Description

You may know their names–Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, and Lepke Buchalter—or the crimes that they committed.?But do you know what motivated Jewish individuals to pursue a life of crime??Why did the phenomena of Jewish gangsters typically last for one generation??Naomi Sandweiss introduces the Jewish underworld and the social forces that led Jews into the mob.?Sandweiss introduces a family member, Sammy the Mustache, and describes his experiences as part of Detroit’s Purple Gang. Naomi Sandweiss is a New Mexican and author of Jewish Albuquerque 1860-1960, in addition to other articles and book chapters. She is past-president of the New Mexico Jewish Historical Society and holds an MA in history from Arizona State University.