In 1929 the U.S. government passed the Registry Act, which allowed illegal aliens to become permanent resident as long as they registered and stayed out of trouble. Albert Anastasia took advantage of the act and applied for the certificate on April 4, 1931.

Under questioning he said he had never been arrested, summoned into court as a defendant, convicted, fined, imprisoned, placed on probation, and a variety of other criminally-related acts.

His Certificate of Registry was issued most likely by someone who never read the newspapers.