Louis Cella

Louis A. Cella (November 29, 1866 – April 29, 1918) was an American capitalist, turfman, and plutocratic political financier. In 1896, he co-founded the Cella, Adler, and Tilles investment syndicate with Cap Tilles and Samuel Adler. The partnership, also known as C.A.T., dominated the Midwestern horse racing industry through World War I. At its height, C.A.T. had a controlling interest in 25 horse racing tracks. C.A.T. also founded the Western Turf Association, which granted Cella and his partners near monopolistic control over jockeys, bookmakers, and horse owners in the Midwest. The partnership also had one of the largest networks of bucketshops in the US, with a presence in every major city in the country. Cella was nicknamed the "Dago Saloonkeeper," a reference to his early start as a saloonist before co-founding C.A.T. Cella made a fortune in real estate, commodities speculation, stock commissions, and horse racing. At the height of his career, Cella owned five large office buildings, controlled ten theaters, several hotels, and a large network of brokerages across the US.

From 1897 to 1904, Cella and his two partners had a monopoly on the St. Louis horse racing market. In 1905, gambling was abolished in Missouri by the progressive movement's Anti-Breeders Act, and the partnership's tracks were forced to close.

Cella turned his primary attention to real estate speculation and the Cella Commission Company he co-founded with his brothers. In 1910, Cella was arrested by federal marshals and extradited to Washington, D.C., in the Western Union bucket shop scandal. During the trial, the prosecuting federal attorney accused Cella of perjury, which was added to the charges against him. In 1911, Cella and his investment partners were acquitted of all charges after the Anti-Bucket Shop Act was declared unconstitutional. The ruling was seen as a setback for the progressive movement.

Cella ran for a seat in the Missouri State House of Representatives but was defeated. He then began financing state politicians, becoming a key political power in the advancement of various moneyed interests.