THE BLACK HAND FORUM

Wiseguy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2017 9:35 pm

Jonkaro wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2017 3:38 pm Sorry to triple-post (don't know how to edit) .. I was able to dig up this report about Philadelphia organized crime that suggests the Slim Creagh numbers operation was active at least into the year 1990 (note that Frank was Slim Creagh's middle name, his relatgices called him Frank and the underworld called him Slim, he passed away in 2010 ) Unfortunately this was all I could find online, but it also confirms Gary is his son and the Frank mentioned in the arrest above would be his grandson:

John "Slim" Creagh, 70, The Executive House, 6100 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia. Creagh operates one the largest white-run numbers operations
in Philadelphia, and
one of the two largest operations within Black areas of the city (with Nichols' operationthe only other one comparable in size). While extending throughot the city of Philadelphia with over 60 lead houses, Creagh's operation is based predominantly in Black sections of the city. Creagh, who began his career in numbers in the 1950s, runs a family-based operation with his son, Frank, John, and Gregory, serving as his chief lieutenants
,
.
Creagh
himself is now
semi-retired, letting his son Frank run most of the operation. However, in the
eastern section of
Philadelphia, a portion of Creagh's operation is run by two business associates Charles Reaves and Juan Rodriguez.
Like Creagh, Reaves and Rodriguez both have extensive records of arresdts for gsmbling activities. Creagh also has hired Blacks as numbers writers and managers for lead houses. Creagh has had close associations with several Black number operatives. He accepted layoff from Isaiah Ford until Ford severed the relationship, apparently because of a dispute over money. At one time Creagh also had a partnership arrangement with Black numbers operative James Hampton. Part of Creagh's success arises from his style of competition. For example, Creagh=moved into Clifford Ballard's area of operation and began to compete for Ballard's customers. When questioned about competition, Ballard replied, "theres plenty and its coming from Slim Creagh's people ... he must know someone because no one's doing anything about him."

Because of the size of his operastion, Creagh is able to give customers better deals and to absorb more losses than smaller opartives. In this way,
Creagh is able to attract customers and to expand his operation. Other factors contributing to Creagh's success include his willingness dto hire blacks and his reliability in paying on winning hits.

Creagh paid "street tax" to the Philadelphia LCN during part of the 1980s. Nicholas Camarandi, an LCN 220 informant, has stated Creagh operated a sports and numbers book, was involved in loansharking and nactoric,s and paid streettax.

Creagh initially paid the Family $10,000. After this initial payment, he paid $300 per week for three years. He then made a $5,000 payment and paid $600 per week thereafter until sometime in 1 986. At this time, because he feared that Creagh was
cooperating with federal authorities, Caramandi stoppedcollecting from Creagh. During the 1980s, raids by the Citywide Vice Enforcement Unit on11 different locations resulted in the confiscation of over 141,000 numbers plays, tally work in excess of $49,000, and nearly $33,000 in cash. Creagh was arrested twice in the 1980s on gambling related charges. A 1981 arrest in Bensalem resulted in a one-year
probation sentence; 1984 charges in Philadelphia for lotteries and
criminal conspiracy were withdrawn.

Sorry for typos, I couldn't just directly copy-and-paste and my computer keeps freezing.

So apparently Creagh's arrest in the 80s didn't hurt his operation like I originally believed.

Thanks for the info Jonkaro.

In the future, look at the top right hand corner of your post. You'll see some little boxes, including one that looks like a pencil. Click on that and that is how you can edit your post.

Jonkaro wrote: ↑Mon Oct 23, 2017 3:38 pm Sorry to triple-post (don't know how to edit) .. I was able to dig up this report about Philadelphia organized crime that suggests the Slim Creagh numbers operation was active at least into the year 1990 (note that Frank was Slim Creagh's middle name, his relatgices called him Frank and the underworld called him Slim, he passed away in 2010 ) Unfortunately this was all I could find online, but it also confirms Gary is his son and the Frank mentioned in the arrest above would be his grandson:

John "Slim" Creagh, 70, The Executive House, 6100 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia. Creagh operates one the largest white-run numbers operations
in Philadelphia, and
one of the two largest operations within Black areas of the city (with Nichols' operationthe only other one comparable in size). While extending throughot the city of Philadelphia with over 60 lead houses, Creagh's operation is based predominantly in Black sections of the city. Creagh, who began his career in numbers in the 1950s, runs a family-based operation with his son, Frank, John, and Gregory, serving as his chief lieutenants
,
.
Creagh
himself is now
semi-retired, letting his son Frank run most of the operation. However, in the
eastern section of
Philadelphia, a portion of Creagh's operation is run by two business associates Charles Reaves and Juan Rodriguez.
Like Creagh, Reaves and Rodriguez both have extensive records of arresdts for gsmbling activities. Creagh also has hired Blacks as numbers writers and managers for lead houses. Creagh has had close associations with several Black number operatives. He accepted layoff from Isaiah Ford until Ford severed the relationship, apparently because of a dispute over money. At one time Creagh also had a partnership arrangement with Black numbers operative James Hampton. Part of Creagh's success arises from his style of competition. For example, Creagh=moved into Clifford Ballard's area of operation and began to compete for Ballard's customers. When questioned about competition, Ballard replied, "theres plenty and its coming from Slim Creagh's people ... he must know someone because no one's doing anything about him."

