Debunking the myth of Murder, Inc.

[Ivan]

Hi everyone,

Some people I know are babbling back and forth about "the enforcement arm of the national crime syndicate" whose members "received salaries" and waited around for their salaried murder jobs provided by their bosses Lepke and Anastasia.

Can anyone direct me to some good articles/sources debunking this shit?

thanks in advance

[DPG]

I believe either Allen May or Thomas Hunt have a good write-up debunking the Murder Inc narrative. Let me see if I can find it.

Edit: Neither of these are the author of what I'm thinking of. It may have been an article in Informer by Rick or someone else I'm thinking of. Or it could have been one of David's write-ups I'm not sure. I do know there was a thread on here or bb that many posters threw cold water all over the story.

[chin_gigante]

Good write-up from Gangland News here: https://www.ganglandnews.com/members/column112.htm

The Myth of Murder Inc.

Murder Incorporated, the legendary gang of so-called hired killers from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn that supposedly served as an enforcement arm of La Cosa Nostra during the 1930s and 40s, is a myth.
There never was a stable of salaried killers who sat around waiting for murder assignments. The myth began in the 1940s, was reinforced by a 1951 best seller, ‘Murder Inc’, by Burton Turkus and Sid Feder. The myth still survives to this day for several interrelated reasons:

1. The general lack of knowledge about La Cosa Nostra half a century ago.
2. Certain law enforcement officials with political ambitions who wanted to appear as cutthroat gangsters.
3. Good old-fashioned media sensationalism.

Many murders were committed by a motley group of mainly Jewish gangsters based in Brownsville, but most had to do with battles over garment industry rackets in Manhattan and had nothing to do with La Cosa Nostra. Lepke Buchalter became a major target of the law, he lost his cool, and like many mob bosses of the 1980s and 1990s, began rubbing out anyone who he thought might testify against him.
The Cosa Nostra connection to some of these so-called Murder Inc hoods came from their close associations with Albert Anastasia, then-underboss of the crime family known today as the Gambino family. If Jewish hoods wanted to whack someone, they would check with Anastasia and make sure the murder wouldn’t screw up any of his schemes. It was a smart political move because of the power Anastasia wielded.
Murder Inc was co-authored by Turkus, an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn who prosecuted many of the killers. There were no turncoat mobsters then and Turkus simply got some things wrong. He knew there was some kind of national syndicate, but he overestimated its organisational structure. Turkus tried to paint a picture of a well-organised nationwide company with clearly defined roles, goals and job descriptions.
There is an excellent analysis of Murder Inc in ‘East Side-West Side’, a book by Alan Block, a Penn State University professor. A key player in Block’s research was Abe Reles, a well-known informer who helped Turkus win many convictions.
Reles was part of a gang battling for control of rackets in Brownsville that killed off main rivals to consolidate their control. Reles was associated with Louis Capone, who was in the Anastasia orbit. When the gang wanted to knock off someone interfering in their rackets, they would, as courtesy, tell Anastasia. They did not want to inadvertently kill someone who was a friend or associate of a powerful Cosa Nostra leader. They were not hired killers. No-one paid them to wipe out their rivals.
Reles, through Capone, sometimes did favours for Anastasia as a way to curry favour, probably a handful of hits. But there was no payment; Reles was not a hired killer.
He, like all racketeers, was out to make money through scams and schemes. Murder was simply a means of getting things done.
The affairs of the notorious Buchalter also played a big role in the legend of Murder Inc. He was a big man in the garment district and used muscle to get what he wanted. After prosecutor Thomas Dewey’s main target, Dutch Schultz, was wiped out, Dewey turned his sights on Buchalter. As legal pressure mounted, Buchalter went into hiding and tried to cover his tracks by killing anyone he thought might become an informer. Many of these killings have been attributed to Murder Inc but were really the unravelling of the Buchalter organisation.
The prosecutors, the police, and the newspapers at that time, had no idea of the true nature and structure of La Cosa Nostra. The media lumped the disparate groups of murders into one major conspiracy and labelled it Murder Inc. (Jerry Capeci, Gangland News, 1 February 1999).

[thekiduknow]

Why would the Jewish gangsters go to Anastasia, an underboss, and not other actual bosses for permission? Did he exclusively run the garment industry? I thought that was Luciano's turf?

[chin_gigante]

Why would the Jewish gangsters go to Anastasia, an underboss, and not other actual bosses for permission? Did he exclusively run the garment industry? I thought that was Luciano's turf?

