H2: Jewish Gangsters

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The Family Came First

As ruthless and violent as they may have
been, most Jewish gangsters never involved
their wives or family in their work. Davie Berman, a leading
boot legger during the prohibition era, was known as a fearless gangster. Using muscle and guns, Berman and his gang ran an operation that payed off local politicians and police and committed violence against rival gangsters.

His family still had no idea what he exactly did for a living. But Berman always distributed money to all his relatives and family, particularly looking after his parents. When his sister married, Davie payed for a huge and lavish wedding.

The vicious and violent Lepke Buchalter was the only Jewish gangster to be electrocuted for a part in the gangland murders that took place in NewYork. But even Lepke was a doting husband and father. He made certain that his son never knew what he did for a living and even the FBI reported that Lepke was "genuinely devoted" to his family. Before his death Buchalter ensured that there was a trust fund where the money he assured would be used later for his sons college education.

Meyer Lansky, one of the leading gangsters of his time adored his mother. As he rose in the world of crime, Meyer settled his parents in an elegant apartment, complete with maid, in a fashionable section of Brooklyn. When his mother had eye surgery in the late 1930s, Meyer got her a full time private nurse to stay with her in hospital. After his mother came home from hospital, Meyer asked the nurse to stay on until his mother was completely recovered. He continued to visit his mother every day conversing with her in Yiddish. From time to time, he called home so his children could speak to their grandmother.

Defenders of their people

Chicago gangster Samuel "Nails" Morton ws a leading mobster in the 1920s. In 1929 he was killed in a freak riding accident and his gang organised a lavish gangster funeral for him. The funeral cortege was two miles long and it took six limousines to carry the flowers. Five thousand Jews, including Rabbis, turned out to play tribute to Nails.

Are you shocked? After all, gangsters were essentially disliked by most members of the Jewish community. However, it turned out that Morton had protected and defended Jews from attacks by antisemites. Attending the funeral was the community's way of showing its gratitude, despite the everyday work of Morton.

In 1930s America suffered a great depression and with the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Europe anti-semitism increased in the United States. American Jewish leaders were uncertain how to respond, concerned about "what the gentiles thought" and fearful of stirring up even more anti - Jewish sentiment. Jewish gangsters had no such worries and Meyer Lansky rounded up some of his friends and went about New York disrupting pro Nazi meetings. Young Jews not connected with him or the rackets also volunteered to help. Lansky and the others taught them how to use their fists and handle themselves in a fight.

According to one secret FBI memorandum, a number of Jews held a meeting at the St Carlos hotel in Tuscon, Arizona. The men conversed in Yiddish about conditions in Germany and Hitler's persecution of the Jews. "One of the talkers told the others that Hitler would not last long; there's a number of Jewish gangsters in New York city were sending a man to Germany to assassinate Hitler... the assasination was to take place between May and September 1933".

Gangsters and Jewish charities

Jewish organisations severely condemned the actions of gangsters who were bringing the Jewish commuity into disrepute. However Jewish charities did take money from these gangsters. Meyer Lansky gave substantial amounts towards the State of Israel. One of Miami beaches most imminent Jewish activists said that "Lansky was always waiting for me in the lobby with a cheque".

Mo Zedway, a former associate of Bugsy Siegal and one of the leading figures in Las Vegas, revealed to the Kefauver Committee Investigation into Organised Crime that he was the Chairman of the Navada United Jewish Appeal!

Longy Zwillman's generosity was legendary. He provided needy Jews with food during the Jewish holidays and distributed truck loads of food and toys to the Christian community every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Jewish gangsters also assisted in the creation of the state of Israel by providing much needed aid in its war against the Arabs. They also provided gun running operations to Israel, hijacking arms and sending them to the Irgun and the Haganah.

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