By the time of his death, DeForest had acquired twenty acres and a stable, that he bequeathed to his half-brother, George. After DeForest's death, Silas established 'Green Tree Stables' at 4701 Cumberland Avenue in the Chicago suburb of Norridge. On June 3, 1940, a fire killed ten horses at the 'Green Tree Stables'. This was the first of several suspicious fires linked to Silas. Silas and his employees were able to free 35 other horses from the burning building. Jayne had acquired a reputation for bullying behavior. In order to intimidate rivals, he would falsely claim that he had served time for murder. In one case when he was losing in a horse show competition, Silas and his brothers beat the rider who was winning until he could no longer compete. Because of Jayne's reputation for violence, he was able to demand a 10% stake of the profits in horse shows held near Chicago. Jayne sold virtually worthless horses to prosperous men with daughters in their early teenage years, claiming that the horses were of the top quality needed if the daughters were to become champion riders. Parents allowed their daughters to spend extended periods of time at Jayne's stables unchaperoned. Jayne boasted to his associates of having molested many of these underage girls. When fathers complained about the poor quality of horses they had bought from him, he would tell them that their daughters had become notorious among his employees for their promiscuity. Though the accusation may have been groundless, scandal-wary fathers rarely pressed the point. It was suspected that allegations against Jayne were not investigated because he had friendly relations with police officers. He was not a made man of the Chicago Outfit, but his 'Idle Hour Stables' were patronised by "Mad Sam" DeStefano and other prominent gangsters. It was said that the gangsters "played cowboy" there, riding around on horses and firing guns into the air. In the early 1950's, Silas wanted his half-brother, George, to purchase his 'Green Tree Stables', but George, whose 'Sportsman's Riding Stables' was prospering, refused. Shortly thereafter, while George and his family were wintering in Florida, his house, located at the 'Sportsman's Riding Stables', burned down. The cause of the fire was never determined, but George suspected that Silas was responsible. A month after the fire, George sold 'Sportsman's Riding Stables', and after that he bought 'Green Tree Stables' from Silas, renaming