Uniontown, PA, about 45 miles south of Pittsburgh was a longtime mecca for organized crime. Since the mid 1940's, a gentleman by the name of Melvin Pike was "The Guy" in Uniontown. He was very close to Gabriel "Kelly" Mannarino and reported directly to him. In 1978, he was gunned down waiting for his 10 year old daughter outside the school where she had gymnastics practice.
Years later, in the 1990 trial of WHeeling, WV crime boss Paul "No Legs" Hankish, it came out that notorious hitman for hire Robert "Codfish" Bricker and Hankish's right hand man, Jimmy Griffen killed Melvin Pike for allegedly muscling in on Hankish's gambling empire. In retaliation for the unsanctioned Melvin Pike hit, Chucky Porter went after Robert "Codfish" Bricker with a vengeance. Porter shot Bricker at point blank range in the face and Bricker did not die. Please see attached text from 1978 article. This guy is fascinating and ran an empire in the old railroad town.
Police Protect Duffield After Fayette Slaying
State Sen. William E. Duffield has been placed under state police protection protection in the wake of the shotgun slaying of admitted racketeer and Duffield associate Melvin B. Pike. Uniontown police in Fayette County were warned by an anonymous caller late last week that "Pike got it first, and Duffield's next," according to the senator. Pike was killed last Wednesday in Washington County as he waited for his 10-year-old daughter to finish her dancing dancing lessons at a gymnastics school. Although Duffield said he was granted police protection without his knowledge, other police sources differed, indicating the 56-year-old needed 24-hour surveillance. "I'm not worried about these threats. I'm a tough old nut and it'll take more than a phone call to scare me," Duffield said last night, although conceding his family was concerned. The order for state police protection came shortly after the slaying of Pike, a man with admitted ties to Fayette County organized crime. Duffield had called him "a personal friend, and a client." "I never really knew what Melvin did for a living. I certainly had no knowledge of any nefarious dealings with an underworld. I didn't want to know. He was just an occasional companion companion and a client," Duffield said last night. Duffield represented Pike in a 1973 homicide charge stemming from the stabbing death of a Uniontown boxer. Pike was acquitted. Duffield faces a tough re-election battle in Fayette County, while looking for reinstatement as an attorney in Pennsylvania. He was disbarred with his consent in 1975 for alleged misuse of more than $10,000 of his clients' funds. "Why did someone kill Melvin? Believe Believe me, I haven't the faintest idea. We certainly had no business dealings, other than the attorney-client attorney-client attorney-client relationship. relationship. We were close, that's true, but there was a lot I didn't know about him. "Considering these threats, if I had the slightest idea of why or who, you could be sure the state police would be the first to know," Duffield said.
Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
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Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
Last edited by JCB1977 on Thu Feb 15, 2018 9:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"I figure I’m gonna have to do about 6000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head. It’s like a couple of days here."
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
Re: Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
Slain Fayette Man was "feared, hated, loved" by MATTHEW KENNEDY
State police investigating the shotgun slaying of admitted Uniontown racketeer Melvin B. Pike will have to deal with the inconsistencies of his reputation and background. Pike, 63, was killed last Wednesday night in Washington County while waiting waiting for his daughter to finish her class at a gymnastics school. He was one "one of the most feared men in Fayette County," whose reputation rolled before him like a storm, according according to police sources. Yet Pike was known for the affection he had shown his 10-year-old daughter, Mattie. Found in his possession possession when he died were four or five plastic key-ring viewers, which displayed her picture. Charged and acquitted in two homicides and with an arrest record dating back to 1943, Pike served in World War II as a chief cryptographer in charge of code rooms at critical North African, Italian, French and German bases. He had been an Air Force captain. Pike listed his employment as a mining consultant. A police search of his Chaffe Street home in Uniontown, however, unearthed costume items such as wigs. Pike's daughter witnessed his slaying by a man wearing a blue-hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a ski mask, according to police reports. A coroner's autopsy showed that he was hit three times by shotgun blasts, and as a result suffered a fatal hemorrhaging of the lungs. Although police found several spent shells and a .38-caliber revolver at the scene of the slaying, the autopsy turned up no evidence the pistol was used. Pike had testified before a Fayette County grand jury in 1960 about his links to organized crime in that area, specifically in the numbers racket. He told the grand jury then that he had been promised, but later cheated out of, a 10 percent cut of the county's numbers racket. Now police are searching for a motive for Pike's slaying. They have asked anyone with information concerning the shooting to contact state police at the Washington, PA barracks. Pike was defended in a 1973 