The Time Albert Anastasia Had Arnold Schuster Whacked For Snitching On Willie Sutton!!

Willie Sutton, is infamous for a ton of reasons.  The guy was a prolific bank robber, who amassed a $2 million dollar fortune over a 40 year career  robbing banks, and everything in between.  He would spend half his adult life in and out of prison, and even escaped prison three times.   Sutton, by all accounts was a "gentle Irish guy, " who just excelled at hitting banks and getting away with it.  Organized crime guys adored him, and loved hearing his stories over the years.

He'd call Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel and Meyer Lansky friends. Many who knew Sutton personally would claim that Sutton's ability to get away with high scale, highly hard robberies truly made John Dillinger and Jesse James look like chumps.  Sutton didn't over state his plans.  The easier the better for Sutton.  He would use disguises, and never hit bank with any intention of hurting anyone.  He would carry guns, mostly a Thompson Sub Machine gun, or a small 38.  He wouldn't even carry in a loaded weapon into a bank because as he said "I didn't want to hurt anyone."  He would avoid banks with women and children inside.  He had a standard.

He'd be captured in June of 1931, charged with assault and  robbery, and would be sentenced to 30 years, but he wouldn't stick around.  He would steal a gun, hold a prison guard hostage, and in June of 1932, would scale the 30 foot wall using a 45 foot ladder. 

In February 15, 1933 he would attempt to rob The Corn Exchange Bank and Trust in Philadelphia, Pa. He would dress at a postal worker and entered the bank.  The problem was someone saw him, and kept looking at him so he stopped and left.   He would hit the same bank in January of 1934 with a crew via a skylight.   He would get arrested for that crime on a tip off from one of the crew and would be sentenced to 30-50 years, but it wouldn't last as Sutton would escape that prison with 12 other inmates through an underground tunnel.  Sutton would be recaptured that day and sent back to prison. They allegedly were spotted by police leaving the prison through a field.

Sutton would be transferred to Philadelphia county prison, and once again, would get himself out by posing a prison guard with some other inmates, used a tall ladder and got over the wall, even with a spotlight on him.   Sutton would go on the run, and would become at the top of the F.B.I. most wanted list.

Sutton would be riding a bus in February of 1953.  On that bus was a fellow by the name of Arnold Schuster.   Schuster would recognize Sutton.  He would get off on the next stop, found a police officer, and told him that Sutton was on the bus.  The next stop, Sutton would be surrounded by cops and would be arrested.   The press would pick up on the story, and at first didn't mention Schuster as the snitch in the case.   Schuster was upset he didn't get recognition, and so he made the mistake of calling the press.  As a result, they would add his name to the list of those who allegedly helped, and Schuster would do the tv interview thing.   The problem was, Albert Anastasia saw the interview and was pissed.  He demanded that Schuster be killed immediately for ratting out not just their friend, but anyone who ratted on anyone should be killed.

Anastasia realized that Schuster likely would have been protected by the police, and through his sources in the police department, made some payoffs, in order to get it done.  Payoffs would be made and on March 8, 1952, as Schuster was leaving his home heading to the train station would be shot twice at point blank range in the crotch, and one shot in each eye.   Fred Tenuto, a longtime associate of Sutton would be seen near the crime scene, which would lead the police to suspect him, but Sutton by nature was not violent, so the police would let that go, and form a list of 300 suspects.  The police would never arrest anyone for the crime, and that murder remains unsolved.

Christmas eve of 1969 Sutton, who was in poor health would be released from Attica, likely on what we now call a compassionate release.  Sutton would move to Florida, where he would die in 1980 at age 79.