THE JEWISH MOB!

[maxiestern11]

Although much is always written about the so-called Mafia or Italian underworld, there was for many decades, a very strong significant Jewish presence in the underworld, both in NYC (the epicenter of mob activity) and throughout the nation. And although of course most everyone is familiar with the names of Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel and Dutch Schultz, there were many, many more lesser known but very powerful Jewish mobsters active from at least the early 1900’s through the 1980’s. Still today there is a little known Jewish contingent of mob figures active. These Jewish mobsters ran into the thousands. They worked in tandem, hand in hand, with their Italian counterparts. Italians and Jews always got along very well. And despite the stereotype of Jews as the “brains” and the Italians as the “brawn”, both ethnicities we’re equally smart and deadly as required. This thread attempts to expose this little known segment of the underworld, and the vast rackets and territory they controlled. Despite the information I will put forth here below, I am aware that my studies are but a “scratching of the surface” of their true influence and control within the mob. Whether it’s Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, California, New Jersey or a host of other cities, Jewish mobsters were very active throughout. But for the purposes of this story line, I will attempt to confine my dialogue to the New York City (and Florida) areas. Florida is included because of the near constant connection to NYC activity. Labor rackets of all stripes (garment district, airport freight, trucking, and many varied industries in NYC), casino gambling in Las Vegas and the Islands, and business infiltration, in addition to almost all varieties of street rackets; gambling, shylocking, narcotics, extortion, etc. “The Jewish Mob” lacked a formal structure like the “Roman legion” type design of the Italians, but did have an informal leadership of sorts, ranking certain Jews such as Meyer Lansky, Bugsy Siegel and Leone Buchalter as “bosses” per se.
The following list, although extensive, as I said before is just a scratching of the surface of the literally thousands of Jewish mobsters active during those eras. I have taken the liberty to mark an asterisk next to names that were clearly in a “Boss” of leadership position in their field i.e.; garment rackets, trucking, labor unions, bookmaking, etc.... keep in mind that Jewish hoods, in cooperation with the Italians were dominant powers in the gambling rackets (bookmaking, policy, dice).... loansharking on a fantastic scale, and narcotics smuggling and distribution (hence the term “schmeck” is a derivation of a Yiddish word for smell I believe). Heavily concentrated rackets were on the lower east side where there was heavy Jewish population, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Miami, Florida, among many other strongholds.

Meyer Lansky *
Jake Lansky
Arnold (The Brain) Rothstein *
Louis (Lepke) Buchalter*
Jacob (Gurrah) Shapiro
-garment district .............
Hyman (Red Hymie) Siegel*
Irving Mishel
Irving (Knadles) Nitzberg
Morris (Sheppie) Shapiro*
Tom Cutty
Philip (Farvel) Kovolick
Hyman (Nig Rosen) Stromberg*
Louis Stromberg
Abner (Longie) Zwillman *
(Fat Sidney) Brown
(Buster) Krakower
(Red) Levine
(Jewey) Stein
Moe Klemas
Abraham (Abe) Chait*
(Dutch) Goldberg
Joe Miller
Sam Berger
Joe Berger
Newman brothers
Benjamin (Benny) Levine
Abe Gordon
Harry (Little Lefty) Strasser
Sam Smith
Gabriel Klar
Paul (Red) Dorfman
Benjamin (Benny the Bug) Ross
Arthur (Lefty) Clark
Irving (Chink) Sherman
Teddy Ray
Samuel (Sammy Schlitz) Schlitten
Morris (Moishe) Schlitten
Larry (The Fixer) Knohl
Harry (Little Gangy) Davidoff
(Big Gangy) Davidoff
Sammy Goldstein
Sol (Pork Chop) Margolies
Joseph (Doc) Stracher*

In closing, note that it would be an almost impossible task to correlate all figures with their related rackets and influence. But suffice it to say that for upwards of eighty years, “Tough Jews” .... racketeers of every size and shape, heavily influenced the american underworld!

[crazyjoegallo]

Shondor Birns was a powerful shylock in the 1970s in Cleveland.