murder trial by then-attorney William E. Duffield, a state senator from Uniontown. Duffield last week termed Pike "a personal personal friend," noting that while "many loved him, an equal number hated him." The state senator defended Pike in the death of Uniontown boxer John A. "Jack" Rodgers, 36, who was stabbed during an' altercation at a Uniontown auto body shop. Rodgers died three weeks later from complications. Duffield had the trial shifted to York County, where Pike was acquitted in 1974. While Pike had a long record of arrests, there was only one known conviction, a guilty plea in 1948 for aggravated aggravated assault on Uniontown Night Police Chief Charles Malik. Other arrests dated back to 1943, but some court documents in the Fayette County clerk of courts office are missing and the final disposition of some cases is unknown. After pleading guilty to the aggravated aggravated assault charge in 1948, Pike was sentenced to three years in jail, but he never showed to begin the term. His bond was forfeited and records are missing with regard to whether he ever served that jail term. Fayette County sources said Pike had been married several times, and one of his ex-wives, Lillian Pike, 53, was found dead in a creek near her Hopwood Township home on Nov. 24, 1965. She died of exposure, according to the Fayette County coroner's office, but the circumstances of her death were never determined. According to the coroner's office spokesman, Pike had reported his ex-wife missing six days before her body was found under a bridge. She had been last seen Nov. 13. Funeral services for Pike will be at 2 p.m. today at the George Yoney Funeral Home, 3 South Washington Ave., Masontown, Fayette County, followed by burial in the Mount Moriah Baptist Cemetery in Smithfield, also in Fayette County.
State police investigating the shotgun slaying of admitted Uniontown racketeer Melvin B. Pike will have to deal with the inconsistencies of his reputation and background. Pike, 63, was killed last Wednesday night in Washington County while waiting waiting for his daughter to finish her class at a gymnastics school. He was one "one of the most feared men in Fayette County," whose reputation rolled before him like a storm, according according to police sources. Yet Pike was known for the affection he had shown his 10-year-old daughter, Mattie. Found in his possession possession when he died were four or five plastic key-ring viewers, which displayed her picture. Charged and acquitted in two homicides and with an arrest record dating back to 1943, Pike served in World War II as a chief cryptographer in charge of code rooms at critical North African, Italian, French and German bases. He had been an Air Force captain. Pike listed his employment as a mining consultant. A police search of his Chaffe Street home in Uniontown, however, unearthed costume items such as wigs. Pike's daughter witnessed his slaying by a man wearing a blue-hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a ski mask, according to police reports. A coroner's autopsy showed that he was hit three times by shotgun blasts, and as a result suffered a fatal hemorrhaging of the lungs. Although police found several spent shells and a .38-caliber revolver at the scene of the slaying, the autopsy turned up no evidence the pistol was used. Pike had testified before a Fayette County grand jury in 1960 about his links to organized crime in that area, specifically in the numbers racket. He told the grand jury then that he had been promised, but later cheated out of, a 10 percent cut of the county's numbers racket. Now police are searching for a motive for Pike's slaying. They have asked anyone with information concerning the shooting to contact state police at the Washington, PA barracks. Pike was defended in a 1973 murder trial by then-attorney William E. Duffield, a state senator from Uniontown. Duffield last week termed Pike "a personal personal friend," noting that while "many loved him, an equal number hated him." The state senator defended Pike in the death of Uniontown boxer John A. "Jack" Rodgers, 36, who was stabbed during an' altercation at a Uniontown auto body shop. Rodgers died three weeks later from complications. Duffield had the trial shifted to York County, where Pike was acquitted in 1974. While Pike had a long record of arrests, there was only one known conviction, a guilty plea in 1948 for aggravated aggravated assault on Uniontown Night Police Chief Charles Malik. Other arrests dated back to 1943, but some court documents in the Fayette County clerk of courts office are missing and the final disposition of some cases is unknown. After pleading guilty to the aggravated aggravated assault charge in 1948, Pike was sentenced to three years in jail, but he never showed to begin the term. His bond was forfeited and records are missing with regard to whether he ever served that jail term. Fayette County sources said Pike had been married several times, and one of his ex-wives, Lillian Pike, 53, was found dead in a creek near her Hopwood Township home on Nov. 24, 1965. She died of exposure, according to the Fayette County coroner's office, but the circumstances of her death were never determined. According to the coroner's office spokesman, Pike had reported his ex-wife missing six days before her body was found under a bridge. She had been last seen Nov. 13. Funeral services for Pike will be at 2 p.m. today at the George Yoney Funeral Home, 3 South Washington Ave., Masontown, Fayette County, followed by burial in the Mount Moriah Baptist Cemetery in Smithfield, also in Fayette County.
