In the 1999 book Tough Jews, former Rolling Stone editor Rich Cohen profiled Jewish gangsters, from Murder, Inc. to a hit man who wouldn’t kill on the Sabbath. The new website J-Grit.com–a self-proclaimed “Internet index of tough Jews”–is built from similar stock and is literally crawling with every sort of tough Jew.
The site is broken up into half a dozen categories. “Adventurers,” “Spies,” and “Criminals” all make sense here. But J-Grit isn’t only a tribute to notorious Semites–the “Public Servants” category includes Jewish firefighters who died in 9/11, as well as the first Jewish chief of detectives for the NYPD (“cigar-chomping, tough, and flamboyant,” as described by the site).
And just in case you’re worried that these honorable characters make Jews look like law-abiding softies, the “Criminals” section features such undesirables as Bugsy Siegel and Max “Kid Twist” Zweifach, the leader of the notorious Monk Eastman gang.
J-Grit is a glimpse into some rough chapters of Jewish history, exposing a sometimes troubled and always tough underbelly–but one that we get to witness, safely, from the distance of the Internet.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