[Wiseguy]

Jewish gangsters were definitely early pioneers within organized crime in a lot of ways. They just didn't have the built-in tradition the Italians had that perpetuated the organization. That included the hierarchical structure that could replace a leader, as well as the sons of Jewish gangsters not following their fathers into the rackets. They were also smart enough to recognize they couldn't stop the oncoming tide of Mafia dominance and partnered with the Italians.

[maxiestern11]

Well put Wiseguy

[bert]

Jewish gangsters were definitely early pioneers within organized crime in a lot of ways. They just didn't have the built-in tradition the Italians had that perpetuated the organization. That included the hierarchical structure that could replace a leader, as well as the sons of Jewish gangsters not following their fathers into the rackets. They were also smart enough to recognize they couldn't stop the oncoming tide of Mafia dominance and partnered with the Italians.

They did have tradition and a structure, it is just not that same structure the Mafia had, but just as strong, maybe stronger. A lot had sons who followed them too. They were not tracked as much, especially the sons. They partnered with the Italians in some cases, but had their own closed rackets going on. There was a Jewish club on East 14th street in Manhattan ( I will try to find the name of it) that was the biggest hoodlum hangout on the Lower East Side in the 1930's. For whatever reason the media in later years the FBI ignored or downplayed them.

[Wiseguy]

Jewish gangsters were definitely early pioneers within organized crime in a lot of ways. They just didn't have the built-in tradition the Italians had that perpetuated the organization. That included the hierarchical structure that could replace a leader, as well as the sons of Jewish gangsters not following their fathers into the rackets. They were also smart enough to recognize they couldn't stop the oncoming tide of Mafia dominance and partnered with the Italians.

They did have tradition and a structure, it is just not that same structure the Mafia had, but just as strong, maybe stronger. A lot had sons who followed them too. They were not tracked as much, especially the sons. They partnered with the Italians in some cases, but had their own closed rackets going on. There was a Jewish club on East 14th street in Manhattan ( I will try to find the name of it) that was the biggest hoodlum hangout on the Lower East Side in the 1930's. For whatever reason the media in later years the FBI ignored or downplayed them.

What structure would that be? And why didn't it serve to perpetuate the Jewish groups years down the road?

The Jews had no desire to have an ongoing criminal organization like the Mafia. Crime served as a doorway to legitimacy and eventual assimilation into the American mainstream for their children.

As for your claim the FBI ignored or downplayed them, that sounds about as hokey as your claim that Capeci stopped covering the Asian groups because he was under pressure to not make them look bad.

[bert]

Jewish gangsters were definitely early pioneers within organized crime in a lot of ways. They just didn't have the built-in tradition the Italians had that perpetuated the organization. That included the hierarchical structure that could replace a leader, as well as the sons of Jewish gangsters not following their fathers into the rackets. They were also smart enough to recognize they couldn't stop the oncoming tide of Mafia dominance and partnered with the Italians.

They did have tradition and a structure, it is just not that same structure the Mafia had, but just as strong, maybe stronger. A lot had sons who followed them too. They were not tracked as much, especially the sons. They partnered with the Italians in some cases, but had their own closed rackets going on. There was a Jewish club on East 14th street in Manhattan ( I will try to find the name of it) that was the biggest hoodlum hangout on the Lower East Side in the 1930's. For whatever reason the media in later years the FBI ignored or downplayed them.

What structure would that be? And why didn't it serve to perpetuate the Jewish groups years down the road?

The Jews had no desire to have an ongoing criminal organization like the Mafia. Crime served as a doorway to legitimacy and eventual assimilation into the American mainstream for their children.

As for your claim the FBI ignored or downplayed them, that sounds about as hokey as your claim that Capeci stopped covering the Asian groups because he was under pressure to not make them look bad.

Hokey? It was mentioned in news back then including some that allowed Capeci on at times, so now what? You seem to think you know everything there is to know.

[bert]

Maxie, why do some of the names on the list have an asterisk next to them?

