William H. Busteed was an American gambler and underworld figure in New York City during the turn of the century

Turn of the century

Turn of the century, in its broadest sense, refers to the transition from one century to another. The term is most often used to indicate a non-specific time period either before or after the beginning of a century....

. The owner of a successful Broadway gambling resort, he was one of several men who rivaled "Honest" John Kelly

John Kelly (U.S. politician)

John Kelly of New York City, known as "Honest John", was a boss of Tammany Hall and a U.S. Representative from New York from 1855 to 1858-Career:...

, a leading political figure in Tammany Hall

Tammany Hall

Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...

, as well as other prominent gamblers such as Sam Emery, Dinky Davis and John Daly

John Daly (gambler)

John Daly was an American sportsman, professional gambler and underworld figure in New York during the late 19th century. A protege of John Morrissey, he was involved in illegal gambling in Broadway and Midtown Manhattan for over thirty years...

.

In July 1920, he and David Gideon were indicted after their gambling house in Hewletts

Hewlett, New York

Hewlett is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2010 Census, the CDP population was 6,819....

 was raided by Neil H. Vandewater, council for the Nassau County Association, along with state troopers and several of his friends. Upon gaining entry, they found a secret door which opened electronically by a push button under the carpet hiding roulette tables and other gambling equipment. These were confiscated and taken to Mineola, Long Island along with five operators who named Busteed and Gideon as the owners.

Busteed and Gideon were among the first men convicted during the Nassau County

Nassau County, New York

Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...

's seven-month campaign against illegal gambling known as the "John Doe inquiry". Although both men were in the early seventies, Judge Townsend Scutter was unwilling to grant leniency unless they provided information on county officials who supported their activities. Their case remanded until October 18, Busteed pled guilty to running a gambling house and fined $1,000. Gideon and the others were given similar sentences. Busteed was later scheduled to be the chief witness in a major gambling case involving four Nassau County officials, Assemblyman Thomas McWhinney, Supervisor G. Wilber Doughty, Sheriff Charles W. Smith and Postmaster Thomas H. O'Keafe, but disappeared days before the trial.