The investigation into the murder of Jerry Buckley in the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel in the early mourning hours of July 21st 1930 unocovered a great many secrets. One of the most important was the connection of Miss Margaret Mancello and Pete Licavoli. Miss Mancello was a former burlesque dancer and cabaret entertainer who had landed a job singing on air at WMBC, the same station which carried Buckley's nigthly talk show. Mansell came to Detroit from St. Louis sometime earlier along with her longtime paramour Pete Licavoli.
Mansell "real name Mancello," met Pete while working in a St.Louis cabaret in which the Licavoli's, Cammarata's and Morceri's often frequented. Upon arriving in Detroit, Mansell found work at WMBC earning a small salary but gaining a loyal following of listeners who proclaimed here a find. Mansell lived in a luxuriously furnished apartment costing a tidy $400 a month provided courtesy of the infamous Pete Licaovli. Mansell became a suspect in the case when it was learned that Buckley had taken a call over WMBC's direct line from a Mary "which was originally thought to have been his sister but the statement of "Oh, I thought you were my sister," attributed to Buckley by WMBC's manager W. Wright Gedge cleared that point up.
Wright Gedge stated that Buckley ended the call with the proclamation "yes...yes...I'll be here. Yes...I'll see you in about an hour." This put a dragnet out by the investigating officers for the mystery woman who placed the call to Buckley just hours before his death. The investigation eventually closed in on Miss Mansell after a tip was received that Buckley had double crossed the Licavoli brothers in a legal matter involving Yonnie and Frank Cammarata. Detectives secured a warrant to search the premises of Pete's Grosse Pointe home but found nothing more than 2 Luger pistols neither of which had been used in a crime.
Disappointed with finding nothing, the investigation was renewed after a tip that Pete maintained a second residence in an apartment on East Grand Blvd. When a raid was conducted on the property several days later, officers found Margie Mansell the popular radio voice living in grand style amoung a library of crime stories from books to dime store novels and interestingly enough, a scrap book filled with stories on the Buckley murder. The search turned up no evidence of the murder but did produce a coded diary which contained the telephone numbers of important police contacts, gamblers, lawyers, bails bondsmen and liquor contacts. Officers also found a bank book in the name of Egbert Hoffmann which showed daily deposits in excess of $1,000.
Hoffman was the sire of a wealthy family who was drawn to the underworld much in the way Jerry Buckley had been. Upon completing their raid, officers found a small coupe parked near the Mansell Licavoli love nest with plates issued to another Licavoli owned vehicle attached to it. When questioned about the presence of the vehicle, Mansell swore that she had taken the car without Pete's knowledge or permission. When taken to the office of prosecuting attorney James E. Chenot, Mansell denied knowing where Licavoli was but did admit to the prolonged affair.
When questioned about presence of the articles pertaining to Buckley Margie calmly stated, "Sure I knew Jerry, that's why I kept the stories and pictures on him." Chenot continued his questioning pressing to find out if there was any connection between Pete and Buckley, Margie anserwed "I never saw them together but once, a couple of months back in Luigi's Buckley came over to our table and sat with us untill we left. He and Pete seemed friendly." Margie Mansell was held for 5 days in jail on $20,000 bond before being set free by Judge Henry S. Sweeny.
The aforementioned Gedge was indignant at the detention of Mansell and staunchly defended Mansell stating "I am willing to swear to Miss Mansell's innocence." Margie Mansell was dismissed from the case and quietly slipped into anonimity following the clarification of the bank book and deposits in the name of Hoffman, who appeared and gave statements before heading off to France untill the completion of the Buckley investigation.
