Valachi and the Senate

For two weeks the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations received instructions in the organization of American crime from an experienced crook, Joseph Valachi. The Senators' desire to expand the horizons of their knowledge cannot be criticized; the use of the Senate as a forum for Valachi can. Neither the informational nor the legislative functions of Congressional committees justifies Valachi's appearance.

Admittedly Valachi has provided new evidence on crimes in which he was involved, but this information is relevant to the activities of law enforcement agencies, not the United States Senate. His testimony on the important problems problem of organized crime, supposedly the subject of the inquiry, consisted of gossip, some obvious misinformation, and a rehash of what was already known.

From the start Valachi's reliability as a witness was questionable. His notoriously bad memory required intensive drilling by Justice Department representatives, and in spite of his preparation he was able to make mistakes. For example, when he said that Robert Doyle of Stamford, Connecticut, was a member of the Cosa Nostra, one Robert Doyle of Stamford, a respectable businessman, received threatening telephone calls. The Robert Doyle Valachi referred to really lived in Hartford.

Ostensibly, Valachi testified to convince the Senate of the need for stronger laws against organized crime. He appeared before the committee as Attorney General Robert Kennedy's chief witness for two proposals, allowing a relaxation of strict wiretapping regulations and giving him the authority to grant immunity to informers. Both of these measures have been scarcely mentioned, and many Senators concede that Valachi has provided few substantive arguments for their approval.

Valachi's testimony was little more than entertainment. His stories about "The Clutching Hand," "Three Finger Brown," and "Cheech" captured a large national audience and provided publicity for the committee's members, particularly its chairman, Senator John McClellan, who faces a tough reelection campaign. But they did not provide the Senators with any new information on or new insights into the nature of organized crime in the United States.

If the Senators want to learn about American crime, they should do so, but they should not corrupt the Senate's legitimate powers of investigation, as they have done with Valachi performance.