Joe Massei was born 2-6-1899 to an Italian immigrant father "Daniel," and an Irish born mother "Margaret Daisey." The Massei family consisted of young Joseph and his sister Angeline who would later marry Nicholas Consentino whose nephew Danny was listed as one of the partners section leaders during the Valachi hearings. During a career that spanned 5 decades, Joe would rise from a soldier whose deeds earned him the dubious distinction of Detroit's public enemy #1 in 1930,to the pinacle of the national gambling fraternaty counting Myer Lansky, Big Al Polizzi, Joe Sonken and many many others as his partners or associates. Joe Massei passed away peacefully in May of 1971 at the age of 72. Joe was survived only by his wife Vera "Hoel," the couple never had any children.
The rise to Prominence
Joe began his underworld career as a gunman aligned with the local syndicate headed by the Gianolla brothers. Joe picked up his first official entry into the police blotter on May 24, 1920 when at the age of 21 he was charged with 1 count of robbery armed. This initial case was discharged the following day but would be followed 13 months later by a second arrest for the same offense. Massie up the stakes when he was picked up on August 31, 1925 for investigation of murder. The Wyandotte resident would go on to join the transplanted Licavoli brothers liquor running and highjacking gang where he would rise to the heights of infamy during the late '20s and early '30s.
The Licavoli Gangster
Joe's reputation as a quality gunman as well as his familiarity with the downriver area made him a valuable addition to the Licavoli gang who's criminal activities included smuggling liquor, narcotics and firearms across the Detroit River from Windsor, Ontario Canada into the city of Detroit where it was distributed by other members of the Pascuzzi Combine which was headed by the beloved and respected Salvatore "Sam" Catalanotte. By 1930 Joe Massie was listed along with Eastside gangster Angelo Meli as the two most wanted criminals in the motor city, a ranking Joe earned with his his involvement in a vast array of crimes ranging from robbery armed to bribery to murder. Massei's implication in 3 high profile murders coupled with a swift dismissal of the charges served notice that the 5'4" 175 lb man from Wynadotte known as Joe the bum was not to be taken lightly when appeared on the scene.
Public Enemy #1
Joe began as a petty crook during the outset of prohibtion picking up arrests for armed robbery in May of 1920 and August of 1921. Both of these charges were dismissed probably at the urging of Joe's criminal sponsor within the Gianolla gang which ran the area in which the up and coming hood made the rounds. For the next 4 years, Joe the Bum managed to skirt the boundrys of the law untill he was picked up in connection with a liqour related killing on August 31, 1925. This marked an important time in the life and career of Joe Massie as he had become a key man in the smuggling operations of the Licavoli gang, a transplanted gang of hoods from the city of St.Louis led by Thomas "Yonnie" Licavoli and his older brother Pete who was still spending a good deal of his time back in Missouri. Following his collaboration with the Licavolis, Joe the Bum became a recognized figure in downriver liquor circles running some of the largest stills and most successful blind pigs in the downriver communities. The success of the Licavoli operation depended a great deal on the cooperation of local officials a fact they took note of and spent a good deal of time and money assuring every important policeman, coast guard captain and federal liquor official received a little something for his help. Joe and Pete Licavoli were indicted in 1928 on charges of bribing customs inspectors in order to assure their flow of good imported liquor flowed uninterrupted to their customers. In a show of political clout this indictment stood with the charges unresolved for 4 years before being settled with a guilty plea entered in federal court in 1932 settled the case with a mere $1,200 dollar fine. Massie's infamy grew with the July 23, 1930 murder of crusading radio journalist Gerald Buckley in the lobby of the LaSalle Hotel during the early mourning hours. Joe by virtue of his close association and friendship with Pete Licavoi became a prime suspect and promptly disappeared from his usual haunts. Joe remained out of touch untill lesser ranking members of the Licavoli operation had been tried and released in connection with the murder. By all accounts Joe's lamb time consisted of making his regular rounds conducting business as if nothing had occurred leading to wispers of his power and standing within the underworld. Inspite of his good fortune, Joe Massie was wearing out his welcome in the Detroit area and his link to the murders of Milford Jones and Gerald James Hayes only served to hasten his departure. The Jones murder which made front page news, was shot to death as he stood bar side at the Stork Club in Detroit on June 15, 1932. Jones was a well known St.Louis gunman who had fought long and hard against the Licavoli brothers before their relocation to the motor city some 8 years prior. Jones whose accuracy with a pistol was feared throughout the underworld, had sought to muscle his way in on some of the gambing operations being set up by the newly reorganized Italian syndicate. Jones attempts were rebuffed personally by Pete Licavoli who in the company of Joe Massie, Scarface Joe Bommarito and others fired several shots into the encroaching gangster inspite of a room full of witnesses. Unfazed by the impending indictment on murder charges the wanted duo of Massie and Licavoli hid out in Toledo untill they were arrested and promptly returned to Detroit where to the disappointment of prosecutors and honest citizens, all charges were dropped due to the disappearance of key witnesses. 