Last edited by JCB1977 on Thu Feb 15, 2018 9:52 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"I figure I’m gonna have to do about 6000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head. It’s like a couple of days here."
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
Re: Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
Good stuff thanks for posting ,
"if he's such A sports wizard , whys he tending bar ?" Nicky Scarfo
Re: Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
Melvin Pike was the crime boss of Uniontown when it was booming...almost 4 decades. He was Amato Sr/LaRocca/Mannarino’s cash cow. He is one of the most fascinating rackets figures in Western PA. Not made...but ran his own show.
The hit was ordered by Paul Hankish as he was the top guy in Wherling at that point...Uniontown is pretty close in proximity to Wheeling. Porter was an enforcer at the time for LaRocca so he had no idea that Hankish ordered the hit.
http://old.post-gazette.com/obituaries/ ... icker4.asp
"I figure I’m gonna have to do about 6000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head. It’s like a couple of days here."
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
Re: Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
Stroccos, this is a great article from 1983...great understanding of the territory divide. Pike is mentioned towards the latter.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= ... 8845&hl=en
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= ... 8845&hl=en
"I figure I’m gonna have to do about 6000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head. It’s like a couple of days here."
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
Re: Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
12 years later, Pike's murder mystery came to light in the highly publicized trial of Wheeling, WV Crime Boss Paul Hankish.
Hankish helped arrange killing, witness testifies (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Crime boss, 10 defendants on trial By Lynda Guydon Taylor Post-Gazette Post-Gazette Post-Gazette Start Writer WHEELING, W.Va. -
Convicted murderer Robert "Codfish" Bricker was hired to kill a Uniontown racketeer because he tried to muscle in on a sports betting operation controlled by Wheeling crime boss Paul Hankish, a witness testified in federal court yesterday. "It came to a point where something had to be done or we would be out of business," said Gerald "Snookie" Walls, 42, a former Fayette County racketeer. Walls testified in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in a multifaceted criminal case involving 11 defendants. Walls, whose testimony concerned the 1978 contract murder of Melvin Pike, was the first major witness to take the stand for the government in the trial of Paul "No Legs" Hankish, 58, of Wheeling. Hankish, who was crippled in a 1964 car bombing, has been charged along with 10 co-defendants in a 192-page indictment. He is on trial on charges of racketeering in drugs and gambling, conspiracy to commit murder, trafficking in stolen property, forgery, mail fraud, extortion, firearms violations and failure to pay more than $100,000 in taxes to the IRS for money earned from an illegal gambling business. In addition to Walls, another major witness' yesterday was William "Eggy" Prosdocimo, 39, formerly of Greenfield, who is serving a life sentence for two 1979 murders. In addition, he is awaiting extradition to Florida, where he faces murder charges in Miami for a killing during a drug theft. During nine years in jail while awaiting trial and after his convictions, Prosdocimo admitted to being a drug dealer but has steadfastly maintained his innocence in any murder plots. Several months ago, he was removed from the State Correctional Institution at Pittsburgh by federal officials after he approached investigators with knowledge of Hankish's activities. Prosdocimo has not been guaranteed any specific deal in exchange for his testimony. Walls, who has been convicted of murder twice and of counterfeiting and cocaine distribution, became a government informant in 1981 in exchange for a 20-year federal prison prison sentence. He eventually testified against Prosdocimo, Bricker and four others who were convicted in a series of gangland-style executions around Pittsburgh during the late 1970's. All of them were convicted and Walls was released from prison in 1987 after serving almost seven years. His release was contingent upon his continued cooperation with state and federal authorities. During several hours on the stand yesterday. Walls described how he became involved with Hankish's gambling operation. Walls said after he and his wife Diane opened the Tavern House Lounge in Uniontown, he began taking bets on football games for Hankish. The size of the bets ranged from $1,500 to $2,000 a game. Walls testified. He said after placing his bets, he would deliver the money to Wheeling. He testified the business became so successful that it attracted attention throughout Uniontown, especially Pike's attention. Walls said he had known Pike all his life, describing him as a "tough guy," or enforcer. "Melvin