Bioff and Browne were subsequently invited to join the organization. The film business suited their needs perfectly. With the end of Prohibition in 1933 causing a severe dent in their cash flow, the Syndicate needed to come up with some creative ways to keep their empire afloat. It was during this drunken outing they had the misfortune of running into a gentleman by the name of Nick Circella, a member of Frank Nitti’s gang, who, along with Al Capone, controlled much of the Chicago mob during the Prohibition years. In the early 1930s, after hitting up a local theater chain for $20,000 in exchange for labor peace, Bioff and Browne went to a local club to celebrate their coup. His assistant and right-hand man was one William “Willie” Bioff, who had an illustrious career as a small-time criminal, running prostitution and minor protection rackets in Chicago’s Levee district. Browne began his show business career in Chicago, having been elected in 1932 as the head of Stagehands Local 2. With membership dwindling and the possible extinction of the West Coast locals looming large, the International played the only card they had left-bring in the boys from Chicago.
IBEW Local 40 continued to be a thorn in the side of 695, and they had lost a significant number of members to IBEW as a result. Still reeling from the effects of the strike actions of 1933, Local 695 (and the IATSE West Coast locals in general) continued in their quest to negotiate a contract with producers. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and should not be construed as representative of the IATSE. While much ink has been spilled pertaining to charges of influence peddling during this period, I have tried to steer clear of any conjecture. In the end, the studios would be the ultimate winners, but there was no shortage of embarrassing moments for both sides. With much at stake for both workers and producers alike, a fierce (and bloody) battle ensued for the control of craft unions engaged in film production. With the economy still reeling from the effects of the 1929 stock market crash, and unemployment in the double digits, Hollywood was not exempt from the crisis that gripped the rest of the nation.
For those who toiled behind the scenes at the various studios during the mid-to-late 1930s, times were tumultuous. This piece is a continuation of the article from the winter 2011 issue of the 695 Quarterly, which examined the early beginnings of Local 695.
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