Capone
Despite the fact that the only new testimony was shaky at
best, the jury took less than four hours to decide their guilt and six hours to
decide the penalty. Half the jurors wanted to impose the death penalty and half
wanted life in prison. Ultimately Roger was sentenced to ninety-nine years in
Joliet State Prison.
When the verdict was read, Roger gagged, coughed
violently, vomited, and had to be carried out by deputies while the courtroom
exploded in cheers.
In a separate trial, Isaac Costner and Basil
Banghart were also found guilty for their role in the Factor kidnapping and
given ninety-nine years each. Costner screamed double-cross and said that the
federal government promised to let him off with five years if he testified
against the Touhys in the Factor case. The government denied any such promise,
saying that they had no interest in making deals for the Cook County States
Attorney's Office. The day Roger Touhy went to prison, the syndicate, led by
Rocco DeGrazio, moved into his section of Cook County and never moved out
again.
Now that Roger and the others were convicted,
John Factor had a problem; he was going to be extradited, or so he thought.
But the U.S. Department of State made no moves
to extradite him and Factor was free. He had beaten deportation. However, the
conviction against him by the English courts was ordered to remain in effect
until he was tried before a Royal Bench in England and that day would come
sooner than he or anyone else realized.