Stoneham began his career as a board boy, updating stock transactions, in a New York City brokerage office.

Allegations arose that Stoneham was a silent partner in the firm and had provided false testimony in the investigation of the collapse.

Once again, allegations of criminal activity began to swirl around him and in September 1923, he was indicted by the Federal government for mail fraud related to defrauding the Dier company's clients.

Stoneham had a close business relationship with Arnold Rothstein, a notorious organized crime boss who ran numerous gambling operations.

Rothstein, best known for fixing the 1919 World Series, brokered Stoneham's purchase of the New York Giants baseball team in 1919.

He was eventually forced to sell these operations in 1923, as part of an anti-corruption campaign waged by baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

They would have been well within their rights to do so, since Red Sox owner Harry Frazee had pledged Fenway Park as collateral for a loan from Ruppert.

[4] In 1919, Charles Stoneham made an aborted attempt to organize a professional football team to play at the Polo Grounds in New York City.

[5] Contracts and verbal agreements to play were made with a number of former collegiate football stars and its first game was scheduled for October 12, 1919.

[6] Alfred O. Gennert, a former star for Princeton and one of the players whose name was used in promoting the team, publicly denounced the unauthorized use of his name and the concept of professional football in general.

Soccer in the US is overseen by a single organizing body, at the time known as the United States Football Association.

The onset of the Great Depression worsened the league's financial situation and it limped on for three more years before collapsing.

For several years before his death, Stoneham had been suffering from a variety of physical ailments which were eventually diagnosed as symptoms of Bright's disease.