump gun were thrown out of the suspect auto. The shotgun was picked up within 50 yards of the shooting on Fifth Street and the Winchester pump gun was found near the Keith Creek bridge on the creek bank in front of the Litton Veneer Company plant.
Just two days later, on September 25th, 19-year-old Tony DiGiovanni was arrested for the attempted murder and released under $2000 bond when he was arraigned. George Saladino was arrested and released under bond a few days later on the same charges. Alex Dotz said DiGiovanni and Saladino had threatened the brothers previously to stay out of south Rockford and both brothers stated they recognized the two men as well as Phil Caltagerone as the shooters and Caltagerone was later arrested.
On May 27, 1927 after a three hour deliberation during their trial, the three men were found not guilty on intent to commit murder charges. Apparently seeing they were marked for death, the Dotz brothers did leave Rockford and eventually settled in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Alex ended up being employed as a night watchman at a Kenosha movie theater and David worked for the Kenosha police department. There they were involved in a strange plot.
Alex stated while at work one night he was approached by Angelo Tarallo, 35, Joe Tarallo, 20, and brother to Angelo, James Martin, 40, and Victor Corbelli, 35, about robbing the theater and that plans were made on December 17, 1928 but by that time Alex lost his nerve and went home. Later that morning Alex was met by James Martin and was told if he didn’t go through with the plot he would be “bumped off.” Alex then followed all four men to Martin’s roadhouse five miles south of Kenosha and went over plans. After all was arranged, Alex went back to Kenosha and talked to his brother David.
Alex then said that David as a policeman, wanted Alex to let him in to the theater an hour before the planned robbery and he would hide in the balcony and then arrest the group. When the gang came in at 4 a.m., all of them were different men except for Angelo Tarallo. David, apparently getting cold feet, let the group tie up Alex and the four men stole $1,022 from the safe. After the gang left, David went to the police department to report the robbery but not the plans Alex was involved in. David then rounded up three police officers and immediately arrested Martin, Corbelli and the younger Tarallo. Angelo was later arrested in Chicago. After the truth came out because of Alex’ confession, David was immediately suspended.
A trial ensued and it was brought out that Angelo Tarallo had eyewitnesses that placed him in Chicago at the time of the robbery so he was exonerated. With the other three men it couldn’t be proven they were part of the robbery plot so they were never prosecuted. Alex was sentenced to 15 years in prison while David received 16-19 years. The money from the robbery was never found.
By 1933 Alex had been paroled from prison and it’s unclear when David was released. It appears that Alex died in July 1973 and David in August 1990. It seems Joe Tarallo was a minor figure in Outfit circles and he died in Chicago in July 1963. Angelo was murdered in his vehicle four miles north of Oregon, Illinois after delivering a load of bootleg alcohol on April 19, 1932. Nothing could be found as to what happened to Victor Corbelli or James Martin. Anthony DiGiovanni was made a member of the Rockford LCN at some point after the attempt on the Dotz’ life and he died on July 22, 1958 in a two-car collision at South Main Street and Prairie Road. Phil Caltagerone was made a member of the Rockford LCN and was even acting boss while boss Tony Musso was in prison from 1931 to 1932 and he died March 26, 1971 in Rockford. George Saladino was a made member possibly achieving the position of capo and he died June 7, 1964.
The Sad Lives of the Dotz Brothers, Liquor Investigators
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