Because of the size of his operastion, Creagh is able to give customers better deals and to absorb more losses than smaller opartives. In this way,
Creagh is able to attract customers and to expand his operation. Other factors contributing to Creagh's success include his willingness dto hire blacks and his reliability in paying on winning hits.

Creagh paid "street tax" to the Philadelphia LCN during part of the 1980s. Nicholas Camarandi, an LCN 220 informant, has stated Creagh operated a sports and numbers book, was involved in loansharking and nactoric,s and paid streettax.

Creagh initially paid the Family $10,000. After this initial payment, he paid $300 per week for three years. He then made a $5,000 payment and paid $600 per week thereafter until sometime in 1 986. At this time, because he feared that Creagh was
cooperating with federal authorities, Caramandi stoppedcollecting from Creagh. During the 1980s, raids by the Citywide Vice Enforcement Unit on11 different locations resulted in the confiscation of over 141,000 numbers plays, tally work in excess of $49,000, and nearly $33,000 in cash. Creagh was arrested twice in the 1980s on gambling related charges. A 1981 arrest in Bensalem resulted in a one-year
probation sentence; 1984 charges in Philadelphia for lotteries and
criminal conspiracy were withdrawn.

Sorry for typos, I couldn't just directly copy-and-paste and my computer keeps freezing.

So apparently Creagh's arrest in the 80s didn't hurt his operation like I originally believed.

John "Slim" Creagh, 70, The Executive House, 6100 City Line Avenue, Philadelphia. Creagh operates one the largest white-run numbers operations
in Philadelphia, and
one of the two largest operations within Black areas of the city (with Nichols' operationthe only other one comparable in size). While extending throughot the city of Philadelphia with over 60 lead houses, Creagh's operation is based predominantly in Black sections of the city. Creagh, who began his career in numbers in the 1950s, runs a family-based operation with his son, Frank, John, and Gregory, serving as his chief lieutenants
,
.
Creagh
himself is now
semi-retired, letting his son Frank run most of the operation. However, in the
eastern section of
Philadelphia, a portion of Creagh's operation is run by two business associates Charles Reaves and Juan Rodriguez.
Like Creagh, Reaves and Rodriguez both have extensive records of arresdts for gsmbling activities. Creagh also has hired Blacks as numbers writers and managers for lead houses. Creagh has had close associations with several Black number operatives. He accepted layoff from Isaiah Ford until Ford severed the relationship, apparently because of a dispute over money. At one time Creagh also had a partnership arrangement with Black numbers operative James Hampton. Part of Creagh's success arises from his style of competition. For example, Creagh=moved into Clifford Ballard's area of operation and began to compete for Ballard's customers. When questioned about competition, Ballard replied, "theres plenty and its coming from Slim Creagh's people ... he must know someone because no one's doing anything about him."

Because of the size of his operastion, Creagh is able to give customers better deals and to absorb more losses than smaller opartives. In this way,
Creagh is able to attract customers and to expand his operation. Other factors contributing to Creagh's success include his willingness dto hire blacks and his reliability in paying on winning hits.

Creagh paid "street tax" to the Philadelphia LCN during part of the 1980s. Nicholas Camarandi, an LCN 220 informant, has stated Creagh operated a sports and numbers book, was involved in loansharking and nactoric,s and paid streettax.

Creagh initially paid the Family $10,000. After this initial payment, he paid $300 per week for three years. He then made a $5,000 payment and paid $600 per week thereafter until sometime in 1 986. At this time, because he feared that Creagh was
cooperating with federal authorities, Caramandi stoppedcollecting from Creagh. During the 1980s, raids by the Citywide Vice Enforcement Unit on11 different locations resulted in the confiscation of over 141,000 numbers plays, tally work in excess of $49,000, and nearly $33,000 in cash. Creagh was arrested twice in the 1980s on gambling related charges. A 1981 arrest in Bensalem resulted in a one-year
probation sentence; 1984 charges in Philadelphia for lotteries and
criminal conspiracy were withdrawn.

Wiseguy wrote: ↑Fri Oct 20, 2017 4:03 pm Been quite a while of since there was a mob numbers case. Even in New York they appear to becoming more and more rare. Maybe it's a generational thing?

Anyway, don't know if there's any mob connection here..

Adam wrote: ↑Sat Oct 21, 2017 4:16 am I've often wondered if numbers still goes on in certain cities. I follow Detroit and that was huge there in the past. But the last major bust I can think of was in 1999. But the cops seized three and a half million in cash from the operators during the raids so it was profitable then. I don't see it just disappearing. Newspapers never gave a lot of information on that one. When was the last New York one? Anyone know?