John Anthony Niel (1917 - abt. 1967)

Born 11 Apr 1917 in Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana, United States

Ancestors

Died about Nov 1967 at about age 50 in Lake Charles, Calcasieu, Louisiana, United States

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Biography

In the 1920 federal census of Police Jury Ward 3, Lake Charles City, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, taken 9 January, Anthony Niel, 26 (b. 1894), heads a household at 1631 Madison with his wife, Sophia, 25 (b. 1895), and children John A., 2 (b. 1918), and Paul A., 1 (b. 1919), and brother, Albert, 28 (b. 1892), single. All were born in LA. Anthony, his brother Albert, and wife Sophia have Italian parents. Anthony is a barber working for the city. Albert is a barber in a barber shop.^[1]

In the 1930 federal census of Police Jury Ward 3, Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish, LA, taken 9 April, Anthony Niel, 37 (b. 1893), heads a household at 1305 Kirkman. He owns his home, worth $500. Anthony is a naturalized citizen, despite his birth in Louisiana: his parents were both born in Italy. He and his wife, Sophie, 35 (b. 1895), married when he was 23 and she was 21 (c. 1916). She is also born in LA of Italian parents. Also at home are their children John A., 13 (b. 1917), Paul A., 11 (b. 1919), M. Concetta, 9 (b. 1921), Vincent M., 3 yrs 7 mo. (b. Oct 1926), Angelina V, 1 yr 10 mo, (b. Jun 1928), and mother in law, Maria Concetta Jennero, 77 (b. 1853), a widow, born in Italy. Anthony is a barber working in a barber shop. Maria Concetta, his MIL, is also naturalized but the year of her immigration has been recorded as 1980.^[2]

In the 1940 federal census of Lake Charles, LA, taken 6 May, John Niel, 23 (b. 1917), heads a household at 924 Lawrence St. He owns his home, worth $3,000. His wife, Sarah, is 21 (b. 1919), and their son John Jr. is two months old (b. March 1940). All were born in Louisiana. John is a laborer in a night club.^[3]

In the case of Johnson v. Commissioner (1965), describes the working history of Marion “Buster” Johnson. He and his wife, Maybell Johnson, brought the suit. It concerns his earnings from working in a gambling casino 1948-51 in Calcasieu Parish, LA, about a mile from the TX border. Buster and his wife live in Orange, TX. Buster was sentenced for tax related crimes.

“At an undisclosed time between the completion of the jail sentence imposed on him in May 1952 and on or about May 20, 1956, in a pool hall in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the petitioner remarked to John Anthony Niel that Sheriff Reid put him (petitioner) in jail although petitioner had given him (Reid) money during the operation of petitioner's club over a period of years following World War II. At that time Niel had known petitioner for more than 20 years. During the entire 1940's Niel made his living in the gambling business. In 1940 and again in 1956, Niel was arrested and convicted of gambling.”

He went on to say more about his payouts to both John Anthony and Anthony Niel, so they are 2 different people. John Anthony Niel made a recording of the latter conversation, intending to use it to “get” Sheriff Reid by presenting it as evidence to the feds, or showing it to him (as for blackmail). First Niel tried to get Buster to testify against Reid: he played him the tape but he wouldn’t budge so then Niel played it for Reid, who had closed some of Niel’s gambling establishments. The IRS got it after finding out it existed and sending a summons. Buster was indicted for perjury after that, on 11 March 1958. Found guilty, sentenced t o 2 yrs. Affirmed upon appeal.

“Consequently in a spirit of "getting Reid" and out of a willingness to exploit the petitioner therefore, Niel traveled from Lake Charles, Louisiana, to Orange, Texas. There he, his father, and two others engaged petitioner in a conversation which was designed to and, by the questions then asked and remarks made, was calculated to include petitioner to demonstrate impulsively his embittered attitude toward Reid who had caught him in the conduct of gambling operations in his (petitioner's) club, arrested him for gambling, and caused him to serve 30 days in jail therefor.” Once again, he recorded the conversation secretly.^[4]

John Niel, born 11 April 1917, died in November 1967 at age 50.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRFH-56N?cc=1488411&wc=QZJT-V72%3A1036471301%2C1036824501%2C1036844001%2C1589332424 : 11 September 2019), Louisiana > Calcasieu > Lake Charles Ward 4 > ED 45 > image 8 of 38; citing NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R4N-CDP?cc=1810731&wc=QZFS-9DX%3A648806801%2C650597901%2C650602201%2C1589282329 : 10 December 2015), Louisiana > Calcasieu > Lake Charles > ED 11 > image 4 of 30; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89MR-P9DD?cc=2000219&wc=QZXP-WG9%3A790102701%2C797358301%2C797370901%2C952355501 : accessed 15 January 2020), Louisiana > Calcasieu > Police Jury Ward 3, Lake Charles > 10-7 Police Jury Ward 3, Lake Charles City bounded by (N) Southern Pacific Railroad; (E) Franklin; (S) Broad; (W) Kirkman; also Convent of Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indian and Colored People > image 18 of 82; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
4. ↑ https://www.leagle.com/decision/1965153524jptcm151111260?fbclid=IwAR2lbQCCK_u2itePdolVi2xeXnlowtJ2B5DoJFHTGJ4iVy4Pg3QFzJwq4zE
5. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5SK-MZC : 20 May 2014), John Niel, Nov 1967; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).