The Raleigh Register from Beckley, West Virginia • Page 3

Biography Gefs If AH In By VICTOR WILSON (C) Newhouse News Service WASHINGTON The thing generally overlooked about Francisco Castiglia, better known as Frank Costello, or America's "Prime Minister" of crime, was that violence was usually his last not first A New York Mafiosi Don, he sent a dozen, a hundred or thousands of men to death via gun, knife, bootleg whiskey or heroin. Costello named and fixed councilmen, judges, mayors and federal officials, and he scorned all law but the Mafia law of Omerta silence to the law. His voice was like a file--medical radiation burns paralyzed his left vocal cord and his I.Q. was only 97, though Costello's brain helped weave a crime syndicate pattern which still holds chunks of this country in thrall. Typical of Costello's tactics is a story in Leonard Katz' "Uncle Frank" (Drake Costello was visiting Central Park Zoo one day when a chimpanzee spit in his face.

With his pull, Costello easily could have had the animal destroyed. Instead, with frequent visits, he made it a friend; "That chimp's got real intelligence because it showed discrimination," he told cronies slyly. It was Costello's way of saying: "If you can't lick 'em, convert 'em." It was the way he got to be the Mafia's prune minister. It also was a tactic which won him a secure place in American crimelore, a lifespan of 82 years, consecreated grave and a biography. The biography rates a "well done" for author Katz, expert in residence on gambling and underworld affairs for "The New York Post" for 22 years.

He gets it all in: Birth (1891) in poverty in the boot of Italy; brought to America at four; a few years in school then the real education in the ghetto streets; the slow climb from petty crime to the big time; the grit, gore and bloodshed leading to the top. But Katz always keeps his eye on the man. His childless but lifetime marriage in 1914 to Loretta (Bobby) Geigerman, who survives; his mistress of 30 years, Thelma "a distreet relationship in the French manner;" taking the Lindbergh reached him through name "Costello" because, being Irish, it symbolized what he saw as class: the Irish politicians. Costello had a fund of stories only his friends heard, like the one about Former President Harry Truman, who had rented a place for a while at Sands Point, Long Island, near Costello's state. Both were early morning walkers, met and talked a bit.

One morning, for some reason, the FBI placed a watch on Costello. He spotted the tails as he stepped from his home. Naturally, a approached at that moment. "Keep your mouth shut, you dumb bastard," Costello quotes himself as telling the President. "They're watching us.

Don't louse us both up. So he smiles, and keeps walking, and I smile, and keep walking." Or the time he ran into J. Edgar Hoover in the Waldorf- Astoria Hotel, and the FBI chief, he said, invited him to have a cup of coffee. Costello declined, explaining: "I got to be careful of my associates. They'll accuse me of consorting with questionable characters." And the time Charles A.

intermediaries, hoping to learn if an underworld character had kidnaped his first son, Costello told friends he used every contact he had, was convinced no wofessional criminal a nvolved, and advised against paying a ransom. Writes Katz: 'His advice wasn't taken, and the ransom was paid." But the aby was found dead. Costello used to chuckle about low he supposedly changed Mae West from a brassy blonde going nowhere to a top sex symbol. He arranged through riends, he used to say, to have Mae's show, called "Sex," raided by the cops. "The judge "ound her guilty, and she hap- )ily spent eight days in jail," Katz quotes Costello, "which resulted in tons' of free mblicity.

She emerged from ler cell a superstar." Britannica Takes On Brand New Look By ISRAEL SHENKER (C) N. Y. Times News Service NEW YORK--The Encyclo- paedia Britannica is abandoning its current design and coming out in a radically new form--its first major innovation is more than 200 years of publication. Plans for the new version of the American-based encyclopedia have been in progress for No Ceremony, Little Fanfare STONEWALL, Tex. (UPI) -Lady Bird Johnson plans to visit the grave of her husband Tuesday, but there will be no ceremony and very little fanfare in South Texas on the first anniversary of the death of former President Lyndon B.

Johnson. Johnson's neighbors in the Texas Hill Country along with the Pedernales River will visit the pink granite gravestone set in place last Thursday. The stone, simply inscribed with the important dates of Johnson's life, was made from rock mined in the Fredericksburg, quarry which produced the stones for his father, mother and grandparents. "Mrs. Johnson plans to spend the day very quietly with the Nugents, Luci and Pat, and the children," an aide said.

"I think the whole week is going to be very quiet for her." A group of Johnson's friends Tuesday will launch a $2 million fund raising drive in Washington to finance what will be called a living memorial to Johnson, a grove of trees in Lady Bird Johnson State Park. about 25 years, and active work has been under way under tight security for at least a dozen years. In its forthcoming form--the first complete sets are due Feb. 22, with the official publication date in mid-March--the encyclopedia will be a three-part work. The first volume, Propaedia, will be introductory, setting forth a classification of all knowledge into 10 parts, each with a long essay.

The Propaedia presents what Mortimer J. Adler, director of planning for the Britannica, calls "the circle of knowledge." He suggests that a reader may enter or leave at any point. Next comes Micropaedia, a 10-volume ready-reference dictionary of 10,300 pages, lavishly illustrated in color. Finally, there is Macropaedia, 19 volumes of substantive essays ranging the world of learning, with articles from 750 to 250,000 words each. Twelve articles are book length, The encyclopedia, conceived in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1768, was first printed there in three volumes, completed in 1771.

The Encyclopaedia Brittanica Company was purchased by Sears, Roebuck and Co. in 1920, but the reference work has been published in this country, officially, since 1910. The encyclopedia has not had a new edition since the 14th, in 1929. Since then, volumes have been revised, but without any numerical identification as to edition. The Brittanica also published an annual yearbook.