Pike wanted information ... anytime someone is making a move he puts his thumb on it. He wants a piece of it," Walls testified. Two meetings followed, one in Washington County and another at Hankish's home during which Hankish, Walls and another man discussed discussed what to do about Pike. Hankish decided that Pike had to be killed, Walls said. Hankish also wanted Pike killed because he operated an extortion business in Fayette County, Walls testified. Walls called Pike "his role model" and said he didn't really want him killed. Walls said his reluctance to kill Pike led to an abortive attempt on his own life, but instead of him, his friend, Gary "Stretch" DeStefano, was killed. Finally, however, it was decided that Bricker was to be paid $5,000 to do the job, Wall testified. In April, 1978, Bricker went to the gymnastics class of Pike's daughter Mattie, where he carried out the killing. Pike was killed while his then 10-year-old daughter watched. Walls testified he left Uniontown for Florida about a week after Pike's murder. Prosdocimo's testimony concerned DeStefano's murder. He said that he unwittingly became involved when Bricker and two other men approached him about setting up a drug deal with Walls. Prosdocimo said the three wanted him to buy marijuana and Quaaludes from Walls. At first, Prosdocimo said, he thought the three wanted to rob Walls of the drugs, but later it became clear they wanted to murder Walls. Prosdocimo testified he arranged to buy 500 pounds of marijuana and 100,000 Quaaludes from Walls, who would bring the drugs from Florida. Prosdocimo testified Walls was to come to Prosdocimo's home, where Bricker and Charles "Monster" Kellington would wait inside to kill Walls. But when Walls arrived at Prosdocimo's home, Prosdocimo did not have the money for the drugs and Walls refused to go inside, Prosdocimo testified. The plans quickly changed to kill Walls at a Market Square bar, where Walls said he was headed. It was there that DeStefano was gunned down.
Staff writer Bill Moushey contributed contributed to this report.
Hankish helped arrange killing, witness testifies (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)
Crime boss, 10 defendants on trial By Lynda Guydon Taylor Post-Gazette Post-Gazette Post-Gazette Start Writer WHEELING, W.Va. -
Convicted murderer Robert "Codfish" Bricker was hired to kill a Uniontown racketeer because he tried to muscle in on a sports betting operation controlled by Wheeling crime boss Paul Hankish, a witness testified in federal court yesterday. "It came to a point where something had to be done or we would be out of business," said Gerald "Snookie" Walls, 42, a former Fayette County racketeer. Walls testified in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in a multifaceted criminal case involving 11 defendants. Walls, whose testimony concerned the 1978 contract murder of Melvin Pike, was the first major witness to take the stand for the government in the trial of Paul "No Legs" Hankish, 58, of Wheeling. Hankish, who was crippled in a 1964 car bombing, has been charged along with 10 co-defendants in a 192-page indictment. He is on trial on charges of racketeering in drugs and gambling, conspiracy to commit murder, trafficking in stolen property, forgery, mail fraud, extortion, firearms violations and failure to pay more than $100,000 in taxes to the IRS for money earned from an illegal gambling business. In addition to Walls, another major witness' yesterday was William "Eggy" Prosdocimo, 39, formerly of Greenfield, who is serving a life sentence for two 1979 murders. In addition, he is awaiting extradition to Florida, where he faces murder charges in Miami for a killing during a drug theft. During nine years in jail while awaiting trial and after his convictions, Prosdocimo admitted to being a drug dealer but has steadfastly maintained his innocence in any murder plots. Several months ago, he was removed from the State Correctional Institution at Pittsburgh by federal officials after he approached investigators with knowledge of Hankish's activities. Prosdocimo has not been guaranteed any specific deal in exchange for his testimony. Walls, who has been convicted of murder twice and of counterfeiting and cocaine distribution, became a government informant in 1981 in exchange for a 20-year federal prison prison sentence. He eventually testified against Prosdocimo, Bricker and four others who were convicted in a series of gangland-style executions around Pittsburgh during the late 1970's. All of them were convicted and Walls was released from prison in 1987 after serving almost seven years. His release was contingent upon his continued cooperation with state and federal authorities. During several hours on the stand yesterday. Walls described how he became involved with Hankish's gambling operation. Walls said after he and his wife Diane opened the Tavern House Lounge in Uniontown, he began taking bets on football games for Hankish. The size of the bets ranged from $1,500 to $2,000 a game. Walls testified. He said after placing his bets, he would deliver the money to Wheeling. He testified the business became