It's all about the connections they had. Reles knows Louis Capone, Capone is around Anastasia. They can't just call up Vincent Mangano and request a meeting. The whole point of having lower levels of management is that the bosses didn't have to deal with everything themselves. Let's not forget, an underboss is still a very powerful position and Anastasia was also tight with Luciano and Frank Costello.

[SILENT PARTNERZ]

I remember a documentary where they said there
was a phone in the back of a candy store. This is
where the calls came in, and the 'work' was given
to a member. It sounded unbeleivable.

[thekiduknow]

Why would the Jewish gangsters go to Anastasia, an underboss, and not other actual bosses for permission? Did he exclusively run the garment industry? I thought that was Luciano's turf?

It's all about the connections they had. Reles knows Louis Capone, Capone is around Anastasia. They can't just call up Vincent Mangano and request a meeting. The whole point of having lower levels of management is that the bosses didn't have to deal with everything themselves. Let's not forget, an underboss is still a very powerful position and Anastasia was also tight with Luciano and Frank Costello.

So, it's more like they were checking with Anastasia to see if killing someone would mess up anyone else's rackets, rather than just Anastasia? That makes more sense.

[johnny_scootch]

I remember a documentary where they said there
was a phone in the back of a candy store. This is
where the calls came in, and the 'work' was given
to a member. It sounded unbeleivable.

Midnight Rose

On Livonia & Saratoga

[JCB1977]

Good write-up from Gangland News here: https://www.ganglandnews.com/members/column112.htm

The Myth of Murder Inc.

Murder Incorporated, the legendary gang of so-called hired killers from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn that supposedly served as an enforcement arm of La Cosa Nostra during the 1930s and 40s, is a myth.
There never was a stable of salaried killers who sat around waiting for murder assignments. The myth began in the 1940s, was reinforced by a 1951 best seller, ‘Murder Inc’, by Burton Turkus and Sid Feder. The myth still survives to this day for several interrelated reasons:

1. The general lack of knowledge about La Cosa Nostra half a century ago.
2. Certain law enforcement officials with political ambitions who wanted to appear as cutthroat gangsters.
3. Good old-fashioned media sensationalism.

Many murders were committed by a motley group of mainly Jewish gangsters based in Brownsville, but most had to do with battles over garment industry rackets in Manhattan and had nothing to do with La Cosa Nostra. Lepke Buchalter became a major target of the law, he lost his cool, and like many mob bosses of the 1980s and 1990s, began rubbing out anyone who he thought might testify against him.
The Cosa Nostra connection to some of these so-called Murder Inc hoods came from their close associations with Albert Anastasia, then-underboss of the crime family known today as the Gambino family. If Jewish hoods wanted to whack someone, they would check with Anastasia and make sure the murder wouldn’t screw up any of his schemes. It was a smart political move because of the power Anastasia wielded.
Murder Inc was co-authored by Turkus, an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn who prosecuted many of the killers. There were no turncoat mobsters then and Turkus simply got some things wrong. He knew there was some kind of national syndicate, but he overestimated its organisational structure. Turkus tried to paint a picture of a well-organised nationwide company with clearly defined roles, goals and job descriptions.
There is an excellent analysis of Murder Inc in ‘East Side-West Side’, a book by Alan Block, a Penn State University professor. A key player in Block’s research was Abe Reles, a well-known informer who helped Turkus win many convictions.
Reles was part of a gang battling for control of rackets in Brownsville that killed off main rivals to consolidate their control. Reles was associated with Louis Capone, who was in the Anastasia orbit. When the gang wanted to knock off someone interfering in their rackets, they would, as courtesy, tell Anastasia. They did not want to inadvertently kill someone who was a friend or associate of a powerful Cosa Nostra leader. They were not hired killers. No-one paid them to wipe out their rivals.
Reles, through Capone, sometimes did favours for Anastasia as a way to curry favour, probably a handful of hits. But there was no payment; Reles was not a hired killer.
He, like all racketeers, was out to make money through scams and schemes. Murder was simply a means of getting things done.
The affairs of the notorious Buchalter also played a big role in the legend of Murder Inc. He was a big man in the garment district and used muscle to get what he wanted. After prosecutor Thomas Dewey’s main target, Dutch Schultz, was wiped out, Dewey turned his sights on Buchalter. As legal pressure mounted, Buchalter went into hiding and tried to cover his tracks by killing anyone he thought might become an informer. Many of these killings have been attributed to Murder Inc but were really the unravelling of the Buchalter organisation.
The prosecutors, the police, and the newspapers at that time, had no idea of the true nature and structure of La Cosa Nostra. The media lumped the disparate groups of murders into one major conspiracy and labelled it Murder Inc. (Jerry Capeci, Gangland News, 1 February 1999).

