Another great #estatesale find for my collection. This #army cover belong to #ltcolonel Thomas B. Gilchrist Jr. Besides serving in the #usarmy he was a former city, state and #federalprosecutor whose cases included mobsters, bingo profiteers, #communists and #spies died at 81 and lived in South Salem, N.Y.
Mr. Gilchrist served as the Chief Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York in 1955-57. He presented the evidence that resulted in the indictments of John Dioguardi, known as Johnny Dio, and others for their roles in the blinding of Victor Riesel, the labor columnist, with sulfuric acid.
He also won convictions of six #communistparty officials for violating the Smith Act by advocating the violent overthrow of the Government. In a Soviet spy case, a star witness was Boris Morros, a Hollywood producer and music director who worked as a double agent for the United States.
Mr. Gilchrist began fresh out of law school as an assistant to Thomas E. Dewey, the special rackets prosecutor in New York City, and continued as his assistant when Mr. Dewey became the Manhattan District Attorney. When Mr. Dewey became Governor, he appointed Mr. Gilchrist as a special assistant attorney general in 1952 and 1953 to investigate gambling and political corruption in Saratoga Springs.
That inquiry forced the closing of casinos and also resulted in the #mobster Meyer Lansky's surrendering to Mr. Gilchrist. Mr. Lansky pleaded guilty to a gambling charge and drew a 90-day sentence.
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