so successful that it attracted attention throughout Uniontown, especially Pike's attention. Walls said he had known Pike all his life, describing him as a "tough guy," or enforcer. "Melvin Pike wanted information ... anytime someone is making a move he puts his thumb on it. He wants a piece of it," Walls testified. Two meetings followed, one in Washington County and another at Hankish's home during which Hankish, Walls and another man discussed discussed what to do about Pike. Hankish decided that Pike had to be killed, Walls said. Hankish also wanted Pike killed because he operated an extortion business in Fayette County, Walls testified. Walls called Pike "his role model" and said he didn't really want him killed. Walls said his reluctance to kill Pike led to an abortive attempt on his own life, but instead of him, his friend, Gary "Stretch" DeStefano, was killed. Finally, however, it was decided that Bricker was to be paid $5,000 to do the job, Wall testified. In April, 1978, Bricker went to the gymnastics class of Pike's daughter Mattie, where he carried out the killing. Pike was killed while his then 10-year-old daughter watched. Walls testified he left Uniontown for Florida about a week after Pike's murder. Prosdocimo's testimony concerned DeStefano's murder. He said that he unwittingly became involved when Bricker and two other men approached him about setting up a drug deal with Walls. Prosdocimo said the three wanted him to buy marijuana and Quaaludes from Walls. At first, Prosdocimo said, he thought the three wanted to rob Walls of the drugs, but later it became clear they wanted to murder Walls. Prosdocimo testified he arranged to buy 500 pounds of marijuana and 100,000 Quaaludes from Walls, who would bring the drugs from Florida. Prosdocimo testified Walls was to come to Prosdocimo's home, where Bricker and Charles "Monster" Kellington would wait inside to kill Walls. But when Walls arrived at Prosdocimo's home, Prosdocimo did not have the money for the drugs and Walls refused to go inside, Prosdocimo testified. The plans quickly changed to kill Walls at a Market Square bar, where Walls said he was headed. It was there that DeStefano was gunned down.
Staff writer Bill Moushey contributed contributed to this report.
"I figure I’m gonna have to do about 6000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head. It’s like a couple of days here."
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
Re: Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
Yeah interesting that Hankish would whack someone with out approvalJCB1977 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:10 pm Stroccos, this is a great article from 1983...great understanding of the territory divide. Pike is mentioned towards the latter.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= ... 8845&hl=en
It’s a shame no photo of tripodi in the chart but a great article non the less.
"if he's such A sports wizard , whys he tending bar ?" Nicky Scarfo
Re: Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
Somebody has a picture of Tripodi...it's out there, I may try to reach one of the grandchildren or great grandchildrenStroccos wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:42 pmYeah interesting that Hankish would whack someone with out approvalJCB1977 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:10 pm Stroccos, this is a great article from 1983...great understanding of the territory divide. Pike is mentioned towards the latter.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= ... 8845&hl=en
It’s a shame no photo of tripodi in the chart but a great article non the less.
"I figure I’m gonna have to do about 6000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head. It’s like a couple of days here."
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
Re: Melvin Pike: Uniontown, PA Racketeer Killed 1978
Mannarino was cracking heads trying to find out what happened to him...but Kelly was very sick with his cancer (he died in 1980). By the mid 1980's, Hankish was bringing Mike Genovese $250k per month in Narcotics revenue alone. Plus, neither Pike or Hankish were madeStroccos wrote: ↑Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:42 pmYeah interesting that Hankish would whack someone with out approvalJCB1977 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:10 pm Stroccos, this is a great article from 1983...great understanding of the territory divide. Pike is mentioned towards the latter.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= ... 8845&hl=en
It’s a shame no photo of tripodi in the chart but a great article non the less.
What I also find iunteresting in the article is Paul Hankish's ties to Joseph "Demus" Covello of the NJ faction of the Gambino Family. Covello baptized one of Hankish's kids, I believe it was his daughter. Joey Naples was the Godfather to Chris Hankish.
"I figure I’m gonna have to do about 6000 years before I get accepted into heaven. And 6000 years is nothing in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head. It’s like a couple of days here."
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP
-Pauly Walnuts, RIP