Bookmaking, gambling, and a brothel outside Dayton ran by an associate of Joseph Vitale. Frank Costello dropped some of his slot machines in the area to both Costa and DeAngelo. Gus Zapas from Indianapolis had an outfit associate in there till the mid 60's. After Costa death, DeAngelo took over some of the gambling and a couple of the bookies, then Appalachin happened and things went down hill fast, with the Stepp gang becoming the most powerful gang in the area by the late 1960's. By the mid 1970's there was hardly any LCN presence with only DeAngelo top bookie Richard Skinner operating in Dayton, who would become independent after DeAngelo died in 1982, but still kicked up to Lonardo and Tronolone, just not that much anymore due to how he felt about Licavoli.
The guy you mentioned above, I am pretty sure is Ernie Stepp, Bill Stepp's brother. Ernie always took bets on basketball and was a big time bookie. Skinner only betted on football and horses, with the occacional baseball bets. Bill lasted a long time and passed away in the 2000's. I believe the Stepp brothers lasted so long was because Bill was an informant to the FBI. The other bookie left that was big as Ernie was only Skinner, there are a few others but none in the same league as those two, and Skinner may have been bigger then Ernie was.
Hello all,
I read this and being a resident of Dayton, and intimate in many of its characters, felt compelled to respond.
My best friends father was an FBI agent in Dayton in the 1970s, transferring from Stuebenville. And a good friend and classmate, was nephew to Bill Stepps roommate and partner (in crime).
There was NO, I repeat NO outside presence from any so called LCN crime families IN Dayton.
NONE. Zip. Nada.
Skinner kicked up to nobody, and only did business with 'them' if there was layoff. He was so large, that he could and did self cover. He died in the Dominican Republic, after a long career as a bookmaker, Id heard he'd tried to set up offshore legally in Costa Rica, but died prior to its fruition in his 70s. Skinner was the Largest baseball Bookie in SW Ohio-taking layoff for Ron Peters- who brought down Pete Rose. Skinner knew Pete intimately, as did Stepp, and put Rose in touch with Peters.
Im not aware of Ernie Stepp booking any bets, if he did, it was small time, most of Stepps income came from Dealing large amounts of marijuana (cultivated in SE Appalachian Ohio or Kentucky), Extortion, Fencing, Loansharking. Stepp had interests in Drag Racing and is a Hall of Famer, and also in DogFighting- His dogs Angus and ni**er were both Grand Champions in the Pit- large sums of money were wagered on these dogs.
A Younger Bill Stepp ROBBED a Mafia card game in Covington in 1968- Huge story of over $100,000. Not sure what that translates into today-Millions??
There was supposedly a hit put out on him, but Im sure they came to their senses. Bill had some of the most serious killers in America working for him- X Nam vets & mercenaries, most of whom are still in prison FOR murder, or are dead of natural causes. Wouldve been a serious war, and I surmise that an agreement and truce was made.
Talk of Bill working with Feds is silly- NO One went to prison because of Bill. The FEDs wanted him badly and tried multiple times, witness intimidation, Great lawyer work from John Ryan, and Bill having info/photos to compromise law officials, made him untouchable. He did all of 6 mo in Prison his entire life with close to 60+ arrests and indictments.
Bill Stepp & Drag car-Bill on Left
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/e3/0d/21e30d10dcce4db629aee4b66ad7f076.jpghttps://i.pinimg.com/736x/6b/a7/9e/6ba79ef6788ff7771bf105255da17954.jpgBill famous Pit bull- not sure if Angus or ni**er
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mioGHdwG.../jepXWWVU3PY/s400/1steps_gr_ch_angus.jpgWilliam Elias 'Bill' Stepp HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — New York had its "Teflon Don" and Dayton had its well-seasoned, fiery figure of similar infamy.
William Elias "Bill" Stepp was the most famous mobster, gangster and notorious hoodlum the Miami Valley has known.
He died Nov. 27 of natural causes at his Harrison Twp. home, according to the Montgomery County Coroner's Office. Stepp was 73.
"Bill's major call to fame is that he probably lived the most charmed life of any mobster in the history of the United States," said Wes Hills, a former Dayton Daily News staff writer who covered organized crime in the Miami Valley for about 20 years.
"He succeeded in avoiding prison for his entire adult life while being the most powerful gangster in the region," Hills said Thursday, Dec. 11.
Stepp, the son of an Appalachian lay minister in Highland County, had several siblings, including younger brother Ernest Emoliver Stepp — a member of his gang.
"As a very young boy, his father used to take
Bill down to the Cincinnati riverfront docks and bet on him in fights against older adults," Hills said. "Bill was a very, very physically strong man.... He was an outstanding street fighter."Stepp was also smart.
"Bill ... had a very special knack to ingratiate himself," Hills said. "He was a very polite person and very gracious and well spoken. He knew how to size up people and how to get close to them."
His legend was so enormous that he didn't always have to do much to impress. Many believed he was in the Mafia, Hills said.
"Stepp wasn't La Cosa Nostra — he was Appalachian. He wasn't with a large national organization at all. He was just tough as an individual. He knew his way around — drove a black Mercedes-Benz. He looked the part."
Hills, who lives in Michigan, said, "Bill was a pretty remarkable guy. Just showing how long he survived, that he died of natural causes outside of prison, demonstrates how smart he was."
In his later days, Stepp joined his wife in her Catholic faith. No relatives could be reached for comment.
Baker-Hazel-Snider Funeral Home confirmed that Stepp was cremated.:
Stepps robbery in Covington of the Jewish and Italian Mafia Card game in 1968 netted him over $100,000. Story here
https://newspaperarchive.com/daisy-hatfield-crime-clipping-dec-26-1969-485164/