[z23]

Jewish gangsters were definitely early pioneers within organized crime in a lot of ways. They just didn't have the built-in tradition the Italians had that perpetuated the organization. That included the hierarchical structure that could replace a leader, as well as the sons of Jewish gangsters not following their fathers into the rackets. They were also smart enough to recognize they couldn't stop the oncoming tide of Mafia dominance and partnered with the Italians.

They did have tradition and a structure, it is just not that same structure the Mafia had, but just as strong, maybe stronger. A lot had sons who followed them too. They were not tracked as much, especially the sons. They partnered with the Italians in some cases, but had their own closed rackets going on. There was a Jewish club on East 14th street in Manhattan ( I will try to find the name of it) that was the biggest hoodlum hangout on the Lower East Side in the 1930's. For whatever reason the media in later years the FBI ignored or downplayed them.

Wasn't that club called the Gefilte Fish lounge? Or I could have it confused with something else.

[Wiseguy]

Hokey? It was mentioned in news back then including some that allowed Capeci on at times, so now what?

And then you woke up.

You seem to think you know everything there is to know.

I just recognize revisionist history when I see it. And you seem to engage in it a lot.

[bert]

Jewish gangsters were definitely early pioneers within organized crime in a lot of ways. They just didn't have the built-in tradition the Italians had that perpetuated the organization. That included the hierarchical structure that could replace a leader, as well as the sons of Jewish gangsters not following their fathers into the rackets. They were also smart enough to recognize they couldn't stop the oncoming tide of Mafia dominance and partnered with the Italians.

They did have tradition and a structure, it is just not that same structure the Mafia had, but just as strong, maybe stronger. A lot had sons who followed them too. They were not tracked as much, especially the sons. They partnered with the Italians in some cases, but had their own closed rackets going on. There was a Jewish club on East 14th street in Manhattan ( I will try to find the name of it) that was the biggest hoodlum hangout on the Lower East Side in the 1930's. For whatever reason the media in later years the FBI ignored or downplayed them.

Wasn't that club called the Gefilte Fish lounge? Or I could have it confused with something else.

No, it had another name, one that was Jewish. It was on 14th, I think between 1st and 2nd avenues. I found it in a police file regarding a young Irish gang doing stick ups and a murder, 1937. One confessed and mentioned the club as a place he picked up 3 partners on short notice for a stick up.

[bert]

Hokey? It was mentioned in news back then including some that allowed Capeci on at times, so now what?

And then you woke up.

You seem to think you know everything there is to know.

I just recognize revisionist history when I see it. And you seem to engage in it a lot.

Like when I said Asian gangs were big? The FBI agreed

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/04/nyre ... -york.html

[bert]

Hokey? It was mentioned in news back then including some that allowed Capeci on at times, so now what?

And then you woke up.

You seem to think you know everything there is to know.

I just recognize revisionist history when I see it. And you seem to engage in it a lot.

Or here?

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm ... story.html

[bert]

Now can we stick to Jewish gangsters Maxie mentioned, and drop this arguing?

[Wiseguy]

Hokey? It was mentioned in news back then including some that allowed Capeci on at times, so now what?

And then you woke up.

You seem to think you know everything there is to know.

I just recognize revisionist history when I see it. And you seem to engage in it a lot.

Like when I said Asian gangs were big? The FBI agreed

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/04/nyre ... -york.html

The point is your claim about the Asians surpassing the Mafia never happened. After the fall of the Pizza Connection, the Chinese were the main players in the NY heroin trade but that didn't last long before the Latin American groups took over. You make absurd claims and then, after doing a quick, lazy Google search, you post links that don't actually support what you say.

Or here?

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm ... story.html

Nobody said Asian OC wasn't a problem, including in New York. Again, the problem is your claims about it in relation to the LCN.

How about you find something that actually supports your case. And I don't mean some old article from decades ago that made predictions which never came true.

Now can we stick to Jewish gangsters Maxie mentioned, and drop this arguing?

Sure. I bet we would all like to hear more about these Jewish OC groups in the later years the FBI ignored. Please expound.