![]() ![]() "Lee Harvey Oswald could never have gotten his rifle the way he did if the law had been on the books in 1963."īlaise was referring to the 6.5 Mannlicher-Carbine, and imported Italian army surplus weapon which Oswald purchased by mail order for $12.78. The importation of surplus military firearms and any firearms not suitable for sporting purposes is also prohibited under the Gun Control Act." "What we're most concerned with," says Blaise, "is the illegal possession of machineguns, sawed-off shotguns, and destructive devices such as Molotov cocktails, grenades, rockets and other forms of bombs. "It gives us the authority to enforce laws pertaining to the shipment and processing of machineguns and cut-down rifles, and the possession of firearms by convicted felons." "That law gives us the tools to fight syndicated crime," says Blaise. One of AT&F's proudest achievements is the Gun Control Act of 1968, a measure that became law with the division's active support. ![]() Today, Blaise and his fellow agents are still concerned with the enforcement of alcohol tax laws, but they have other major duties, including enforcement of federal firearms laws. The FBI does have undercover operatives, but they aren't the FBI agents themselves."Īccording to Blaise, there's another misconception that the FBI leads the Federal Government's war against violent crime.Īlthough it's possible that you've never heard of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Division, it has been around since 1934 when agents of the division functioned as 'revenuers' seeking to exact alcohol taxes from armed moonshiners in the hills of Kentucky, Georgia and the Carolinas. "As for undercover work," explains special agent Blaise, "unlike the FBI, we do our own. When we hear of federal undercover agents, we think of the FBI.Īctually, the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Division comes under the broad umbrella of the IRS in the Treasury Department, as do Secret Service, Intelligence, and US customs agents, but AT&F has nothing to do with income tax. When most of us hear of the Treasury Department, we immediately think of the Internal Revenue Service. He was in the bar in his role as an undercover investigator for a relatively obscure federal agency ? the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (AT&F) Division of the Treasury Department. He was very much interested in the deal, but not from the same view point as its three companions." And if you're interested, Joe, we may include you in on the deal and make it 'The Four Musketeers' This was a victory of sorts for Joe Blaise. "Great," said the first man, "let's have another round. "He's okay," replied another, "he's been cleared." They referred to themselves as "The Three Musketeers".Īs the drinks flowed and the conversation drifted toward their plans to take in illegal dollars from the Florida vacationers, one of the men cautioned: "Hey you guys, be careful what you say. Joe Blaise, a husky, well-dressed man with a light smile, was talking to three gangsters he knew were planning a gambling operation in Florida. ![]() New York ? It was a dark bar on a dingy street running off of New York's Times Square. ![]()
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