Sonny Liston was originally "controlled" by John Vitale from St. Louis. Vitale had a piece of Liston's earnings after he gave him over to Carbo and Palermo.

Nick Tosches wrote an excellent bio of Liston, which includes portions of Vitale and and Liston testimony in front of the Senate:

https://books.google.com/books?id=9oQBNB...ton&f=false


Best way to catch the smart ones? Get an idiot working for them.