Meyer Lansky in 1958. (Library of Congress)
The pursuits of Jewish American gangsters encompassed a cornucopia of criminal activities, including murder, racketeering, bootlegging, and prostitution. Read “Tough Jews: Fathers, Sons and Gangster Dreams,” Rich Cohen’s investigation and anecdotal collection about the Jewish mafia, including one mobster who refused to whack anyone on the Sabbath. Watch the 1991 Bugsy Siegel film “Bugsy.” Plan a visit to the new The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, where you can learn more about infamous figures such as Siegel, Monk Eastman, Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and the ruthless Meyer Lansky, the cat’s-eye, pinky ring-wearing mobster who established an international gambling empire but, in true Jewish form, was still concerned with his grandson’s math grades.
ADVERTISEMENT: Come explore the blessings and challenges of freedom at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. NMAJH.org
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