Industry sources suggested that the Brittanica's sales have been declining in the United States while rising abroad, and would be reason enough to introduce a new edition. But credit for the new scheme also jelongs to Adler, who acknowledged today that he deserved credit for the new edition's paternity, and to Robert M. Hutchins, chairman of the board of editors, who to talk about integrating knowledge. ''If you take the current Britannica as a standard, what it does is fragment the world of learning," Hutchins said. "Up to now the encyclopedia had been compiled rather than edited.

The index enabled you to hunt but often not to Topical organization has been a dream of encyclopedists for centuries. Denis Diderot's great French Encylopedie began with topical organization, became alphabetical as entries and difficultues multiplied. "My impression of the new Brittanica is that it's an attempt to solve the insoluble problem," said Prof. Arthur Wilson, author of the classic Diderot Biography. "If you have it alphabetical, it's hig- gledy-piggledy but easy to refer to.

If you get a sub-series oJ encyclopedias, each arranged in alphabetical principles, it's more logical but harder to use. In the new encyclopedia, the writing is more accessible. One expert suggested that the leve was college freshman, and another thought sophomore or junior was more like it. Britannica officials plan to announce the new edition here Monday, and the retail price is expected to be $550, com pared with $498 for the current edition. A New York bookseller said he expected to offer sets for about $350.

Dot eb. 7, 1973, in his plush Central Park area apartment; died in a hospital 11 days ater. His wife took it calmly, Catz relates, but determined here wouldn't be any Chicago loodlum-style send-off. So she invited friends to stay away, and to pass up any floral tributes. Less than 50 attended the wake, and even fewer followed maroon-colored hearse to a Catholic cemetery, where a riest delivered a short prayer, humiliation came after Costello was in the ground.

One of his cousins, whom his wife either didn't know or didn't recognize, approached. As she ieanied forward for expected words of condolence, the cousin asked: "What are you going to do with Frank's clothes?" Bond Forfeifures Court Beckley man was found of permitting his dog to run loose in Thursday's session of Beckley Municipal Court. Frank Serge of Orchard Avenue was fined $35 for the offense which occurred Jan. 14. A total of 21 cases were brought before Judge A.

David Abrams Jr. for which $673 in bonds was forefited. Those forfeiting bonds were: Kyle Ross of Bolt, for reckless driving and driving with an expired registration, S260.50; Michael J. Alters of Cool Ridge, for speeding, William H. Phillips of Daniels, for a red light violation, Stephen Mark Stewart of Shady Spring, for driving with defective equipment and for making unnecessary noise with his vehicle, $61; Freddie James Meadows of Daniels, for speeding Bruce E.

Jackson of Crab Orchard, for improper passing, Hobart D. Utt of 101 Connor for a stop sign violation, Kevin Dean Wiseman of Midway, for failing to have his vehicle under control, James P. Perkins, of Route 2, Beckley, for speeding and a city warrant, and Cleavon Murry of 109 Mills for speeding, $30.50. The following forfeited $10 in bond each for various offenses: Ardith W. Jessup, for blocking a fire lane; Ralph W.

Holmes, for blocking a fire lane; Freddie Simms, for blocking driveway; Hartsel Dunbar, for blocking a traffic Lane; Ho ware Earhart, for blocking a fire lane; Randall Dillon, for block ing a sidewalk; and Howard W. Bennet, for blocking a fire lane. Register. Vg 1Ve on, Jan. 22, 1974--3 Eight Delegates Selected For Sfcrfe Government Day Four Raleigh County high schools will be represented by eight students during the West Virginia a i Association's Know Your State Government Day in Charleston in March.

The students will attend meetings, tour the capitol building and attend a luncheon at the capital. At the meetings, they may ask questions about the subjects under discussion. Delegate selected are Vicky Peelish and John Bridi, both of Woodrow Wilson High School; Rocky Walker and Wanda Greer, both of Stoco High School; James Lilly and Carol Cole, both of Shady Spring High School; and Connie Sturgill and David Miller, both of Sophia High School. Miss Peelish, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs.

Victor Peelish of 108 Roberts is vice president of the i Historians at Woodrow Wilson High School and is a member of the Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church. She was recently presented an Outstanding Conservation Girl award by the school's Conservation Club. Bridi is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Bridi of 411 Paint St.

He is a member of the Science Club, Latin Club, Key Club and Junior Historians at the school. Walker is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. Walker of Josephine.

He serves on the business staff of Stoco High School's student nublication. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Greer of Odd, Miss Greer is active in the Stoco High School student council and the school's book and pep club. She is also headline editor on the school's newspaper staff.

Lilly, the son of Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Lilly of Daniels, is a member of the Shady Spring High School National Honor Society and is an active member of the Vocational Industrial Schools of America organization.

Miss Cole is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cole of Beaver. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and serves on the school's student council. Miss Cole is the historian of the high school's Future a of America club.

Accompanying the Shady Spring High School students will be Ida Belle Pendleton. Miss Sturgill, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Sturgill of Soak Creek, is editor of the Sophia High School's student newspaper. She is a member of the band, treasurer of titt Conservation Club, and is a member of tile band council, student council and Pep dub.

She also is head of intramural sports for the Girls Athletic Association. Miller is me son of Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Miller of Helen. He is a member of the student council, president of the Chess Club, member of the Pep Club and is sports editor of the student publication at Sophia High School.

Miller also is president of Baptist Youth Fellowship at Helen Baptist Church. EXPENSIVE BRIDGE LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (UPI) Costing $2.4 million, the London Bridge was the most expensive piece of stonework ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean as it was moved from the River Thames to this desert community. However, the cost for bridge was less than a penny a pound. ROMEO R.

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