From The Archives - December 2013

Jake "Greasy Thumb" Guzik

Jake Guzik, aka "Greasy Thumb" and "Jack Guzik", is notoriously known as the financial wizard of the Chicago Outfit for over twenty years.  He was born in Poland in 1886, and his family emigrated to the United States in the early 20th century.  He married his wife, Rose, in 1907.  According to the 1910 Chicago census, both were living with their two children under Max Guzik's roof, the Guzik patriarch. As his assets accrued over the following years, he and his family finally moved out of the Guzik family home.  One of Guzik's first criminal endeavors was relinquishing Jack Zuta of his hold over the prostitution business in the South Side's Levee vice district with his brother, Harry.  While Harry and Jack's other brother, Sam, made a career out of the prostitution business, Jake soon after pursued gambling and the policy rackets at first in the suburbs and then in the Loop, showing his affinity with manipulating number and finances.  Guzik's affiliation with Capone and the Outfit allegedly began after he overheard and advertently thwarted a rival gang's plot to kill Capone.  Guzik was thereafter entrusted with handling much of the Outfit's finances, including serving as the bagman for any bribes the Outfit paid to city officials, hence his nickname "Greasy Thumb".  Guzik quickly developed a reputation of being "soft", and is alleged to have never carried a gun during his time with the Outfit.  In 1924, a freelance hijacker named Joe Howard took advantage of this reputation and apparently slapped and kicked Guzik around.  Once Capone was notified, he tracked Howard down at a saloon.  Capone shot and killed Howard after he proved to be uncooperative when he was confronted.  Guzik was charged and convicted of tax evasion soon after Capone's conviction, apparently having reported $225,000 of his over $1 million income.  He was sentenced to five years imprisonment.  Upon his release, he continued to serve as the Outfit's CFO under Paul Ricca and Tony Accardo.  Guzik often accompanied Accardo to meetings with the National Crime Syndicate.  Like several of his counterparts, he pled the 5th Amendment during his testimony with the Kefauver Committee.  Guzik died of a heart attack in 1956.

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