Great response! Similar to the old “Mayfield Road Mob.” That was a term given by the newspaper media referencing Murray Hill off Mayfield Road with Frank & Tony Milano along with Moe Dalitz and crew.

[Ivan]

Similar to the old “Mayfield Road Mob.” That was a term given by the newspaper media referencing Murray Hill off Mayfield Road with Frank & Tony Milano along with Moe Dalitz and crew.

Very good analogy.

[JeremyTheJew]

I believe detroits purple gang was saod to have been hired im sure they were paid and sent home

[aleksandrored]

So if Murder Inc is a myth then this list post on another topic is only from the gang of Jews?

"MURDER INC
City: New York
Time Period: 30's - 50's

1. Louis "Lou Lepke" Buchalter (The boss)
2. Albert "Mad Hatter" Anastasia (Italian member and Underboss until Lepke stepped down in 1930s)
3. Hyman "Curly" Holtz
4. Abe 'Kid Twist' Reles
5. Mendy Weiss
6. Vincent Mangano
7. Jacob "Gurrah" Shapiro
8. Martin "Bugzy" Goldstein
9. Frank "The Dasher" Abbandando
10. Charles "Charlie The Bug" Workman
11. Harry "Big Greenie" Greenburgh
12. Harry "Pittsburgh Phil" Strauss
13. Harry Maine (Italian member)
14. Joe Adonis (Italian member)
15. Joe Schafer
16. Seymour "Blue Jaw" Magoon (Irish member)
17. Sholem "Sol" Bernstein
18. Max "The Jerk" Golob
19. Louis "Shadows" Kravits
20. Hyman Yuran
21. Sam Gasberg
22. Philip "Little Farvel" Kovolick
23. Irving Nitzberg
24. Louis Capone (Italian member)
25. Louis "Lou" Cohen
26. Jacob "Jake" Drucker
27. Jacob Migden

[chin_gigante]

So if Murder Inc is a myth then this list post on another topic is only from the gang of Jews?

"MURDER INC
City: New York
Time Period: 30's - 50's

1. Louis "Lou Lepke" Buchalter (The boss)
2. Albert "Mad Hatter" Anastasia (Italian member and Underboss until Lepke stepped down in 1930s)
3. Hyman "Curly" Holtz
4. Abe 'Kid Twist' Reles
5. Mendy Weiss
6. Vincent Mangano
7. Jacob "Gurrah" Shapiro
8. Martin "Bugzy" Goldstein
9. Frank "The Dasher" Abbandando
10. Charles "Charlie The Bug" Workman
11. Harry "Big Greenie" Greenburgh
12. Harry "Pittsburgh Phil" Strauss
13. Harry Maine (Italian member)
14. Joe Adonis (Italian member)
15. Joe Schafer
16. Seymour "Blue Jaw" Magoon (Irish member)
17. Sholem "Sol" Bernstein
18. Max "The Jerk" Golob
19. Louis "Shadows" Kravits
20. Hyman Yuran
21. Sam Gasberg
22. Philip "Little Farvel" Kovolick
23. Irving Nitzberg
24. Louis Capone (Italian member)
25. Louis "Lou" Cohen
26. Jacob "Jake" Drucker
27. Jacob Migden

What is called 'Murder Inc' is a number of Jewish gangs. There was the Buchalter organisation and I belueve Reles had his own gang. So definitely take out Mangano, Anastasia, Adonis and Capone. Reles had links to Capone and Capone was close to Anastasia so that's how that connection came about

[motorfab]

Your membership list is not entirely accurate. As stated above, there is no chance that Anastasia will be underboss of Lepke. For me Murder, Inc. it is above all the gang of Lepke, that of Reles/Goldstein (Brownsville), that of Maione (Ocean Hill) and some others like the brothers Amberg (visibly rivals but they participated in certain murders with Reles). Personally I do not think it was as organized as we are told but more guys we called to make "service" from time to time. On this site you have a lot of guys who were part of Brownsville gangs https://dc.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/index.php/ ... ction_id/7

[motorfab]

You have members and victims here too https://www.pinterest.fr/evargas70/murd ... n/?lp=true