7 months after the dismissal of the murder indictment, authorities scored a small victory over Joe when he was found guilty of contempt of court on September 8, 1933. These charges spawned from a grand jury investigation of the Wayne County Sheriff's Department which reportedly looked the other way while Pete Licavoli and Joe Massie threw lavish liquor parties for fellow inmates while they were ensconsed their previously. Judge W. McKay Skillman sentenced Massie to serve 60 days in the Wayne County Jail. All of the attention paid to old Joe from his requent run-ins with the law made him one of the most suspected men in the motor city. Anytime a crime was committed in which the suspect got away, the mention of the name Joe Massie usually preceeded the announcement of wanted for questioning. During the turbulent times which saw the Licavoli gang spend a good deal of it's time ducking indictments, arrest warrants and hostile gangsters, they still managed to shift their focus from the smuggling activities associated with the Pascuzzi combine to gambling after the repeal of prohibition. Joe played a huge part in this transition, overseeing the investment and placement of funds with the right individuals to ensure "much as they had done with the inspectors, liquor agents, coast gaurd personnel and others during prohibiton," the safe operation of the gambling hot spots which sprung up seemingly overnight in Detroit. The Licavoli's influence having been expanded over the years to areas beyond the border of Michigan came into contact with "and sometimes partnered up with," men like the Fretti brothers "Joe and Ben," Neufio "Tony Paul" Scotti and Gerald "Jimmy" Hayes all established gamblers from Toledo Ohio. In most cases these relationships had been established when Yonnie Licavoli left Detroit after the Buckley murder and cut himself in for a piece of the Toledo rackets pie. Yonnie's sales pitch consisted of inviting the local operators to cut him in as a 50% partner on the pains of physical harm or death should they choose to decline his generous offer of protection. After the elimination of more than a few descentors, most of the leading operators fell in line but not Jimmy Hayes. Hayes held out for a time but caved when the Licavoli threats became reality for a few of Jimmy's employees. The hard feelings made during this period were never completely smoothed over as Jimmy sought his revenge once Yonnie and most of his local enforcers looked to be going away for killing local hero and racketeering chief Jackie Kennedy in 1934. Hayes suspected he could secretly betray the underworld code of silence testifying against the invading Army's general removing him so Hayes could realize and enjoy the full benefit of his gambling operations which consisted of several rug joints and a plush casino in Michigan. Unfortunately for Hayes, the Licavoli's found out about his plans and on the night of October 15 1934 they made their move. Joe Massie and several other gambling figures met Hayes in Detroit where he had travelled with a group of aides to watch game one of the World Series. Following the completion of the game Hayes met with Detroit gambler Dutch Winebrenner and was later seen in the company of Joe and Vera Massie, Joseph Bommarito and Charles Bracco at the Club Maxine. Massie was later seen leaving the club in the company of his wife but not Hayes whose badly beaten body was discovered the next mourning in an alley off of 2nd blvd and Cass avenue. The condition of the body as well as the contents of his pockets "$151.35 and two pairs of dice," led authorities early on to discount robbery as a motive. Massie having been seen publicly with the deceased was picked up almost immediately but one more time had charges dismissed two days later due to insuficient evidence.
From Detroit to Miami
The criminal ledger on Joe Massie contains few entries from the city of Detroit following the murder of Jimmy Hayes indicatiing he took the oppurtunity to shift his base of operations to an area in which his name wouldn't invoke thoughts of murder and mayhem. This area turned out to be the then burgeoning paradise of southern Florida. Backed by the power and influence of the Detroit partners, Joe was the first associate member to set up shop in the sunshine state on a major scale. Joe Massie's presence in Miami during the mid '30s is confirmed by local records showing that on March 3, 1936 Joseph Massei alias Joe Massa, Joe Massie and Joe Masse registered as a convicted felon. Massei would go onto join transplanted Cleveland racketeers "and good friends of Pete Licavoli," Al Polizzi and John "Johnny King" Angersola in several business ventures and gambling spots in and around Broward county. Inspite of his importance in gambling circles "Joe was viewed by many to be one of the top ten gambling figures in the country during the '40s, '50s and '60s," Joe was still a bum as far as the local authorities were concerned picking up as a vagrant on at least two occasions between 1937 and '40. In addition to his gambling rackets, Joe formed several legitimate business covers including Miami Provision Company "in partnership with Pete Corrado, Joseph and Abe Miller," Willie's Little Club in Miami Beach in addition to obtaining a piece of several Lansky ventures along a stretch of land which is now known as south beach. These poperties "the Grand Hotel, the Sands Motel," turned out to be financial gold mines for all involved.
Maintaing ties back home
With his status as one of the top gambing figures in the underworld, the stinch attached to the name of Joseph Massie slowly dulled with time. Joe inspite of his physical absence from Detroit, continued to hold pieces of companies like the Tellman Casting Co., and the Century Bar and Equipment Company. These provided with his Florida holdings the financial camoflouge needed to hide the income derived from the Club Devon and Club Elmwood in Toledo Ohio. Joe's Michigan interest were watched over by another longtime Licavoli gangster Pete Corrado who's reputation for violence was one of the few to exceed that of Joe the bums from back in the '20s. Through partnerships with powerful figures like Pete Licavoli, Black Bill Tocco, Angelo Meli and Al Polizzi, Massei gained enough influence and respect to hold onto his portion of the pie back home being run on a day to day basis by up and comers like Michael Rubino a former bodyguard of deceased LeMare aide Joe Marino.
Final Word on Joe Massei
During a career which took him from the streets of Wyandotte to the Beaches of southern Florida and the oppulent suites of Las Vegas, Joe Massei seemed to skate effortlessly just beyond the reach of authorities who never ceased in their efforts to put him away. The fruits of his labor were an expensive home in an exclusive area of Miami and a huge yacht moored in the Atlantic Ocean. Joe spent his last days relaxing outside of a Miami Beach barbershop infrequently returning to the scene of his turbulent youth in Michigan.
