Methods of Operation
The ring consisted of small groups of chickens and bulls. The chickens were young male prostitutes who waited outside bars to be approached, or in some cases identified potential marks and seduced them. After making contact, they would accompany the mark to a hotel room and get him into a compromising position while waiting for their partners to arrive. The bulls would then burst into the room wearing full police gear, sometimes even with authentic badges, and explain the penalties for violating sodomy laws or corrupting a minor. The extortionists would then demand payment, either as a bribe or as "bail" to avoid making the arrest public. Alternatively, the chickens could merely rob their marks, keeping any money and passing the mark's personal information on to the extortionists who would then determine whether or not that person was worth further attention. Those who were would then be approached by a police impersonator, using the mark's ID as proof that he had been involved in homosexual activities, and told that they would have to pay to keep their homosexuality secret. Sometimes, rather than threatening marks, the extortionists would tell them that they had to testify in court about a prostitution ring, but that if they paid "bail money," someone else could be released to testify instead. When dealing with high-profile targets, this method was often more effective than attempting to bully them.Police Investigation
The official investigation of the extortion ring began with a few scattered reports ofRingleaders
There were three main ringleaders financing and overseeing operations across the country: John Pyne, a Chicago police department member who learned about blackmail from those he arrested. Sherman Chadwick Kaminsky and Elwood Lee Hammock were the final ringleaders and primary extortionists, responsible for the legwork and day-to-day operations. In his 50s at the time of the extortion ring, John J. Pyne worked for the Chicago Police Department as a member of their Confidential Squad, responsible for dealing with cases of blackmail and other racketeering. In the mid-1960s, Pyne was on sick leave on and off over a period of 2–3 years. During this time he was responsible for furnishing the extortionists with fake police badges, warrants, travel money, and attorneys among other things. Additionally he was responsible for finding potential high-profile targets. In short, He was the primary overseer of the operation and masterminded the extortion ring. Sherman Chadwick Kaminsky and Elwood Lee Hammock were Pyne's chief extortionists. Once caught, they revealed the full scope of the operation and helped the FBI take down Pyne. In an interview, Paul Brana, an FBI agent who worked on the case, spoke about the arrests. "Once that Kaminsky was arrested by me the second time, he became extensively cooperative. He was telling me about all of the extortions that he had committed in the United States."Robinette, Sandra, ed. "Interview of Former Special Agent of the FBI Paul J. Brana." (n.d.): n. pag. National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. 30 Mar. 2005. Web. 13 Mar. 2015. This led to Pyne receiving multiple prison sentences totaling ten years.Victims
There were thousands of victims, but a large number of these were merely targets of opportunity. Additionally, very few victims came forward on their own, and only a small number of these people were willing to sign formal complaints. Names of victims came primarily from extortionists arrested by police, and many of these victims denied it due to the fear that the extortionists would make good on their threats, either to out the victims, or to go after their families. In many cases, the victims believed that they had been targeted by actual police officers, further discouraging them from coming forward. Among those confirmed, high-profile, victims were New Jersey congressman Peter Frelinghuysen Jr., and Admiral William Church, among several other government officials, a prominent surgeon, and a famous British producer.Further reading
See also
*References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chickens and the Bulls, The Crime in the United States LGBT history in the United States 1960s in LGBT history Extortion Gay history History of gay men in the United States